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From Antwerp, Belgium, comes the enigmatically named INNEKE 23 who plays bass guitar and sings in a band called De Bossen, together with Wim DB (vocals/guitar) and Lara Wolfsmelk (drums/vocals). This threesome debuted with the very well-received mini-LP/CD 'Big Bang Machine', then came the excellent follow-up LP/CD 'The Girl Collection' and their 2nd full length album 'Feel The Beating' of which the track 'Diver' was released as a single and 'Bones Bones Bones' as a radio promo, and now their new album 'Boy Trouble' is almost ready for release (March 2003). Inneke's first solo album 'Not With The Band' was released inbetween; it's full of beautiful, reflective songs, mostly acoustic, sometimes larded with various not-so-common instruments (from wind chimes to church organ) and the occasional electric firestorm. When planning the recording of these songs, Inneke thought of asking Eric Geevers for technical support. She had heard some of his 4-track recordings (a couple of which would appear on the 'Cupboard Skeletons' sketch-album, see discography) and Eric got a letter and a tape asking if he was interested in helping out with recording, and maybe arranging, the songs she had put on tape at home with only her voice and an acoustic guitar. The recordings were mostly made at SPOD (the rehearsal studio where Eric has his dayjob), but the 4-track equipment was carried elsewehre as well... |
| The result was a growing pile of recordings, with Inneke taking all lead vocals and most guitar parts, and the two of them working out which way of arranging and recording would serve a particular song best. On the title track all you hear is Inneke's voice and Eric's handclaps; on another song De Bossen take another shape and form with Lara taking up the brushes and Wim playing a scorching lead guitar through a Vox mini-amp hidden in a cupboard. For the song "Gone", recordings were made at the Lutheranian Church in Delft with Inneke singing accompanied by Eric on the huge (and beautiful) church organ. On other songs Eric plays the xylophone, contrabass, Vox organ, tenor recorder, piano, mandolin and an all but steam powered Arp synth, while Inneke adds a 12-string guitar, footsteps and wind chimes to her mesmerizing vocals. |  Inneke jotting down fader settings. |
 Molly: purring on Eric's shoulder |
Other guest musicians on the album include Tine DB
(djembé and vocal), Katrien DB (backing vocals), Maaike Visschedijk (chromatic harmonica), Geert
Briës (violin), Jan Dirk Gerritsen ('cello), Henk Koorn (trumpet, backing vocal)... and Molly the cat
who was willing to add some purrs to the song 'Waves'. The song "Another Perfect Day", recorded at these sessions, appeared on Opscene CD#12 (free with Opscene Magazine #75). It's not on the 'Not With The Band' album, but a band version can be found on the De Bossen album 'Feel The Beating'. Eric also engineered and recorded De Bossen doing the Dead Moon song "Dagger Moon"; this SPOD 4-track one-off is featured on the Dead Moon tribute album "From The Cole Mind" (Last Chance Records USA) on which you find The Napoleons and The Bunny Club as well. |