Setting lyrics by vocalist and sound poet
Jaap Blonk, based on fragments of existing texts including advertisements, catalogues, and the writings of 16th century alchemists, to an improvisational interplay of synthesizer and percussion,
Braaxtaal has created some of the most adventurous music in the Netherlands. The trio took a step even further, in 2000, when their album
Dworr Buun featured lyrics, written by
Blonk, in a fantasy language. Formed in 1987,
Braaxtaal initially used the words of Dutch poet Lucebert as lyrics. Since 1990, however, they've focused exclusively on
Blonk's writing. Synthesizer player Rob Daenen previously played with
Weather Report-influenced bands, while percussionist Theo Bodewes was active with Amsterdam's free punk/wave scene in the 1980s. ~ Craig Harris