Housepainters to release self-titled debut album

On 13 September the Amsterdam-based band Housepainters will release their self-titled debut album on Magnetron Music. The album was written and recorded in their own studio in Amsterdam. The new single Sad Face Look is out now.

Initially, the band was the project of Tom Ogilvie (Teddy's Hit, Clean Plate Supervisor) and Marnix Wilmink (Mauskovic Dance Band, Don Melody Club), who started making music inspired by cinematic compositions, to which they added samples of vinyl and other sounds they found on Amsterdam's Waterlooplein, their meeting place. From these songs, Housepainters' first two singles were born. After finding an electronic Roland drum kit in the junkyard, the idea of inviting a third person to join the band grew. This is how Anna Fleuri Wolters, who came from the DIY punk scene in Groningen, joined the band. That the band members have different musical backgrounds makes for a dynamic songwriting process, as well as swapping instruments while writing. All this comes together in a sound that lies between the boundaries of no-wave-punk, dub and disco.

A majority of the songs on the album tell fragments of dystopian narratives. Inspired by Neue Deutsche Welle and New York dance-punk, club culture, as well as science-fiction films such as Total Recall, Eyes Wide Shut and Blade Runner, and the work of directors such as Wim Wenders, David Cronenberg and David Lynch. Writers such as Kurt Vonnegut are also an inspiration for the band. Resulting in dark yet upbeat tracks, danceable, and best listened to at night.

Previously, the band released Leave The Hall, which they wrote with the idea of being stuck in a recurring bad dream, for instance in a long corridor you just can't get out of and you feel like you're being haunted. The new single Sad Face Look describes more of a dystopian idea: people put on a mask every day to keep up with society, becoming blind to their surroundings. Phrases like 'Gestern war alles noch klar'; 'yesterday everything was still clear' and 'Reading old news for days' allude to a desire to break out of this. Watch the video at the bottom of this post.

As a trio, the band started playing live shows in Amsterdam, and soon they were performing outside our national borders. Housepainters gained a reputation for their diverse and energetic live shows. This summer, the band is touring various festivals:

• 27/06 - Garage MU, Paris, (FR)
• 07/07 - Wilde Weide, Kraggenburg (NL)
• 12/07 - Decibulles Festival, Neuve-Eglise (FR)
• 13/07 - Wildeburg, Kraggenburg (NL)
• 18/07 - Valkhof, Nijmegen (NL)
• 19/07 - Wiltz Festiva, Luxembourg (LX)
• 20/07 - Zwarte Cross, Lichtenvoorde (NL)
• 31/08 - Hit The City, Eindhoven (NL)
• 26/09 - Detonation Festival, Besançon (FR)
• 01/11 - Echolot Festival, Luzern (CH)