Remy Stroomer

Bio:

Remy Stroomer is born on October 9th, 1979 in Haarlem (The Netherlands). At the age of nine, he starts to take keyboard-lessons and around the same time, he creates his first compositions. With expanding his skills on keyboards, he attempts on performing on stage for the first time in 1994. First as a solo-performer, but from halfway the nineties also with other bands and musicians and playing music in many different areas, such as electronics, jazz, rock and symphonic/progressive rock. In April 1996 he conducts his composition ‘Evolution’, written occasionally for the opening of the new part of the Mendel College in Haarlem, in front of nine musicians. One year later, he scores the music for the play ‘Faust 2000’, which is being performed by students of the high school that Remy attends. This year also marks the release of a first demo cdr, containing a compilation of selected tracks that he has recorded so far. During the MEM-Event on November 13, 1998, Remy performs a solo-live performance featuring material of “Exhibition of Dreams”, his first full album ‘in progress’.

While he graduates from high school in 1999, Remy starts his study Sonology at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague (The Netherlands). At that time he intents to learn from the educated visions on music in a way to integrate and apply this into his own music, but later one he realizes that a lot of things that are being taught there, struggle a lot with the ideas and thoughts that he has about making music. After having completed his second year there, he decides to quit his study and chooses to keep on making music in his own comfortable way. He likes to do his own thing, exposing his own dreams, feelings, thoughts and experiences to the listener of his music. Besides all kind of music Remy has listened so far - varying from classical to hard rock- it also becomes clear that he is also a devotee of the music of Klaus Schulze. Although Remy tries to let hear his own things and following his own intuition into his own musical journey, Schulze is mostly mentioned in reviews of Remy’s work as a comparison. But, surprisingly, Remy already started to make Schulze-like tracks before he has ever took notice of this musical style! At the end of 1999, Remy’s first album “Exhibition of Dreams” is released as a double-cdr on AKH Records, the label he owns together with Ewout Koek. The album contains tracks that have been recorded over the previous two years. It doesn’t take long before all copies are sold and when one comes in the hands of Dutch mail-order and electronic music label Groove Unlimited, it is decided that a new album will be released nearly a year later after Remy’s debut and as a cooperation of AKH and Groove Unlimited. On September 10th, 2000, his first official cd “The Art of Imagination” sees the light of day and is more successful than expected. With this album, Remy wins the third price in the category ‘Best Newcomer Electronic Music’ at the 2001-edition of the well-acclaimed German Schwingungen-Festival (hosted by Winfred Trenkler).

Remy starts working on new material in 2001, this time preparing two separate albums. “DisConnected” and “Connected” are released on AKH on September 27th, 2003, on which he explores his music style even further, using several analogue synthesizers and his trusty Atari ST sequencer. Both albums gain a lot of attention from both listeners as critics. The follow-up, “Different Shades of Dust” gets its release on October 9th, 2004 and coincides with three performances at the annual E-live Festival in Eindhoven (The Netherlands). The three tracks on this album represents his view on several aspects of life. While moving to another home, Remy builds a new studio in 2005 in IJmuiden, near the Dutch coast and prepares new material in a new surrounding. While recording his new album, his performs in early 2006 at the Pelibar in Leiden (The Netherlands) and at the ()Toon) Festival at the Patronaat in Haarlem (The Netherlands). Much of his new album is premiered at these performances. One part of the Pelibar gig becomes part of the track “Destination” on his new album “Sense”, which is released on May 12th, 2006. The musical style on this album is much more introspective and experimental and features some vocals by Mattie (from Todd the Nose). In 2007, Remy appears at the 8th edition of the Langweiligkeit Festival in The Hague (The Netherlands) on July 27th and gives an unique performance on November 10th at the Great Church (Grote of St. Bavokerk) in Haarlem (The Netherlands), for which he prepares a piece intended as a cooperation with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble of Haarlem. Due to circumstances he performs on his own at the last moment.

The next record, “This Is Not The End”, again an AKH Records release, is being released on April 13th 2008, and this same day Remy performs at the E-Day Festival in Eindhoven, as support act of Tangerine Dream’s Edgar Froese. After a gig in the Grugapark in Essen (Germany) Remy prepares for another performance in the Grote of St. Bavokerk in Haarlem, where his new, specially for this occasion composed, piece “The Traveller” (with collaborations of cello players Rachel Mulder and Jasmijn Overbeek) is being performed. This piece can be described as a mix of electronic and modern classical music.

In the summer of 2008 Remy’s adaption of Dvorak’s “Allegro Con Fuoco” appears on a German compilation cd.

On January 1st 2009, Remy starts recording the tenth anniversary release of his debut album “Exhibition of Dreams”, which will be released later this year.

During late 2010, Remy works on lone tracks, such as “Ascending and Descending” for the “Dutch Masters”-cd (released early 2011 on Groove Unlimited). This piece is inspired by a litho made by M.C. Escher. A new studio-cd is being recorded in early 2011, to coincide with his performance at the E-day Festival in Oirschot (The Netherlands) on April 16th and is released as “i-Dentity” on the same day. Later that year, Remy decides to compile the best of the recordings made during his three performances at the Grote- of St.Bavokerk in Haarlem for a live-cd "The Great Church Trilogy".

-Biography by Wouter Bessels-


Selective discography:
1999 Exhibition Of Dreams (2-CDR)
2000 The Art Of Imagination (CD)
2003 DisConnected (CD)
2003 Connected (CD)
2004 Different Shades Of Dust (CD)
2006 Sense (CD)
2008 This Is Not The End (CD)
2009 EoD (CD)
2010 Exhibition of Dreams - 10th anniversary (2-CD)
2011 i-Dentity (CD))
2011 The Great Church Trilogy (CD)

Member Since:

August 11, 2006

Members:

Remy Stroomer (keys, programming, recording, mixing)

Influences:

Jean Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze, Mike Oldfield, Didier Marouani / Space, Kraftwerk, Vangelis, Craig Armstrong, Ozark Henry, Jeff Buckley, Massive Attack, Enigma, Lamb, Lou Rhodes, Radiohead / Thom Yorke, Björk, Portishead, Hooverphonic, Novastar, Depeche Mode, Aphex Twin, Human League, Fiona Apple, David Sylvian (Japan), Yello, Röyksopp, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Clannad, Giorgio Moroder, Boards Of Canada, Underworld, Goldfrapp, Marianne Faithfull, Nits, Kosheen, Blue Nile, Faithless, ...

Sounds Like:

long, stretched out, thematical songs, varying from soundscapes to sequenced layers. From uptempo, to classical, to retro. With soloing, and sometimes just around stretched themes.

Mostly compared with the music of Klaus Schulze's late 80's, begin 90's. Also heard comparisons with Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Robert Schröder, Tiësto, ...

Record Labels:

Deserted Island Music / AKH Records