Moderators: lazyben, static14, texasvinyl

By DISCOSUCKS...
#64780
One of my side passions is Dutch/Belgian/Netherlands film funk and scores. Man, there's some great stuff out there for you diggers!

I got into the Belgian side through my love of Harry Kumel. Daughters of Darkness/de Roubaix is obviously a grail (I lose sleep over my desire for that original Barclay 7" EP that has eluded me, and for a full soundtrack release one day) but Kumel always has great music in his films - including the fantastical and rich orchestral score for Malpertuis by Georges Delerue (a masterpiece, seek it out - you can get it as one side of a special release that tied in with a Paris Fantastic Film Festival:



But why all this Kumel/Belgian talk, when my Deep Cut is a Dutch funk OST??

Well Kumel also made the incredible Arrival Of Joachim Stiller for Belgian TV in 1976, an amazing head fuck of a thing which had record viewing figures in it's homeland and which I tracked down a copy of on DVD:



It's a darkly funny, trippy nightmarish scenario, three hours of Belgian Barminess that's right up there as the best 70s TV fantasy I've ever seen (alongside Artemis '81 and The Stone Tape...).

Soooo.....the music in that really grabbed my attention - it was by Pieter Verlinden, who appears to be a composer who worked on a bunch of movies before going into TV for the rest of his career throughout the 80s.

When I started looking into his other available work, I discovered this absolute killer gem of a soundtrack for De 5 Van De 4-Daagse which appears to be a Belgian prison comedy from 1974, but the score is chock full of super sweet Sweeney-funk style breaks and orchestrations that conjure a gritty 70s world of trams, Belgian beer and a cheeky criminal underworld.



The film is probably total shit unless you have a special affinity for that time and place, but damn the score sure delivers the goods. If you like your coffee black and your ladies tough, if you dig Sven Libaek and Galt MacDermot and mellow jazzers like Chico Hamilton and MJQ and Serge Gainsbourg in soundtrack mode......well, get yer trousers on, you're nicked son!

Here's the best cut, which the uploader has mislabelled - it's actually

Side 1, Track 5: De Vlucht

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnCtuGJ ... 29CC1E689A[/video]

Everything in this cut is wonderment to my ears - the loping drums, the heavy use of vibes, the slightly faze-y guitar stabs, the muted horns.....all adds up to something special for those times in life when you're compelled to 'tache-up, musk-up and hit the grimy city streets in search of dangerous action (ie every friday night in Disco's world.....)

You just know that Matt Berry would love this LP!

Here's another mellower cut, very de Roubaix

Side 1, Track 9: Incognito

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8IIhRj9QqI

And things get more sinister in this Hawkshaw-esque danger theme

Side 1, Track 8: Royal Flush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPryycZWdJ8

The LP used to go for fair bucks (a N.Mint probably £80-90) and wasn't that easy to find, but strike fast! As of the moment, there seems to be a few VG/+ available at a decent price on the Cogs (though be warned - in a world where shipping from anywhere isn't that cheap anymore, Netherlands can be especially cheeky!)

DISCOGS LINK
By DISCOSUCKS...
#64785
As an aside....if you just wanna hear the full goodness, hit me up.

filmficciones (at) gmail (dot) com
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By static14
#64790
Yet another very nice score that I would likely never have discovered without this thread. Thanks @Disco!
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By Spun out of control
#64791
This is an obscurity all right... digging that 3rd track with its horror soundtrack vibes up until the 1.20 min mark

As an aside of my own, what is (ex) Top Gear's Richard 'Hamster' Hammond doing second from left in that promo shot, with Dennis Waterman far right? Who knew?? ;)
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By Bezulsqy
#64792
Being Belgian and living in The Netherlands I am ashamed that I have never heard of this. I was born in 1980 so that might have to do something with it, but still.
Great choice Disco! Very interesting. I will keep a lookout for this one when I am in the neighbourhood of some Belgian and Dutch markets or thrift shops...
By thewaystation
#64819
Thanks, @Disco, for another excellent recommendation. It was great reading about your way to the soundtrack as well, dropping further suggestions on the go. Turns out you really had to dig deep to get there.
I have followed your lead and checked out Verlinden on discogs. "Dood Van Een Non" looks and sounds also interesting. It would be cool if you could comment on that one as well, if you know it?
http://www.discogs.com/Pieter-Verlinden ... se/3138870
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By Dollarhyde
#64824
Great stuff, not heard of this before, will definitely keep an eye out for it.

I thought I knew the name pieter verlinden but was getting confused with 'piet van meren', apparently a dutch 'pete moore' alter ego.
By DISCOSUCKS...
#66599
Hey @waystation - sorry I missed your comment. I don't know the Dood Van Een Non OST but everything I've heard from Mr Verlinden has been solid Netherlands Funk Gold, so I'd definitely give it a punt myself.