RE:VIVE works in a pretty simple way. We take a theme, curate a bunch of archival material around that theme, give that material to artists and encourage them to gain inspiration from the corresponding curatorial theme. In effect coercing them to generate conceptual works. Some take this to heart and really try to see the concept through. For others the concept comes later when footage and imagery are attached and the whole picture comes into view. That’s the beauty of working with heritage collections. The abundance of imagery, sound, footage and narratives incredibly lends itself to the creation of new art. It can be used to put limitations on oneself or help a work flourish if it gets stuck but there’s no shortage of inspiration.
The concept album is a pretty elusive accomplishment. Many artists from all genres attempt to capture a cohesive narrative through music but more often than not they crush under their own weight or they lack the luster that an artist usually posses.
When it came time to get our newest Red Light Radio Mix together we decided instead of playing archival music we’d venture to the other side of RE:VIVE and jam out some concept albums…ok and some archival material.
You can listen to the whole mix below
Track listing:
- LAATSTE UITZENDING VAN RADIO ORANJE. MEDEDELINGEN OVER VOORTZETTING PROGRAMMA BINNEN KADER “HERRYZEND NEDERLAND”. A. DEN DOOLAARD (C.SPOELSTRA): “OORLOG MOET IN INDONESIE WORDEN VOORTGEZET.”
- Eomac – Incantation (Inspired by and composed out of Islamic, Middle Eastern and North African Samples provided to Eomac by Dubai based label Bedouin Records)
- ANIK – Masstunnel (Inspired by late night journeys through Rotterdam’s Maastunnel and composed solely out of archival field recordings of Rotterdam off of our V/A – 010 record with Fog Mountain)
- Lakker – Reclamation (God created the earth but the Dutch created the Netherlands off of Lakker’s Struggle & Emerge LP done with RE:VIVE and R&S Records)
- Unidentified – Music of Samoa, University of Auckland. Read more.
- La Dispute – First Reactions After Falling Through the Ice (The record documents a fictional couple’s relationship turmoil, taking place in a very specific house that frontman Dreyer created from images of homes in his past)
- The Antlers – Sylvia (The album Hospice tells the story of a relationship between a hospice worker and a female patient suffering from terminal bone cancer, their ensuing romance, and their slow downward spiral as a result of the woman’s traumas, fears, and disease)
- Titus Andronicus – Four Score and Seven (A conceptual record inspired by Ken Burn’s documentary The Civil War)
- Herbert – So Now (Herbert samples the everyday items found in his home)
- Matmos – Reconstruction (The duo takes inspiration from 18th century military music and the instruments that existed during that time)
- Netural Milk Hotel – Ghost (Inspired by off of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and album inspired by The Diary of Anne Frank)
- Neutral Milk Hotel – Untitled
- Arad – Electrischecentrale Sirene (Off of our Damrak release, Arad took inspiration from aerial photos of Amsterdam the the house of an air horn, simulating the dread inducing fear of an air raid)
- La Dispute – St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues (
- Clap! Clap! – Nguwe (ft. Bongeziwe Mabandla) (Off of Clap! Clap!’s forthcoming LP A Thousand Skies which narrates the journey of two girls through the constellations)
- Roly Porter – St. Laurenskerk (Roly Porter takes inspiration from the lofty and echoing church bells of Rotterdam’s St. Laurenkerk on our V/A – 010 compilation with Fog Mountain)