Great news for everyone who loved "This Touch Is Greater Than Moods"....
From Motion Filter :
From: James ePM <james@electronicpm.co.uk>
GERD
HIGH WIDE AND WONDERFUL!
ARTIST: GERD
TITLE: HIGH WIDE AND WONDERFUL!
LABEL: LIFE ENHANCING AUDIO
FORMAT: CD / 2XVINYL
RELEASE: 23 JULY 2001
CAT NO : 541416 500618
Gerd is Gert-Jan Bijl, one of Holland's most prolific and well
respected producers from the electronic leftfield. "High, Wide And
Wonderful" marks his debut for Life Enhancing Audio, N.E.W.S.'s
downtempo, chill and lounge label, and is a welcome addition to
LEA's small but perfectly formed catalogue.
The lush, sensual and intimate sound of "High, Wide And Wonderful" -
characterised by a blend of electronic and acoustic instruments -
opens up a new chapter in Gerd's career. "I am fascinated by sound,"
he explains. "But I don't like to stylise every sound by means of
electronics. If a track calls for a stand-up bass, I'd rather record
the part with a live musician than to try and copy that sound by
technological means." As a result, his new album is the first one
that lists an extensive roster of guest players.
Working with the core trio of Paulo Delgado (keyboards), Fred
Verschoor (bass and stand-up bass) and Frans Friedrich (trumpet),
over the last two years has created a backlog of over two dozen
tracks; 13 made the cut and are included on "High, Wide And
Wonderful". Apart from Gerd's trademark production and compositional
qualities, the album stands out for its imaginative application of
acoustic instruments. Harp, oboe and French horn stand out among the
plethora of 'old fashioned', hands-on musical tools that dress up
the album's sophisticated and breezy sound. The overall feel of
"High, Wide And Wonderful", however, is contemporary, open-minded
and forward looking. Gerd does not subscribe to the retro ethic.
28 year old Gerd has a track record that harks back to the early
'90s. Releasing his first track - 'Afterglow' by It's Thinking on +8
sub label Malego in 1991 - while still being in high school,
Gert-Jan Bijl over the last ten years has developed a professional
career as a producer and performing musician, taking occasional time
out to concentrate on his study of economics; he hopes to finish his
final thesis later this year.
Establishing his name with Sensurreal, a Rotterdam based duo with
Dirk-Jan Hanegraaff, Gert-Jan Bijl was part and parcel of the Dutch
electronic scene that hit its first peak in the mid-90's. Sensurreal
recorded two albums - "Never To Tell A Soul" and "The Occasional
Series" - plus various 12 inches for Speedy J's Beam Me Up label to
international acclaim. "Imagine Herbie Hancock liaising with Alex
Reece and Space Time Continuum, while being remixed by Carl Craig,"
one muso rag wrote and that's pretty apt.
After Sensurreal folded as a working unit, Gert-Jan Bijl has
released tracks under various guises for an A-list of electronic
leftfield labels like Kirk Degiorgio's OpArt, Hard Hands and Tom
Middleton's Universal Language imprint. The latter label released
"This Touch Is Greater Than Moods", his debut album as Gerd, in 1997.
Gerd is currently preparing live performances as a five piece
working band: keyboards, trumpet, bass, drums and Gerd on
electronics. Which is good news for everybody who remembers
Sensurreal's live punch. Meanwhile, the sessions for the follow-up
to "High, Wide And Wonderful" are in full swing. "The next album
will be more vocal," the self-taught producer says of his
work-in-progress. For now, however, "High, Wide And Wonderful" will
do fine. Light on the ears and gentle on the mind, it's a tonic for
stressed-out souls.
Gerd's "High, Wide And Wonderful"is the third artist album release
of Life Enhancing Audio, which is specifically targeted at the
chill/downtempo end of the dance market. With the widely acclaimed
"Gemini" album by Antwerp based producer Sven van Hees (released in
October 1999), Plastyc Buddha's recent "Throwing Stones In Placid
Pools" (April 2001) and the "Transatlantik Lounging" compilation
series by Enrico Riva (volume 4 was released in May), LEA has
established itself as one of Europe's leading quality labels for
downtempo music.
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