The post-modern ULTRA movement of the beginning of the 1980 was in Haarlem centred around squatted places in the town itself and in suburbs like Aerdenhout and Heemstede. Artists and musicians created their own workingspaces and studio’s, driven by the DIY mentality of the Punk movement. Meeting point was recordshop Amigos in the Kruisstraat. Main outlet for the music production was the Studio 12 label, based at Klein Heiligland 12. It also became the place where concerts and art exhibitions were organised. Next stop became Hal 5, an old industrial spot next to Haarlem Central Station. This was frequently visited by VPRO Radio to broadcast concerts held there (The Ex, Minimal Compact).


The output on Studio 12 label was mainly MC’s with handmade covers and without tracklisting, later also a couple vinyl records were released.

Studio 12 bands were Nexda, Smalts, Vitaal, Die Krü Blødt, Abandon, K&I, Cargo-Cultus, Heatrow Saxxe, Terminals, CYBE, Two CC, Iry Iv & The Rebels. Some of the bands appeared also on other labels like Plurex and VPRO. Nowadays only Smalts is still active.


Under the banner ULTRA2012, the ULTRA movement was memorised in 2012 with gigs and exhibitions. Lebowski, Amsterdam published the book ‘ULTRA’ by Harold Schellinx documenting the original period, its creative output and Haarlems contribution to it.


STUDIO 12 RECORDINGS 1980-1984 (BP112) - 5LP boxset + 7”

IRY IV & REBELS - Love You (BP107)   <t.b.a.>

NEXDA - Words & Numbers (BP102)

NEXDA - Album (BP052)    <t.b.a.>

CARGO-CULTUS / NEXDA - split 7” (BP051) - DL

NEXDA - Dirt & Junkride (BP050)    <t.b.a.>

ABANDON - Six Elements Until Zero (BP046) - DL

TERMINALS - Rolled Up - split 7” (BP045) - DL

NEXDA - Second (BP043)    <t.b.a.>

NEXDA - 1 (BP042)    <t.b.a.>

DIE KRÜ BLØDT - Bas Tapes Drums (BP041) - DL

K&I - Promise Promise (BP040) - DL

NEXDA - Red (BP039) - DL

NEXDA - Black (BP038) - DL

NEXDA - Blue (BP037) - DL

STUDIO12 Sampler - var. artists  (BP036)    <t.b.a.>

MUZAK FOR CRITICS - var. artists (BP035)    <t.b.a.>

NEXDA                                                                           

ABANDON                                                                           

STUDIO 12 RECORINGS 1980-1984 (BP112) - 5LP boxset + bonus 7”

LP1 Muzak for Critics (o.a. Siebe, Wim Dekker)

• LP2 Studio 12 Sampler (o.a. Cargo-Cultus, Heathrow Saxxe, Nexda, Smalts)

• LP3 Die Krü Blödt, K&I

• LP4 Nexda - Red / Nexda - Blue

  1. LP5 Nexda - Dirt & Junkride, Smalts, Zip, Terminals

  2. 7” Vitaal

  3. 12 pag full-color booklet


Wonderful collaboration-release between VOD and BLOWPIPE to celebrate one of the most exciting dutch 80’s tape-labels. Musical harvest of STUDIO 12, the postpunk cassette label of the Haarlem Dutch Ultra movement of almost 5 hours of music with 63 tracks, restored & remastered.


Beginning of the 80's artists and musicians mingled in squatted places to create, in the true DIY-vain, an unique blend of (minimal) electronics, drones, soundscapes and tribal music.


Bands like Nexda, Smalts, Vitaal, Die Krü Blødt, Cargo-Cultus still sound fresh and exciting today but received only a marginal distribution back then. The result were excellent compilation-tapes such as 'A Thousand Faces', 'Muzak for Critics', a K&I tape called 'Promise Promise' as well as several Nexda-tapes, all released in very limited amount that finally find the well deserved reissue as a remastered 5LP-vinyl-box-set with extensive full-color booklet. We are happy that this boxset sets this straight and that it find its way to music aficionados and a new enthusiastic public.


digitalised by Floris van Manen

remastered by Jos Smolders (EARLabs)

designed by the mighty Steve Lippert


reviews:

• Harry Prenger for The Post Online • Frans de Waard in Vital Weekly

NEXDA - WORDS AND NUMBERS (BP102) - LP

Taken from two 12” EPs, a split 7” and a flexi 7”, all released in 1982, the music within Word & Numbers captures striking compositions, part of, but some way removed from their contemporary post-punk bands coming out of the Dutch “Ultra” scene of the time.


a1 Two Fourty Six, a2 Untitled*, a3 Five Sixty Eight, a4 Three Seventy Five

b1 One Twenty One, b2 Four Eighty Nine, b3 Six Fifty Seven, b4 Untitled **


Coming from Haarlem, Nexda – consisting of Ivo Schalkx, Karin Hueting, Martien den Nijs – played music on handmade drums, metal, organ, saxophone and voice. Releasing a series of cassettes on their and Wim Dekker (Smalts, Minny Pops) Studio 12 label, the latter’s link with Wally Van Middendorp’s Plurex label, resulted in the release of Nexda’s two EP – 246, 121 and 657 (PLUREX 0026) and Second (PLUREX 0031) - with artwork of Ivo Schalkx, are included here, both in their entirety. Mastered by Rude 66

a fab result: #1