Ultra (music)
Encyclopedia
Ultra was a Dutch
post-punk
movement of the early 1980s.
In contrast to other countries' post-punk movements, the Dutch version experimented with, among other things, toy instruments, chainsaws and de-tuned guitars. The movement's name comes from a series of concerts held under that name between September 1980 and March 1981 in Octopus, a youth club on an Amsterdam canal.
The events were organized by Wally van Middendorp (from the band Minny Pops
and the Plurex record label), Rob Scholte
(from the band The Young Lions
) and Harold Schellinx (from the band The Young Lions, and editor of the music magazine Vinyl) .
The movement had an explicitly artsy aesthetic, and many of its participants were educated in art schools. Ultra was somewhat allied with the "modern music magazine" Vinyl, which not only acted as a voice for the movement, but also released the music of various Ultra bands on flexidisc, with every issue of the magazine accompanied by a free record.
The Ultra movement was primarily centred around Amsterdam bands, although its influence was felt in the whole of the country; affiliated bands from the 'provinces' (outside of Amsterdam) included Mekanik Kommando (Nijmegen) and Nasmak (Eindhoven). The music was mostly recorded on compact cassette
s, but also on vinyl. The most representative compilation of the Ultra movement was the C-90 cassette "Ultra", released in 1981 on the Amsterdam label "Lebel PERIOD".
Less well known:
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
movement of the early 1980s.
In contrast to other countries' post-punk movements, the Dutch version experimented with, among other things, toy instruments, chainsaws and de-tuned guitars. The movement's name comes from a series of concerts held under that name between September 1980 and March 1981 in Octopus, a youth club on an Amsterdam canal.
The events were organized by Wally van Middendorp (from the band Minny Pops
Minny Pops
Minny Pops were an Amsterdam-based new wave/electronic/art punk band, associated with the Ultra post-punk movement in the Netherlands and the Factory Records label in the UK....
and the Plurex record label), Rob Scholte
Rob Scholte
Rob Scholte is a Dutch contemporary artist. From 1977 to 1982 he studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam. His work consists of reproductions of images from the media and from art history...
(from the band The Young Lions
The Young Lions
The Young Lions is a 1958 war drama film directed by Edward Dmytryk, based upon the 1949 novel of the same name by Irwin Shaw, and starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin.-Outline:...
) and Harold Schellinx (from the band The Young Lions, and editor of the music magazine Vinyl) .
The movement had an explicitly artsy aesthetic, and many of its participants were educated in art schools. Ultra was somewhat allied with the "modern music magazine" Vinyl, which not only acted as a voice for the movement, but also released the music of various Ultra bands on flexidisc, with every issue of the magazine accompanied by a free record.
The Ultra movement was primarily centred around Amsterdam bands, although its influence was felt in the whole of the country; affiliated bands from the 'provinces' (outside of Amsterdam) included Mekanik Kommando (Nijmegen) and Nasmak (Eindhoven). The music was mostly recorded on compact cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
s, but also on vinyl. The most representative compilation of the Ultra movement was the C-90 cassette "Ultra", released in 1981 on the Amsterdam label "Lebel PERIOD".
Discography
- Ultra-Octopus Amsterdam, C90 cassette (Lebel PERIOD, Amsterdam 1981)
- Tox Modell - 11/04/1981 Parkhof C30 cassette (Lebel PERIOD, Amsterdam 1981)
Bands and performers
- Interior
- Mekanik Kommando
- Minny PopsMinny PopsMinny Pops were an Amsterdam-based new wave/electronic/art punk band, associated with the Ultra post-punk movement in the Netherlands and the Factory Records label in the UK....
- Taste
- Nexda
- The Young LionsThe Young Lions (band)The Young Lions were a jazz ensemble consisting of Lee Morgan, Frank Strozier, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, Bob Cranshaw, Louis Hayes, and Albert "Tootie" Heath. They released one album in 1960 for Vee Jay Records....
- Tox Modell
- Z'EVZ'EVZ'EV is an American poet, percussionist, and sound artist. After studying various world music traditions at CalArts, he began creating his own percussion sounds out of industrial materials for a variety of record labels...
Less well known:
- Crosspecs
- Fahrenheit 451
- Gdansk
- Steno
- Vital