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found in maastricht

november 06, 2005.

[quick link: fotex37]

Late one saturday evening this summer in Maastricht my brother drove me, C. and the kids back from his home in Heer (on the south-east side of the city) to my mother's place in Malberg (on the north-west side) ... When he turned up the John F. Kennedy bridge, to cross the river Maas, on the corner of Sibemaweg and Dokter Nevenstraat, in the light coming from the streetlights I noticed a but too familiar reflection on the pavement ... And indeed there was, ladies and gentlemen, a cast-away piece of cassette tape lying there ... I did not want to bother my brother at the time, who already was so kind as to drive us all the way to Malberg, and so, no, I did not 'force' him to stop and turn around, for me to pick up the tape ...

But I did make a mental note of the spot, and early next morning I set out to get it. Walking. As there was no car nor bicycle at hand, and public transport on sundays in Maastricht is sparse and starting late.

Started walking at 8h45. A bright sunshiny sunday morning it was.

I walked down the Via Regia, continued along the Ruttensingel, went left on the Tongerseweg, then took the Hertogsingel, and crossed the John F. Kennedy bridge.

Around 10h I reached the corner where the other night I had spotted the tape. And sure, it was still lying there, wrapped around the metal pole of a street sign.

On the way I had already picked up two other clods. One at the roundabout where the Via Regia crosses the Nobellaan and the Porseleinstraat, and a second one on the bridge, near the beginning of the Alfons Ariensstraat.

And there was lots more to come.

When I arrived back at my mother's house, at about 12h15, I carried along no less than fourteen plastic bags filled with tape salad... Half of them I found along the Cabergerweg and the Carl Smulderssingel, which lead from the center of town to Oud-Caberg and Malberg ...

I put the lot in a shoe box that I left in a bookcase at my mother's.

Last week I went back to Maastricht. Got the shoe box, and - on friday morning october 28th - I took it to the klankwerkplaats (the 'sound workroom') of the Stichting Intro | In situ, in de Capucijnenstraat. There, not far from where I had picked up many of the tapes some three months before (the Capucijnenstraat actually is the continuation of the Cabergerweg into the center of town) I sat down for a long day and evening to unknot, unravel, unwind all that cassetti-spaghetti, get it back into empty cassettes, play the tapes, listen to them and copy them onto my laptop's hard-drive ...

Wanting to 'treat' all fourteen 'Maastricht' finds within the span of - even that long - a single day soon proved to be far too ambitious ... oh! the madness of it all! ... Actually already the very first one (#204) - picked up at the Via Regia roundabout - took up a significant part of the working day ... But a fine 'n' curious one it was ! ... On it we hear a young man from Maastricht who is singing popular songs, while accompanying himself on his acoustic guitar. His repertoire consists in a large number of oldies ("Oh my darling Clementine", "House of the Rising Sun", "Love me tender") and classic pop hits we all know and love, like "Nights in white satin" (Moody Blues), "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (U2), "Venus" (Shocking Blue), "Streets of London" (Ralph McTell) ... (In view of this 'repertoire' I somehow suspect that our young man - who appears to go by the name of Kurt - at the time of this writing no longer is such a very young man.)

Special of course, by all means, to find such a 'home recorded songs' tape in the street. What makes this one even more curious, is the fact that apparently Kurt recorded it on a telephone answering machine - probably one of those with a 'memo' function - and that his singing and guitar playing is alternating with recorded telephone conversations in the local Maastricht dialect (which shares several properties with dialects in Belgium and Germany ... [read more about this Dutch dialect, pdf] ). Several of these conversations are with a friend, by the name of Gerrit. They make plans for the weekend, and discuss what and how much one should eat in order not to get too drunk too quickly, and avoid a hangover so bad that it becomes impossible to study the day after...

The two badly messed up and bulky clods that I picked from the roundabout at the Via Regia together constituted most of Kurt's original tape, so it really was a lot of work to disentangle all of it and wind it back onto a cassette to listen ... And by the time - late afternoon - that the band that would be performing that evening in the klankwerkplaats arrived to set up and sound check, I had not even finished treating half of my 'tape salad bags' ...

The band was french, actually, based in Rennes: La Société des Timides à la Parade des Oiseaux (in english: "The Shy People's Club at the Birds' Parade" ...). The Audioscoop evening in Maastricht was the last stop on a short tour of this interesting ensemble, which, as I learned, has a rich history, and has been playing its RIO-related and collage-based 'post-punk experimental rock' for some 21 years now, since the mid 1980's. Besides the usual rock-tools STPO uses a vast collection of - standard and less standard - instruments and sound sources to weave an obstinate, rough and jagged sort of 'free rock' around the surreal/dada-ish stories that are sung, spoken and shouted by the band's vocalist and text writer, Pascal Godjikian.

I enjoyed their evening performance while remaining seated at my 'tape-unravel' desk in Stichting Intro's klankwerkplaats, but taking an - I'd say - well deserved break from a long day of fiddling around with muddy and greasy strands of cassette tape ...
But, of course, over the weekend I continued the 'hard work', and thus finished what has meanwhile become fotex37, the 37th acquisition of the Found Tapes Exhibition.
To commemorate this 'public FT event' in Maastricht, I made a small edition of fotex37 on ... C30-cassette ... "Found / Gevonden in Maastricht" has been issued in 16 numbered copies. Most of these have gone to people that were there, on october 28th, in the Capucijnenstraat in Maastricht. If you are interested in acquiring one of the few copies left, do drop me an email ...

[ Hat tip to Berto Aussems for suggesting Stichting Intro as the place for a 'Maastricht FT event'. Many thanks to Stichting Intro | in Situ for a warm welcome and for making this possible on such short notice; to Kim Laugs for agreeing to have me fumbling with dirty tapes in the klankwerkplaats on the very day of one in his series of 'Audioscoop' concerts; to Frans Bergers for the Found Tapes item broadcasted on monday october 31th as part of a Knooppunt Limburg emission, on L1, the Limburgian public radio ... Listen to fragments of a recording of La Société des Timides à la Parade des Oiseaux's performance in Maastricht on friday october 28th in the current, 6th, edition of Raudio, as well as in the (17th) Raudio - Found in Maastricht - Podcast. To subscribe to the Raudio Podcasts, do get the feed's URI by clicking the green podcast button in the sidebar. Alternatively, you may preview the podcast feed, or simply download the mp3-file. ]

[ added july 24th, 2008 : Precisely three years after I picked up the fourteen castaway tapes in the streets of Maastricht, a "Voddebandjes Tenhoorstelling" article on the Maastricht audio website 'Maastricht Moet Je Horen', once again told their story ... ]

[ added january 12th, 2020 : Here is the transcription (in Maastricht dialect) of #204, picked up July 24th 2005 on the Via Regia roundabout in Maastricht.]

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(Koert heeft een antwoordapparaat dat ook als cassetterecorder kan dienst doen. Hij gebruikt het om liedjes op te nemen, die hij zingt terwijl hij zich op een akoestische gitaar begeleidt. Zo zingt hij de tune van de televisieserie ‘Cheers’, klassieke popliedjes als ‘Nights in White Satin’, ‘Sunday bloody Sunday’, ‘Streets of London’ en ‘Venus’, en neuriet hij het Eurovisie lied. Soms wordt hij tijdens het opnemen gestoord door de telefoon die overgaat. Dan stopt hij met zingen, en pakt hij de hoorn op. De opname gaat ondertussen door. Alle gesprekken vinden plaats in Maastrichts dialect.)

"Iech gaon dalijk traine."
"Biste nog altied aon ut traine?"
"Jèh jao …"
"Ga zo door …"
"Flink meppe, hè gek?"
"Jao mèh, da’s goot veur dich, daan werkste dun emoties kwiet."
(lacht: ) "Aw hoor!"
"Mèh leuk datste bels, veur meuregen aovent."
"Wat hat Peggie gezag? Hat die niks gezag?"
"Jao, wètste, het geweunleke, het gebruukeleke, mèh jèh … Vaan die pruitsjes allemaol."
"Vaan vrowlui, de wèts wel wie dat geit. E bitsje tries, mèh dat maak allemaol niks oet… Dao trèk iech miech tegewoordig niks mie vaan aon."
"Iech aoch, iech zèk jao en amen, en iech vin ut goot zoe. Dao trèk iech miech aoch niks vaan aon, gek. Die wiever, gek … gotverdomme! Ach jèh … zien mèh veur ein dink goot, hè?"
"Ha ha … jèh …dat bin iech mèt diech eins, meh dat zèk iech neet!"
"Nein, nein, iech aoch neet, iech aoch neet! Ha, ha! Gotverdomme, nein … Mèh huur iech diech daan meurege?"
"Jao, is goot. Iech preubeer diech veur vief oor te belle."
"Oké, daan huur iech diech daan meurege. Koert, hoj hè?"
"Hoj!"
"Hoj hoj!"
...
(Koert speelt gitaar en zingt… ‘I asked my love, to take…’’ Dan gaat de telefoon over. Iemand roept iets van elders in de woning. Hij roept terug: )
"Iech pak um bove!"
...
"Wat iech wow vraoge, hè, kinste de volgende week mèt nao Belsj?"
"Volgende week … nein, daan moot Peggie wèrreke, geluif iech..."
"Moot Peggie wèrreke?"
"O jong … effe dinke … ehh …sjuh, sjuh, sjuh … dat zouw iech neet dörreve zègge, jong …"
"Dörfste dat neet te zègge?"
"Nein ..."
"Zowwe veer meurrege daan eurgens nao tao goon? Veer kinne aoch meurregenaovunt eurregens get goon oet ete of zoe … pizza of zoe eurregens goan ete, en daan daornao de stad in?"
"Kinne veer aoch doen … Dat is aoch leuk."
"Jèh, dat is aoch leuk ..."
"Of nao unne fèlm..."
"Unne fèlm … da’s aoch leuk … uhhh … eve dinke … Aoh nein, wach eve … verleije week is Peggie neet mèt gewees, hè?"
"Nein ... Peggie, nein ..."
"Jèh, Peggie moot ein week wèrreke, en twie weeke heet ze vreij. Dus daan heet ze meurrege en volgende week aoch vreij, jao."
"Dat keump daan goo oet, hè, gek?"
"Jao. Jèh jao, daan kinne veer dat doen."
"Veur miech is dat handiger, want iech moot zoondag aoch liere, en es te zoe laat bis, daan bis te weer zoe duf, hè, gek?"
"Jao, jao ..."
"Gotmiejaar, dus daan wèl iech zoondag aoch liere …"
"Netuurlik."
"En daorum wow iech aoch vraoge of ste daan volgende week kos, want dat kin iech daan gèt beter regele, hè? Dat is gèt mekelijker. Dus. Mèh kin zie daan?"
"Uh … jao … kiek, jao … Is goot. Normaal gesproke heet ze vreij, dus uhh, dat moot noe aoch mèh … daan zal ze noe aoch wel vreij höbbe."
"Mèh aanders, zowwe veer daan meurregenaovunt aofspreke?"
"Jao, is prima. Is goot."
"Wat wèlste goon doen? Wèlste nao unne film, of get goon ete?"
"Dat maags diech zègge."
"Nein diech..."
"Wat drèjje veur films, eigelijk?"
"Weit iech neet, dörf iech ech neet te zègge, dat zow iech ech moote kieke."
"Jèh, veer kinne dat altied meurregenaovunt nog zien, hè?"
"Dat kin aoch, joa."
"Daan weet iech aoch wat Peggie wèl, en daan wètst diech wat Kitty wèl."
"Ja, ja … Kitty maak ut niks oet."
"Jèh, miech aoch neet, eigelijk."
"Die intersseert dat nik, die vint alles wel goot zoe … Ut waor veurege week wel lache, hè, gek?"
"Jao, ut waor leuk! Duh hats um goot um!"
"Gotmiejaar gek! Iech höb wel gelache! Diech?"
"Jao, iech höb ut hiel leuk gevoonde."
"Mèh jèh, ut is aoch, iech hat vaan te veure ech get wienig gegete. Iech hat allein mèh twie krokette gehat."
"Aoh, da’s neet goot, hè?"
"Nein, mèh ut smaakte miech wel, eigelijk."
"Iech pak vaan te veure altied zoene flinke teleur macaroni, hè? Mien awwers ete altied zaoterdagsmiddags spaghetti of macaroni of zoe, en daan werrem iech miech dat saovuns op. Heerlik. Dat daon iech al vaan toen iech in Cannes werrekte."
"En daan eedere kier zoe, hoppa …? En daan flink ete vaan teveure?"
"Jao, da’s heerlik."
"Iech hat twie krokette, en verder hat iech niks gehat… Friete, dat hölp aoch goot, veuraof."
"Iech bin nog mèt Ron daornaor, non è frietsje goan ete."
"Jao, dat höb iecg gehuurt, jao. En dat hat iech eigelijk aoch moote goan doen, gek, want … gotmiejaar, iech hat unne zwoere, huur! Ech woer ..."
"Mèh duh waors neet ech weg, hè?"
"Nein, dat neet, mèh gewoen vaan ... jèh ... brrrr ... gewoen effe genog gehat. Mèh normaal este friete of get goots höbs gegete vaan teveure, daan geit dat goot, daan höbste gein probleme demet. Mèh noe effe..."
"Ut wèl aoch dèks hellepe este diech soms effe unne cola of zoe tössedoor paks."
"Aoch dat. Dat soewiesoe … Mèh jèh, veer höbbe lol gehat, gek!"
"Jèh zeker!"
"Mèh dun daag denao moos iech aoch liere gek, mèh dat ging toch vaan geine kant, huur!"
"Ha ha ..."
"En diech?"
"Jèh, jao ...iech höb dao eigelijk neet zoeveul las vaan. Iech, iech moot smeurgens, daan moot iech mèch evekes mèt rus laote. Jèh daan, daan höb iech dun tied nudig um wakker te weure. En ès iech dao èch dun tied veur höb, jèh, daan geit ut goot ..."

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[ Next related SB-entry: axiology for dummies :: earlier related SB-entry: tête-de-tettine / tête-de-cassette ]

comments for « found in maastricht »

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Read all about Found Tapes, Foundtaping and Audio Cassettes (K7s) on the SoundBlog:

(2023, september 21) - Holland[s] Spoor
(2022, january 11) - 'The Art of K7', vol. 1
(2021, september 11) - The Art of K7 :: Sudokaising [ii] Time Folds
(2020, march 21) - The Art of K7 :: Sudokaising [i]
(2019, november 17) - Foundtapers & Foundtaping in Porto
(2019, februay 08) - CCNL :: Cassette Culture in Linz, Austria [ii] The aesthetics of erasure
(2019, januay 18) - CCNL :: Cassette Culture in Linz, Austria [i] Oral history
(2015, november 22) - Situasonnisme: the City Sonic Festival
(2014, june 19) - Lecture de Cassette
(2013, october 25) - The Art of K7 (prelude) [sketch/book, 1]
(2013, march 23) - "Ma première cassette était vierge..." Mourning & celebrating 50 years of compact cassette
(2012, july 26) - UnOfficial Release
(2010, november 28) - Foundtaping, Maps & Shadows at the Basel Shift Festival (i.)
(2009, november 15) - prof. dr. Cassette
(2009, november 08) - A found tapes meta-map
(2009, october 22) - Founded Tapapes
(2009, september 20) - Found Lost Sound
(2009, july 26) - "You, a bed, the sea ..." [ 1. Athens, sept. 28th 1994 ]
(2009, may 23) - It feels like summer in the city [KT2009, i]
(2009, february 19) - Time and the weather - "? Footage or Fetish" @ Käämer 12, Brussels (ii)
(2009, january 30) - A Tingel Tangle Tape Machine - "? Footage or Fetish" @ Käämer 12, Brussels (i)
(2009, january 15) - Kassettenkopf
(2008, december 08) - un-Tuned City (foundtaping in Neukölln)
(2008, september 14) - Psycho/Geo/Conflux in Brooklyn, NY __i.
(2008, august 31) - " Le chasseur " (foundtaping in brussels_ii)
(2008, june 18) - "Sing Laping, Sing !" (foundtaping in brussels_ i)
(2008, january 06) - Mo' Better Mo-Tapemosphere, 2. Restmuell
(2007, june 16) - Mo' Better Mo-Tapemosphere, 1. "chase away all my fear"
(2007, march 07) - Back to Berlin 2. Found Tapes
(2006, september 28) - jenny likes poets
(2006, september 06) - the sound of almost-no-more words
(2006, june 13) - fotex #49-51
(2006, june 04) - Sonofakunsttoer
(2006, april 17-25) - 'sudoku-solution' in 'de nor'
(2006, january 19) - ride, buggy, ride ... !
(2006, january 13) - axiologie for dummies
(2005, november 06) - found in maastricht
(2005, august 28) - tête-de-tettine / tête-de-cassette
(2005, august 23) - tape busters and coordinates
(2005, july 02) - Conquering America ...
(2005, june 03) - stationed soother
(2005, april 21) - Low-fi : the new Readymades
(2005, march 24) - d_Revolution #1 ...
(2005, february 07) - found tapes for spies
(2005, january 28) - "parfois l'amour tourne à l'obsession ..."
(2004, november 06) - à la tranquilité
(2004, july 20) - instructions in arabic
(2004, may 08) - phound stufphs
(2003, august 04) - new acquisitions #7, #8
(2003, may 04) - r2r
(2003, april 24) - splice and tape
(2003, april 15) - new acquisitions #5,#6
(2003, january 09) - finders keepers
(2002, november 24) - exhibit #4
(2002, november 08) - what fascinates me
(2002, november 07) - more on found tape montage
(2002, september 14) - detour
(2002, september 09) - 2 down, 3 to go
(2002, september 06) - magnetic migration

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Read about Found Tapes in Gonzo (Circus) [Dutch]:

Gonzo #163, mei/juni 2021 - Lang Leve Lou Ottens
Gonzo #137, januari/februari 2017 - Het Kaf en het Koren

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