girotuna - Elektronische Selectie

girotuna
Elektronische Selectie
Vrystaete
Netherlands, 2024
LP

Siiiiick one.

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FROM THE LABEL:

This release marks a period in which four-piece group girotuna shifted from using traditional rock instruments, to electronics.
Still being a jamband, girotuna kept improvising music, recording most of their sessions in one take onto 4 track cassette. In 1999 a self-released, self-titled album was put out, followed by a small amount of live shows. After 2002, the girotuna sessions became less frequent, but Nijhof and Toonk continued to actively record music to this day. Now, in 2024, Vrystaete releases a dive into girotuna’s electronic archive, bringing together a selection of minimal electronic tracks from 2000 and 2001.

'girotuna' was the moniker for the creative output of a group of close friends who grew up together in the mid-nineties in Doetinchem, the Netherlands. With little entertainment available, these friends spent their time making music and videos. Using rudimentary equipment and learning as they went, they recorded a vast library of abstract images and improvised lo-fi music.

Early recordings were captured on simple 2-track cassette recorders and reel-to-reel machines. At that time, the group used mainly rock instruments, favoring extended, repetitive jams over structured songs. As they gradually added equipment like synthesizers and grooveboxes, their sound developed further. The addition of a 4-track machine improved recording quality, though most sessions were still intentionally captured in a single take.

In 1999, they self-released a self-titled album, followed by a small number of live shows. After 2002, the girotuna sessions became less frequent until they eventually paused indefinitely. In 2011, a limited-edition anthology of lo-fi jams was released.

Meanwhile, Nijhof and Toonk, two core members of girotuna, continued to record up until now. They released an album on Aural Conduct in 2022, which led to renewed interest in their back catalog, resulting in this upcoming release on Enfant Terrible / Vrystaete: a dive into Girotuna’s electronic archive, featuring a selection of minimal electronic tracks from 2000 and 2001.