Bedhelm – Pop Op

Artist: Bedhelm
Title: Pop Op
Keywords: experimental, Leiden
Label: Smikkelbaard

Smikkelbaard is a bit late with the revival of the eighties, but let’s say it’s not so much the label’s fault, but perhaps more blame goes to the artist that is behind their latest release. One that seems to be stuck there in a modern eighties nostalgia, with sounds of that time and beyond, with words that are fishing up sentimental bits and blood . Who could blame them? Not me, not you and neither the many fishes in the sea. There is a whole bunch of people stuck in the eighties & probably a lot more that listen to music simulating this era; so there must be something to it. But don’t be too afraid as they might nipple dip their sound In the nineties as well.

Those synths. Those big beats, that poppy produced sound that will make you want to put on some old school roller skates, pick up your Walkman and go for a roll to a place worse than nightmares. You might want to wear some fluorescent spandex too for protection and perhaps get your hands onto some famous nederwiet (some nicely home grown weed from the Netherlands) and roll it up and smoke it up… it will help you probably understand the ridiculous language in which these songs are sang in. That’s what the nightmares are made from.

Nightmares in the shape of lyrics as sung in the Dutch language, a language nobody understands except the Dutch. Although this also might be a long running inside out gag of all the so called Dutch speaking people. The conspiracy that I believe in is that Dutch isn’t a real language. It’s just a made up blabla to confuse the foreigners into making it look like it is a language that they all understand and speak while they are actually just making up dada sounds that doesn’t mean anything. But with all conspiracies there might be a chance of wrongness.

Still let say; Good joke Dutch speaking and singing people! We at YIKIS definitely appreciate the sophisticated sophistication of such an elaborate joke run by an entire folk. But still it boggles the mind at certain times, like when listening to this album over here with all the nostalgic Dutch words flourishing within it. It makes me want to go on a roll and open the chest of Dutch eighties classics. It’s a incredible pile of golden turds that you probably would only handle while wearing gloves, but than again it’s best to keep this chest closed and stay safe within this Smikkelbaard release. One that apparently goes on about being eye in eye with the singer of the favorite bands of the Netherlands, pop up screens and whatnot. (A Dutch person told me!)

At least you know it’s made recently and that when it is finished you could just move on with your life, shrug it off your shoulders as a well made fun thing that kept the Dutch tradition for jokes, electronic music and weird obsessions contained in some kind of synth pop collection of five tracks that you could download for money if you wanted to. It just might be the kind of help a student of the Dutch culture might need to drive them towards another study subject. The music is a lot of fun though, something to wobble your bum with and something more for shaking your booty.. it’s just the torture of the ‘language’ that might flabbergast anyone who isn’t initiated into the Dutch language conspiracy that might make ‘pop-op’ a reason to pop up a pure headache of bewilderment.

For all who is in on the advanced joke, this album is a good one, covering all kinds of subjects, especially the special kind of Dutch humor and directness & of course all soaked in that delicious poppy synth sound that the eighties and nineties had warned us all about. Songs about friends, about clicking away unwanted spam, something about an ex with uggs… I don’t know, I’m as clueless as you, but do feel the pop appeal and the fun. I mean it got nice melodies and kicks, it’s Dutch; what more could you wish for?
https://smikkelbaard.bandcamp.com/album/pop-op
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