Matthijs Kouw
Recalcitrance
Philosopher of science Isabelle Stengers has studied the operations of states and their mobilization of technical practices to serve a presupposed general interest, which involves the production of rules and norms. Such rules and norms are blind to forms of knowledge that are denigrated as ‘local’ and ‘traditional’, and feature the correlative elimination of what does not conform and cannot be standardized – in other words, what is recalcitrant to objective evaluation. Anything that resists subs…
Obscurum per oscurius
**200 copies** Operating under his own name as well as MVK and Swerve, Matthijs Kouw (his second name is Vincent, hence the V) has released music since 2011. Solo work as well as collaborations, works for dance, film theater and installations. Most recently, he focuses on long-form drone pieces, often in collaboration with Radboud Mens. Obscurum per obscurius is a latin phrase that can be translated as "(explaining) the obscure by means of the more obscure". A well-chosen title for this collecti…
2
In February 2017 Moving Furniture Records released "1", the first LP by Radboud Mens and Matthijs Kouw. The album consists of two long drone tracks that make you forget music is a time-based art. Music that immerses you in a warm bath of frequencies that are evolving slowly around you, revealing you all sides and details of a sonic sculpture.With this second release, which is simply titled "2", Mens and Kouw continue their exploration of long-form drone. By using precisely tuned analogue synthes…
1
Radboud Mens and Matthijs Kouw have collaborated since 2001, when they started working on an album firmly rooted in the ‘clicks ’n cuts’ movement of way back when. After collecting source material using only feedback produced with a mixer and minidisc recorder that was broadcasted live on Amsterdam’s Radio 100 to unsuspecting listeners, they started working on their album ‘Mens/Kouw’ (2002), which features both rhythmic pieces and more abstract elements. With the passing of time, they found them…