Rutger Zuydervelt is probably one of the most productive sound artists in the Netherlands, perhaps even in Europe. According to Discogs (of which I am not sure if it's complete), he has released no less than 154 albums since 2004: 104 as Machinefabriek and 50 under his own name. That is 7.5 albums every year! And this is not even counting EPs and compilations, etcetera. Of course, it's not just the quantity that counts. The impressive thing is that Zuydervelt manages to maintain a high-quality standard, too. Below are three of his latest releases to demonstrate Zuydervelt's versatility.





RUTGER ZUYDERVELT & LUCIJA GREGOV - FLUX(MUSIC FOR A PERFORMANCE BY STILL STILL & MARTA & KIM)


In recent years, Rutger Zuydervelt has often written scores for dance or other performances as well as for videos, documentaries, and movies. Flux is created for the performance of circus/dance duo Marta & Kim (Marta Alstadsæter and Kim-Jomi Fischer). This is not the first time they worked together: previous shows 'Engel' and 'Our Arms Grew Together' were also created in collaboration. For the music for Flux, Zuydervelt invited Lucija Gregov, a cellist he knows from performing with the Hydra Ensemble.


Rutger obviously likes to challenge himself and the artists he works with by using different approaches than usual: he asked Lucija to improvise based on 'inspirational keywords' like "tilting horizon", "slowly falling asleep", "punctuated silence", and "Morton Feldman, drunk". After receiving the cello recordings, he completed music for the soundtrack. Since most of the music already existed before the rehearsals started, the music inspired the movement of the dancers. And the other way around, too: musical revisions were made, and additional music was created.


The 12 tracks on this 45-minute (digital) album present the score in a slightly edited form, with two additional outtakes. The music definitely raises interest in the performance (check the Marta & Kim tour list here), but also stands firm on its own. One more jewel in Zuydervelt's crown!


FLUX (music for a performance by still still / Marta & Kim) by Rutger Zuydervelt and Lucija Gregov








RUTGER ZUYDERVELT - HOUSE OF STRENGTH(MUSIC FOR A PERFORMANCE BY ROSHANAK MORROWATIAN)


House of Strength is also a score for a (dance) performance, and was also created for/with an artist Zuydervelt has previously worked with before: choreographer, dancer, and performer Roshanak Morrowatian. This is their fourth collaboration, after previous projects Kites, Sister, and Mask.
The choreography of House of Strength "transforms an ancient ritual, originally from Persia, into contemporary inclusive dance that celebrates the power of the collective."
"Traditionally, the Varzesh-e bastani (old or traditional sport) or Varzesh-e Pahlevani (heroes sport) in Iran is performed in an arena in the Zurkaneh, which literally means ‘House of Strength’. The aim of the ritual is to become a better person by a combination of power training, spirituality, poetry, and music."


Like the performance, the music also has "a strong ritualistic quality", especially in the use of percussion, which is inspired by traditional Iranian percussion as well as by contemporary club music. For one of the tracks (Humming), Zuydervelt sampled the voices of the performers as a choir. Two other tracks also present vocal contributions by Reza Mirabi (Arise) and Sjaan Flikweert (Voorbij - a poem in Dutch).


The album closes with two extra tracks that are not included in the performance. In Rutger's own words: "The album’s conclusion uplifts the spirit—making it hard to resist pressing play again."
House of Strength is released on the Dronarivm label, and is also available on CD.


House of Strength by Rutger Zuydervelt








MACHINEFABRIEK - SPELONK


Creating music for dance, performances, film, or other projects always means working within certain limitations - even if you vary the creation process. At times, it's nice to break away from that and create something without those limitations and free from expectations. Especially if you have a seemingly inexhaustible source of creativity, like Rutger Zuydervelt.Spelonk is such a project. Because it is not related to anything but itself, it is released under his Machinefabriek moniker. "Made purely for myself", Rutger says - but that's not entirely true: it is released on the Cronica label and available for anyone interested.
The three tracks (42 minutes total) are all created with Machinefabriek's live setup: effect pedals, oscillator, and electronic gadgets. "The magic happens when combining different recordings, layering them, and hearing what happens. I guess it’s all about creating alien landscapes — alien also to me too — that are exciting to explore."


It may be music without the context of a performance or movie, and is intended to be enjoyed without distraction - but that does not mean it doesn't have the same quality and depth. Of course it does ... expect nothing less from Rutger Zuydervelt.
Official release date of Spelonk is January 20, 2026, but the album (CD or Digital) can already be pre-ordered.


Spelonk by Machinefabriek

--- originally published on Ambientblog ---

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