Meet The Curators: Club Lederhosen
Yesterday, Club Lederhosen's leading lady supplied us with an awesome mix of stuff she's tipping for the festival. We also sat down with her for a chat.
Tell us about your organisation. Who are you, what are your activities, which music scene(s) are you involved in?
I'm Tamara van der Laarse, also part of the SOTU crew, as head marketing & communication, I try to tell everybody who I think should know about our festival what is happening and keep everybody connected through the media. Also I'm curator and Dj The No with Club Lederhosen. That is where I organize electronic events, together with various artists, dj's and friends who all have a big heart for music. They come from Brussels underground, Berlin or Amsterdam, and since 2001, I love to DJ, and play my precious collections of music, I do this as much as possible. I've worked in record stores for 8 years and my search for obscure / underground stuff is something I want to share. Either to support bands or to play more electronic new beats to get the crowds going. Clubs, festivals or unusual outdoor locations. Basically I work inbetween the pr business and performing / organizing in the broad music scene of Amsterdam. I try to connect with people who are just as passionate about stuff as myself, whether that is in music, art, fashion or something else.
How did you get involved with SOTU?
Since 2008 I have been connected with the Plattegrond collective, from my good friend/ colleague Frank Schouten, and we have been working together for some time. We have been making parties in buildings,at the strangest locations, always looking for something alternative. Always feeding each other weird things in music, going to concerts, or on a read trip to festivals with friends, even abroad. Then in 2011 the idea was born to start up SOTU Festival, and because of my experience and passion for music and connections with many local heroes, I was asked to join this journey through the underground.
What are your thoughts on the Amsterdam music scene and underground in general?
The Amsterdam music scene here is in bloom, depending on what type of music you would refer to. So much developing and so many people are active in the creative industry, it seems like most people I know are dj, producer, artist, and we al need to join forces to create new possibilllities together. Say for example dance music has always been Amsterdam's biggest scene but there is so much more beyond this, genres should not be bound to borders, and that keeps new movements alive. Do you know the song by LCD Soundsystem, " I'm losing my edge'', where the most memorabel oneliner is mentioned: " I hear you're buying a synthesizer and an arpeggiator and are throwing your computer out the window because you want to make something real, I hear that you and your band have sold your guitars and bought turntables. I hear that you and your band have sold your turntables and bought guitars.'' Whis is most likely the case with many people I have met during the years I'm involved within the underground music scene, we all have the need to create and expose ourselves in whatsoever way.
What are your festival tips?
I'm looking forward to see Hunter Complex (Narrominded), one man syth-project, I have booked The KVB (UK), very catchy shoegaze wave duo who sound like the guys from Suicide could have been their uncles.Gartmalen, is perhaps the Dutch answer to The Knife. J.C Thomas & The Missing Slippers for some garage-rock n roll.
