It Takes 2 To Techno

"It Takes Two To Techno" is composed of Jelle van Laar & Silvano Extra. The duo is based in the southernmost region of the Netherlands, an area still resonating with the echoes of a melancholic mining heritage. The cultural landscape resembles a patchwork quilt: in essence part of the Netherlands and in practice characterized by a tri-national (four if you count the French part of Belgium. Its people are thus made up of multiple histories and bodies that after the mines closed in 60's of the last century, never really have managed to reinvent a new identity. For the youth in Limburg, a sense of "leave or achieve nothing" has prevailed, particularly for aspiring musicians and artists. Against this backdrop some youth nevertheless started to rebel and manifest themselves in places such as the original Nor, a squatted old jailhouse wherein a musical performance and skateboarding took place. Another was the Landbouw Belang in Maastricht, a hub of seemingly enduring artistic inspiration. Within both places the influence and proliferation of electronic music has been undeniable and omnipresent. Above all, its original squatting scene was rich of people that supported each other in housing, food, and places to simply have a good time.

A lot happened since then. Especially Heerlen, but also Maastricht has seen a steady grow of initiatives relating to music and art. Of course the Complex and Nieuwe Nor must be mentioned in this regard, but of perhaps more influence have been the (often illegal) underground parties and local beat producers that have had a particular effect on the minds of both Jelle and Silvano. Even though they did not yet fully realize the importance of this commonality at the time. Pollen (the former Stuifmeel), but also Code Rood deserves to be mentioned in this regards. It's the former party where Jelle and Silvano's musical collaboration eventually intertwined, taking shape in a modular techno performance. Both being heavily influenced by the work of artist performing in the same and similar venues such as Mistaekes, Raadsel, Kijkeenster and Subyao. The analogy with its past is distinctive in this regard; the South seems to have found a meaning, again within the undergrounds.

This line of reasoning, of reinventing oneself from the darkness, is tied to the groundwork musical theorists such as of Pierre Schaeffer and John Cage. Their premise indicates that musical performance seems to have hit an point of no return, and that we have stranded in a way of doing music, wherein alternatives and improvisation have been swallowed firstly by the tape recorder (and thereby caging musical performance to the studio) and second by a definitive way of reasoning: our current, often Western musical notation system. The rebellion originating in the south thus intersects with its sense of deprivation and uncommonness, caused by its darkened and unhinged past, and a conviction that the musical stage is meant for improvisation and bodily interaction with the audience.

Jelle and Silvano thus not seek to inspire our fellow dancers, but also to show that the South is rich of talent, originating not from the conviction that we are part of the Netherlands or of one of the surrounding countries, but that we are essentially and beautifully part of none. Their musical performances pivots around open ended narratives and doesn't turn away from error or mistakes, but embraces their story-telling attributes and power to move bodies in particular moments. In this regard their musical showcases originate from the conviction that they can never be repeated as such and the duo thereby tries to lay claim to the rich history of musical improvisation and live performance.