Ste van Holm
Encyclopedia
Ste van Holm is a Danish musician and video artist living in North Zealand, Denmark.
He has currently released four albums, all of which are available on iTunes
. Each album is performed within a new genre
, as Ste van Holm sees it as the artist's most important task to win new terrain. A reviewer described Ste van Holm's works "genre dogmatic". However, all his four albums are contemporary.
Ste van Holm began playing guitar
in his early teens and through his high school years he played in a lot of different bands. When Ste van Holm could afford to build a small home studio, he dropped out of the bands he played in, and focused instead on studio production. With very few exceptions, Ste van Holm has not played live since the late-nineties. He has worked as live sound engineer for Danish band Entakt for whom he also mixed the album 'Kun en elektrisk summen fra en neonreklame der skulle have forestillet solen'.
In the latter part of 90s Ste van Holm roamed the Danish music world and was often found backstage at gigs. In 2000 he had established himself as a name in the environment which meant that he was offered a position as studio manager at Peter Brander's Media Sound Studio. While Ste van Holm was at Media Sound, he worked with names such as Michael Falch, Peter Viskinde, Mike Tramp
, Big Fat Snake
, Dj Encore and others
The album is based on the book '2001 - A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke
, and was released on 20/01 - 2001 pm. 20:01.
Odyssey is an ambient
album spiced up with minimalism
.
The album was partly recorded in Klaus Schønning
studio. Tabula Rasa's six instrumental tracks lie stylistically in the New Age
genre, which the album also distance itself from. In an interview Ste van Holm said that he wanted to add some darkness to the otherwise undistirbing New Age universe, thus creating a genre he called Heavy New Age.
The album was produced by musician Klaus Schønning
, which for many years had the leading position within the New Age genre in Denmark
.
In the CD cover mentions that Ste van Holm plays on a so called Aurotron. The Aurotron is not an instrument in itself, but the sound created on the basis of recordings of the aurora borealis. Northern Lights
does not generate any sound, but consists of electromagnetic radiation
that can easily be recorded using a vlf radio.
s.
Constructions' mood is very gloomy and the lyrics deals with deprivation, desperation, death and political alienation
.
, disco
and soul
album. Anyway is also the first album from Ste van Holm without instrumentals or soundscapes.
As on its predecessor, Constructions, the vocals were contributed by a number of different singers, but unlike Constructions all singers Anyway are female
.
(King Crimson
). In addition, Ste van Holm directed the movie 'Traumfestival' about German band Einstürzende Neubauten
in 2003.
He has currently released four albums, all of which are available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. Each album is performed within a new genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
, as Ste van Holm sees it as the artist's most important task to win new terrain. A reviewer described Ste van Holm's works "genre dogmatic". However, all his four albums are contemporary.
Ste van Holm began playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in his early teens and through his high school years he played in a lot of different bands. When Ste van Holm could afford to build a small home studio, he dropped out of the bands he played in, and focused instead on studio production. With very few exceptions, Ste van Holm has not played live since the late-nineties. He has worked as live sound engineer for Danish band Entakt for whom he also mixed the album 'Kun en elektrisk summen fra en neonreklame der skulle have forestillet solen'.
In the latter part of 90s Ste van Holm roamed the Danish music world and was often found backstage at gigs. In 2000 he had established himself as a name in the environment which meant that he was offered a position as studio manager at Peter Brander's Media Sound Studio. While Ste van Holm was at Media Sound, he worked with names such as Michael Falch, Peter Viskinde, Mike Tramp
Mike Tramp
Mike Tramp is a Danish singer and songwriter who is best known for his work with the hard rock bands White Lion and Freak of Nature...
, Big Fat Snake
Big Fat Snake
Big Fat Snake is a Danish pop/rock music group that was founded in 1990.Peter Viskinde and Anders Blichfeldt first met in 1988 for the recording of a demo tape for the band "The Werners" that later changed name to "Verners Verdensorkester" . The band soon fell apart due to lack of audience...
, Dj Encore and others
Odyssey (2001)
Odyssey is the title of Ste van Holm's first full length album which was released in 2001.The album is based on the book '2001 - A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
, and was released on 20/01 - 2001 pm. 20:01.
Odyssey is an ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
album spiced up with minimalism
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
.
Tabula Rasa (2004)
Tabula Rasa is the second full length album released by Ste van Holm.The album was partly recorded in Klaus Schønning
Klaus Schønning
Klaus Schønning is a Danish musician, known as a pioneer in the New Age genre.Schønning was born in Copenhagen in 1954 and began composing music as a child.He studied music at the University of Copenhagen...
studio. Tabula Rasa's six instrumental tracks lie stylistically in the New Age
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
genre, which the album also distance itself from. In an interview Ste van Holm said that he wanted to add some darkness to the otherwise undistirbing New Age universe, thus creating a genre he called Heavy New Age.
The album was produced by musician Klaus Schønning
Klaus Schønning
Klaus Schønning is a Danish musician, known as a pioneer in the New Age genre.Schønning was born in Copenhagen in 1954 and began composing music as a child.He studied music at the University of Copenhagen...
, which for many years had the leading position within the New Age genre in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
In the CD cover mentions that Ste van Holm plays on a so called Aurotron. The Aurotron is not an instrument in itself, but the sound created on the basis of recordings of the aurora borealis. Northern Lights
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
does not generate any sound, but consists of electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space...
that can easily be recorded using a vlf radio.
Constructions (2007)
The 'Constructions' album is strikingly different from Ste van Holm's two previous albums, not least because Constructions in large part consisted of songSong
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s.
Constructions' mood is very gloomy and the lyrics deals with deprivation, desperation, death and political alienation
Political alienation
Political alienation refers to an individual citizen's relatively enduring sense of estrangement from or rejection of the prevailing political system....
.
Anyway (2009)
'Anyway' with its ten tracks is the most extroverted album from Ste van Holm. Genrewise Anyway is a popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
album. Anyway is also the first album from Ste van Holm without instrumentals or soundscapes.
As on its predecessor, Constructions, the vocals were contributed by a number of different singers, but unlike Constructions all singers Anyway are female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
.
Music videos
Besides directing videos for his own music, Ste van Holm has also directed for Majbritt Løfgreen and Trey GunnTrey Gunn
Trey Gunn is an American musician, known for his membership in progressive rock band King Crimson from 1994 to 2003, playing Warr Guitar and Chapman Stick.-Biography:...
(King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
). In addition, Ste van Holm directed the movie 'Traumfestival' about German band Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten is a German post-industrial band, originally from West Berlin, formed in 1980. The group currently comprises Blixa Bargeld , Alexander Hacke , N.U...
in 2003.