Did you know that for decades, record collectors across the Dutch-speaking region have overlooked a significant portion of their own musical heritage while avidly searching for rare grooves and breaks in bins filled with more exotic music? It's a fact! And that's where Harde Smart comes in. After delving deep into dusty crates of Belgian and Dutch music, Harde Smart's inaugural compilation in 2019, dedicated to music from the 1970s, brought to light a selection of smooth, jazzy, funky, and soulful gems from Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) and Holland. In addition to exquisite grooves and hard-pounding drums, these songs shared Dutch lyrics, offering a unique compilation of lyric-driven Flemish and Dutch music from back in the days.
Yet, nothing is as certain as the unexpected. This compilation marked the first time a Dutch album uncovered the authentic Afro-American funk and soul vibe, which, albeit sporadically, influenced the work of both popular and lesser-known singers and musicians in this corner of the world during the 1970s. Undoubtedly, influences also stemmed from French chanson and rock music of the era. This 21-trackalbum shattered all musical predictability, taking listeners on a strange and nostalgic journey, offering a revised collection of "essential homegrown classics" for local listeners while also captivating non-Dutch-speaking audiences.
With the second compilation, Harde Smart shifts its focus from the 1970s sound to explore the next decade, the 1980s. Vinyl aficionados No Sleep Richy and Micha Marva joined forces with Sjefke De Kok, one of Holland's premier crate diggers, to continue their musical odyssey. Digging even deeper into dusty bins filled with Dutch and Flemish records once again unearthed an exquisite selection of tracks-too weird to play, too rare to ignore. From butt-shaking boogie to weird disco adventures on wax, this album encapsulates all the good stuff of the 1980s: smooth and seductive alongside dark and wavy. Get ready for an atypical introduction into the Dutch lyric-driven music from the 1980's.
A1. Step By Step - Ik Laat Me Niet Belazeren
A2. Monica Rypma - Ik Hou Veel Van Jou
A3. Bloedgroep O - Slow Motion
A4. Francis Verdoodt & Herrie - Tegelliedje / Gevaarlijk (Harde Smart edit)
B1. Rob Glotzbach - Hoofdstuk 1
B2. Noodweer - De Toekomst Laat Me Koud
B3. Jan Hautekiet - Nachttrafiek
B4. Peter Praet & Praeters - Enkel Proberen
B5. Omar & The New Sound - Drugs
C1. Joost Belinfante - Zonder Woorden
C2. de DIV - Teken De Tijd
C3. MAM - Ongelofelijk
C4. Cocododo - Roekoe
D1. Kurt Van Eeghem - Cool Hé, Jongen
D2. Nadagen - Onder 4 Ogen
D3. Mensen Blaffen - Braziliaanse Woud
D4. Wim De Craene - Hoor.
