HCTF's best of 2024 (20-16)

• 20-16
• |
• 15-11
• |
• 10-6
• |
• 5-1

» Best of playlist

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HCTF's annual list of the 20 albums that will be in regular rotation for many years to come. As per usual many genres are represented. Here Comes The Flood covers a lot of ground and it shows in this eclectic, final tally.

Today: countdown from number 20 to 16.

Please shop at your local record store. Most of the stores have a pretty good website where you can order your stuff. It might even be cheaper than the big ones on the 'net. The folks who work there know their stuff and can recommend artists you might like.

Buy directly from the artist, attend live shows and stop by the merch table. And be sure to tell your friends about that great new act you discovered. Word-of-mouth can't be beat as the prime source to discover new music.

STÄSJ: "Lady With Arrows" live video

Watch Dutch singer STÄSJ perform Lady With Arrows, a track from Building A Cathedral: "[It is] an album about the human condition. That is a big subject to cover, but she pulled it off by going all out within self-proclaimed boundaries: being adventurous like Kate Bush and catchy a la Depeche Mode." She was joined by Rosa Ronsdorf on backing vocals, synths & electronics and Nina de Jong on drums & electronics. The clip was shot @ Studio 150 in the Bethlehemkerk in Amsterdam and made by Alrik Wiggers.

Live dates:

• 07/13 Rotterdam, Netherlands @ WORM
• 07/14 Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Paviljoen Ongehoorde Muziek
• 07/14 Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Valkhof Festival

» stasj.world

HCTF review of Building A Cathedral.

STÄSJ: show in Rotterdam added

Dutch electro-pop artist STÄSJ,, nom-de-plume of multi-instrumentalist and singer Stefanie Janssen, has added a show in Rotterdam @ WORM on July 13 to promote her latest release, Building A Cathedral: "[It is] an album about the human condition. That is a big subject to cover, but she pulled it off by going all out within self-proclaimed boundaries: being adventurous like Kate Bush and catchy a la Depeche Mode."

STÄSJ: "Do You" live video

Watch Dutch singer STÄSJ perform Do You, the opening track from her Soft Forces album: ""With electronics and classically trained vocals at the foundations for her music she goes for abstract, surrealistic lyrics, populating her world with kids, commuters and an aloof feline. It is not a pop record as such, neither is it a (modern) classical one. If anything it is a collection of highly personal stories and fairy tales, meandering travelogues and observations." For this performance she was joined by Ruud Roelofsen on keyboards & electronics and Maarten Zaagman on percussion & electronics. The clip was shot @ Werkwarenhuis in Den Bosch and made by Studio BRAK.

STÄSJ: "Cathedral" live video

Watch Dutch singer STÄSJ perform Cathedral, the closing track from her new album Building A Cathedral: "[It is] an album about the human condition. That is a big subject to cover, but she pulled it off by going all out within self-proclaimed boundaries: being adventurous like Kate Bush and catchy a la Depeche Mode." She was joined by Rosa Ronsdorf on backing vocals, synths & electronics and Nina de Jong on drums & electronics. The clip was shot @ Studio 150 in the Bethlehemkerk in Amsterdam and made by Alrik Wiggers.

Live dates:

• 05/11 Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Platenbeurs Stevenskerk (details TBA)
• 06/14 Kessek, Goch, Germany @ 50 / 50 Festival
• 07/14 Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Paviljoen Ongehoorde Muziek
• 07/14 Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Valkhof Festival

» stasj.world

HCTF review of Building A Cathedral.

STÄSJ: Building A Cathedral

BEST OF 2024
18
HCTF

Dutch electro-pop artist STÄSJ, nom-de-plume of multi-instrumentalist and singer Stefanie Janssen, mixes avant-garde, post-rock, synth-driven New Wave, and vocal pyrotechnics on Building A Cathedral, an album about the human condition. That is a big subject to cover, but she pulled it off by going all out within self-proclaimed boundaries: being adventurous like Kate Bush and catchy a la Depeche Mode.

The cathedral is not an actual building, but a metaphor for the human body and mind. She tries to make sense of her surroundings and thoughts by going in at the deep end to find out what is all about and how to connect or get away from the hustle and bustle, when it all becomes a bit too much. Grief and joy are equal partners. Janssen pulls it off with poetic lyrical imagery, draped as an extra layer upon the meandering soundscapes and crunchy beats.

STÄSJ: "The Keeper" live video

Watch Dutch singer STÄSJ perform The Keeper, the opening track of her forthcoming new album Building A Cathedral, due for release on March 30, 2024. It starts out a glass harp, sparse percussion and eerie keyboards before turning into a dark synth rocker - guitars aren't necessary to play up a storm. With Rosa Ronsdorf on backing vocals, synths & electronics and Nina de Jong on drums & electronics. The clip was shot @ Studio 150 in the Bethlehemkerk in Amsterdam and made by Alrik Wiggers.

Live date:

• 03/30 Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Brebl
  (album release show)

» stasj.world

HCTF review of Pluto.

STÄSJ: Pluto

Dutch singer STÄSJ teamed up with Richard van Kruysdijk for the synths and beats for her new single Pluto, a sonic excursion wherein repetitive patterns create a dreamlike atmosphere for her vocals who appear to be floating through space. She is reaching out to the listener, ensuring that the music is not for her personal enjoyment alone, but meant to be part of a shared experience. It a track of her forthcoming new album Building A Cathedral, due for release on March 30, 2024. The video was made by Auke Hamers.

Live date:

• 03/30 Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Brebl
  (album release show)

» stasj.world

HCTF review of Urtling.

STÄSJ: Urtling

Dutch singer STÄSJ put her arranging skills to good use when she wrote five vocal parts for her new single Urtling, a heartfelt tribute to her mother who suffers from dementia. In trying to make clear what the disease means to mom and all those around her, she uses dissolving sharts of voice and a lone glass harp to capture the sense of love, loss and loneliness. It is the opening track of her forthcoming new album Building A Cathedral, due for release on March 30, 2024. The video was made by Auke Hamers.

Live date:

• 03/30 Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Brebl
  (album release show)

» stasj.world

HCTF review of Human Condition.

STÄSJ: Human Condition

Dutch singer STÄSJ may have added an umlaut to her name, but it is still business as usual for her adventurous approach to music. She mixes genres like few other are capable to pull off. Her new single Human Condition is a modern day lament, combining neo-classical elements with a hint of prog and shimmering post-punk.