BlootGeven

The concert at Madam Claude in Berlin is cancelled due of person circumstances. We will search for a new date to do the concert.

The concert at De Nieuwe Anita is cancelled due of person circumstances. We will search for a new date to do the concert.

JAN KEES HELMS - BLOOT GEVEN (CDR by Vent Records)

While we list Jan Kees Helms here as the main artist, this is actually a compilation of three groups, Jenjen, Post Mortem and StringStrang; but then, with Helms at the controls of each of these groups, it’s perhaps also not a compilation. ‘Bloot Geven’ ('uncover’ is perhaps the best translation) is Helms’ first long movie, after many short ones, and it’s inspired by eight poems written by Allen Ginsberg, with images people doing ordinary things such as singing, pealing potatoes, drinking, making love or meditating. While there is not much conversation in the movie, apparently, the voice-over is done by GW Sok, erstwhile singer from The Ex.

None of that is something we hear on this CDR, as there is only the music, although the movie is usually presented in combination with live music (maybe something for a DVD-R release one day, I thought). From the three projects, Post Morten is Helms oldest and I believe StringStrang his latest; I am not sure where JenJen fits in, and if that’s something he does with other people. In the early days, twenty or more years ago, Post Mortem fitted the then current noise scene, and did so for quite some time. Noise is not really the current interest of Helms if these sixty-one minutes is something to go by, but the difference is in the details. JenJen opens up with four pieces, and I must admit I don’t know much about it. In some way there is a bit of noise going on, through what could radio waves mixed with electronics/feedback, in a highly minimal manner. It is quite enjoyable. Post Mortem is already a notch more moody than JenJen, also with a minimalist take on sine waves that sound like sea sounds in the first piece, and a sampled voice in the second and a bit old-fashioned industrialism in the third. The two long StringStrang pieces are icy atmospheric pieces of heavily treated guitar sounds in the best tradition of droning guitars, such as the various incarnations of Dirk Serries  (with whom Helms occasionally works) or Machinefabriek, all on this similar dark ground.

It’s good to hear the music and it would even better to see the movie that goes along with it.

BlootGeven will be performed at De Nieuwe Anita - Amsterdam - the Netherlands.

Thursday 21 Januar 2016 at 20.00 h

The atmosphere of LAS fits really good to the images of BlootGeven. A part of the zapping audience was changing during the concert, but nevertheless it was nice concert to end the BlootGeven in 2015. 

“It was a very interesting spectacle. Unusual experience, which resulted in many various emotions”

The concert at Bleek - St Niklaas in Belgium was played in a beautiful room for arts with great acoustics. The warm welcome of Eriek van Havere of EE Tapes and the crew of Bleek was heart-warming.

“The music really supports the images of the movie and the declaiming of the poems is well done”

“Nice combination of live performance on stage and the images on the screen”

“Every is fine, the whole evening is complete!”

photography: Anita Renkema

The final BlootGeven performance of the second tour was played at Proeflokaal Butcher’s Tears in Amsterdam - NL during the SOTU (Sounds of the Underground) festival. This nice spot with great bears, warm hospitality and a critical and lovely audience.

“Touching moments... tears are burning in my eyes.”

“Buddhistic moments... Searching for the purity in life.”

“I love the repetition of the scenes and the non-narrative story-telling.”

BlootGeven was performed at Saturday 11 April in Kultur im Bunker at Bremen - Germany. Although the temperature was cold in this old World War II bunker the atmosphere was warm and the audience watched carefully the movie.

“Beautfiul integrated field-recordings in the soundscapes”

“I am young, but for now I am aware of the decay of the body”

BlootGeven is programmed at the SOTU festival in Amsterdam - NL

Izaak Slagt photographed the BlootGeven performance at Kargadoor - Utrecht  - NL.

http://izaakpslagt.smugmug.com/MUSIC/BLOOTGEVEN-KargadoorUtrecht-20/

For a (too) small audience I played the movie BlootGeven at Kargadoor in Utrecht - NL. But again... the people had a lot of attention and were surprised by the images and use of the poems of Allen Ginsberg.

"You have got courage, to expose yourself in a vulnerable way. Lovely in combination of this beautiful poems of Allen Ginsberg."

"I am impressed by all the marks on the body of this old woman... Is she dying?"

The screening and concert of the movie BlootGeven was a part of the program of Bibliotheken Eemland during the Nationale Poëzieweek 2015. Before the concert started two short movies were shown with poems of Issiblue Blue.

Again... the audience has great attention to this movie and were touched by the meditative atmosphere of the movie and music.

'It was wonderful, I started to cry by all these fragile images and moments"

"This movie is about humanity! Nothing more and nothing less!`'

In onze samenleving raken veel dingen oppervlakkig en vluchtig. Er wordt veel minder aandacht geschonken aan iemand leren kennen, aan genieten van de kleine dagelijkse dingen, aan intimiteit. Seks vervaagt in iets wat zuiver lichamelijk is en je kwetsbaar opstellen is voor velen van ons te beangstigend. In de film BlootGeven zien we op een rustige manier wat we allemaal aan het opgeven zijn : we zien hoe Jan Kees zich niet enkel letterlijk aan ons bloot geeft, hij gunt ons ook een blik in z'n innerlijk. We zien hoe een dagelijkse 'saaie' activiteit een moment van rustig samen zijn wordt, we leren opnieuw verder kijken naar iemand in plaats van op te houden en om te keren als een lichaam er anders uitziet dan wat ons hedendaags schoonheidsideaal ons voorhoudt, hij neemt ons mee in een ontmoeting met kwetsbare mensen en toont ons hoe het is om met mededogen en geduld iemand gewoon mens te laten zijn. Wat mijzelf het meeste aanspreekt, is hoe hij weet te uit te beelden hoe erg wij intimiteit missen : hoe het is als iemand ons aanraakt, ons voelt, hoe het is als een hand ons lichaam maar ook onze geest beroert zonder er iets voor terug te willen. Hoe het voelt als iemand ons iets geeft en wij dankbaar en soms onwennig aan mogen nemen. Hoe het is als die aanraking waar we al zo lang op wachten, eindelijk komt.

BlootGeven toont ons hoe kwetsbaar we allen zijn en hoe eenzaam (soms) maar de film is hoopgevend : hij toont ons vooral hoe makkelijk het eigenlijk is om mensen toe te laten, om dat kleine verschil te maken, hoe beangstigend we het ook vinden.

Ayla Derammelaere

In the small and intimate movie theatre "Filmhuis Klappei" located in a multi-cultural district of Antwerp I played a more melodic soundscape to complete the soundtrack of the movie. The small audience watched the movie with full attention and were to be a part of this event.

Some reactions are:

"This is an ambitious project. Beautiful soundtrack and well captured images"

"The people who are playing in the suit really well to the created situation. It looks all so natural"

Mostly I do not like still life in art, but I had to change my opinion. I am touched by the long take of the cooking cooking pot"

Antwerp - BE - 20 Januar 2015