De Fabriek goes the Hitmachine : “Het Terrein II”

If this is “Het Terrein II”, there must be a “Terrein I”, which I found in some blog (433.rpm.blogspot.com) being a cassette from the late 80’s by De Fabriek and Hands Minimal Arts. I have no idea why this title is now dusted off and used again, unless the process behind this is the same as the one before, but information is something that not well spends on De Fabriek, unlike their many releases.

After some thirty years it's hard to make any sort of discography by this Dutch “band” (?), let alone tell if they have anything to do with releases that carry the name De Fabriek. Confusing? Yes, sir, it is. Information on “Het Terrein II”? I'm sorry, sir, no such luck. “De Fabriek Goes The Hitmachine” is all it says, besides the label information.

There is however one track on the CD and not two. In a good solid forty minute mega mix (to use that 80’s phrase) we, the listener are taken for a ride through both music by De Fabriek and The Hitmachine, my local groupe extraordinary, who are like De Fabriek: always in for surprise. Who does what or when, who sat behind the controls when producing this, it's all quite unclear. I recognized elements of De Fabriek's “Neveleiland” release, the live rock elements no doubt come from The Hitmachine (as De Fabriek never plays live), but throughout it's hard to know what is the outsider rock/noise/pop of The Hitmachine, or the experiment/industrial/techno noise of De Fabriek.

It's like two chameleons in a room, changing colour, shape and size every time you look up. It's probably as much as a De Fabriek and The Hitmachine release. It even has a cover that strongly resembles a lot De Fabriek did – go figure that one yourself. And as per usual: limited to merely 300 copies only. Another pre-programmed collectors item.

[CD by EE Tapes]

Frans de Ward / Vital Weekly

Photo: R.R.