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Sunstroke started in 1985 by Ben Bollaert and Etienne Delaruye both keyboard players from the fusion group ( Kandahar ) living at the thriving Belgian city of Ghent, has made a name for themselves in the alluring downtempo music subgenre. Sunstroke become since 2017 more “a music collective” with core members such as Johan Hoogewijs, Wouter Van Tornhout, Dominique Vantomme. Meanwhile expanded with contributions from top musicians such as Karel Steylaerts, Ruben Schelstraete. We are trying to create a sound environment that is both captivating and introspective thanks to their natural ability to combine melodic textures with acoustic and electronic components.
Sunstroke expertly combines sophisticated beats, ethereal soundscapes (mostly analog) synths, and haunting melodies to create their own sound, drawing inspiration from a wide spectrum of musical influences. Their music carries listeners to a place where time stands still and the emotions are strong. Each song is a voyage that invites listeners to become engrossed in the rich sonic tapestry that Sunstroke painstakingly crafts.
The appeal of Sunstroke's music captivates the listener from the very first note. Their songs are filled with melancholy and reflection and elicit a wide range of emotions. They skillfully strike a precise balance between throbbing rhythms and melancholy melodies to produce a sound experience that is both calming and thought-provoking.
The music of Sunstroke is evidence of their artistry and capacity to push the limits of electronic music. They have carved out a unique niche for themselves in the downtempo genre by producing soul-stirring, enveloping music. With each new album, Sunstroke enhances their reputation as a leading force in the electronic music field by captivating listeners with their intriguing soundscapes.
from the Viberate website
NOTHING'S WRONG IN PARADISE
The 1985 Belgian synth ambient treasure that evokes quiet emotion is reissued on LP
- record
- Sold out
4,070 yen (tax included)
label LIBREVILLE number 1008450780 release date March 23, 2022 EAN 2299991143260
Product details information
A vinyl reissue of the 1985 Belgian synth ambient treasure that evokes a quiet emotion!
SUNSTROKE, a duo from Ghent, Belgium, consisting of BEN BOLLAERT and ETIENNE DELARUYE, released their only work "NOTHING'S WRONG IN PARADISE" on COPPERHEAD RECORDS in 1985. is a limited vinyl reissue from LIBREVILLE RECORDS!
This work was conceived as a fictional movie soundtrack, and is a cult favorite with influences from Berlin School and YEN RECORDS, as well as impressionist and cafe music charm. "NOTHING'S WRONG IN PARADISE" is the culmination of experiments by a duo obsessed with the infinite possibilities of electronic music.It's a shame that this is their only work.Remastered from master tapes
. Uses sound source / Limited press of 600 copies
https://diskunion.net/avant/ct/detail/1008450780
from:
https://www.cedriclassonde.com/2022-a-year-in-music-part-1-albums-reissues/
Sunstroke was a mysterious Belgian project, a duo of percussionist/cellistEtienne Delaruyeand synth player Ben Bollaert.Nothing’s Wrong In Paradise was recorded in Ghent in 1985 and released as a private press only. As we learn in the liner notes, the album was conceived as an imaginary “soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist,” something that sounds very much aligned with the mid-80s musical fashions indeed. With inspirations ranging fromWeather Report(on the majestic cosmic-pop chugger ‘Race of the Oasis’) toVangelis(the new age ambient bliss ‘Dance of the Prophets’) orEric Satie(‘Re-Incarnation’) this is music that sounds as much of its time as it does coming from the future. I’m not sure whether that was the case, but to my ears the dreamlike atmospherics of the album sound very much in tune with the Japanese ‘Music Interior’ ambient series of the same period fromJVC.
As described perfectly in the liner notes, “once you have spent some time with it, the whole record starts to seem bathed in a dim half-light, suggesting utopia glimpsed through a smudged lens.”
Remastered from the master tapes, the sound on this vinyl is absolutely stunning, full, rich and three dimensional. Yet another winner fromLibreville Records, the Paris based label ran by Robert Benjamin whom I have come to trust blindly both for his impeccable tastes and attention to details. – each and every one of his releases have featured in my end of the year charts.
Overview of the music Sunstroke
With a number of fascinating songs, "Sunstroke", some musicians from Ghent, Belgium has become well-known since 1985.
"Othing’s Wrong In Paradise", has become something like a "cult album" since, gaining worldwide success and being used several times on radio and TV stations in the late 80s. A fascinating fusion of airy melodies and throbbing beats that takes listeners to another planet, is one of his best songs. The song "Boat People" started a second life with the incredible sad stories of the new boat refugees in Europe recently. A song which combines eerie voices with sophisticated electronic sounds to create a hauntingly beautiful melody, is another gem.
On the first album with its hypnotic rhythms and ambient sounds, "Race Of The Oasis" exemplifies Sunstroke’s ability to produce a captivating musical experience. With its contagious groove and rich layers a battle between the "Memory-Moog and Prophet 5 synthesiser", and some complex electronic soundscapes. With its enchanting melody and complex composition, the song "Re-Incarnation" influenced by songs of Erik Satie, enthralls listeners.
"Dance Of The Prophets" transports listeners on a mystical journey, a musical (instrumental) conversation between Ben Bollaert and Etienne Delaruye.
One of Sunstroke’s latest (2023) other standout songs is "Sensual Dance", a sensual and seductive composition that compels listeners to dance to its catchy beat. Through its intricate rhythms and seductive melodies, an game of seduction, the art of moving on music in an elegant, suggestive and sensual manner. The art of communicating using postures, gestures, smile and eyes. Communicating through your body.
The universe of "Water Chaos" transports listeners into a whirling soundscape and entrancing rhythms. The story of a big flooding in July 2019 in Belgium …5 minutes in the car on the motorway in a wall of rain. Seeing cars skidding around you and trucks driving past you… then the silence sudden calm almost unreal experience and then you hear the sirens of emergency services driving back and forth!
Haunting vocals and throbbing beats are combined in "Running To The Ethernal Hunting Field" to produce a sense of urgency and excitement. In memory of a friend (Wannes Casier) who died tragically. Images that stays in your head.
Finishing a Song with some emotional impact struggled a long time with it, but when I showed it to Johan he wanted to finish it together. We could agree on the strength and simplicity of the song and this resulted in this beautiful moment. We used the original piano track from 2019 and combined synth and acoustic tracks in the arrangement.
Composers Johan Hoogewijs / Ben Bollaert : piano, perc. vocoder, acoustic soundscapes and digital plug-in, creaking piano chair.
Last but not least, the haunting melody and unfiltered passion of breaking "Glass Song" fascinate listeners. In memory of Ben's training in stained glass , master of light ...a wonderful time, patience at the glass furnace, hours waiting for the temperature that allows the colours to unfold. The fragile but also the powerful world of extremes strong and fragile, unpredictable ... and deadly if careless.
All these aspects we wanted to merge here in a stronger rhythmic number. A song with an immense palette of colours, mixing, swirling breathtaking.
Breaking Glass Song 3’36"
Wouter Van Tornhout : Composer drums and percussion
Ben Bollaert : Composer , Rhodes Piano, Synths, Bass
Sunstroke is known for his ability to write enthralling compositions that take listeners to unusual sound environments. His tracks span a wide variety of electronic downtempo styles. Sunstroke continues to fascinate audiences and solidify himself as a leading force in the electronic music world with his hypnotic soundscapes and complex production.
from the Viberate website
The most popular songs Sunstroke?
"Breaking Glass Song (2023)," "And Then She Touched Me (2023)," and "Water Chaos (2022)" stand out among Sunstroke's most recent singles. These songs showcase Sunstroke's talent for expertly fusing complicated rhythms with ambient textures to create a distinctive and alluring sound. Each song allows the listener to enter a musical realm rich in feeling and self-reflection.
Sunstroke's music is distinguished by its capacity to carry listeners to various worlds. Their complex arrangements and careful attention to detail produce a captivating listening experience that lasts the entire time. Sunstroke continues to push the frontiers of Electronic, Jazz and Downtempo music with their most recent releases, making a lasting effect on both fans and new listeners.
Finally, Sunstroke's most recent songs provide an enthralling excursion into the world of Electronic and Downtempo music. Sunstroke distinguishes themselves as forward-thinking musicians from Belgium.Their experience as stage and studio musicians with their ominous soundscapes and complex compositions. Watch for their most recent releases as they continue to push the limits of their industry.
from the Viberate website
Review
Sunstroke were Ben Bollaert and Etienne Delaruye, both were obsessed with the burgeoning possibilities of electronic music it made sense that they collaborate in the studio. The resulting experiments culminated in the 1985 release of Nothing's Wrong in Paradise.
The record was conceived as a soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist - a sophisticated meeting of post-Berlin-school dreaming, Yen-records hi-tech calm and Impressionist Café music ennui. What makes it most compelling though, is that even while it conjures a seemingly perfect world, something around the edges lets you know that all might not be as it seems. Maybe there is nothing wrong in paradise. Or maybe that’s just wallpapering over the cracks. The rough edges and regret of everyday life cannot help but intrude. Once you have spent some time with it, the whole record starts to seem bathed in a dim half-light, suggesting utopia glimpsed through a smudged lens.
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SUNSTROKE
LIBREVILLE RECORDS
Sunstroke – Boat People
From Sunstroke – Nothing’s Wrong In Paradise
Released on Copperhead Records, 1985, Belgium
Re-Released 2021 Libreville Records .
I first heard music by Sunstroke via Nosedrip, who posted the title-track of Sunstroke‘s only album on his YouTube channel. The tune instantly bewitched me. By chance, I stumbled across the record a few days later in a record fair and did not even bother to listen to the other songs on the album. I was probably expecting the title-track to be the only really interesting song on this LP and that the rest would sound more like « classic » new-wave, as it’s often the case with this kind of record.
When I gave it a proper listen, I realized how wrong I was. The whole record is made of five superbly produced and highly emotional instrumental pieces. Nothing’s Wrong In Paradise is mainly the work of Ben Bollaert, and it’s probably the only album he released.
Bollaert has been helped by a staple figure in the prog/fusion scene in Ghent, Etienne Delaruye, that some prog-heads may know from the band Kandahar, who composed some of the tunes on the LP. There is quite a wide range of instruments that are being played on this record, and it is quite hard to say who plays what.
Most notably, someone is playing the cello on a few songs, including this one, Boat People, and blending this instrument with electronic instruments is something we really get the bug for. Boat People sounds like a kind of march, with its martial drums, looking toward the East, as its name sadly suggest (Boat People is the name that was first given to migrants fleeing from Vietnam).
Both uplifting and sad, Boat People reflects the shades of this superb record, a moving soundtrack to a film that never was.
https://okonkole-y-trompa.com/2017/09/19/nothings-wrong-in-paradise/