Plus Instruments – Februari-April ’81

What our staff has to say: “Much needed reissue of Plus Instrument’s sole full length record featuring Truus de Groot homemade electronics, with added New York no wave styles from Lee Renaldo (pre-Sonic Youth) and David Linton (Rhys Chatham, Elliot Sharp, Interference, etc.). Highly recommended for those looking for a mix of no wave and minimal synth. Classic!” – Jon

What PLUS INSTRUMENTS? The title implies the secondary nature of the tools used to produce the sounds, maybe even of the sounds themselves. The means of making sound are not important, but the sounds themselves are, but even beyond them there is a force, a grumbling. Maybe best represented by the first sound heard on Plus Instruments Februauri- April ’81 a sound that is more felt than heard. The grumbling persists throughout the album, not in the same sonic way but things gyrate and repeat until they are mineral and not purely auditory. Using toys, drum machines, and other homemade electronics designed by front person TRUUS DE GROOT, the band manages to obscure every song into a hard to maintain mix of No Wave drive, New Wave sheen, and dance music groove. Consisting of Truus, LEE RANALDO (SONIC YOUTH) and DAVID LINTON (RHYS CHATHAM), the trio smashes the sound of early 80s New York with the equally as progressive European experimentation of the time. Completely without total contemporaries, Plus Instruments make music free of bounds from time, labels, and place. Originally released by Kremlin records, run by Sonic Youth’s future manager CARLOS VAN HITFJE, Domani Sounds proudly presents Febrauri-April ’81 featuring brand new liner notes by Hitfje himself.