This weekend he was at Grasnapolsky, in April he will be the first Dutch artist ever performing on Coachella. Last night he received an Edison, the Dutch grammy, in the category Alternative: Klangstof.
…Koen van de Wardt is the man behind Klangstof. Van de Wardt knows there’s a power in reaching deep into oneself in order to ultimately connect with others. It’s why he first began making music. After moving with his family from his native Netherlands to rural Norway at age 14, the once-social teenager found himself totally isolated. “My life was torn apart and I had to start all over again.” He became enamored with Radiohead’s seminal 1997 album, OK Computer, and specifically the undercurrent of unchecked pain in lead singer Thom Yorke’s voice. In short time, creating music became an almost manic pursuit for the fledging musician. Even after attending Hedmark University College and playing bass in a popular Dutch band, Moss, van de Wardt felt compelled to return to his own well: That’s when I started to do Klangstof”… LA based record label Mind Of A Genius contracted him and debut album Close Eyes to Exit was enthusiastically received by the critics.
Klangstof is a self-created word, made from Klang (echo in Norwegian) and Stof (dust in Dutch). Two words that are together nonexistent. Dust and echo are only tracks, the evidence of something not tangible. And that is what the mysterious soundscapes of Klangstof are. The music is a collage of hypnotizing sounds of sadness. But, unexpected and in a weird way, It makes you feel whole and bright.
More about Klangstof here
