In the early 1980s, Ronald Langestraat was a fixture of the Amsterdam jazz scene, a pioneer of what he calls “space jazz” – a Moog-driven, otherworldly take on the genre. Melding electronic funk and dance with brooding, introspective lyrics, he would play for patrons of the Apollo Hotel, surprising the guests – who might have otherwise expected a sober piano recital – by bringing along modules, a computer and sequencer. Three decades on and Ronald has lost none of his zest for music-making. As bold and foward-thinking as ever, his 2022 album Light Years Away intermingles a drum machine with organic, improvised saxophone, the Dutchman's voice reverberating into the cosmos.
Thursday, August 3