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Some critics regard Ruud Houweling as one of Hollands best songwriters. The music of Cloudmachine, in which according to OOR (leading Dutch music magazine) the entire history of popmusic is compressed with influences like John Lennon, David Bowie, Neil Finn, Radiohead and the classical music of Arvo Pärt, slowly finds its way to a larger audience.
Their first two albums received a warm welcome by the Dutch music press. The first one, Sweater For The Cold World (2003) was bursting with ideas. On the balanced second album Hum Of Life (2006) Houweling finds his own voice in writing. The record brings many new opportunities for the band. The played the finest Dutch venues and festivals like Haarlems Bevrijdingspop with 150.000 visitors. The also had some decent airplay on Dutch radio.
The third album, Back On Land is released on April 20th 2009. The band worked with renowned American engineer/producer Oz Fritz who is known for his Grammy-winning work with Tom Waits (Mule Variations, Alice, Blood Money). He also produced bands like Primus and Oysterhead (Stewart Copeland) and worked many years with Bill Laswell on projects with Ginger Baker, Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Herbie Hancock, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, William S. Burroughs and Bob Marley. Also has credits on recordings with John Cale, Ornette Coleman en Elvis Costello.
The band recorded in Weesp, in a vintage studio designed in the sixties by the same man that designed the famous Abbey Road Studios. The mixing took place in California in the same studio and with the same gear used on Tom Waits’ Mule Variations, the album that triggered the band to contact Fritz.
The arrangements on Back On Land have great variety. It’s not just the band playing, there’s room for strings and brass, vibraphone, triangle, and authentic keyboards like a wurlitzer, cp70 and a 1939 Steinway grand piano. On the album they 've further refined the characteristic pleasant melancholic Cloudmachine sound. With a lot of focus on the lyrics and arrangements.
PRESS QUOTES
Some reviews in the Dutch press on Hum Of Life the second album:
OOR (similar to Rolling Stone)
"Great variety in moods and exciting arrangements. The lyrics of this sensitive soul are sometimes intensely personal."
TROUW (newspaper)
"Cloudmachine is stepping forward as positive addition to the Dutch music scene."
MUSIC MAKER (magazine)
"Excellent indiepop."
HAARLEMS DAGBLAD (newspaper)
"Hum Of Life is filled with golden melodies."
FILE UNDER (webmag)
"The spheric rock of Cloudmachine is one of a kind."
PLATOMANIA
"Capable of sweeping away big international acts."
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S H O P
CDs (mailorder) CD Baby
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