about Fluxury

Mireille van Leeuwen: vocals


Mattijs de Jong: guitars


Jan kuipers: composer, keyboards


Jos Witsenburg: lyrics, bass


Stelios Kalis: drums & percussion

our own thing

Fluxury is about beauty and originality. We play whatever the song needs: punchy progrock, folky mellow music or baroque balads. The songs are unpredictable yet transparant and accessible.

influences

Specifying influences is arbitrary. 'people in the trade' came up with some names (we don't hear it): Procol Harum, Thinking plague, Gentle giant, King crimson, Radiohead, Renaissance, Supersister, Nits. We admire these bands, and love composers like Brahms, Brecker, Metheny, Morricone, Prokofjev, but we're not copying anything.

line-up 2010

Stelios Kalis
Mireille van Leeuwen
Jan Kuipers
Mattijs de Jong
Jos Witsenburg

biography

In 1986 Jan Kuipers graduated from the Den Haag Royal Conservatory mastering composition & music registration. Before Fluxury, Jan composed experimental modern pieces. Jan met bassplayer-lyricist Jos Witsenburg in 1987 in Leiden, where they studied chemistry.

Five years were spent inventing a new mix of composed music & rock 'n' roll. Lunar escape velocity (2001) is the unhip endresult of this period of frank exploration & fun. Jan's remarkable & prolific talent is the source of Fluxury's finely crafted songs. The word 'Fluxury' comes from a poem by Jos about the emergence of rich structure from chaos, it turned into a Lunar escape velocity song.

From around that time Fluxury plays live irregularly in a varying line-up, both Stelios and Mattijs were part of the first line-up. For 3 years Fluxury was a fun 7-person combo, Perishable goods (2005) captures its rocky dynamics. The 2005/6 winter season concerts with Eric (g) and Marjolein (v) had a more intimate approach with projected animated visuals supporting the music. In 2007/08 with Jetse (g) and Susan (v) Fluxury was an agile and muscular quintet, doing concerts and recording EP 'Sundance' (2009).

In 2008 Jan decided to quit loud music due to serious hearing loss. After some trial and error we regrouped once more. Mattijs de Jong (g) returned in the group and Mireille van Leewen (v) joined. We're recordings songs for part 2 of the 'End of privacy' suite (expected release 2010) and preparing moderately amplified concerts with mostly new songs and some supporting visuals.

previous credits

Rogier Heijen
Susan Heijen
Jetse van der Moolen
Melanie Bakker
Axel Gruning
Fred Rosenkamp
Eric Verbruggen
Marjolein van Tongeren
Patricia Beerens
Thea van Rijen
Els Witsenburg
John Reker
Sabine Kuipers
Mattijs de Jong
Marjon Bolck
Ilse Kunst
Robert van Mill
Willem van Klink
Claudia van 't hout
Carolien Kraaijkamp
Hugo and Jurgen
Femme van Leeuwen
Ronald van Gerner
Ingrid Loos

thanks to

Sjoerd Steenaard
Joeri Hierck
Leon Eliens
Arnoud van Goolen
Pauline Witsenburg

band history

2010 jan band borrel at Mattijs, alcohol and plans
2009 okt start of full-band rehearsals with singer Mireille van Leeuwen.
2009 sep another fresh start: Stelios Jan Mattijs Jos, auditions for a singer.
2009 may release of 27 minute EP Sundance.
2009 feb another new song released 'Interior decorator blues'.
2008 dec concert in Bacchus Aalsmeer - with Jan.
2008 dec first new songs released 'Drexler's curse' and 'Dry heaven'.
2008 nov Melanie quits the band, Jan returns for a while.
2008 sep try-out concert with Melanie (in Leiden).
2008 jul rehearsals with Melanie Bakker on keyboards.
2008 may Fluxury experiments with akoustical instrumentation.
2008 may 23 NederSymfo Nite 4: Kramer, Fluxury, WaveWorld, LadyLake.
2008 jan Winston Amsterdam concert with R!fe.
2007 dec try-out at Pablo's (friends & family) and first public gig.
2007 mrt rehearsals with 2007 Jetse van der Moolen and Susan Heijen.
2007 jan auditions for singer and guitarist started.
2006 okt sound engineer Sjoerd Steenaard is involved, recording drums started.
2006 aug recording of guitars started, Fred Rosenkamp of Lady lake involved.
2006 mrt new recording project started, bass recordings on the midi.
2006 jan 12 Atlantis Alkmaar concert: Fluxury, Kramer.
2005 dec 16 Pleintheater Amsterdam concert: Fluxury, Kramer.
2005 dec 9 NederSymfo Nite 3: Fluxury, Mangrove, Knight area.
2005 okt 1 Perishable goods released & distributed.
2005 apr re-release of Me, the enemy as a 5 song 23 minute EP.
2005 winter with Eric Verbruggen (guitar) and Marjolein van Tongeren.
2004 dec auditions & recordings with 3 guest vocalists.
2004 nov Fluxury the 7-person band explodes.
2004 sept 17 NederSymfo Nite 2: Fluxury, Wave world, Ulysses, FAF.
2004 sept 10 try-out at Marjans', Lelystad.
2004 sept release of Me, the enemy ltd. mini CDr (4 new songs).
2004 aug release of Over the moon ltd. DVD: Tucked away, Remember a face.
2004 feb 20 Fluxury live at Sabine & Patricks wedding, R'veen.
2004 jan 3 first finished Perishable goods song: 'After the revolution'.
2003 oct 25 Nedersymfo Nite 1: Salmon, Fluxury, Flamborough head.
2003 three concerts ('Marjans', Lelystad & 'de Boerderij', Zoetermeer).
2002 nov presentation of first new recording: Xhine! (sonic x-mas card).
2002 rehearsal space at Simon's 'de kelder', Amersfoort
2001 winter: 3 more concerts (R'veen / A'dam / Waalre).
2001 oct 16 first ever concert: 'de Tagrijn' Hilversum.
2001 oct 2 release of Lunar escape velocity.
2001 aug 28 domain www.fluxury.nl claimed and in use.
2001 aug 24 we're a business: NL KvK nr: H32087314.
2000 first band rehearsals. We call it Fluxury.
1998 first home recording sessions.
1996 popmusic! with many instrumentalists & singers.
1995 J&J make soundscape Anagram (CD: Ssccd 001).
1987 Jan and Jos meet as chemistry students in Leiden.

home - menu

drums, percussion
vocals
composition, keyboards
guitars
lyrics, bass

rehearsal keyboards
vocals
guitars
keyboards
guitars on 'Interior decorator blues'
guitars on 'Sundance'
live guitars
lead vocals
lead vocals
lead vocals
video, light, photography
guitars, live vocals
live keyboards
guitars
lead vocals
lead vocals live
lyrics: 'Lookup' & 'Downside'
clarinet: 'Light of Other days' (alas, not on CD)
lead vocals: 'Shout'
2 'Lunar' tracks & 2 concerts
they both played the drums for a short while
soprano: vocals on 3 'Lunar' tracks & 3 concerts
tenor: 3 'Lunar' tracks & 3 concerts
lead vocals: 15 'Lunar' tracks

recording equipment, advice, sound technician
video assistance
sound engineer
photography, light
DTP assistance