Rude 66 from Amsterdam has been an electronic musician since 1986. First as keyboard maniac/ drummer with a Dutch noise outfit, then as a member of the band Voice of the Mute doing Electronic Body Music. Their track ‘Mission Impossible’ turned up in 1987 on the compilation album ‘Somewhere in the Skeleton’ on Belgian label Body Records.
While playing in an industrial band named Repoman in 1992, Rude 66 recorded a techno EP for another Belgian label. Crammed Discs’ dance imprint SSR released these tracks as the Dreams EP under the name Modulate in 1993, one full year after its recording. The title track also appeared on the ambient compilation cd Chill Out by US label Instinct.
Crammed found the new Rude 66 tracks far too ‘underground’. By chance Rude 66 ran into to an old friend who just started a label named Bunker Records. The rest is history. Bunker released an acid/techno double album and cd by Rude 66 early 1994. It received quite some airplay on VPRO Dutch national radio and made it into underground charts all over the world. The follow-up Bunker 020 went the same way in october ’94. A 7″ single was recorded for Bunker-sub Acid Planet, which became an instant collectors item.
With Unit Moebius, Beverly Hills 808303 and all Rude 66 helped define the Acid Sound of The Hague: lo-fi acid from the sewer. 1995 saw Rude 66 doing some live gigs in Holland and England and recording new material. Early 1996 the long delayed Djax-Up-Beats EP Lucifer by Rude 66 was released to critical acclaim,
In february 1998 a second Rude 66 EP, B-day, followed on Djax-up-Beats, filled with heavy electro. The track No Cure was licensed for the Acid Flash no. 9 compilation cd on Subterranian in 1999. The Devil’s highway cd on Silver Recordings came out in may 1997: 12 tracks of over 70 minutes of distorted chemical beats, acid and techno. A new double lp for Bunker was pre released (and sold out) in a limited edition of 100 copies.
The Speedster 001 EP is available through Clone and Silver Recordings mailorder and is distributed by Sonic Rendezvous (Holland) and Kultbox (Chicago). The live set now exists entirely of electro tracks. Actually there are now 2 Rude 66 live sets. The other set is 2 tracks of furious drum & bass specially made for the semi-finals of the Grote Prijs dutch bands competition. Late november 1998 we played this set in the finals in Amsterdam’s Paradiso. The tracks are available on athe 66 Deadly Sins EP for Chicago’s Kultbox Records.
A good european source for this record is Hardwax Berlin. The track The covenant is another electro cut on bunker 3000, a double LP that marked the comeback of Bunker Records. A new electro album for bunker just came out in march 2000: the Devils Machine features 6 electro tracks including vocals from mr. and mrs. 66. Silver has just decided to release half of the Devils highway cd on vinyl on a split record with RA-X. It’s available as Silverwax 002 through Lowlands distribution.
The Rude 66 remix of Friction’s Super Ok has been named as the highlight of the Dutch Breakz compilation cd and has received national airplay. We’re currently working on a second remix. and new hi NRG electro tracks.