Solex

Solex derives its name from a compact Hungarian motor scooter. The project centers on Elisabeth Esselink, an Amsterdam record-shop proprietor and songwriter who previously played in the Dutch indie pop outfit Sonetic Vet. Seeking complete control over her ideas, Esselink bought an 8-track recorder and a vintage sampler, then began producing music solo. She mined her store’s stock of kitschy discs for fragments, repurposing them into her signature lo-fi techno-pop. Matador issued the debut Solex vs. the Hitmeister in 1998; Pick Up appeared the following year. Low Kick and Hard Bop surfaced in 2001, after which Solex returned in 2004 with The Laughing Stock of Indie Rock on Arena Rock Recording Co. Early 2005 brought In the Fishtank. Esselink next collaborated with Jon Spencer and Cristina Martinez of Boss Hog, pairing her sampling techniques with the duo’s brash vocals on Amsterdam Throwdown King Street Showdown!, released in 2010. For the subsequent project she and collaborator Bart van Poppel traversed all twelve Dutch provinces, enlisting local musicians and harvesting field recordings for later sampling. The resulting album, The Sound Map of the Netherlands, appeared in 2013 as the soundtrack to the documentary of the same name.