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  Unitone Hi FiPrincipal songwriter and producer of this seminal dancehall dub outfit from 1990 until 1997. Unitone HiFi released three full-length albums, one mini album and plenty of single track contributions on fine compilations.
Nemesis Dub Systems
Deepgrooves As a bass player Joost's credentials are extensive and cover collaborations with acts as diverse as N.R.A., Strawpeople, Greg Johnson, Jules Issa, OJ and Rhythmslave to name a few. As a producer/engineer Joost has honed his skills in studios in Auckland, the Hague and New York.
Future
TriggerX
The Project
Victoria Kelly
Pass The Dutchie: Cookin' Up With Joost Langeveld Unitone Hi Fi's abrupt departure from the local scene about twelve months ago left a black hole in the aural atmosphere that we really didn't need. After ??? years, 4 albums, and lots of live niceness all over New Zealand, Europe and the US, the trio of Stinky Jim, Angus MacNaughton and Joost Langeveld have unplugged their toys and gone their separate ways. Jim and and Angus have formed Soundproof (see our last issue) and Joost 'Dutchieman' Langeveld, founder member and principal songwriter/producer of much of Unitone's magic is back at the controls with Trigger X, his solo project. Langeveld dropped in one afternoon to tell us wassup, and I forgot to offer him a coffee... Lava: So what's been happening? Langeveld: Lately? Well, I played recently in Wellington at Le Petite Electronique, with Tim Prebble, y'know, Short Fuse? It was great, a very good gig at the Matterhorn. That's a wicked little bar, a recycled cafe... Lava: Yep, we love the place...and you played at the Luna funeral? Yeah, I turned up there about 3am, I had spent so many good times in the space, I was keen to play there one last time. Lava: Tell us about your new project. You're working on a debut solo album? Langeveld: Yeah. I started playing as Trigger X about 12 months ago. The album hasn't got name yet...maybe if you called me tomorrow! It doesn't really fall into any particular genre... Lava: No surprises there! Langeveld: No, no...there's a drum n bass vibe in there, but it's more about ambient, electro vibes with mad atmospherics, not merely breakbeats...the idea is definitely that you listen to the whole album as a piece, it's not just a collection of tracks. As well as the electronic inputs, I've laid down live basslines, I'm working with two drummers, and there's vocal elements as well, all sampled and filtered up into the mix. Lava: Very nice. When can we expect that lot? Langeveld. It will be out in June, on inCOMING! (punctuation required by record company boss in Germany-Ed) Lava: Right, that was Unitone's Label, right? Langeveld: Yeah. The great thing about working with them is that you have a base straight away of a couple of thousand listeners who may buy the album. In New Zealand you're probably talking a couple of hundred for stuff like what I'm doing. By hooking up with a label in Europe you are able to make music here and still have the audience..the best of both worlds... Lava: So, no more Unitone Hi fi... Langeveld: No It's just band stuff, personalities...I wish Soundproof all the best. Unitone was a big part of my life, so it's a shame I guess, but there's lots of other things happening. You live and learn One hint I've picked up is that you should always put down stuff on paper when you set a band up, otherwise you'll always have disagreements. Lava: Right...enough of that stuff. What else are are you working on 'sides the album? Langeveld: Well, there's a few bits and pieces. I'm working with Roger Perry and Chelsea on a project that we've called 'The Project'... Lava: That's brilliant... Langeveld: Thanks. We're working on a cd of 10-12 tracks, with the three of us on production, Roger doing the drums, and Chelsea working out the keyboards and just vocalising the vibes and the sound we're after. She's great, really good vibes, and really good at reading the room, y'know? And Roger has been a major influence on me over the years. In the '80's he was the first one to start scratching and mixing in the hip hop style. He's a drummer as well, so he's right into programming the drum machines. I'm also working with Victoria Kelly, who's a classical composer... Lava: She worked with Paul Casserly on Strawpeople stuff? Langeveld: Yeah, yeah. She and I are working on a radio play called Claybourne. it's on the 1ZB at 3.25, its a 5 minute show, sort of small town New Zealand meets the X Files. Lava: Uh huh... Langeveld: Yeah, its cool. You should check it out. And I've been doing tv commercials, paying the bills stuff...I've also been working on a track for Tuatara, y'know Justin Harwood's band? Lava: Yeah, and that guy from REM, right? Not Stipe... Langeveld: Peter Buck. Yeah. They released a brilliant album last year, and they're now doing a remix album of some of that stuff. They've asked me to do one...it'll be released after their next album comes out. Lava: So. it's a full time musical life? No more cooking? Langeveld: Hah! No, I'm focusing on the music now. I trained as a chef to have a 'real' job while making music, but the last kitchen I worked in was Stella in Ponsonby about 8 months ago. It's difficult; trying to make music and them changing right around to the kitchen and structured hours. So it's full steam ahead on the music now, which is great. It's excellent. Where's the coffee? Stephen Adams
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