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BRIEF ARTIST STATEMENT
My career started at the beginning of the Punk Rock craze in 1976 in The Netherlands. I started out as a vocalist and lyric writer. Experimental Electronic instruments also became part of my passion. Eventually it led me to design my own instruments today. My path has been a long and winding road around the world, collaborating with all types of people in a variety of genres and cultures. I am always looking for a new challenge, as I continue to seek exciting ways to express myself creatively through music, words, photography and film. With today’s cyberspace there are no more borders and creativity is abundant! There is a freedom to work with anyone in the world on a multi-media level. Many of my recent projects have been developed this way, this is a brand new level of collaboration for me proven to be very fruitful indeed. |
Truus Short Bio
Electronica pioneer Truus’ career started at the beginning of the Punk Rock craze in 1976 in The Netherlands. She started out as a vocalist and lyric writer as a member of Nasmak. Experimental Electronic instruments became part of her passion. She established cult favorite Plus Instruments in 1978 which is an ongoing project to present day. Eventually it led her to design her own instruments. Her path has been a long and winding road around the world, collaborating with all types of people in a variety of genres and cultures. In 2015 she established Blue Beast with her Brazilian collaborator Miguel Barella. During the pandemic she also started an ongoing collaboration with Cosmo Vitelli. She is always looking for a new challenge, as she continues to seek exciting ways to express herself creatively through music, words, photography and film.
Electronica pioneer Truus’ career started at the beginning of the Punk Rock craze in 1976 in The Netherlands. She started out as a vocalist and lyric writer as a member of Nasmak. Experimental Electronic instruments became part of her passion. She established cult favorite Plus Instruments in 1978 which is an ongoing project to present day. Eventually it led her to design her own instruments. Her path has been a long and winding road around the world, collaborating with all types of people in a variety of genres and cultures. In 2015 she established Blue Beast with her Brazilian collaborator Miguel Barella. During the pandemic she also started an ongoing collaboration with Cosmo Vitelli. She is always looking for a new challenge, as she continues to seek exciting ways to express herself creatively through music, words, photography and film.
Truus extensive Bio
Truus de Groot's musical career spans over 4 decades. Born in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, she made her debut as a singer when the punk movement emerged in 1976. After a short participation in several Dutch groups, including one of the most famous of this period, Doe Maar, she was quickly attracted by new experimental and electronic sounds. Thus, she released her first E.P. in 1979 under the name BandT Plus Instruments, as a duo with Bregt Camphuijzen. Michel Waisvisz, the inventor of the Crackle Synthesizer, became her mentor to steer her further into the experimental territory. The Crackle Synth remained her favorite instrument. Their sound was based on electric bass, vocals and atypical electronic instruments, their live performances were completely improvised.
At the same time, she became the singer of the Dutch New Wave group Nasmak with whom she released an album in 1980. However, in search of new challenges and after countless concerts across Europe, Truus flew to New York in 1981 and settled in the United States where she still lives today. She reformed Plus Instruments with Lee Renaldo (Sonic Youth) on guitar and David Linton on drums, they toured New York clubs and Europe and it saw the release of the timeless album “Februari April '81”. From then on there were many reincarnations of her Plus instruments project. In particular, she crossed paths with such prestigious figures as Rhys Chatham, James Sclavunos (Lydia Lunch, The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) and Jim Duckworth (Gun Club). The 90s were a real period of reflection for her. She left New York, via a stint in Seattle for Escondido, California, where she became strongly inspired by her husband Bosko's passion for Polynesian Tiki culture: Muzotica was published in 2000, followed by Rancho Exotica in 2005, then finally Ritualis which completed the trilogy in 2009.
In 2011, Truus decided to reactivate Plus Instruments by publishing a new album, Dance with Me on her own label Dewclaw Ditties, a record where she reconnected with her inclinations for the synthetic dance music of her beginnings. Then followed Trancesonics in 2013, and a compilation of unreleased material from the group dating back to the period 1982-83 on the German label Vinyl On Demand.
She didn’t stop there, since in 2016, Signal through the Waves was released, which she recorded with her old friend James Sclavunos on drums and Paulo Beto on synths. In 2017, Truus collaborated with Brazilian Post Punk pioneer Miguel Barella under the name Blue Beast, which would result in an album, Devil May Care. The following year she moved away from analog synthesizers for a while to record The Wave Widows, a very colorful sixties Surf Music solo project, before releasing in 2019 a sixth album from Plus Instruments, Aim for the Center, and a second Blue Beast's 2020 album, Roaring.
It was in 2022 that she actively collaborated with French producer and DJ Cosmo Vitelli, and sang on 5 tracks on his third album, Medhead. Enthusiastic by the result, they decided to compose a collaborative album: Dopamine Dreams, which was released under both names in September 2024.
December 1, 2024 saw the release of a digital single "Not Mr. Nice Guy" by Blue Beast (with Miguel Barella), Featuring none other than Fred Smith (Television) who worked his magic with his stellar production and multi-instrument contributions, reminiscent of Lee Hazlewood. Also guesting is Buford O'Sullivan on Trombone
Truus de Groot's musical career spans over 4 decades. Born in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, she made her debut as a singer when the punk movement emerged in 1976. After a short participation in several Dutch groups, including one of the most famous of this period, Doe Maar, she was quickly attracted by new experimental and electronic sounds. Thus, she released her first E.P. in 1979 under the name BandT Plus Instruments, as a duo with Bregt Camphuijzen. Michel Waisvisz, the inventor of the Crackle Synthesizer, became her mentor to steer her further into the experimental territory. The Crackle Synth remained her favorite instrument. Their sound was based on electric bass, vocals and atypical electronic instruments, their live performances were completely improvised.
At the same time, she became the singer of the Dutch New Wave group Nasmak with whom she released an album in 1980. However, in search of new challenges and after countless concerts across Europe, Truus flew to New York in 1981 and settled in the United States where she still lives today. She reformed Plus Instruments with Lee Renaldo (Sonic Youth) on guitar and David Linton on drums, they toured New York clubs and Europe and it saw the release of the timeless album “Februari April '81”. From then on there were many reincarnations of her Plus instruments project. In particular, she crossed paths with such prestigious figures as Rhys Chatham, James Sclavunos (Lydia Lunch, The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) and Jim Duckworth (Gun Club). The 90s were a real period of reflection for her. She left New York, via a stint in Seattle for Escondido, California, where she became strongly inspired by her husband Bosko's passion for Polynesian Tiki culture: Muzotica was published in 2000, followed by Rancho Exotica in 2005, then finally Ritualis which completed the trilogy in 2009.
In 2011, Truus decided to reactivate Plus Instruments by publishing a new album, Dance with Me on her own label Dewclaw Ditties, a record where she reconnected with her inclinations for the synthetic dance music of her beginnings. Then followed Trancesonics in 2013, and a compilation of unreleased material from the group dating back to the period 1982-83 on the German label Vinyl On Demand.
She didn’t stop there, since in 2016, Signal through the Waves was released, which she recorded with her old friend James Sclavunos on drums and Paulo Beto on synths. In 2017, Truus collaborated with Brazilian Post Punk pioneer Miguel Barella under the name Blue Beast, which would result in an album, Devil May Care. The following year she moved away from analog synthesizers for a while to record The Wave Widows, a very colorful sixties Surf Music solo project, before releasing in 2019 a sixth album from Plus Instruments, Aim for the Center, and a second Blue Beast's 2020 album, Roaring.
It was in 2022 that she actively collaborated with French producer and DJ Cosmo Vitelli, and sang on 5 tracks on his third album, Medhead. Enthusiastic by the result, they decided to compose a collaborative album: Dopamine Dreams, which was released under both names in September 2024.
December 1, 2024 saw the release of a digital single "Not Mr. Nice Guy" by Blue Beast (with Miguel Barella), Featuring none other than Fred Smith (Television) who worked his magic with his stellar production and multi-instrument contributions, reminiscent of Lee Hazlewood. Also guesting is Buford O'Sullivan on Trombone
Websites / Links
www.plusinstruments.com
https://plusinstruments.bandcamp.com/
https://truusdegroot.bandcamp.com/
https://truus2014.wordpress.com/
www.saltonsink.com
http://blue-beast.weebly.com/
https://bluebeast.bandcamp.com/music
AUDIO / VISUAL
Dr. Klangendum | Concertzender.nl :: Radio
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/truus
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/trutrax
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/truusonic
Truus Anthology:
https://soundcloud.com/truus/sets/plus-instruments-anthology
Below a 7 part radio program about Truus' musical life, stretching from 1979 to 2010
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