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About COLUMN JAN DOUWE KROESKE Source VARA TV-magazine Issue/date No 8, 1999 Author Jan Douwe Kroeske submitted by TEDDY

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MERCURY REV 13:30 uur, Hilversum time. Sunday afternoon, Februari 7. I wait for the ordered sandwiches with 3 members of Mercury Rev. To kill time, singer Jonathan lets me hear his latest discovery, the cd of a Swedish singer named Nicolaj Bunger. It starts as a quiz, but it ends as a lesson in emotions in popmusic:'This is the biggest talent i've heard in a long time... he whistles, he sings, he whispers, he plays good and even his breathing is musical.' I let them hear the cd-single Maria from Zita Swoon. 'Do you find this European?' i ask. 6 Attentive ears are listening. After the 3 minutes and 40 seconds the only reaction i get is a smile, and when the second song starts ears prick up again. Surprised looks and enthousiast 'Yes!'- sounds follow after How Can I Resist. Zita Swoon seems to be much liked by them. 'This band would sell millions of records in Los Angeles and San Fransisco, so commercial and so good.' I look at Jonathan with big eyes and say that i will never understand Americans. 'I'm a big fan, but that you say that it is commercial and could be very popular on the American West-coast, that's the latest thing i'd expected.' The sandwiches arive, Jonathan laughs away the high expectations about his band's succes and asks if he can abuse the studio for a while. Zita Swoon makes him think, his hands are itching. At the piano he strikes the first notes of Maria and embroiders a melodie for a new song. For a while i feel like i'm in the womb of Mercury Rev's music. 6 Minutes later Jonathan stands next to me, puts the tape in his coat-pocket and says that he has just started with the next cd. 'I've always found Amsterdam an inspiring city...'

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