Van Kaye & Ignit

Van Kaye + Ignit is the Dutch duo of Ed Van Kasteren (Van Kaye) and Ignatine Bekken (Ignit), who joined forces in the city of Arnhem during early 1980. While at university, Van Kaye was the singer of The MoNoMeN, a local new wave band. By the end of 1979 he had become more interested in the use of electronics and rhythmic industrial patterns. In April 1980 he released a demo cassette with 30 minutes of his own work titled “A Slight Delay”. While experimenting with synthesizers and developing extreme sounds, he met Ignit, who had previously worked in the fields of art and performance. Together they recorded their first 4 songs with guest musician Williem Wisselink (Wizzkopf) in the summer of 1981, and released the “Picassos on the Wall 7“ later that year on their own Ding Dong label. Van Kaye + Ignit then began work on their debut 60 minute cassette album, “A Slight Delay.” Like the 7”, all songs were recorded and mixed by Van Kaye at his home studio on a TEAC A-3440 four-track recorder. Self-released in 1981, the album pairs conceptual sophistication with disarming naïveté in a way that has been difficult to replicate since the formative years of ‘bedroom’ electronic music. Both members handle vocals (or non-vocals), and songs feature everything from new wave riffs to slowly shifting oscillator buzzes and eerie electronics over mechanical rhythms.