I claim no expertise in early Dutch punk. But what I do know is there have been a ton of great regional comps over the years from various European countries, and I find things to like in all of them. So From Punk To Ultra: The Plurex Story, which covers the Dutch label Plurex, was a no-brainer purchase for me. My only other foray into Dutch punk was Punkrock From Holland: A Compilation Of Original Early Dutch Punk (1996), which is chock full of bangers like Filth’s “Sex” (which also appears here), and luckily for me Filth is the only band appearing on both comps, so most of this should be new to me.
Right out of the gate we’re treated to some great early punk. Tits’ “Daddy Is My Pusher” is snotty and raw and fantastic, while Ze Popes’ “Sexy Pajamas” brings a more post-punk sound and a certain snarkiness. But then… then… Minny Pops. And Interior. And now we’re moving away from punk and into… what? Something more avant-garde, or even no wave. Interior’s “Bizarre Disco” is a simple drum machine beat overlaid by single notes from a synth or a recorder, the vocals spoken in an almost robotic fashion, the vocalist’s accent creating even more a sense of otherness. The Mumbles bring us back to a more standard punk sound with the “Poly Vinyl”, the lyrics telling the story of a guy falling in love with a girl at a record store done satirically in a pop-ish style (Poly Vinyl, she’s like a record sleeve / Poly vinyl, she made a wreck of me), before giving way to the highly esoteric Brandt + Instruments. The combo of punk and no wave throughout the comp work well, keeping you on your toes and never knowing what to expect from the next song.
The vinyl version of From Punk To Ultra: The Plurex Story is a 2xLP gatefold release, including interviews with the label founders in the liner notes. You can pick it up on Bandcamp HERE.