Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The parallels between the careers of XTC and the Nits are remarkable and too numerous to ignore. Both began their recording careers in the late '70s as part of the arty post-punk new wave movement characterized by scratchy guitars, jerky rhythms, cheesy organs, and nerdy frontmen. And both evolved into something infinitely more complex and enduring, despite being gradually whittled down to a core of just two members. That said, whereas XTC underwent a gradual transition from the fractious pop of 1977's White Music to the pastoral psychedelia of 1986's Skylarking, the Nits shed their new wave skin in a relative trice with the 1983 album Omsk. The startling opener, "A Touch of Henry Moore," begins with a mesmerizing, Steve Reich-like barrage of marimbas and (synthesized) hammered metal over which Henk Hofstede ponders the physical hard labor that goes into creating a thing of beauty. One of the most stunningly original pieces in the Nits' repertoire, it's still a stage favorite. At the time, the Nits also boasted a second singer/songwriter in the form of Michiel Peters, who contributes three songs to Omsk. He was no Colin Moulding, however, and his first song on the album provides a rare and unwelcome reminder of the kind of music the public was gorging on in 1983. "Unpleasant Surprise" is just that, a horrible exercise in Spandau Duran, all brash synths and big drums, while "The Cold Eye" is a contrived exercise in atmospherics let down by Peters' thin, reedy voice. Only the surprisingly rootsy "Spirits Awake," with its spooky Wicker Man vibe, is a worthy addition to the album, and it was probably a blessing all round when Peters left the band within two years. Keyboard player Robert Jan Stips -- who must take a lot of the credit for the album's lush textures -- also contributes a couple of tracks to Omsk, most notably the irresistibly breezy instrumental "Walter and Conny," which pushes some of the same buttons as Zappa's "Peaches en Regalia." But the Nits were already essentially Hofstede's band, and Omsk contains one of his most enduring songs in the form of "Nescio." With its serried ranks of frenziedly strummed mandolins, pizzicato strings, and cascading piano, "Nescio" finds Hofstede milking the song's larger than life Latin emotions to stirring effect -- though disconcertingly the title refers to the nom de plume of an obscure Dutch writer. At the other extreme is the delicate "Jardin d'Hiver." This attempt to capture the sparkling stillness of a winter's day is another of Hofstede's most bewitching songs. Traceries of vibraphones, piano, and strings intertwine with a series of short vocal lines to suggest the chiming of bells. Though it's not without its moments of clumsiness, Omsk contains enough examples of what would prove to be the Nits' mature style to make it worthy of investigation. [The CD reissue contains three tracks not included on the original release.]
© Christopher Evans /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Composer, Dulcimer, Keyboards, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Dulcimer, Keyboards - M. Peters, Composer, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Composer, Dulcimer, Keyboards, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Fay Lovsky - Mathilde Santing - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Dulcimer, Keyboards - Robert Jan Stips, Composer, Lyricist, Piano - John Sonneveld, Engineer - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Composer, Dulcimer, Keyboards, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Composer, Dulcimer, Keyboards, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Composer, Dulcimer, Keyboards, Lyricist - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre - John Sonneveld, Engineer - John Smit, Engineer
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Composer, Dulcimer, Keyboards, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Dulcimer, Keyboards - M. Peters, Composer, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Robert Jan Stips, Composer, Lyricist, Piano - Henk Hofstede, Dulcimer, Keyboards - John Sonneveld, Engineer - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Dulcimer, Keyboards - M. Peters, Composer, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Composer, Dulcimer, Keyboards, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Composer, Dulcimer, Keyboards, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Composer, Dulcimer, Keyboards, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Nits, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - Henk Hofstede, Dulcimer, Keyboards - M. Peters, Composer, Lyricist - John Sonneveld, Engineer - Robert Jan Stips, Piano - John Smit, Engineer - Mathilde Santing - Fay Lovsky - Rob Kloet, Drums, Lyre
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Album review
The parallels between the careers of XTC and the Nits are remarkable and too numerous to ignore. Both began their recording careers in the late '70s as part of the arty post-punk new wave movement characterized by scratchy guitars, jerky rhythms, cheesy organs, and nerdy frontmen. And both evolved into something infinitely more complex and enduring, despite being gradually whittled down to a core of just two members. That said, whereas XTC underwent a gradual transition from the fractious pop of 1977's White Music to the pastoral psychedelia of 1986's Skylarking, the Nits shed their new wave skin in a relative trice with the 1983 album Omsk. The startling opener, "A Touch of Henry Moore," begins with a mesmerizing, Steve Reich-like barrage of marimbas and (synthesized) hammered metal over which Henk Hofstede ponders the physical hard labor that goes into creating a thing of beauty. One of the most stunningly original pieces in the Nits' repertoire, it's still a stage favorite. At the time, the Nits also boasted a second singer/songwriter in the form of Michiel Peters, who contributes three songs to Omsk. He was no Colin Moulding, however, and his first song on the album provides a rare and unwelcome reminder of the kind of music the public was gorging on in 1983. "Unpleasant Surprise" is just that, a horrible exercise in Spandau Duran, all brash synths and big drums, while "The Cold Eye" is a contrived exercise in atmospherics let down by Peters' thin, reedy voice. Only the surprisingly rootsy "Spirits Awake," with its spooky Wicker Man vibe, is a worthy addition to the album, and it was probably a blessing all round when Peters left the band within two years. Keyboard player Robert Jan Stips -- who must take a lot of the credit for the album's lush textures -- also contributes a couple of tracks to Omsk, most notably the irresistibly breezy instrumental "Walter and Conny," which pushes some of the same buttons as Zappa's "Peaches en Regalia." But the Nits were already essentially Hofstede's band, and Omsk contains one of his most enduring songs in the form of "Nescio." With its serried ranks of frenziedly strummed mandolins, pizzicato strings, and cascading piano, "Nescio" finds Hofstede milking the song's larger than life Latin emotions to stirring effect -- though disconcertingly the title refers to the nom de plume of an obscure Dutch writer. At the other extreme is the delicate "Jardin d'Hiver." This attempt to capture the sparkling stillness of a winter's day is another of Hofstede's most bewitching songs. Traceries of vibraphones, piano, and strings intertwine with a series of short vocal lines to suggest the chiming of bells. Though it's not without its moments of clumsiness, Omsk contains enough examples of what would prove to be the Nits' mature style to make it worthy of investigation. [The CD reissue contains three tracks not included on the original release.]
© Christopher Evans /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 00:53:03
- Main artists: Nits
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Columbia
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
(P) 1983 Sony Music Entertainment (Holland) B.V.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.