Welcome About Kees Discography Jukebox Live poker YouTube videos On stage Around the world   rss feed Guestbook Ask Kees Poll Links Contact Kees IF ONE DOOR CLOSES (CD)  Undelivered Delivery [4:13] Put Me Down, Scotty [6:21] Decision Time [13:32] Entering The Unknown [6:19] Dragonfly [2:59] Monkeys [2:53] The Sun Shines, The World Smiles [7:36] Paloma [3:58] Sunray [7:17] The Challenge [4:05] Move Forward and Discover [12:39] Another Door Opens [3:43] Collection of new, old and previously (un)released tracks. Here are some details about the tracks: From 'out of print' 2004 "E-dition #1" cd. Original track is called "Monorail" from 1990. From 'out of print' 2003 "Tracks Across the Universe" box. New 2008 track. Unreleased track from 1990. Unreleased track from 1991. Unreleased track from 1990. Unreleased track from 2006. With Ron Boots. Unreleased track from 1990. Unreleased track from 2003. With Ron Boots. Unreleased track from 1990. New 2008 track. Unreleased track from 1991. From the movie "Ken je niet uitkijken. Man I have chills....., I mean this is So Powerful, This is by all means Kees BEST Solo releases to this day, I gotta get this a.s.a.p. In other words a CD with a kick, Track 11 is Awesome! Mike / The Cosmic Frequencies (April 2010) “If One Door Closes” is the second full-length cd of Kees Aerts, released after a hiatus of almost ten years, and which (is my impression) would never had been out by now if several people hadn’t asked for it. Well, the disc compiles 12 mostly older tracks, some going back to 1990, and a few more recent pieces. The musical style is of a highly melodic, accessible and sequenced nature, ranging from rhythmic contemporary instrumental music to more synth-pop oriented stuff. Beside that, the elements “fun” and “enjoying the joy of life” play an important part in of of them . I imagine some may find the music too easy and a bit simple (e.g. “Entering the Unknown”, “Dragonfly”) but between them are gems such as “Put me down, Scotty”, the dynamic 13-minute “Decision Time” (with some nice sequencing and vocoder singing), or the moody “The Sun Shines, The World Smiles” made with Ron Boots. The real highlight is found at the album’s tail: the excellent, highly energetic 12-minute “Move Forward and Discover”, which fires all electronic engines. This said, the collection of new, old and previously (un)released tracks on “If One Door Closes” offers something for everyone. Bert Strolenberg / sonicimmersion.org (December 2009) It has been a long time coming for Kees Aerts’ sophomore release, although apparently the seeds for it were germinating for some time, as the tracks were recorded over a period of several years. Those familiar with E-dition magazine should recognize “Undelivered Delivery” from the CD that accompanied E-dition #1. It is a playful, upbeat song, a very straightforward synths-and-sequencing number, and a perfect way to start things off. I can't help but grin from ear to ear when listening to “Put Me Down, Scotty,” complete with Star Trek samples. It’s fun to hear Kees let his hair down and have fun with this one, which by the way is a pretty catchy tune even without the sci-fi reference. “Decision Time” is one of two brand new songs, with synthesized lyrics that I can't quite make out. A deep bass sequence forms the foundation beneath. I really like the moment at 6:30 where the vocals drop out and the rhythm and warm synth pads take over. It also builds really nicely at the end, very Jarre-like. “Entering the Unknown” is a cool 1990 track that reminds me of something similar from Synthetic Block’s first album. After this come a few tracks from the same period which are overly cute for my taste. However, sandwiched between them is an excellent collaboration with Ron Boots called “The Sun Shines, The World Smiles.” This is warm and relaxed, and reminds me a lot of Ron’s Close, But Not Touching album, right down to the waves lapping the shore. Another Aerts/Boots piece, “Sunray,” is as bright and sunny as the name implies. The other brand new solo composition is “Move Forward and Discover,” my personal favorite with a totally catchy groove. Kees excels at painting bright sonic pictures that will keep a smile on your face. Phil Derby / Electroambient Space (July 12 2009) This CD from 2008 offers 76 minutes of buoyant electronic music. Synthesist Aerts is joined by Ron Boots on two tracks. A host of electronics are employed to generate the dreamily spry tunes found on this release. This blend of calm and activity is quite rewarding, producing music that soothes as it uplifts. Atmospheric textures establish airy foundations for more agile harmonics. Riffs are created, then set to run in cycles as additional loops are added to the sonic pastiche. This mounting accretion of layers results in lavish structures whose resonant components serve to enhance each other, achieving a higher unity in the form of melodies that are rich with grandeur. This majesty is often seasoned with a whimsy that bestows a distinctly humanity to the melodies. Keyboards play a vital role in this tuneage, providing the music with themes which cavort and twirl amid the already spinning loops. While percussion is present, its presence is adroitly crafted to lurk within the mix, propelling from an interior vantage. Not all of the rhythms are comprised of actual beats; some derive their tempos from the rapid application of synthesized non-impact sounds, which in turn infuses a fanciful temperament to those passages. These compositions evoke a determined yearning, communicating the expectation of wonders waiting around every corner (or through each doorway). While an astral quality exists in most of the material, many of the tracks possess an enjoyable buoyant demeanor. Matt Howarth from Sonic Curiosity (March 22 2009) There's also an English version of this review. Dans son genre Kees Aerts est un pilier de la MÉ. En plus d’être l’un des fondateurs de Groove, il tente de découvrir de nouveaux talents, fait la promotion de la MÉ en plus d’organise de nombreux festivals dans les Pays-Bas. Côté musique? Il a collaboré sur certains albums de Ron Boots, notamment en concert et a réalisé un album en 1997, Slices of Time. Depuis il a écrit de la musique pour certaines compilations, des films et pour se faire plaisir. If One Door Closes est le fruit de sa passion, échelonné sur une période de près de 20 ans. Une collection de 12 titres composé entre 1990 et 2008, touchant ainsi touche un large éventail temporel tout en alliant styles et saveurs. Et ça part avec Undelivered Delivery. Un titre qui rugit nerveusement, après une intro atmosphérique lourde aux échantillonnages industriels, sur une ligne de basse pesante. Une basse qui mord une séquence hoquetante sur un synthé agressif aux solos bouclés. Un clin d’œil aux années 70, à Space Art et Frédéric Mercier. Un petit bijou accrocheur avec une superbe saveur analogue, comme on en trouve à pleines oreilles sur If One Door Closes. Je pense notamment à Dragonfly et son approche Kraftwerkienne. Une comptine électronique amusante et accrochante. Tout le contraire de Monkeys avec son tempo rapide en staccato, dans une ambiance légère; Paloma, une rumba bien sympathique avec une mélodie un brin nostalgique qui rappelle Jarre; The Challenge et Another Doors Open avec ses synthés angéliques. Put me Down, Scotty aborde une approche futuriste à la Blade Runner. Une séquence aux sonorités de percussions tablas s’installe, accompagnant une belle mélodie sifflée sur un synthé discret. Un très beau titre qui précède l’un des deux longs titres sur If One Door Closes, Decision Time. Un titre écrit en 2008, Decision Time emprunte les sentiers de Robert Schroëder, avec un vocodeur brumeux, qui souffle sur une légère basse ondulante. Une basse qui permute en une superbe séquence lourde, animant un rythme pulsateur et résonnant, dans un univers assez éthéré. Le synthé mellotronné est superbe et moule une ligne rêveuse et sensuelle. Un des deux titres progressifs sur cet opus, l’autre étant Move Forward and Discover. Entering the Unknown est le titre qui accroche le plus sur If One Door Closes. Des percussions martèlent un tempo lourd et hypnotique, alors que le clavier fait danse ses accords avec une approche nerveuse. Un délicieux paradoxe harmonieux. The Sun Shines, The World Smiles et Sunray sont deux titres écrits en collaboration avec Ron Boots. Des mélodies synthétisées qui accrochent et qui se sifflotent aisément sur des beats souples, nerveux mais discret. Si The Sun Shines, The World Smiles semble plus nostalgique avec ses vagues qui refoulent un brin de tristesse, Sunray est tout simplement éclatante de vie. Un monde de romance et d’espoir qui accroche à la 1ière écoute. Move Forward and Discover est l’autre titre électronique progressif de ce 2ième opus de Kees Aerts. Écrit aussi en 2008, il débute avec un synthé flou aux effets sonores et pulsations analogues, à la Jarre. Une séquence lourde et névrotique explose, entraînant un beat endiablé qui sautille nerveusement sous des ondes enveloppantes. D’autres séquences divisent le rythme, avec de fines percussions analogues rappelant l’univers de Jarre sur Oxygene et Equinoxe. Un superbe solo enveloppe ce torrent musical, qui est cerné de chœurs célestes et d’ondes mellotronnées à faire rêver les puristes de MÉ. If One Door Closes est une surprenante collection spatio-temporelle. Kees Aerts nous fait voyager aux travers l’histoire de la MÉ avec une déconcertation étonnante. De belles mélodies accrochantes à des titres plus complexes qui étonnent par leurs côtés harmonieux, voilà de la bonne MÉ qui risque de plaire à tous. Un genre de Best of d’un artiste qui est resté silencieux trop longtemps. 5 out of 6 stars. Sylvain Lupari from Guts Of Darkness (jeudi 29 janvier 2009) There's also an French version of this review. In his kind Kees Aerts is a pillar in EM industry. In addition to being one of the founders of Groove Unlimited, he helps discovering and promotes new talents in EM, thus organized festivals in the Netherlands. Music? He collaborated on some Ron Boots albums, mainly in concert and released an album in 1997, Slices of Time. Since then, he wrote music for certain compilations, films or for his own pleasure. If One Door Closes is the fruit of its passion, spread over a period of almost 20 years. A collection of 12 titles composed between 1990 and 2008, touching this way a large range made up concerning thus touches a temporal large range while combining styles and flavors. And it starts with Undelivered Delivery. A title which howls nervously, after a loud atmospheric intro with industrial samplings, on a heavy bass line. A bass that bites a hiccoughing sequence, on an aggressive synth to loopy solos. A wink of eye to the 70’s, Space Art and Frederic Mercier. A catchy small jewel with a superb analog zest, as we find everywhere on If One Door Closes. I think in particular of Dragonfly and his Kraftwerkian approach. An amusing and hanging electronic counting rhyme. All the opposite of Monkeys with its fast tempo in staccato, on a light atmospheric tone; Paloma, a sympathetic rumba with a melody a hint nostalgic, which points out Jarre; The Challenge and Another Doors Open with its angelic synths. Put to me Down, Scotty gets into a futuristic approach à la Blade Runner. A sequence to tabla percussions sonorities settles, accompanying a beautiful melody whistled on a discrete synth. A very beautiful title which precedes one of the two long titles on If One Door Closes, Decision Time. A track written in 2008, Decision Time borrows the paths of Robert Schroeder, with a misty vocoder, who blows on light undulating bass. A bass which permutes in a superb heavy sequence, animating a pulsating and resonant rhythm, in a good ethereal universe. The mellotron synth is and moulds a dreamy and sensual line. One of the two progressive titles on this opus, the other being Move Forward and Discover. Entering the Unknown is the most catchy track on If One Door Closes. Percussions hammer a heavy and hypnotic tempo, whereas the keyboard makes dance its chords with a nervous approach. A delicious harmonious paradox. The Sun Shines, The World Smiles and Sunray are two titles written in collaboration with Ron Boots. Synthesized melodies which hang and which we could easily whistle on flexible beats, nervous but discrete. If The Sun Shines, The World Smiles seems more nostalgic with its waves which drive back a bit of sadness, Sunray is quite simply bright of life. A world of romance and hope which hangs on the first listening. Move Forward and Discover is the other progressive electronic title of this Kees Aerts 2nd opus. Written also in 2008, it begins with a fuzzy synth with analog sound effects and pulsations, à la Jarre. A heavy and nevrotic sequence explodes, involving a wild beat which hops nervously under enveloping waves. Other sequences divide the rhythm, with fine analog percussions recalling the universe of Jarre on Oxygene and Equinoxe. Superb solos wrap this musical torrent, which is surrounding by celestial choruses and mellotron waves to make dream EM purists. A really great piece of music If One Door Closes is a surprising spatiotemporal collection. Kees Aerts makes us travel through the history of EM with an astonishing sense of beauty. Beautiful hanging melodies, to more complex ones which astonish by their harmonious sides, here is good EM that should please to everyone. A kind of 'Best of', of an artist who remained to quiet from a long time. 5 out of 6 stars. Sylvain Lupari from Guts Of Darkness (January 29 2009) Click on picture to enlarge. IO Pages magazine (Dec 2008) The door has finally opened for Kees to release a new solo CD after... how much? Let's say about 10 years, no less. This one here is basically a collection of rare and unreleased tracks from the 1990 - 2008 period. We kick off with "Undelivered Delivery" which first appeared on the now very rare E-Dition #1 sampler CD in 2004 and is based on an older piece from 1990. Street noises give way for a super fat analogue bass and a quirky melodic line. A rapid sequence starts as Kees improvises on an analogue synth. This is bright, crisp and positive EM. It's quite dynamic and propulsive. However, at 4 and half minutes it doesn't have enough time to fully develop and engulf you. Nice track however that could serve as corporate music for some airline company. "Put Me Down, Scotty" is a track from 2003. It begins with movie samples and very fat sawtooth synthesizers. A mean bass sequence appears, coupled with an electronic rhythm. The track then suddenly gets much brighter, as major chords played with synth pads appear. There's a nice melodic improvisation going on, as new bleepy sequences become more prominent. Another bright synthetic piece. "Decision Time" is one of those new tracks composed and recorded in 2008. It is also the longest track here, clocking in at 13+ minutes. A vocoded voice greets us in a way that reminds on Robert Schroeder's "Harmonic Ascendant" (a vocoder magnum opus in my book). However, Kees uses a much brighter, more ethereal texture with shades of melancholy and mystery. Extra low bass pulses appear and develop into a complex sequence. A new, mid-range sequence appears as the track becomes somewhat melancholic. There are also cosmic elements in the form of Jarre-like synths and effects. A more sparse section follows, with sounds drenched in reverb. However, the melodic / propulsive sound returns after a while, getting solemn towards the end. "Entering the Unknown" is an old track from 1990. It starts with typical digital sampled rhythm from that era. A melodic theme is then introduced - simple but neatly done. Arpeggiated synths support the rhythm but as a whole the track remains rather minimalist in its approach. Tinkling synthesizers, a rhythm and a pad is all we get really for 6 minutes. Nice and harmonic. "Dragonfly" is another track from 1990. This time it's a short (about 3 minutes), and super funny one. A cartoonish melody over a bed of programmed synth rhythms is nothing extraordinary of course but it did make me smile. Electronic Music for children? You bet. "Monkeys" is yet another short track from 1990. It starts with captivating jungle noises and then we get fat analogue twitters and yet another cheesy synth melody on top of a pedestrian rhythm and quirky bass lines. Another cartoonish track that will make your children happy. "The Sun Shines, The World Smiles" was recorded in 2006 together with Ron Boots. We are back to "serious" EM territory now. Bright synth choirs are joined by a fast electronic rhythm and strange voice samples. Soon a bass sequence appears, as various twitters, pads and other synth sounds fill the gaps. A very nice melancholic lead melody is heard in what is probably the best track of this album so far. Good stuff for traveling. I should also mention the great soloing. The track ends with the sound of waves that bring us back to 1990. "Paloma" is a piece in an exotica style with a tropical rhythm and a suitable melody. Sounds like Hawaiian barbecue music played by a couple of slightly drunk EM musicians. Nice and funny stuff. "Sunray" is another piece done in collaboration with Ron Boots, this time from 2003. The music here sounds exactly like its title. Airy pads, positive bass lines and an upbeat rhythm are combined for a bright and uplifting melodic EM number. "The Challenge" is another piece from 1990. It starts with a heavy drum rhythm, and a bass line creeping up from beneath. The track then gets brighter, with pads and a whistling melody. "Move Forward And Discover" is a new one from 2008. It begins with a fairly Jarre-like synth pad (reminds on "Equinoxe"). A heavy bass sequence appears in a dramatic fashion. This track is the most propulsive, Berlin School-like composition on this CD. A blistering solo takes us straight to the cosmos, as we fly through stardust with engines switched to full throttle. Great stuff! The sound of a closing door brings us to the last track and "Another Door Opens", a door made in 1991 I must add. This last track consists of an upbeat rhythm and some pompous brass melodies. "If One Door Closes..." is a diverse but very nice collection of tracks from Kees. Recommended for fans of melodic EM. Best cuts: "The Sun Shines, The World Smiles", "Move Forward And Discover". Artemi Pugachov (Dec 2008) Track 7 "the sun shines, the world smiles", no more words just listen. :-))) Jef Wouters (Dec 2008) Hi Kees, Op E-Live je CD gekocht en ik vind het mooi! Geweldige klanken en een vette knipoog met veel humor. Prachtig die Kingsley and Perly achtige sfeer. Ik ben erg blij met je CD. Groet, Leendert Bijnagte (Nov 2008) Schön, auch mal wieder musikalisch von dir zu hören! Du hattest ja echte "hidden treasures" in der Schublade ... Der Track aus 2008, den du mit Ron gemacht hast ist mein Favorit. Darin hört man den riesigen Fortschritt, den du seit Anfang 1990 gemacht hast. Du solltest wieder öfter Musikmachen, nicht nur "labeln" ... (SMILE!) Sylvia Sommerfeld (Nov 2008) I loved to hear it. As a great fan of StarTrek, I loved track 2 right from the beginning! :-) It is really "spacy". I liked the songs with the jungle or nature sounds as well. I have a whole CD, without any music, just the original sound from the rainforest and its inhabitants from New Guinea and I love to hear this, too. My favourites are "The sun shines, the world smiles" and "Move Forward and Discover". Claudia Schallenbach (Oct 2008) My compliment for your latest cd. Antonio Conti (Oct 2008) For many years, Kees Aerts is a well-known person in Electronic Music scene. Together with Ron Boots, the Dutchman is the driving force behind Groove Unlimited. Next to this, they are the initiators of some of the largest electronic music festivals in the world, E-Live and E-Day. And he was also the main editor of the “E-dition”-magazine. Furthermore, Kees also owns his own company A-biz, that a.o. designs great websites. Look, for instance, at the Groove-website and be convinced. Well, this busy man also creates electronic music himself. He has been part of many collaborations with Ron and Harold van der Heijden (some under the name of BAH!) but he has also a fierce amount of own compositions behind his name. In 1997, his first solo-cd “Slices Of Time” was released with melodically electronic music. And now finally his second solo cd “If One Door Closes” is out. The twelve tracks on “If One Door Closes” range from 1990 to 2008. “Undelivered Delivery” was released earlier on the sample-cd that came with the first issue of E-dition-magazine. “Put Me Down, Scotty” comes from the “Tracks Across The Universe” box. Both items are out of print now and it is a great thing that these pieces are available again. Kees’ music is very diverse. On “Put Me Down, Scotty”, voices are used from Star Trek. A really wonderful piece of music is the new “Decision Time”. On this composition, Kees experiments with one of the instruments he specialises in: the vocoder. The sound of this piece has some traces of the music Klaus Schulze made in his mid-period. The album hosts two compositions that Kees composed and produced with his long-time colleague Ron Boots. “The Sun Shines, The World Smiles” and “Sunray” are very well constructed pieces with a “sunny” feeling to it. Ron’s influence can be heard here but it’s also certainly “Kees” what you hear. “Move Forward And Discover” has a contemporary feeling to it. There are some older compositions on the album like “Entering The Unknown”, “Dragonfly”, “Monkeys”, “Paloma” and “The Challenge” which range from 1990 and 1991. These are melodical tracks that have some elements of Jean Michel Jarre’s music and a warm, mainly analog, synthesizer sound. Kees is at home in many musical disciplines. The last piece, “Another Door Opens” proves this. It’s music from the Dutch movie “Ken Je Niet Uitkijken”. “If One Door Closes” delivers a great insight in Kees’ music and shows his many sides. Hopefully there are more doors in his studio… Paul Rijkens (Oct 2008) For episode 8 of syndae, I chose to play an excerpt of "Move Forward and Discover", if you don't mind. It's a great piece of music that should be heard. Cheers, Stefan / Treibklang Radio (Oct 2008) Recommended! Good travelling music. I think it was worth while waiting for it. Rene van der Wouden (Oct 2008) I'm no reviewer , so I won't try. However , my favourite piece was The Sun Shines.... ( I especially liked the little "cascading" chord that runs throughout the piece. ) Decision Time.... was very nice. "Move forward ......" surprised me. Knowing that there were a couple of tracks with Ron, when I heard this one I assumed this was one of them. I was therefore surprised to find out this wasn't one of them. This track sound more like Ron Boots than Ron does. Dennis Moore (Sept 2008) Visitor:

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