Remarkably, Tim Depraetere is releasing his debut solo LP only now. It feels like he’s been one of the strongholders of the Belgian underground for years. Which he is, really. We were introduced to his work when he was a member of Maan – the duo that only did one LP (on Kraak) and had a very strong live reputation. After that, he’s been around with, among others, Camargue, Tina, and as a collaborator with Annelies Monseré.
And since a few years, also as Goldscammer. Thus far, Tim has released a few self‑published tapes and online‑only releases- all whilst working on his ‘real’ debut. The term eclectic is very much overused, but still: his solo work is the definition of eclectic – ranging from post‑rave electronics to lo‑fi guitar ballads, minimal ambient, and even a non‑ironic rework of 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Goldscammer did it all, and with his signature all over it. The signature of a master: no boundaries, just a vision of how to move on beyond the obvious.
On Mayday Royale, you’ll hear Goldscammer at his most direct: it’s definitely a vocals/guitar album, but of the more adventurous kind. Tim lets the songs dictate the structure and texture: the A‑side leans inward: dreamy, with plenty of synths and additional vocals steering the recordings away from all the singer‑songwriter clichés. The B‑side, meanwhile, is of a wilder nature: grittier, more grinding and repetitive. The good vibes are gone, the party is over – or maybe we just realize there wasen’t a real party in the first place. When the final track stops, you’ll realize: it’s time for a hard reset. Back to side A. Full circle.
We first mentioned the “upcoming” Goldscammer LP about three years ago. Three long years in which Tim kept tweaking and tweaking the recordings of Mayday Royale. So: it’s very much a produced album, without losing its spontaneity and initial spark. An accomplishment in its own right. Long in the works, and still worth the wait: Mayday Royale delivers.
