RECORD TURNOVER 80s HITS #171
W.A.T. is not the name of a metal band – no this was a Dutch trio active in the first half of the 80s. I’m shocked I’d never heard of them until Stroom announced the retrospective compilation LP World According To (which becomes W.A.T.) that will be available next month. The 12 tracks on the record are culled from their small but extremely potent catalogue of three albums and a split record (with The Watchmen).
If they’d been from Belgium they would no doubt have found a home on Le Disques du Crépuscule, but instead their first mini-album came out on Plurex – a label co-founded by a member of Minny Pops. The new compilation perfectly captures the group’s unique sound and understated vocals by Ankie Keultjes. The group was originally formed by Ad van Meurs and Frank van den Nieuwenhof in 1981 who combined guitar and bass with programmed beats.
Sounding a bit like so many of our 80s heroes (Felt, Marine Girls, Young Marble Giants, The Room) it’s kind of crazy they haven’t been more influential – especially considering how well received their music was locally at the time.
