Basic Elements
Pim van Dorst is a plumber / iron worker from Bergen, Netherlands. Basic Elements is his project that is a reflection of the natural elements: earth, fire, water, and wind mixed with the basic elements humans need: food, water, clothes, roof. It's also a reference to the basic building blocks of music.
When Pim was fourteen years old he discovered the music of Kraftwerk and Klaus Schulze, along with AC/DC and Deep Purple. However, the synth and experimental artists left a lasting imprint on him. By the time he was 20 he was listening to a wider mix of groups like Cabaret Voltaire, Yello, Throbbing Gristle, Pirulator, Phose, The Residents, Skinny Puppy, Numb, Front Line Ensemble, and Front 242. The upcoming new beat scene in Belgium shift the beat to a more groovy / fat sound. And later he discovered ambient music from Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, and so forth.
Musically, Pim plays drums, piano and a bit of acoustic guitar. These days he is more into electronics: cutting up smaples, resequencing them and creating new pieces. He aims to create sets of songs that work together: they have a body and overall flow to them. He tries to create a set of works that the listener can listen to the way albums used to be listened to, creating a story-like experience.
Pim's demos have been review in Future Music U.K. and Interface magazine. He has two CD length releases on his BandCamp site available for free under a Creative Commons license. He contributed a track to a compilation to benefit the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster relief efforts for the Red Cross in Japan. He also recorded four tracks for movie that was unfortunately never released (however, he enjoyed the professional studio time experience, and got to visit the set of the movie).
He hasn't performed live since 2008, instead prefering to work in his home studio. In the end, Pim says of his music: "And last but not least ...the only criteria I use is I got to like it my self..before I put my music into the day light..."
