Solex - Solex Vs. the Hitmeister (1998)

Solex, the project of Dutch record shop owner Elisabeth Esselink, emerges on her 1998 debut album Solex vs. the Hitmeister as a creator of a highly idiosyncratic musical universe that resists standard genre classification. The album is built on a distinctive formula: every track title contains the word "Solex," while Esselink's vocals are marked by a dreamy, rhythmic delivery in English. The album's sonic character possesses a characteristic "interior" acoustics, as if recorded from within the depths of the artist's consciousness.
The musical material of Hitmeister refuses to follow the familiar trajectories of electronica or indie rock. Instead, each song develops according to its own logic, constructed from samples of forgotten discount records, Esselink's expressive, slightly foreign voice, and sparse touches of guitar and synthesizer. "When Solex Just Stood There" evokes industrial dance with its relentless rhythm and sharp sound effects; "Solex All Licketysplit" propels forward on a rubbery bass and sparkling keyboards; "Some Solex" combines an ominous bass drum with warm guitar lines and background spaceship sounds. The pieces "One Louder Solex" and "Solex in a Slipshod Style" possess a fluid stream-of-consciousness style reminiscent of daydreams, reinforcing the album's surreal character.
Solex thus presents itself as a self-contained project turned inward, where the original combination of rhythms, samples, and voice attests to the artist's highly personal and distinctive creative vision.

Tracklist:
1-1 Solex - One Louder Solex [3:27]
1-2 Solex - Solex Feels Lucky [3:46]
1-3 Solex - Solex In A Slipshod Style [3:44]
1-4 Solex - Waking Up With Solex [3:32]
1-5 Solex - Solex's Snag [4:09]
1-6 Solex - Rolex By Solex [2:47]
1-7 Solex - There's A Solex On The Run [3:30]
1-8 Solex - Solex All Licketysplit [2:24]
1-9 Solex - Solex For A While [3:54]
1-10 Solex - Some Solex [3:36]
1-11 Solex - When Solex Just Stood There [3:24]
1-12 Solex - Peppy Solex [3:44]