Jaap Blonk, a self-taught performer, composer and poet, was born in Woerden (Holland) in 1953. Although he was a student in mathematics and musicology, he did not complete his studies. He began to compose music and took up the saxophone in the late 1970s. He discovered his talents as a singer a few years later. At first, he recited poetry. Later on, he began to improvise and compose his own songs. His main tool for discovering and developing new sounds was his voice for almost twenty years. Blonk began working with electronics in 2000. He started using samples from his voice and then expanded the field to sound synthesis. In 2006, he took a year off from performing. He took a year off from performing in 2006. His renewed interest in mathematics led him to research the possibilities of algorithmic composition for creating music, visual animation, and poetry. Jaap Blonk’s vocal abilities are unmatched. He is a singer with an almost childlike ability to improvise and a strong grasp of structure. He has performed on every continent and all over the globe. His concerts have expanded in scope and reach significantly thanks to the addition of live electronics. He was a soloist and collaborated with many musicians and ensembles working in contemporary and improvised musical styles, such as Maja Ratkje and Mats Gustafsson. Carola Bauckholt composed several pieces that he premiered, including one for voice and orchestra. The Donaueschinger Musiktage 2002 commissioned a solo voice piece. He collaborated on several occasions with Golan Levin, a visual computer artist. Blonk’s radio and television work includes many commissioned radio plays. His scores are also being displayed in larger-scale drawings. Kontrans is his own label and has 21 releases. Blonk also recorded on Staalplaat and Basta, VICTO. Ecstatic Peace. My Dance The Skull. Monotype, Plant Migration Records. Elegua Records. Scumbag Relations. Hybriden-Verlag Berlin published his book/CD, ‘Traces of Speech’ in 2012. His sound poetry was collected in a comprehensive book and 2 CDs. It was titled “KLINKT” in August 2013. from http://www.jaapblonk.com
