The Astma Boys started in 1997 out of the friendship between Pinksnake and Boetlek Spacetower. They met in 1995 in the Rotterdam based Galerie Slaphanger (Gallery, music & zine shop, diy heaven) Which was Boetlek Spacetower's gallery. They had similar interests in underground comics, music and art. Somewhere the idea to make music together came up and Boetlek started sending accapella vocals on cassette to Pinksnake (who then still lived with his parents in Vlissingen). Pinksnake then started experimenting with making disco, electro and garage rock & roll infused tracks on his crappy pc running Fasttracker software around Boetleks vocals. Not much later Pinksnake moved to Rotterdam on a few minute walking distance of Slaphanger. He lived in a small student apartment (with very noise tolerant neighbours!!). Here the Astma boys started recording music real time.
The tv show "Waskracht" which was broadcasted on Dutch national television by the VPRO filmed the Astma Boys live in Pinksnake's bedroom. Boetlek covered in cheese while singing their song "Let It Be Your Lipstick" (also known as "I Got Cheese On My Dick").
This one one of two live performances that actually included Boetlek & Pinksnake. This was because Boetlek had performance anxiety. That's how the Astma Boys Stuntteam got started.
The Astma Boys Stuntteam was a crew of random misfits that were hanging around at the Slaphanger gallery, they took over the performance duties, meaning: a cassette tape with Astma Boys songs would start playing and the Stuntteam dressed up in masks (of the suffocating kid from the Astma Fonds commercials) covered in cheese (Of course) would start demolishing all sorts of old equipment like monitors, tv's, keyboards etc etc. This to great displeasure from the promoters that booked them. This usually resulted in a one time only booking. The stuntteam consisted (in different formations) of Cumclear, Stoog/ACAB, Pornologic, Tampeloris, Odal/Dokter Bibber, Ricardo aka the Pussy and Headcheese. Some of them you can hear on this release.
According to Boetlek the Astma Boys are the best thing that ever started in Slaphanger. In 2002 the Astma boys did their first (and last) real performance in front of an audience. Including Boetlek and Cumclear on vocals, Pinksnake behind a PC, sampler and effects and Tampeloris on guitar. A video recording of this exists somewhere and might show up on the interwebs someday. There is an audio recording of one of the songs from this performance on this release.
This release is a tribute to the wonderful years the Astma boys had late 90's till the early 00's. They might seem dead now but we're sure that they will return someday!
-Luther Blissett 2016
credits
released November 7, 2016
Astma Boys Are:
Vocals: Boetlek Spacetower aka Boetlek Twintower
Music: Pinksnake aka The Funky Drummer
Guest vocals by: Cum Clear, Bombastus, Ricardo aka The Pussy
Guitar: tampeloris
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