FNTC
“Opera”

he experimental landmark Opera by FNTC returns in a remastered CD edition, nearly forty years after its original cassette release on Staalplaat in 1987. A striking document of Europe’s late 80s cassette underground, Opera captures the collective at their most adventurous – merging spontaneous composition, sound collage and performance art into a single immersive experience. As a member of the Fluxus movement, Willem de Ridder brought his conceptual sensibility to the project. Cora Emens, known for her erotic performances, contributed a distinctive vocal presence. Nick Nicole expanded the palette using everyday instrumental objects, while Hessel Veldman shaped and structured the work’s unique soundscape. Also featuring Jon Rose on violin, the recording remains a testament to the fearless creativity that defined the experimental music scene of its time.

Recorded during the summer of 1986, Opera showcases FNTC’s distinctive approach to instant composing and live sound construction. Conceived as a three-dimensional ‘hearplay’, the original performance unfolded across a multi-speaker setup, with the audience blindfolded and reclining on couches. Following its cassette release, Opera was featured in the All Chemix Radio Series, issued by Staalplaat and the Radio Art Foundation on tape and broadcasted internationally. It also became a part of FNTC’s European Instant Composing Tour throughout the late 1980s.

Now available on CD for the first time, this edition restores the full depth and atmosphere of the original performance. The accompanying artwork, discovered in Willem de Ridder’s archive, features a collage created by De Ridder and Peter Pontiac. Faithful to the spirit of the avant-garde and the legacy of Dutch cassette culture, Opera stands as a vivid reminder of a time when pushing boundaries defined the underground.