Hans Plomp – MUTANTRA Prophesies & Spells

Hans Plomp (1944) is a Dutch writer, poet and activist from Amsterdam. His first book was published in 1968 and dealt with his relationship with publisher Johan Polak, a period in which Plomp – much to Polak’s dislike – started experimenting with LSD and other mind-expanding drugs. Later his experiences with hallucinogens would be expressed in the leading drugs manual ‘Uit Je Bol’ (Out Of Your Mind), which Plomp wrote in 1994 with fellow-psychonaut Gerben Hellinga. Plomp has written more than 25 books, among which compilations of poetry and stories, two children’s books, a photo novel, a play, and a book on India that has been acclaimed as an expert travel guide. As an activist Plomp was involved in the anti-authoritarian Dutch Provo movement in the mid-sixties and later in the squatting of the village of Ruigoord close to Amsterdam. Ruigoord developed into a genuine cultural free haven, where to this day Plomp is active as an organiser of the annual Fiery Tongues poetry festival.

On the Sloow Tapes MUTANTRA cassette Hans Plomp is heard reading his subversive, humorous, anti-authoritarian and anti-clerical poetry in a recording that dates from 1985-1986. The poems are read in combination with psychedelic synthesizer music by Pieter Nijntjes and Gerben de Oude and vocals by Mignon van Ingen. The result is a liberating sequence of chants, spells, invocations, nursery rhymes, fairy tales and visions that embrace everything and everybody. It’s the Brothers Grimm on acid. Sit back, open up and enjoy the ride.

Added to the recording are later poetry readings and a candid interview of Plomp by his friend Louise Landes Levi.