Ontmoeting (Encounter) from 1982 marks the beginning of the published audio works of Enno Velthuys. When Rob Smit of Kubus Kassettes first visited Enno to discuss the possibilities of releasing a cassette, he was open to the idea and gave Smit access to his tape archive of recorded tracks to cherry pick his favorite pieces. Initially Enno felt the selection didn’t do justice to his broader musical spectrum, that also included more rhythm orientated guitar pieces, but in hindsight it probably gave him a new sense of direction.

On this album, a mixture of spacious ambient and synth-leaden music, we hear Enno in transition. Experimenting, searching for his own voice. Some pieces are reminiscent of a classic dungeon explorer game while others have a more surreal, cinematic feel. Although 40 years old, Ontmoeting still sounds incredibly fresh today and stands as a pivotal ambient release from the early 80’s.