Stroom Records is a heritage label for old and new obscurities based in Ostend, Belgium, and it is co-run by Ziggy Devriendt, AKA Nosedrip. Instead of dabbling in the nostalgia economy of the reissue label landscape, Stroom is concerned with unearthing under-the-radar artists and presenting their music in a different context for a whole new demographic to discover. Establishing a direct connection with each artist is key to the way Stroom operates, leading to a decidedly local perspective on forgotten Belgian underground sounds, or, for instance, Latvian '80s avant-garde. In this episode of Headphone Highlights, Devriendt revisits some of his favorite releases from the Stroom back catalog, including Sonoko, Jan van den Broeke and NSRD, and premieres forthcoming cuts by 48 Cameras and Fred A. (formerly of Belgian outfit Aroma di Amore).
