Snowstar Records

Composer and filmmaker Jeroen Houben will release his musical film Torch Song on September 21, which he not only wrote and directed but also composed the music for. Alongside the film, the soundtrack Torch Song (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) will be released via Snowstar Records, with the first sounds heard in Strangers, accompanied by a music video.

The song Strangers is sung by Swiss actress Carla Juri, known for Blade Runner 2049 and Wetlands. Her singing was recorded entirely live on set, giving the film and songs remarkable authenticity. In Torch Song, she plays the main character Liz, an eccentric singer from America who comes to the Netherlands to visit her estranged half-brother.

Torch Song has been selected by the Dutch Film Festival for the 2024 Gouden Kalf Competition. The film, produced by Family Affair Films, will premiere on September 21 at the Dutch Film Festival and will be released by Gusto Entertainment on January 23, 2025.

Listen to Strangers ft. (Carla Juri) on all streaming platforms
or get the high-quality download at the Snowstar Webshop

Shortly after completing the debut album, De Toegift's Maxim Ventulé – songwriter and frontman – ventured alone towards the tiny Danish island of Fur during the shortest days of winter to isolate himself and work on a film. The journey initially began as a tribute to his great-aunt, who had traveled alone her entire life and then left her collection of slides to him. "Through her slides, I got closer to her memories. This inspired me to make a similar journey to get closer to her in that way too."

The alienated snowy landscape, the frozen sea, and the high chalk cliffs of the island inspired the setting of a new story in which the character Odysseus flees his past and is accompanied by the spirits of his loved ones. The Greek hero has become afraid of the sea and moves forward in a small white car. The song meanders like a road trip through the melancholic thoughts of Odysseus, wondering if he will ever make it home again.

Listen to Odysseus on all streaming platforms
or get the high-quality download at the Snowstar Webshop

Donna Blue - musical duo and couple Danique van Kesteren and Bart van Dalen from the Netherlands - released their bilingual (English/French) album Into The Realm of Love. To be filed under Nancy & Lee, Serge Gainsbourg, and Julee Cruise with inspiration also drawn from film composers such as Ennio Morricone, Into The Realm of Love has a sound that leads the way into the bygone world of poets, dreamers, the hazy Côte d’Azur, and old 60’s spy movies.

The album's dreamy vintage romanticism is mirrored in the often-esoteric subject matter of the songs, blending mythology, the celestial, and exotica with personal songs that talk of the duo’s more contemporary experiences and their love of classic storytelling.

Donna Blue: “For us, writing and recording this second album was more playful, easier than the first one. Making your official debut adds a lot of pressure and you really want it to be just right. We could let go of that this time around and felt more sure-footed in our musical style and taste. This meant we could lean deeper into our niche without forcing ourselves to stick to a specific genre or getting burned out on perfectionism, we were able to just follow where the songs take us.”

Into The Realm of Love is out now on CD, Vinyl, and digital via Snowstar Records.

Listen to the album on all streaming platforms
Order the album on CD and Vinyl here

Synchronizing with the eerie and thrilling themes of 'Pact met de Duivel', Remy delves deep into the darker qualities of his harp. Using effect pedals, distortion, synthesizers and cello, 'Mirror Maze' makes for both a beautiful and at times a harrowing experience.

Mirror Maze (Pact met de Duivel OST) is now available for streaming and digital download.

Cape Sleep is the new band of Dutch artist Kim Janssen, who previously released three albums under his own name. Cape Sleep's debut 'Video Days' serves as a tribute to pop culture from the past. Under his new name Cape Sleep, Kim embraces his long desire to play in a band and takes a step away from his autobiographical songs.

The album is bursting with nostalgia. It travels through fragments of 80s Synthpop and 70s Soft Rock while maintaining a sensibility reminiscent of 50s adult contemporary pop: a contemplation of love, friendship, and the world in general.

'Video Days' is Kim's most focused and poignant work to date, and features contributions from Remy van Kesteren, members of Klangstof and Moss, as well as orchestral arrangements by Paul Jacob Cartwright (Father John Misty) performed by members of Stargaze and the Metropole Orkest.

‘Video Days’ is now available for streaming on all platforms. The record is available in stores and can be ordered via the Snowstar Records webshop.