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Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo was a Dutch DJ duo that became known mainly for happy hardcore, and also made gabber and Eurodance. Charly Lownoise is the stage name of Ramon Roelofs, born in 1968 in The Hague, and Mental Theo is Theo Nabuurs, born in 1965 in Den Bosch. Roelofs began in 1989 as a DJ in a Hague discotheque and played a summer in Mallorca. His first production success came under the name R.J.'s Rule. In the early 1990s he met Nabuurs, also a DJ in Mallorca, and within two weeks they released their first single. Both contributed to the Thunderdome compilations.
Music and breakthrough
In 1995 their most successful record appeared, the gold-certified Wonderful Days. The track uses a sample of Help Get Me Some Help by Tony Ronald. Nabuurs got the idea when he accidentally played the record at 45 rpm. Because Ronald's record company refused permission, they re-recorded the track with Albert West. It brought them international fame, and in 1995 they performed 325 times. Later albums include Charlottenburg and Old School Hardcore. Their track Revolution sounds like AZ scoring at home.
Influence
The duo gave their last performance on 30 July 2022 at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. Worldwide they sold more than three million records. They show how Dutch hardcore of the 1990s combined cheerful melodies and hard beats.
Listening
Wonderful Days · Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo, 1994Apple Music ↗
Discography
Studio albums
- 1995Charlottenburg
- 1996Old School Hardcore
- 1996Old School Hardcore Part One
- 1996Old School Hardcore Part Two
- 1996On Air