Snowstar Records

After the first single The Way I See It, Dreamt of You offers a second glimpse of the album.

Dreamy guitars, an interweaving banjo, and the intimate vocals of I am Oak frontman Thijs Kuijken. Dreamt of You is the new, second single from the upcoming I am Oak album Time Drifts—an album where all the songs are influenced by and driven by the passage of time.

Thijs Kuijken: “Dreamt of You is about how the past and present can come together in dreams, where the boundaries between the possible and the impossible blur, defying the fleeting nature of life, while the world keeps turning.”

The release of Dreamt of You is accompanied by a music video, created by Thijs himself.

On April 4, 2025, I am Oak will release their new album Time Drifts via Snowstar Records, followed by a club tour across various Dutch venues.

24 April – EKKO, Utrecht (NL)
23 May – Der Aa-Theater, Groningen (NL)
24 May – Hedon, Zwolle (NL)
25 May – Mezz, Breda (NL)

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

Watch the music video here

Pre-order the album Time Drifts on Vinyl & CD

Flutist Carmela Michailidis sings in her native language about the origins of human existence.

In their new single Ýparxi (Greek for ‘existence’), De Toegift departs for the first time from their characteristic Dutch-spoken poetry. Ýparxi is an intimate and powerful song, written and sung in Greek by flutist Carmela Michailidis, who originates from Crete. She takes the listener on a journey to the beginning of existence.

Carmela explains: "Ýparxi is about how your current self connects your past and your future, shaping who you are. There’s a version of you from the past that experienced something and left it behind, but now you long for it—perhaps because you didn’t understand its value then, but you do now. The past can serve as a source of motivation for your future: with the knowledge you have now, you can better understand things from your past and decide what place they’ll have in your future."

Through these reflections, Ýparxi seeks to answer the timeless question of existence. The song demonstrates how the present moment contains all the elements that define our identity.

Together with singer Maxim Ventulé, the lyrics were transformed into music. The band enriched the song further by creating a layered, largely electronic sound. The result is a surprising and powerful composition that reveals a new and unheard side of De Toegift.

On February 7, 2025, De Toegift will release their second album kleine auto, grote hot wheel via Snowstar Records, followed by a club tour that same month across Dutch and Belgian music venues.

13 feb - PaRaDox, Tilburg
15 feb - EKKO, Utrecht
20 feb - Merleyn, Nijmegen
21 feb - Der Aa-Theater, Groningen
22 feb - Paradiso, Amsterdam
27 feb - Rotown, Rotterdam
04 apr - Vegafabriek, Nijmegen
08 apr - AMOR, Antwerp (BE)

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

Watch the music video here

Pre-order the album klein auto, grote hot wheel on Vinyl & CD

After three years, I am Oak is back with new music and a new album slated for release in April.

The Way I See It is the first single from I am Oak’s upcoming album, Time Drifts. The guitar-driven song was the last track written and recorded for the album and provides a sweeping glimpse into the various themes explored throughout the record. Set against a backdrop of steady drums and intimate acoustic guitars, the familiar voice of frontman Thijs Kuijken reflects on false expectations, different perspectives, growth through adversity, and "how he sees things." The Way I See It, like the other songs on Time Drifts, is influenced by and shaped by the passage of time.

The release of The Way I See It is accompanied by a lyric video, drawn and animated by Thijs himself.

On April 4, 2025, I am Oak will release their new album Time Drifts via Snowstar Records, followed by a club tour across various Dutch venues.

24 April – EKKO, Utrecht (NL)
23 May – Der Aa-Theater, Groningen (NL)
24 May – Hedon, Zwolle (NL)
25 May – Mezz, Breda (NL)

Listen to The Way I See It on all streaming platforms
or get the high-quality download at the Snowstar Webshop

Watch the music video here

Pre-order the album 'Time Drifts' on Vinyl & CD

After releasing singles Odysseus and liefde is lang, De Toegift is back with alsof, a song about living in denial, and the instrumental, seamlessly connected track ii.

While the single liefde is lang celebrates love, alsof stems from the doubt and denial that can arise in love. Maxim Ventulé (frontman) and Tom Gudde (guitarist and co-writer of alsof) play with truths, lies, and everything in between in the song. The result is a lyric that is not so much about love, but about living in denial.

Tom Gudde explains: “I was looking for a way to describe a gut feeling. Does this path I'm walking with someone lead me to happiness or to pain and sorrow? The song goes thematically beyond just being in love, describing more of the modern psyche. I think we are increasingly living in denial for survival and mentally distancing ourselves. It makes life more bearable.”

Behind Maxim's poetic vocals in alsof, ethereal backing vocals and enchanting strings can be heard, seamlessly transitioning into the instrumental and thematic ii. The two singles are a fusion of the bombast of liefde is lang with the electronic influences of Odysseus. The release of alsof and ii is accompanied by a music video.

On February 7, 2025, De Toegift will release their second album kleine auto, grote hot wheel via Snowstar Records, followed by a club tour that same month in Dutch and Belgian pop venues.

13 feb - PaRaDox, Tilburg
15 feb - EKKO, Utrecht
20 feb - Merleyn, Nijmegen
21 feb - Der Aa-Theater, Groningen
22 feb - Paradiso, Amsterdam
27 feb - Rotown, Rotterdam
08 apr - AMOR, Antwerpen (BE)

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

Watch the music video here

Pre-order the upcoming album kleine auto, grote hot wheel on CD or Vinyl

For years, filmmaker and composer Jeroen Houben had the dream of combining his two great loves, music and film, into one project. The result is the musical film Torch Song, which he not only wrote and directed but also took on the music composition.

Houben wrote several songs from the perspective of the main character, Liz; an eccentric singer from America who comes to the Netherlands to visit her estranged half-brother. Her role is played by Swiss actress Carla Juri, known from Blade Runner 2049 and Wetlands, among others. Her singing was recorded entirely live on set, giving the film remarkable authenticity.

Houben: “I felt it was important that the songs in the film should not become some sort of musical interlude, but really serve a narrative function. Each song is part of the story, and helps you get closer to the character of Liz.”

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

Growing up in his parents’ TV shop, Jeroen Houben’s fascination with cinema began at a young age with the creation of short films and animations. Graduating as a graphic designer and filmmaker, he made music videos for artists such as De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig and Ronnie Flex, and wrote and directed several internationally acclaimed short films, including BEST WISHES, HOME SUITE HOME, and GIPS.

Houben has been a lifelong musician and previously composed music for various short films. His feature film DE MATCHMAKER attracted more than 100,000 visitors to Dutch cinemas and earned him a Gouden Film award.

Torch Song (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is now available for streaming on all platforms
and available on CD, Vinyl and Digital Download via the Snowstar Records Webshop