If much of musical experimentalism since the 1960s free jazz explosion has had to do with discovering the sounds of musical instruments, Dutch poet and vocalist Jaap Blonk has done as much to open up the sounds of the spoken word. His extreme, unusual vocalizations are schooled by Dadaists such as Kurt Schwitters and Hugo Ball, and extended by his studies of the International Phonetic Alphabet (a catalogue of the phonemes of all spoken languages) and listening to the sounds made by children. His solo performances range from recitations of sound poetry pieces (his own and historic pieces) to electronic manipulations of his voice, and he has worked with John Tchicai, Tristan Honsinger, Matts Gustafsson and many others. He’s also a remarkable band leader; his groups Braaxtaal and Splinks aren’t just showcases for his unusual talent – they’re powerful bands that don’t quite sound like anything else.