Dutch Underground Pioneer Truus de Groot Returns with Ninth ‘Plus Instruments’ Album

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Music

Five decades into her restless creative journey, Truus de Groot remains an unstoppable force in experimental music. The Dutch artist’s ninth album as Plus Instruments, Unnoticed, lands on February 11th with 12 tracks of minimalist analogue noise and her distinctive vocals, recorded at The Ranch in Escondido.

Since founding Plus Instruments in Eindhoven in 1978, de Groot has carved an uncompromising path through the experimental underground. Her trajectory reads like a map of countercultural hotspots: from the Dutch punk explosion to New York’s No Wave scene, where she created the cult classic “Februari-April ’81” alongside Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo and drummer David Linton. “I was always more into improvisation with a minimal approach, less structured, more groove,” she explains.

The project’s shape-shifting nature has seen de Groot collaborate with an impressive cast over the years, from James Sclavunos (Nick Cave) and Jim Duckworth (Gun Club) to, most recently, Miguel Barella and Cosmo Vitelli. The latter co-writes, produces and adds programming to the standout track “Sexy Machine,” pushing de Groot’s sound into fresh territory while maintaining the raw experimental core that’s influenced everything from Electroclash to Cold Wave.

“My path has been a long and winding road around the world, collaborating with all types of people in a variety of genres and cultures,” de Groot reflects. “I am always looking for a new challenge, as I continue to seek exciting ways to express myself creatively through music, words, photography and film.”

Now back in the Netherlands after decades of global wandering, the artist they call the “Queen of the Dutch Underground” continues to draw younger experimentalists into her orbit. Unnoticed arrives as proof that nearly 50 years in, de Groot’s artistic vision only sharpens with time.

Unnoticed is out February 11th, 2026 on Ransom Note Records on limited cassette and digi.