RHEA stands for professional Television, Video, Theatre and Script Realization, Production and Electronic Space Music.
RHEA offers its services to both national and regional Broadcast Networks. Since 1988.
RHEA is also active in the World of corporative video and television. RHEA also realizes larger and smaller business events. RHEA stands for digital and internet-television.
HISTORIC
01-04-88 Foundation (It was not a joke!)
01-04-88 First Theatre Contract
1989 First Television Show
1990 Scriptwriting for several serials
1990 First events
1994 Working for VTM (nearly 20 years now)
1995 Scriptwriting for VRT
1995 First Theatre Play
1996 First Movie script
2001 Directing national and regional news shows
2002 First audiovisual internet platform
2006 Running 2 Digital Television networks
2007 Project Manager Kanaal50 (Seniorennet)
2007 Director @ Kanaal Z
2009 Scriptwriting Familie (VTM)
2011 Directing Hallo Antwerpen (ATV)
2012 Headdirector Voor de Show (VTM)
2012 Director Stadion & VTM Nieuws (VTM)
MARK DE WIT
Yes, I went to school. HRITCS, Brussels.
I’m a theatre director.
Since 1989 I’m also working for television as a director, a scriptwriter and script doctor, and as a producer.
I love nature, space, traveling and electronic music.
WHAT’S IN A NAME
R(H)EA = REA = REAlization = Directing
RHEA = RHEIA (Greek) = RHEA (Latin) In Greek Mythology she was one of the so called “Titans”.
Her husband was Kronos.
Their children: Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, Hades and Zeus.
Her mother was Gaea, the earth, and her father was Uranus, heaven.
RHEA = 2nd Moon of Saturn. Discovered in 1672 by Giovanni Cassini. 1/3rd of Rhea is rock. The rest consists of frozen water. Temperatures? Between -174°C in the sun and -220°C in the shadow.
RHEA Music is my sequel of purfoze-music.
Also cosmic, with no compromises. And electronic.
All music is made by synthesizers. I prefer the old ones, the analogues. Of course I use modern digital technologies, but I'm always looking for an 'old organic analogue sound'.
My music is mysterious, often dark and subtle. It is definitely no easy background music.
It demands concentration from the listener, and then certainly leads to a mental trip, to relaxation or even meditation.
IN PICTURES
IN MUSIC
Around Floating Rings
From the album "The True Color of Titans's Lakes" - 2008 -
Rhea is the project of synthesist Mark De Wit (formerly of Purfoze). November Stars features long tracks of darkish Space Music - deep, otherworldly, flowing, gently rhythmic and echoing. Awesome, evocative textures. This is music to travel the spaceways. The first track ("Far Magnetar") features ethereal pads, effects and gentle sequences. It may all sound rather generic but you have to listen to it to really understand that this is quite simply some of the best "picture music" ever created. The sound is very good, I wonder, what equipment Mark used on this album. This is not music for passive listening. I do not recommend listening to this while doing other things, as you'll lose the flow, so to speak. "Keio Nebula" starts with a pulse and mysterious sounds of the dark variety. The track gradually develops, adding sounds, growing in intensity. More sequences are added and the track becomes quite loud and busy for a Space Music number. "Back In Space" surprises with upbeat tinkling sequences and menacing pads. The sequences go up and down, changing key, mutating, but somehow the track doesn't manage to grab me like the first two did. The album continues with "Fading Andromeda" - another sequencer-based track. This track is better than the previous one, although I still think that Mark's music works best when the sequences are put in the background and the atmospheres/soundscapes become the focus of the music (not vice versa). Anyway, "Fading Andromeda" is a pleasant EM number. I am sure I'll feel the urge to return to it after a while. A very beautiful composition. Halfway into the track, the sequences subside to give way for a floating section that's full of warm pads and cosmic soundscapes that gradually fade into the void. Nice! "Nebula Moog" starts with the darkest section so far. Soon an echoing sequence glides into the surface, forming the basis of this great atmospheric (and brooding) track. To sum it all up, I will say the following: I love EM and I love astronomy, so... yes, I loved this album!
To me, Rhea's previous album was one of the best Space Music releases of the last several years. The disc contained floating, analogue and darkish cosmic synth tracks, all done superbly. It is only natural, therefore, that I am hoping for a follower that would be at least of the same caliber. "Around Floating Rings" immediately sets the stage for this deep space journey with slow, undulating synthesizer sounds. This is probably the deepest and darkest music I've heard from Mark. Little by little a relaxed synthetic pulse comes to the surface but then disappears into the void. However, the pulse returns after a while and then disappears once again. When it returns for the third time, you somehow expect it to appear. Strange track, really. Sounds like breathing to me, in and out, the tension builds and is then released, only to come back a couple of seconds later. Highly visual stuff. "Xanadu - Turbulence & Flyby" starts with a really deep ambience. It reminded me on the first minutes of the "Alien" movie. Remember that deep, cosmic hum? Charming. Various synth shimmers add to the tension, as faraway strings are barely heard beneath the cover of droning synthesizers. The use of subtle string orchestrations reminded me of Schulze around "Body Love" or even "Irrlicht". A sequence slowly creeps in, but the track retains its atmospheric elements, resulting in an intense soundscape that just echoes in the distance. This music breathes space. Little by little the sequence gets more prominent, giving a bit of a Berlin School flair to the track. This is Electronic Music of the highest order, dark and cosmic, just the way I like it. The longest track on the album, called "Dark Lake" begins with resonating metallic textures - very sci-fi and unearthly. Deep voices are combined with spooky synth shimmers, before a slow rhythmic pulse is introduced. Dramatic strings add a touch of melancholy as the track becomes rather Schulze-like (Mark uses similar chords). Phased pads melt in the pot full of synthetic sounds, as various noises, wind effects and distant clangs embellish the picture. Talk about evocative! Another massive track is "Saturni Luna". It starts with high-pitched synth effects, before a wonderful, melodic and very Schulze-like sequence fades in. The rhythm is supported by amazing analogue synthesizer sounds and chords. The sequences subside, as the track gets more profound, more symphonic and orchestrated. However, it is still masterfully subtle and deeply cosmic. The title track kicks off with rich symphonic synthesizers and a tinkling sequence. Another sequence joins the show but the track is still rather soft and very melancholic. So many tasty analogue sounds are used for this track, it will delight all fans of the classic EM works from the 1970's, especially fans of Klaus Schulze circa 1976 - 1977. Thundering effects lead us to the sea of distorted sounds and whooshing, stylistically veering towards Schulze's "Babel" even. However, the sequences return as the track gets even more emotional. Ethereal pads finish this piece on a subdued and trembling note. "Far Thunder" is the last and shortest piece. Interesting electronic effects paint an alien landscapes as rough winds blow above barren land. In come wonderful arpeggiated synthesizers, serving as yet another atmospheric element of this strange track sparsely populated by sounds. "The True Color of Titan's Lakes" is a great successor to "November Stars". Totally space!
COSMIC NIGHTS is an annual International Festival of Electronic Space Music.
Every two years the 'Festival-Edition' will be organized in the BRUSSELS PLANETARIUM.
The year in between the COSMIC NIGHTS 'Intimate-Edition' will be organized on another special "space" location.
COSMIC NIGHTS is a Festival of Electronic Cosmic Space Music.
From the album "Songs of the Earth" - 1984 - This music is available on CD since 2008. Watch on youtube!
You can order “Songs of the Earth” and “Songs of the Stars” through the CONTACT-PAGE on this site.
NOW
Ruud and myself are still in contact thanks to our ancient passion, our “cosmic music”, but we make our own music now separately.
We recently prepared the CD-releases of “Songs of the Earth” (1984) and “Songs of the Stars” (2013).
COMMENTS
Purfoze – Songs of the Earth, CD-R, Rhea Music 1984/2008
The Belgian cosmic music group Purfoze was founded in the late seventies by Ruud Rondou and Mark Creemers, Mark De Wit joined them in 1977. Between 1982 and 1989, the band, known for their warm analogue sound, would perform various projects for which they only used analogue synthesizers.
One of them was “Songs of the Earth”, a concept initiated by Ruud Rondou and Mark De Wit during 1983 as “slow music”, a kind of dark minimal background music for the theatre play “Gertrud” from Söderberg.
For the outcome, the duo envisioned it had to be dark and slowly changing deep space music with low dynamics, floating music that had a strong atmosphere with repetitive cosmic textures and slow repetitive patterns, demanding no special effort from the spectator/spectator. A kind of wallpaper ambient music.
Ruud and Mark had already played their “slow music” during a live concert in the Planetarium of Brussels in 1983, so the music for “Gertrud” was in fact one step further in this evolution.
As they were pleased with the outcome, they decided to compose more of this music. They call it “Songs of the Earth”, a title inspired by Gustav Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde”, from which they used a heavily transformed excerpt.
In the course of 1984, the recordings for this project were finished and officially released on a C-60 music cassette. Until now, it has remained the only release from Purfoze.
“Songs of the Earth” contains five tracks of deep space music without compromises, offering soft waves of synthesized textures and soundscapes, meandering forth in a minimalist, hypnotizing style. This is spacious and hypnotizing ambient music in an Eno-esque style, best to be listened to and absorbed in the night time or with your eyes closed, played a low volume.
Although radio programs dedicated to electronic music (such as “Muziek uit de Kosmos” or “Kaleidofoon”) no longer existed, Purfoze received enthusiastic reactions back 1984 on their release, especially from Frits Couwenberg, who published the Dutch EM-fanzine KLEM.
After “Songs of the Earth”, Mark and Ruud composed new music in the course of 1985 that sounded even darker. They called it “Sterrenstukken/Songs of the Stars”, and can be regarded a perfect sequel of “Songs of the Earth”. It would become their last studio project, although the duo would perform a few more live concerts.
As a child I learned to love nature. First by climbing moutains and walking. Later I learned to appreciate the whole planet.
SPACE
As a child space puzzled me and it still does. Cosmology, Astronomy and the Quantumworld are still remaining mysterious fields of interest.
TRAVELLING
I want to travel and discover the world.
Galapagos
2005
Galapagos
2005
Galapagos
2005
Galapagos
2005
Galapagos
2005
Galapagos
2005
Turkey Eclipse
2006
Turkey Eclipse
2006
Turkey Eclipse
2006
Turkey Eclipse
2006
Turkey Eclipse
2006
Egypt
2007
Egypt
2007
Egypt
2007
Egypt
2007
Egypt
2007
Iceland
2007
Iceland
2007
Iceland
2007
Iceland
2007
Iceland
2007
Nordkapp
2008
Nordkapp
2008
Nordkapp
2008
Nordkapp
2008
Nordkapp
2008
Mongolia
Eclipse
2008
Mongolia
Eclipse
2008
Mongolia
Eclipse
2008
Mongolia
Eclipse
2008
Mongolia
Eclipse
2008
Baikonour
2009
Baikonour
2009
Baikonour
2009
Baikonour
2009
Baikonour
2009
Provence
2010
Provence
2010
Provence
2010
Provence
2010
Provence
2010
Lanzarote
2011
Lanzarote
2011
Lanzarote
2011
Lanzarote
2011
Lanzarote
2011
Namibia Botswana
2012
Namibia Botswana
2012
Namibia Botswana
2012
Namibia Botswana
2012
Namibia Botswana
2012
Uganda
2013
Uganda
2013
Uganda
2013
South Africa
2013
South Africa
2013
South Africa
2013
ELECTRONIC MUSIC
My passion for electronic music is a passion for space music.
Synthesizers are a perfect medium for making this kind of music.
I discovered this music thanks to my friend Ruud in 1976. He, and Marc Creemers, were planning Purfoze at that time. I joined them in 1977.
Cosmic music is a passion since then. It is even one of my favourite passions. It relaxes me and stimulates my sense for the mysterious and the unknown. My spiritual (musical) fathers at that time were:
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