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Every journey begins with someone willing to listen.
Long before Futureworld Orchestra received a record contract, long before our music reached record stores, one person decided that these unknown recordings deserved to be heard.
That person was Wim van Putten.
Wim van Putten (1952–2026)
For many Dutch music lovers, the name Wim van Putten became synonymous with discovery.
As one of the Netherlands’ most respected radio presenters, he introduced listeners to new albums, emerging artists and musical worlds that rarely found a place in mainstream radio. His calm, knowledgeable presentation and unmistakable voice made programmes such as the LP-Show and later the CD-Show essential listening for anyone with a genuine passion for music. During an era in which albums were experienced as complete artistic works, Wim gave them the time and attention they deserved. (Spreekbuis.nl)
Rather than simply presenting records, he placed them in context. He spoke about musicians, compositions and production, encouraging listeners to explore beyond the charts. Progressive rock, symphonic music, jazz, soundtrack recordings and countless other genres all found a welcome place in his broadcasts. Many listeners still remember discovering artists such as Marillion, Alan Parsons Project, Camel and many others through his programmes. (musicmeter.nl)
For Futureworld Orchestra, Wim van Putten occupies a very special place in our history.
Long before we signed our first record contract, he became the first Dutch radio presenter to broadcast our demo recordings nationally. At a time when we were completely unknown to the public, he listened with an open mind and decided our music deserved to be heard. Looking back, that broadcast marked one of the earliest public moments in the story of Futureworld Orchestra.
The original recording of that historic broadcast has been preserved and is presented on this page with gratitude and respect. It stands as a reminder that every artistic journey begins with someone willing to believe in new music before the rest of the world has heard it.
Wim van Putten belonged to a generation of radio makers for whom music was never merely content. It was something to be understood, appreciated and shared. His programmes inspired countless listeners to discover new artists and encouraged many musicians to continue believing in their own work.
Futureworld Orchestra is proud to preserve this small chapter of that remarkable legacy.
A Personal Memory by Robert
After we had sent Wim a demo cassette, we received an invitation to deliver the tracks on what we then simply called a “large professional tape.” For us, that felt like an enormous step. We were young, ambitious and still completely unknown, so the idea that our music might actually be played on national radio was tremendously exciting.
On a beautiful spring evening, we drove to Hilversum to deliver the tape in person. We were so full of anticipation that, somewhere along the way, our enthusiasm got the better of us and we were caught exceeding the speed limit. The result was an unexpected fine. Even that, however, could not spoil the occasion. We were far too excited about what was happening.
Wim’s decision to play our music on the LP-Show meant more to us than we could possibly understand at the time. I have little doubt that the broadcast also helped influence DURECO’s decision to offer us our first recording contract. In that sense, Wim did not merely play our demos; he helped open one of the very first doors in the history of Futureworld Orchestra.
There is also a small historical detail that now makes me smile: at that time, we were still calling ourselves Future’s World Orchestra, with an additional “s.” The name would later change, but the memory of that spring evening, the journey to Hilversum and hearing our music introduced by Wim van Putten has remained with me ever since.
Thank you, Wim, for listening before almost anyone else did.
