Subbacultcha belgium dec 2017 : jan 2018 by Subbacultcha

The Sound of The Belgian Underground December 2017 & January 2018

Free access to the best concerts and events. Join us for â&#x201A;Ź8 a month. subbacultcha.be

at the Mykki Blanco show, shot by Lotte Koster for Subbacultcha

New Music for New People

s u b b a c u l t c h a e v e n t s in December & January music

film

1.12 The Living Eyes + Roda Lits Madame Moustache, Brussels

6.12 & The One I Love 13.12 KASK Cinema, Ghent

8.12 Snapped Ankles KulturA (Go With The Flow), Liège

7.12- Shelly Silver — A Strange 17.12 New Beauty Argos, Brussels

8.12 Dan San + Pale Grey + Condore + 16.12 Les amants Cinematek, Brussels Ebene Caserne Fonck (JauneOrange), Liège 22.12 The Wait Cinema Zuid, Antwerp 9.12 He4rtbroken Beursschouwburg, Brussels 18.01 The Day After Cinematek, Brussels 10.12 Destroyer Botanique, Brussels

theatre/dance

15.12 MIND OVER MTTR Het Bos, Antwerp 18.12 Tropical Trash + Brutal Birthday La Zone (PopKatari), Liège

15.12 Mining Stories Campo, Ghent

31.12 Deep In House NYE Horta Gallery, Brussels

22 .12 If there weren’t any blacks you’d have to invent them Beursschouwburg, Brussels

11.01 Wolf Müller + Senyawa ft. Patshiva Cie Vooruit, Ghent

19.01 Do You Wanna Play With Me KVS, Brussels

12.01 Bozar Electronic Series Bozar, Brussels

24.01 Jan Martens: Rule Of Three ft. NAH STUK, Leuven

18.01 Lorenzo Senni

expo

Beursschouwburg, Brussels

18.01 Ingebrigt Haker Flaten + Teun Verbruggen + Jozef Dumoulin + Nate Wooley Le Vecteur, Charleroi

— 17.12 For A Time Light Must Be Called Darkness Argos, Brussels — 7.01 Riding Modern Art BPS22, Charleroi

23.01 Lina Tullgren Reflektor (PopKatari), Liège

— 7.01 Thomas Mazzarella — Que serà BPS22, Charleroi

25.01 A Savage + Jack Cooper Nest (Purple Panda), Ghent

— 7.01 Mon Colonel & Spit — Lepidoptera BPS22, Charleroi

27.01 King Dick + Floris Bates In De Ruimte (Cosmic Slime), Ghent 28.01 The Sound of the Belgian Underground III Ancienne Belgique, Brussels

All events are free for members. Join at subbacultcha.be

NATHY PELUSO W/ AB concert LE MOTEL + ARUMBO + PHONETICS concert, nightlife SUPAFLY COLLECTIVE nightlife WWWATER + YUSUF concert + BOLIS POPUL

19.01.18 20.01.18 27.01.18 03.02.18

Design by Atelier Brenda & Amélie Bakker

08.02.18 PROMNITE W/ AB concert 10.02.18 LUST FOR YOUTH concert 17.02.18 FRONTAL nightlife 24.02.18 LEFTORIUM nightlife 26.03.18 KLARAFESTIVAL 02.03.18 — 04.03.18 KRAAK 17.03.18 HEARTBROKEN nightlife 22.03.18 WILEYconcert 23.03.18 JUICY EP-RELEASE concert LISTEN FESTIVAL 29.03.18 — 31.03.18 30.03.18 MHYSA concert

intro

The Sound of The Belgian Underground Past a certain age, two years are hardly something to write home about. Yet when it comes to the Belgian underground, that time span can be defining. It can prove ripening, taking a long pored-over sound and honing it till it reaches the next level. It can also unearth the voices simmering beneath that wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remain unheard as long as they have something to say, whatever their form: liquid sonic explorations, soulful chants, echoing electronics, the guitar tricks of yesterday colliding with the trance dance of tomorrow. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the grey stillness of this little land fool you; its sounds and voices are powerful and uncontainable, honest and resonant, and we are happy to once more let them run free before your eyes and ears. 5

content

The Sound of The Belgian Underground

subbacultcha events 9—18 Wolvennest 19 AFIA 20 AIR LQD 22 Christine Denamur 24 GOLIN 26 KASSETT 28 LE 77 30 Sale Gosse 32 VAAL 34 Crowd of Chairs 36 style 38—41 book 42—43 recent finds 44—59 we visit you 60—61 7

synth-punk and trance-rock. Or maybe a mix of post-punk, tribal percussions and synth-pop. The London band has a very unique musical and visual identity. Handmade log synths, bass guitar, analogue synths and sticks on animal skin blend to create primal rhythms. As unusual as their music is their presentation in their videos, but also on stage. So be prepared for visually entertaining costumes and a show combining music and performing arts.

music

The Living Eyes + Roda Lits 1 Dec – Madame Moustache, Brussels 20.00 – €8 – free for members There’s a common characteristic about Australian quartet The Living Eyes and half-Belgian, half-Australian band Roda Lits besides coming from the same country: their inner passion for old-fashioned unapologetic rock’n’roll, aggressively sweaty gigs in the dirtiest clubs and getting drunk with their closest friends. While the north of the planet is entering its coldest time of the year, the Down Under is ready to bring the heat to Madame Moustache, without making any damn excuses.

Dan San + Pale Grey + Condore + Ebene 8 Dec – Caserne Fonck (JauneOrange), Liège 20.00 – €18 – free for members

Snapped Ankles

Dan San, a collective of six musicians, have decided to end their successful tour where everything started: the headquarters of Liège-based label, Jaune Orange. Bringing all of their friends to the party, the live shows will reflect their insane spirits by inviting the different formations that the members are part of. Besides Dan San, who will present their pop-infused indie sound, Pale Grey is ready to celebrate the release of their debut, Wavves, while Condore are going to do their first ever live show. In the middle of that, you’ll find Ebenne and their special yet completely mesmerising live performance.

8 Dec – KulturA (Go With The Flow), Liège 21.00 – €6 – free for members Snapped Ankles’ genre is hard to define. You could describe their debut album, Come Play the Trees, as

He4rtbroken 9 Dec – Beursschouwburg, Brussels 22.00 – €10 free for members before midnight Prepare yourself for another He4rtbroken night, taking place in Brussels every two months. Liyo and Steff, the He4rtbroken team, set up a dark and pounding mix to bring solace during these dark and gloomy winter nights. Expect Nevrland, aka ssaliva, and Munix’s heartbreaking melodies, metallic beats by Bonaventure that seem to have been created in a dark and sweaty concrete room, Soda Plains’ dystopian Eastern-infused soundscapes and many more artists to get you in your feelings.

Destroyer

MIND OVER MTTR ft. mobilegirl + Moro + Anni Nöps + Trime 15 Dec – Het Bos, Antwerp 23.00 – €10 – free for members Mind Over Matter, or MOM, is a community that call themselves ‘a vessel for progressive music and arts & a celebration of the weird and the wonderful’. They organise club nights in collaboration with all sorts of artists and have also worked with Antwerp art schools Sint Lucas and the Royal Academy. This time they’re hosting Berlin producer mobilegirl, Mor0, Estonian DJ Anni Nöps and two guys from Slagwerk: Trime and Terrorriba.

10 Dec – Botanique, Brussels 19.30 – €18 – free for members Destroyer is more than 20 years old! Dan Bejar started the band as a solo home-recording project back in 1995 as a way to explore genres such as glam, MIDI, yacht rock. 2011’s Kaputt, probably his most successful work to date, got Bejar more comfortable with the cinematic sound of the band and him being a singer, which was exploited in his following effort Poison Season in 2015. Bejar is now on the promotional tour for his 12th studio album, Ken, another beautiful work confirming he remains one of the most eloquent songwriters of his generation.

Tropical Trash + Brutal Birthday 18 Dec – La Zone (PopKatari), Liège 20.00 – €6 – free for members Louisville, Kentucky’s weirdo-rock heroes Tropical Trash will be hitting the streets of Liège this month for a night of punk and hardcore. Also touring Europe with the American boys is Brutal Birthday, from Bologna, which includes members of Hallelujah! and Stromboli and who will complete the evening with punk that is heavier on the noise side.

Deep In House NYE

series of concerts have been taking place in Vooruit. For the second part, they’re bringing explosive Javanese post-punk duo Senyawa, who will mix Indonesian tradition and experimentation with Brussels-based female choir Patshiva Cie. They will be hosting that night alongside German producer Wolf Müller, who will be presenting an Indonesian-inspired DJ set for the first time.

31 Dec – Horta Gallery, Brussels 23.00 – €24 €10 for members before 01.00 Once again, the deepin’ boys invite everyone to come and rave straight into the New Year in one of Brussels’ most beautiful abandoned places, the Horta Art Gallery. For this edition, the boys are hosting a to-be-memorable international line-up: Henning Baer (Berlin/ De), Lunar Convoy (Norite/ Fr), A. Brehme (Technoon/ Be), Kafim (Be), LNS (Vancouver/ Ca), Fais Le Beau (Gay Haze/ Lux), Gurl & Session 4000 (Be), Chris Ferreira (Be).

Bozar Electronic Series: Drew McDowall + Lumisokea

Wolf Müller + Senyawa ft. Patshiva Cie

12 Jan – Bozar, Brussels 20.00 – TBA – free for members Drew McDowall is probably best known as a member of the legendary outfit Coil, and has also been a regular player in Psychic TV. As a solo performer, he delves into the arcanes of modular synthesis and stays faithful to the deep, esoteric and intense sonic regions explored by the 2 afore-mentioned acts. Lumisokea is a Belgian duo, producing highly tactile music, rich in texture and polyrhythmic, blurring the lines between the acoustic and the electronic to create a challenging and introspective listening experience.

11 Jan – Vooruit, Ghent 20.00 – €10 – free for members Since 1969, EUROPALIA has been throwing art biennales to introduce to the Belgian audience a different country of the world. This year, that country is Indonesia, and as part of the festival, a

Lorenzo Senni 11

18 Jan – Beursschouwburg, Brussels 20.00 – €14 – free for members

15.12 22.01 27.01 06.02 08.02 17.02 22.02 01.03 07.04 02.05

DESTROYER ca + NICHOLAS KRGOVICH ca LAST TRAIN fr + FITZ ROY be DEER TICK us OMAR SOULEYMAN sy LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS us PART-TIME FRIENDS fr • Coprod. Progress THE SOFT MOON us EDDY DE PRETTO fr + VINCENT SCARITO be DEATH FROM ABOVE ca + LE BUTCHERETTES mx REJJIE SNOW ie OUGHT ca • Nuits Botanique 2018

CONCERTEN AGENDA

10.12

BOTA’CARTE

Do you know our BOTA’CARTE? Check here its perks:

• The card only costs €13 • The card is valid one year from the date of purchase • You get a €3 discount on all presale tickets, and a €6 discount on tickets bought at the ticket desk on the day of the concert • You receive a monthly newsletter which includes exclusive contests and offers • You receive one free ticket for an exhibition of choice and a €2 discount on all exhibition tickets Something for you? You can order it on our website!

MORE @ WWW.BOTANIQUE.BE | 02 218 37 32 12

Lorenzo Senni, head of the much respected label Presto!? Records, is one of those producers who takes pleasure in deconstructing electronic sounds from the ‘90s. For the Infamous Italian producer, each element has its own soul, and deserves space to breath and shine. While taking conventional sounds that we all might have heard somewhere, his own unique twist will make it special yet familiar. Expect a performance beyond this planet, where the history of dance music will meet the present future.

improvisation with trumpets and the name Nate Wooley hits like an evidence with his large shrewd mind. A jazz night you won’t remember.

Lina Tullgren

Ingebrigt Haker Flaten + Teun Verbruggen + Jozef Dumoulin + Nate Wooley

23 Jan – Reflektor (PopKatari), Liège 20.00 – €6 – free for members

18 Jan – Le Vecteur, Charleroi 19.00 – €6 – free for members Think master of bass in modern jazz and immediately the first name that comes to mind is Norwegian Ingerbright Håker Flaten, who brings his Scandinavian structured mind to the American genre. Think Belgian drummer genius and there is nobody more qualified than Teun Verbruggen, who brings his absence of limits between genres to the local scene. Think wonder of a keyboardist and Belgian Jozef Dumoulin, who brings electronics to an organic genre, is your guy. Think

New England-born artist Lina Tullgren finds that balance between dark, catchy productions, melancholic vocals and refined poetic lyrics. Before the release of her debut EP, Wishlist, the artist found in Elliott Smith a mentor figure, as they share a joint love for describing obscure sentiments. Her first LP, Won, released via Captured Tracks, is an open-hearted letter to all of the experiences every woman her age can go through. An alien in her own genre, expect an honest mix of moody lo-fi vibes and heartfelt, relatable stories.

DEMOCRAZY MUZIEKCLUB GENT 16.11

WARHAUS + FACES ON TV

VOORUIT

17.11

LITTLE DRAGON

VOORUIT

18.11

ASPHALT: MAKAM, ELENA COLOMBIMAALTEBRUGGEKASTEEL

22.11

BRNS

25.11

LEFTO & RED BULL ELEKTROPEDIA PRESENT: KOMPASS KLUB BENJI B, CHRISTIAN RICH, PHOTAY, ALIA

NEST

26.11

ERIKSSON DELCROIX & SUN*SUN*SUN ORKESTRA

29.11

WARHOLA + GLINTS

VOORUIT

30.11

EMMA BALE + LIMITS

VOORUIT

01.12

FELIX PALLAS + LE MANOU

05.12

IVY FALLS

NEST

VOORUIT TREFPUNT

07.12

HIDDEN ORCHESTRA + MOODPRINT

20.12

WEVAL

21.12

AUTUMN FALLS: KAPITAN KORSAKOV, BRUTUS, COCAINE PISS

30.12

ALL EYES ON HIP HOP: BRIHANG

add. Beursschouwburg

NEST NEST VOORUIT NEST

16.01

BIG NEXT: PUMAROSA

16.01

STIJN MEURIS: ‘TIRADE’

MINARD

21.01

ZIMMERMAN

MINARD

25.01

A. SAVAGE (PARQUET COURTS) + JACK COOPER

30.01

JAWS OF LOVE + DANIEL ALEXANDER

NEST

31.01

DOUGLAS FIRS

NEST

31.01

FADED: WITT LOWRY

03.02

SOFI TUKKER

06.02

HENRY ROLLINS’ TRAVEL SLIDESHOW

NEST

CHARLATAN NEST

DEMOCRAZY.BE 14

VOORUIT

A Savage + Jack Cooper

The Sound of the Belgian Underground III

25 Jan – Nest (Democrazy), Ghent 19.30 – €16 – free for members These two artists used to play in bands but now have decided to fly alone. A Savage, member of prominent post-punk band Parquet Courts, sets his solo career afloat in lo-fi folk waters. Personal yet meant to have a universal message, the artist doesn’t hesitate to get outside of his comfort zone to share his most personal feelings. Opening act Jack Cooper is a member, on the other side, of bands Ultimate Painting and Mazes. In his new solo journey, the artist delivers a personal experience on the English shore, with an experimental indie note.

28 Jan – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels 15.00 – €13 – free for members Drop all your other plans for 28 Jan and grab your Subba membership, because it’s time to step down to the underground. That’s right, once again AB will be hosting ten of the most trailblazing acts of the moment in Belgium — aka la crème de la crème van België — Afia, AIR LQD, Crowd Of Chairs, Le77, Sale Gosse, Kassett, Vaal, Christine Denamur, Wolvennest and Golin. It will also be a record fair for Belgian labels to strut their stuff.

King Dick + Floris Bates

film

The One I Love

27 Jan – In De Ruimte, Ghent 20.00 – €5 – free for members One is from the flat land (BE) and the other from the land below sea level (NL) but both are genius pianists with jazz and classical backgrounds. Their rich sounds and prolific genres have gradually evolved through the years to mould into a psych-pop sculpture. But watch out: try to cast them into a musical genre and you’ll waste your time. Just get yourself ready to saunter through contrasts, sensuousness and embrace the cosmic invitation to your lifes and feets!

6 & 13 Dec – KASK Cinema, Ghent 20.30 – €5 – free for members A relationship on the brink, an idyllic weekend getaway, a series of circumstances that will bring out the best and the worst of those involved. Sounds

like your run-of-the-mill rom-com that probably once had Jennifer Aniston attached to it, but don’t be fooled by what — or who — you see: there’s much more to this smart, engaging and oddly relatable story than meets the eye — some of which is, quite literally, out of this world. Featuring fantastic performances by Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass as a couple going through the most unreal version of couples’ therapy you’ll ever see.

Les amants 16 Dec – Cinematek, Brussels 19.45 – €4 – free for members

Shelly Silver — A Strange New Beauty

The film that was at the heart of the 1964 obscenity case that led to the famous phrase ‘I know it when I see it’ regarding pornography, Louis Malle’s masterpiece would be considered beyond tame by today’s standards. Yet none of this detracts from the elegantly shot and tensely constructed story of a bored provincial housewife who falls for a dashing young archeologist during a moody Parisian escapade. With Jeanne Moreau in the leading role, taking over every space she enters with her iconic grace and unforgettable temperament.

7-17 Dec – Argos, Brussels 11.00-18.00 – €6– free for members

The Wait

American artist Shelly Silver has always displayed a fascination for the visible and the invisible, the act of watching and of being watched, the blurring of lines between fiction and reality. Her latest film work, A Strange New Beauty, takes us to the opulent homes of Silicon Valley, where human presence is felt but not seen and stories lurk within every corner and every wall. Here, Shelly uses video and sound to their full potential to convey an eerie atmosphere, as if the memories of the places — and the significance of the objects within — were being indirectly, often wordlessly relayed to the viewer with tragic urgency.

22 Dec – Cinema Zuid, Antwerp 18.00 – €5 – free for members Juliette Binoche is unapologetically arresting in Piero Messina’s story about love and grief. A mother loses her son and soon receives a surprise visit from his fiancée, who is unaware of her lover’s death. Contemplative and visually striking, The Wait is Messina’s first feature, and while the premise is at times difficult to grasp, this dazzling effort by one of the disciples of Pablo Sorrentino shows much promise for the new generation of Italian cinema.

The Day After

If there weren’t any blacks you’d have to invent them

18 Jan – Cinematek, Brussels 19.00 – €4 – free for members The extremely prolific South Korean director Hong Sang-hoo is back to present his latest work, The Day After. In it, an unfaithful businessman grieves the ending of an affair; his suspicious wife is more than on to him but targets the wrong woman in her rage. Perhaps somewhat autobiographical, The Day After falls in line with Hong’s predilection for the small yet unfortunate comedies in everyday life. As an extra treat, this screening will take place in the presence of the director himself.

theatre/dance

Mining Stories 15 Dec – Campo, Ghent 20.30 – €14 – free for members Mining Stories by Silke Huysmans and Hannes Dereere is a docu-performance about a recent mining disaster in Brazil, where Silke grew up. In this region, three out of four people work in the mining industry: the disaster has thus touched many people. Through interviews gathered in both Europe and Brazil, Silke and Hannes take you on their intriguing journey through memory, politics, religion and storytelling, interwoven with personal stories.

22 Dec – Beursschouwburg, Brussels 20.30 – €14 – free for members If there weren’t any blacks you’d have to invent them (1968) is a thoughtprovoking drama movie by Johnny Speight, in which he examines the mechanisms behind racism and discrimination. This year, almost exactly 50 years after its release, five actors attempt to translate the views on racism and identity from the 1960s into current terms, taking on 16 roles in total for the play. Through their acting, they offer a mirror that reveals a frightening truth about the present.

Do You Wanna Play With Me 19 Jan – KVS, Brussels 20.30 – €13 – free for members

Do you wanna play with me? I am a digital native. The internet is my nationality. Sometimes it’s better to create a world than be bored. Sometimes it’s better to meet someone online than be alone. Do You Wanna Play With Me was born from two questions: why do we need a virtual dimension in our relationships? And what does it reveal about our societies and the way we see love and sex? The play will explore social media, porn and RPG — Role Playing Game athwart a mother and her two teenagers.

Jan Martens: Rule Of Three ft. NAH

expo

For A Time Light Must Be Called Darkness until 17 Dec – Argos, Brussels 11.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members

Riding Modern Art until 7 Jan – BPS22, Charleroi 11.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members

Thomas Mazzarella — Que serà

24 Jan – STUK, Leuven 20.30 – €14 – free for members Jan Martens is a choreographer whose work focuses on contemporary social topics with humour and a talent for gentle controversy. His latest work, Rule Of Tree, is a piece somewhere between a concert performance, a short story collection and a Facebook wall/YouTube channel, which navigates between contemporary dramas and everyday occurrence. For the very first time, music will be the driving force of his work and for this occasion, Martens has teamed up with the rebellious American producer and drummer NAH.

until 7 Jan – BPS22, Charleroi 11.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members

Mon Colonel & Spit — Lepidoptera until 7 Jan – BPS22, Charleroi 11.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members

music

Wolvennest ‘If we can use our projections and build our altar, we’ll feel home everywhere’ Behold, a true motley crew purveying the darker arts: Wolvennest is a highly experienced and talented bunch, with members who are or have been part of projects including La Muerte, Mongolito, Aqua Nebula Oscillator, Temple of Nothing and LVTHN. Describing their sound as an abusive mix of disturbing ambient and rock infused with psychedelic soundscapes and throwing in a penchant for the occult, Wolvennest are currently finishing their sophomore album on Van Records, due out in early 2018. With performances that put special emphasis on the visual experience, expect hypnotic visions, ritualistic incantations and trance-inducing guitar loops that will guide you on a trip to the darker side of the unexpected. 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Text by Gabriela Gonzalez

music

AFIA ‘I think my sound is a combination of the sounds I like; my music often has a feeling of melancholy, it seems’

Thalina Afya Konadu, aka AFIA, is a singer, songwriter and producer from Antwerp who creates subtle experimental soul music. AFIA’s mesmerising voice floats on delicately constructed abstract beats. The artist definitely has that melancholic soul, but what makes her music so singular is the way she combines her vocals with soft experimental sounds. This is no surprise given her diverse influences, which go from Bob Marley to Amy Winehouse, from Bonobo to Flying Lotus. The self-taught singer and producer is half Belgian and half Ghanaian. Her father is a conga player, a percussionist and a rastafari. Listen to her track ‘St James Street’ and you’ll feel her cultural influences, too. ‘I’m trying to just do what feels right creatively and musically.’ And trust us, she does. 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Photo by Stine Sampers Text by Souria Cheurfi

music

VAAL ‘[Our main influences are] everyday encounters. And that delivers us a rather pessimistic outlook on society’

Industrial estates and bleak suburban façades follow one another at a mind-numbingly dreary pace in the music video for ‘Knopen’ by Ghent trio Vaal. Exuding a heavy, claustrophobic yet captivating aura, they’re the perfect match for the music of Timo Bonneure, Arjen Verswijvelt and Jelle Wulleman. Vaal’s minimalistic style conjures up the depressing greyness of Belgium and somehow turn it into hypnotising ambient tracks, flirting with noise. From time to time, vocals emerge from this gloomy fog and — guess what? — it only makes it better. With their truly unique experimental approach and their cold-wave undertones, Vaal is without a doubt one of the rising talents of 2017. 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Photo by Catherine Lemblé Text by Nicolas Baudoin

music

KASSETT ‘Since I unfortunately had to cancel last SOBU, it feels like a rematch; this time I’m gonna win’

You should be familiar with the sounds of Kassett, aka Gavin Vanaelst, by now, but a quick recap: together with his Midlife family, he’s a vital part of the Brussels underground scene, so of course we had to invite him again to our SOBU party. He’ll present his renewed live show packed with innovative club tracks and soothing pop electronics. It’s sure to be perfect teaser material for his upcoming fourth album, due out in February, of which lead single ‘Pegasus’ featured his amigo and our local hero Zwangere Guy. Mostly known for his musical work, Vanaelst also nourishes a slumbering but growing oeuvre of visual art. His paintings are a well-balanced symbiosis of abstract compositions and figurative elements, all swimming in a strong sense of graphic vigour. Approaching sound in a very distinctive way as Kassett, Vanaelst uses the same spontaneous methods for his graphic compositions. 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Photo by Miles Fischler Text by Hannes Rooms

music

Sale Gosse ‘The main goal is just to have a blast and to put a smile on people’s faces. We don’t really take it too seriously’

Agathe is a punk mum with strong genes — and you can’t do nothing about it. With her buddy Randa and her 17-year-old son Nino, she founded new-kid-on-theblock rock band Sale Gosse. Their first EP, out on Luik Records, is called The First Dick I Ever Saw Was Iggy Pop’s, and that may give you a small foretaste of what you can expect from this cheerful intergenerational trio. With their enthusiastic riffs and carefree attitude, it’s really difficult to resist the urge to dance to their well crafted and catchy songs. Fun fact: their performance at SOBU fell on the birthday of both Nino and Randa. No need to be clairvoyant to predict an explosion of energy and glee on stage. Be there! 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Photo by Catherine Lemblé Text by Nicolas Baudoin

music

Crowd Of Chairs ‘Our common ground is our impatience with people and life in general. Musically, this translates into energetic but exhausting music’ Crowd of Chairs is a noisy, psychedelic rock band from Ghent. Their ingredients: vintage gritty guitars backed by a growling bass, battlefield drums and careless screams combined with mesmeric singing. Manu, Mitch and Benjamin don’t make the music they listen to, and don’t listen to the kind they play. It might sound like a paradox, but when you think about it, it demonstrates their inventiveness. The boys’ music is characterised as noisy, but it’s also intense and nervous. Because they’re so restless and easily bored, their music is in constant evolution: ‘We are very needy children. What are the coolest sounds you can make with the littlest effort possible, but not too comfortable just to keep us on the edge of our seats?’ You’ve been warned. Get ready to get up off your seat! 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Photo by Tiny Geeroms Text by Souria Cheurfi

music

AIR LQD ‘Our scene is a little family where we grow together’

Elusive producer AIR LQD, or Mehdi Kernachi irl, claims to have no background, thus living, acting and creating without any prepossession. As part of a scene not defined by location but merely by a common search for sonic explorations, he calls OKVLT (Paris), Unknown Precept (Berlin), Vastedechoses and Perfekt Function (Brussels) his family. He finds inspiration in today’s post-industrial society and the toxic imagery that comes with it. His brutalist rhythms and post-punk stylings reflect this inundation of our minds. But when producing Kernachi is mainly looking to surprise himself, which we guess is why he doesn’t collect a memory at all. We’re already hooked on the emergency and danger he adds to electronic music — borrowing as much from the slower industrial music of the past as from the speeded basement hysteria of rave culture. 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Photo by Stine Sampers Text by Hannes Rooms

music

Le 77 ‘The audience is always on fire in Belgium — even in Flanders, where they don’t understand our lyrics. They catch our vibe and it’s great’

Le 77 — which is the number of their happy house in Laeken — is a rap band comprising Félé Flingue, Peet, their beatmaker Morgan and their manager Rayan. The boys have very diverse backgrounds and musical tastes, which makes Le 77 an exciting blend. Morgan has a jazzy influence and his music has nothing to do with traditional hip hop. Félé and Peet rap on his beats with their sultry flow and a great stage presence. Their lyrics are catchy and comic, just like their characters. Those of you who already know Le 77 have probably heard them say the word ‘bawlers’ many times. Well, the meaning of it is quite simple: a bawler is someone who has the balls. Let’s find out if they really do. 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Photo by Sasha Vernaeve Text by Souria Cheurfi

music

Christine Denamur ‘I hate to say that my music gathers some ‘pop’, but it’s just a fact I guess’

In the exhausting whirlwind of new content uploaded every day on the net, some beautiful projects have the decency to remain well-kept secrets. Such is the case with Christine Denamur’s music. This young graphic designer from Grimbergen spent her teenage years making music but only decided recently to share her work with the world through her Soundcloud account. Playing skillfully with layers of sounds and voices, she succeeds in captivating our ears with her modern ballads and bewitching production. When asked how she would describe her sound, she’s reluctant to use the term ‘pop’ but admits it is a big part of her music’s identity. This ambivalence is reflected in her delicate compositions that have already been compared to FKA Twigs and Braids. There are currently only a few tracks available online but don’t despair: her first EP is coming out soon and two videoclips are on their way too. 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Photo by Tiny Geeroms Text by Nicolas Baudoin

music

GOLIN ‘My music is a fantasia. It’s heavy and light but always truehearted’

Since our 20-something issue last June, RIN changed her moniker to Golin and released a critically acclaimed EP on Midlife. A string of international gigs later we called her again in anticipation of SOBU to talk about the process of making music: ‘I studied dance and choreography at California Institute of the Arts. This is where I started experimenting with sound. I wanted to create a soundscape for my choreography. I like to improvise with different tones and percussive sounds. It’s just one way of building my vocabulary. In general my music is a fantasia.’ 28 January – AB, Brussels free for members

Photo by Sasha Vernaeve Text by Hannes Rooms

style WHO ARE THEY? Photos, paintings: Rebecca Quix Models: Aba Sissoko, Hannah Ziarczyk, Aline Vandevelde

book Future Days: Krautrock and the Building of Modern Germany David Stubbs

text by Gabriela González

Music journalist David Stubbs took quite the gamble with Future Days: tackling the story of Krautrock when tomes like Julian Cope’s Krautrock Sampler have long been established as authoritative reference is no mean feat. But instead of trying to come up with yet another artist compendium, Stubbs contextualises the mushrooming of bands that, while musically speaking were worlds apart, shared a desire to break free from the highly Americanised, Beatles-infused musical climate that West Germany found itself in after the war. Bastardising the status quo was out of the question: these musicians wanted to create a new sound that would be wholly German, on levels that went beyond Schläger and deep into the country’s psyche. Beyond the groundbreaking quality that bands like Can, Kraftwerk, Faust et al brought to the table, Stubbs extols the energy that the music — as diverse and uncategorisable as it was and is — exudes. ‘Krautrock, despite dissonant elements, was a rainbow coalition of tempers and colours, styles and tones that represented a hankering for a lost unity, an idealism that was both futuristic and as a old as the vary forests and hills.’ It’s this idealism that makes Krautrock so appealing; anyone who is passionate about art and music has probably at one point or another found their mecca in Yeti or Tago Mago, been blindsided by the ethereally futuristic early chords of ‘Autobahn’ or sent into the cosmos via Electronic Meditation. Regardless of who or where they were, a hippie in a utopian commune or an academic among the concrete of the city, the feeling was present and commanding. Decades later, the feeling lives on in all of us, timeless and resonant.

recent finds My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

@my_life_in_the_bush_of_ghosts

Something is brewing deep in the heart of Brussels, over at the Begijnhof church. It’s a project welding together the seemingly disparate concepts of technology and fragility in our world, exploring how these elements have affected our ways of communicating and relating to each other. My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is a twofold project curated by dramatists Charlotte Vandijck and Isabelle Vander Stockt which combines research and performance with six interdisciplinary artists to create an ambitious multimedia installation spanning three days. You can catch it from 8 to 10 December, with a special after-party on the ninth featuring sounds by one of the participating artists, AuTismo Incorporado.

Santé Loisirs santeloisirs.com

Hailing from Alsace, Santé Loisirs is a tape label run by artist/musician/ smiling student Eric Kinny. This young but active label has quickly made a name for itself in the Franco-Belgian underground, with releases by artists as diverse as McCloud Zicmuse, Joachim Badenhorst and Jib Kidder, as well as Kinny’s own eclectic projects like his eponymous keyboard-based work that takes you on a trip to vertiginously ecstatic lands, and the neverending head-bopping madness of Les dauphins et la science. Keep an eye out for new releases in 2018; after all, Mr Kinny’s ears are finely and fiercely tuned to the Earth’s pulse.

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Drukkerij GEWADRUPO bvba Hoge Mauw 130 B-2370 Arendonk info@gewa.be +32 (0)14.67.86.69 46

recent finds STOCK

STOCK is an open space, located in Het Paviljoen at Ghent, which hosts upcoming artists. The project was launched last year by four art students from KASK and is in for its second take-off. This year, STOCK monthly gives one KASK student the chance to be paired up with an external artist in blind date fashion. During a three-week residency, the two are invited to put their heads together and work side-by-side at Het Paviljoen. At the end of the collaboration, the results will be revealed to the public in a week-long expo. Het Paviljoen — a glasshouse in the front yard of KASK — becomes an alternative showroom or extended atelier where two artistic entities with a different background become one. This confrontation of two practices results in an experimental in-situ presentation, from a performance to an edition, from a total installation to a publication. STOCK tries to unite seven art students with seven external artists in order to broaden the cultural field in KASK. Next dates will be Lisa Vantorre x Wim De Pauw on 1 December and Valgerður Sigurðardóttir x Vincent Vandaele on 21 December. It’ll be fun; you should come.

@stockstockstockstockstock

#HappinessEverywhere www.happysocks.com

by CREVETTE

recent finds Job Sifre

Steadily on the rise in the Amsterdam underground, Job Sifre has been honing his DJ skills on his ever-exciting Antikunst show on Red Light Radio and in various slots at clubs in Holland and abroad. Fresh from dropping his debut EP on Artificial Dance Records (Interstellar Funk’s brand new label) his star is set to shine even brighter in 2018. His first EP, called Worries, showcases the various influences he also puts in his sets like wave, electro, synth-pop, EBM and industrial. While drawing inspiration from the past, Sifre’s work also embraces the (dystopian) future he sketches out in his radio shows.

Dub Syndicate

The legendary dub outfit originally centred around Lincoln ‘Style’ Scott and Adrian Sherwood gets the extended reissue treatment by On-U Sound. Originally launched in the ’80s, Dub Syndicate evolved into one of the most prolific acts of On-U Sound. Collaborations with household names like Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Deadley Headley. Supported by outstanding production work from Sherwood and Scientist, Dub Syndicate is one of the more exciting dub acts of past and present. An extra album with nine unreleased and stripped-back tracks called Displaced Masters is a great extra with three tracks featuring vocals from Bim Sherman.

BILBO RECOMMENDS 16,50€

Songs Of Experience

14,00€ 9,00€

MAGNUS

Best Of & Look At Us Now EP

15,50€

20,00€

OSCAR AND THE WOLF

MELANIE DE BIASIO

Echo (Deluxe)

16,50€

14,00€

Infinity

BAZART

Lillies

16,50€

14,00€

12,50€

BECK

ST. VINCENT

EQUAL IDIOTS Eagle Castle BBQ

The Best Of

ELBOW

VAN MORRISON

13,50€

16,00€

15,50€

16,00€

15,50€

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX

CURTIS HARDING

BONOBO

FATHER JOHN MISTY

WARHAUS

15,50€

13,50€

16,50€

15,50€

Colors

Masseduction

Face Your Fear

Migration

Pure Comedy

Versatile

Warhaus

Cigarettes After Sex

J BERNARDT Running Days

Relaxer

ALT-J

DOUGLAS FIRS Hinges Of Luck

Love What Survives

MOUNT KIMBIE

RUN THE JEWELS

15,50€

16,00€

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE

NORDMANN

NATIONAL

COURTNEY BARNETT & KURT VILE

Boiling ground

I See You

Sleep Well Beast

Villains

ALT E R N AT I V E O NLI NE R ECO R D STORE — BIL BORECORDS .BE M GR . L AD E UZEP LEIN 2 — LE U V E N

Lotta Sea Lice

recent finds The Word Radio

by Hannes Rooms

thewordmagazine.com

Tfw you don’t know what to listen to. Sound familiar? Nah, didn’t think so. These days curated music is ubiquitous. From regular and internet radios to mix series, boilerrooms and Spotify playlists. Still, the market is apparently not saturated yet. Next to the recent kick-off of Kiosk Radio in Brussels Royal Park, which streams DJ sets only, our colleagues at The Word magazine are launching a full-fledged radio station. The World Radio debuts December 1 with a dazzlingly packed and diverse roster. While we’re obviously tuning in to the He4rtbroken and Slagwerk shows, we’re also looking forward to be dragged into the universes of Céline Gillain, Amatorski and Maoupa Mazzocchetti. Furthermore Marc Jacobs of BOZAR Electronics will give some insights from his music library and for the ones who like keeping an eye on Belgian’s local electronic scene (raise your hands) we recommend label showcases from KRAAK, Jj funhouse, Vastedechoses and Ekster. But don’t hesitate to tune in 24/7, you’ll be comforted, challenged, intrigued or educated.

Aponogeton aponogeton.bandcamp.com

Another exciting yet less mysterious act is Aponogeton, the alias of Jachym Vandenabeele outta Bruges. Despite consistently making ambient compositions since 2011, he’s remained independent until today. If ‘ambient’ seems a bit vague, let us clarify. Aponogeton’s work and use of organic synths reminds us of Alessandro Cortini or Huerco S more than the contemporary/digital approach of, for example, Yves Tumor or SKY H1. A representative introduction to the man’s work is ‘This Concerns You’, where tension is carefully built by multiple layers of agitated synths with an ominous buzzing bass in the background. In line with his oeuvre, Aponogeton’s music is available on cassette distributed by Ghentian Wool-E Tapes.

KULTUURKAFFEE PRESENTS:

by SLAGWERK

recent finds Obsequies

Knives, the label run by Kuedo and Joe Shakespeare, is proud to present the debut release from Belgian artist Obsequies, called Organn. At its core, Organn is a record about love and duality. Taking inspiration from Isidore-Lucien Ducasse’s poem ‘Les Chants de Maldoror’, the record is antagonistic yet often drops its temper to reveal blistered beauty within the fray. Such are the contradictory elements within the compositions themselves: widescreen claustrophobia meets glimmering sludge and piercing VHS ambience. Visuals come courtesy of French mixed-media artist Thomas Hauser, whose imagery similarly evokes retrograde surrealism and further insists on a narrative at work here, with obscured characters playing out alongside mantric piano, filmic vox and hyperspeed jungle. Organn will be released on 17 November

Sucuk und Bratwurst Frankfurt creative studio Sucuk und Bratwurst is run by Lessandro Belliero, David Gönner, Denis Olgac & Lukas Olgac. Over the years they’ve worked with clients like Nike, Adidas, Axe, and many more. Dedicated to the creation of computer-animated visuals, their aesthetic is inspired by technology, internet culture and brand logos, and they use all this to play with the claims of perfection asserted in advertising. They transform the usual methods of image generation into a vision of a utopia freed from human intervention. Despite that, their themes are loaded with emotion, poetry and metaphors. Using the technique of 3D animation they show that the computer world is not a vision of the future but already co-existing with the physical realm. Next to graphic design and making their own clothing they organise club nights all around Germany. Most recently they celebrated their three-year anniversary in Frankfurt with a free event featuring Drippin, Avbvrn, DJ Heroin and 100% HALAL, an alter-ego for their own DJ project.

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CULTS

23.MAR

⌁AMY⌁ SHARK

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AUS

17.FEB

GIRLS IN HAWAII

27.MAR

BEARCUBS

23.FEB

05.APR

⌁JHENÉ⌁ AIKO

⌁FIELD⌁ MUSIC

15.MAR

10.APR

MADENSUYU B

17.MAR

KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS GRC

SUNFLOWER BEAN US

16.MAY

⌁WE ARE⌁ SCIENTISTS

TRIX, ANTWERP COMPLETE PROGRAM, UPDATES & TICKETS

trixonline.be

by Isaline Raes

recent finds Dorothea Dejonckheere Until 22 December Salon Si & La, Antwerp Free entrance

Enter the therapeutic shadow world of Antwerp-based artist Dorothea Dejonckheere at Salon Si & La, the renowned gallery of Werner de Vos, since 2016 relocated from the old spot at the Kaai to the center of SintJansplein in Antwerp. With her pure and simple poetic sceneries Dorathea Dejonckheere investigates the gaps and glitches in our society. She revolts against our current world wherein perfection became the norm, resulting in a growing sense of insecurity and loneliness. Blots in the blackest black, the tactility of the canvas and a multilayered play of shadows and lines immerse you in a profound, time-transcending vacuum that will temper your thoughts and emotions.

Concrete Poetry: The Modern Confines of Brutalist Architecture in Post-War Belgium From 25 January (opening night) until 25 February Atelier Jespers, Brussels Free entrance atelierjespers.com

Triggered by some pictures he made of Brutalist gems in Belgium and texts by Le Corbusier and Amédée Ozenfant from their journal L’Esprit Nouveau, Ghent-based artist Tim Onderbeke decided to curate an exhibition about the influence of Modernism on the Brutalist movement in post-war Belgium. Back in the Fifties when Brutalism became one of the dominant architectural styles in the world, it was demonised and hated by many. Now the villain is making his comeback as a hero. This expo will pay tribute to the honest and pure beauty of Brutal architecture. Besides his photos of concrete buildings of well — and lesser — known Belgian architects like Juliaan Lampens, Paul Felix and Lode Wauters, Tim Onderbeke will show rare furniture pieces designed by these Brutalist architects. Highlighting the human feel of Brutalism, Onderbeke proves that Brutalism is more than raw concrete. It’s a perfect symbiosis between functionality and aesthetic beauty. It’s concrete poetry.

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recent finds Seuls: Singular Moments in Belgian film history

by Sabzian Sabzian is a collection of online reflections on cinema, and maps cinephile events in Belgium and its surroundings. Articles are written in Dutch, English and French. sabzian.be

7 Dec – KASK Cinema – 20.30

Sabzian will be hosting a series of film programmes at KASK Cinema, called Seuls. These programmes are accompanied by the publication of unique texts by Belgian filmmakers and writers on our website. It is often said that cinephiles don’t know their own national cinema or are rarely appreciative of it. Film critic Adrian Martin ‘observe[s] a very intriguing dimension of cinephile thought: namely, the usually feisty way it negotiates a fraught relation with the cinephile’s own national cinema. Indeed, I sometimes think I can spot a cinephile by the intensity of their hatred for their national cinema.’ The first evening, Seuls: Kort Werk 1, centres around the remarkable short film Seuls (1990) by Olivier Smolders and Thierry Knauff. It features short work by Chantal Akerman, Henri Storck, Charles Dekeukeleire and Edmond Bernhard.

Visit sabzian.be for more information

recent finds Farrebique ou les quatre saisons Georges Rouquier, 1946 7 Dec – KASK Cinema – 20.30

There is no lack of so-called realistic films about some insignificant event or other or some slice of life. There is no lack of peasant movies, either. Why is Farrebique labeled as the ugly duckling among them, then? In my opinion, this is due to Rouquier’s genius, to his ability, if you will, to stand an egg on one end. He has understood that verisimilitude had slowly taken the place of truth, that reality had slowly dissolved into realism. So he painfully undertook to rediscover reality, to return it to the light of day, to retrieve it naked from the drowning pool of art. […] There is no story here, or very little, and there are no stars, no actors: only a reality that everyone, in the secrecy of his good or bad conscience, personally recognizes. André Bazin, ‘Farrebique or the paradox of realism’