Ghent-Brussels global/jazz/psych collective Echoes of Zoo – a fusion of musicians from Black Flower, Compro Oro and De Beren Gieren – will release their third album in October 2026. The band was founded in 2018 by saxophonist Nathan Daems and very soon released the EP First Provocations (2019), followed by LPs BREAKOUT (2021) and Speech of Species (2023).
 
Strongly inspired by the ever-fascinating animal world and then linked to concepts like freedom, ecology and political awareness – on both a conceptual and a compositional level – this quartet produces a sound that is entirely their own. Think: a scintillating variant of jazz that feels punky, psychedelic, dubby and danceable all at once.
 
The upcoming album Collective Intelligence grooves like a pack with a mission. Inspired by the clever coordination of animals, these songs celebrate the magic that is created when individuals move as one. The album explores the intelligence of swarms, couples and ecosystems, inviting listeners to think about how we as people can tackle global challenges.
 
Deep African grooves and wild eastern melodies interweave with western accents and come together in music that feels both primal and futuristic. Each beat is bursting with urgency and curiosity, inviting you to dance your way toward smarter, collective solutions. Collective Intelligence is not just a listening experience, but a call for awareness, connection and shared responsibility.
 
Praised by international press like MOJO, JazzWise, Songlines, Stereogum and ukvibe, Echoes of Zoo has played more than sixty shows, including WOMEX (Portugal), Rec-Beat (Brazil), Roadburn (The Netherlands), MENT (Slovenia), Ancienne Belgique, HA Concerts, BOZAR, Brosella Festival and many more in the Benelux.

(And now that you’ve reached the end of this text: be sure to also check out our (John) Coltrane 100-programme, marking the 100th birthday of one of the most influential pioneers in jazz history.)