The Golden Glows took the audience in tow through the wonderful ‘The Anthology’ during a long residence of AB Salon concerts. Not surprising, as the trio from Antwerp has immersed themselves in the Americana of the ‘20s and ‘30s for more than a decade now. They interpreted the collection with one microphone and a warm three-voiced harmony for six months long. 'Pureness’ was the magic word: acoustic and emotional.

Supported by genius synths, massive grooves and electronic soundscapes, the Glows bring Harry Smith’s masterpiece collector all the way into the 21st century. They found inspiration in the pop music of today to breathe new life into the pop music from back then. The band borrows style elements from hip-hop to demonstrate that Smith’s obscure Americana can still sound sexy, exciting and exceptionally relevant in 2019. Expect a deep dark glittering show.

On a previous visit to AB’s Main Hall, The Golden Glows wrote that their ‘Prison Songs’ would have the AB ‘in touch with the depths of its soul’. In 2019, they now shamelessly aim for your underbelly.

The Golden Glows:

Bram Van Moorhem (guitar, vox)

Nel Ponsaers (vox)

Katleen Scheir (vox)

Bram Weijters (synths, piano)

Frederik Meulyzer (drums)

Koenraad Ecker (soundscapes)

February saw the release of her EP ‘FEMME’, where she weaves her stance on gender, feminism and race into neo-soul tracks with a clear jazz and r&b influence. Her collaboration with Kojey Radical – ‘Spilling into You’ – is about a love story told from a feminist viewpoint. Then you have ‘Tepid Soul’, which paints a picture of her experiences as a ‘mixed race woman’.

Two years ago we saw the release of their debut album 'MEANS’. An honest post-punk album, on which the influence of Interpol, Joy Division and The Cure were clearly to be heard. They continue their course on March 1 with a second album, ‘Into Red’.

Cajun, creole, zydeco, traditional jazz from New Orleans, rara from Haiti, Americana folk ... its all in there. Her third CD, The Capitalist Blues, with even more Bayou influences (CD out here via Pias.)

Leyla McCalla is at home in both Haiti and New Orleans (via New York and the Carolina Chocolate Drops) and the French Les Inrocks also mentions: '...tire profit de ces deux cultures pour explorer le folk ancestral, avec un violoncelle, un banjo et une voix en or.'

Eriksson Delcroix

This Saturday night now becomes a sultry, groovy double-bill with even more New Orleans allure: we already start at 7:30pm, with new exciting work from Eriksson Delcroix and their entire ensemble: Bjorn Eriksson and Nathalie Delcroix, plus Peter Pask (bass), Alain Rylant (drums), Tim Coenen (guitar, percussion), Karl Eriksson (banjo, accordion) and Elko Blijweert (guitar). New CD Riverside Hotel will be out as of February.

His solo albums are released by labels like Miasmah & sister-label Sonic Pieces, Slaapwel records, Kompakt and Touch. The album ‘Soundings’ was just recently released on Touch. Making use of field-recordings from various cities all over the world, modular synths, guitar and laptop electronica, Scott created an album that deals with change and shifting time zones.

Scott also plays drums with Slowdive and has recently collaborated with artists like James Blackshaw, Spire, Taylor Deupree (Between), Isan….

Organised together with Brik vzw 

As a part of STIKSTOF, together with Astro, Vega and Jazz, he leads the underground scene in Brussels for years. ‘With STIKSTOF we used to say “that shit is zwanger”, by which we wanted to say that something was swag or good.’

We’re now counting down for the successor to his Zwangerschapsverlof Vol. 3, which will be out in March.

As a part of STIKSTOF, together with Astro, Vega and Jazz, he leads the underground scene in Brussels for years. ‘With STIKSTOF we used to say “that shit is zwanger”, by which we wanted to say that something was swag or good.’

We’re now counting down for the successor to his Zwangerschapsverlof Vol. 3, which will be out in March.

By breaking away from traditional jazz, Henry is a part of the latest surge in the UK jazz scene. His both authentic and refreshing piano style is influenced by: hip-hoppers Madlib & J Dilla, the UK grime of Skepta, as well as Jamaican jazz heroes Joe Harriott & Jackie Mittoo. What’s more, he has already worked with Grammy-winning Keyon Harrold. Following on from his much-discussed EP ‘Easter’, the Brit with Jamaican roots will be putting out his debut album in 2019.

To say it in the words of James Holden: ‘BRDCST is the ideal antidote for paranoia, hysteria and bubbles.’

BRDCST welcomes artists we think are making a difference, musicians who operate under the radar or artists who simply deserve to be put in the spotlight. But, above all, BRDCST is our view of the future of music. The line-up loves to sabotage musical algorithms.

Full line-up and timetable: www.BRDCST.be 

THURSDAY: K Á R Y Y N (sy/us) – CHARLOTTE ADIGÉRY (be) - STEVE GUNN (us) – DEAF CENTER (no) – RAUELSSON (es) – GWENIFER RAYMOND (uk) – BRECHT AMEEL (be) – PAPERCUTS (us) – DUBLE SALIH (tr) – BLISS SIGNAL (uk) – WE LIKE WE (dk) – BENDIK GISKE (no/de) – MUMDANCE (uk) - …

FRIDAY: THE COMET IS COMING FEAT. SHABAKA HUTCHINGS (uk) – KHALAB (It) – OBONGJAYAR (uk) – ALABASTER DEPLUME (uk) – AÏSHA DEVI (ch) – HANNAH SILVA (uk) – LEILA BORDREUIL (fr/us) – MLDVA & ÇINAR TIMUR (pl/tr)

SATURDAY: BLACK MIDI (uk) - COCAINE PISS (be) - NADAH EL SHAZLY (eg) – MAURICE LUCA PLAYS ‘ELEPHANTINE’ (eg) – TARKAMT (eg) - BLANCK MASS (uk) – IPEK GORGUN (tr) – BEN BERTRAND (be) – ELEKTRO HAFIZ (tr) – ZULI (eg)  - 1127 (eg)

SUNDAY: WHISPERING SONS (be) – tak:til presents YONATAN GAT & SPECIAL GUESTS (us) – JASON SHARP (can) – KELLY MORAN (us) – LEA BERTUCCI – tak:til presents REFREE

Full line-up and timetable: www.BRDCST.be 

K Á R Y Y N (sy/us) – CHARLOTTE ADIGÉRY (be) - STEVE GUNN (us) – DEAF CENTER (no) – RAUELSSON (es) – GWENIFER RAYMOND (uk) – BRECHT AMEEL (be) – PAPERCUTS (us) – DUBLE SALIH (tr) – BLISS SIGNAL (uk) – WE LIKE WE (dk) – MUMDANCE (uk) - …

Today BRDCST takes you along on a fantastic journey by way of eight locations, with artists from just as many countries and at least as many genres. So BRDCST will be taking over the city, with nearby concert locations like Café Bonnefooi, Café Central, La Machine, Beursschouwburg and the Palace cinema. All that, only a stone’s throw from AB and with a fixed theme per location.

AB offers a vision of the future and we are willing to bet that K Á R Y Y N and our very own Charlotte Adigéry will make an impression there too. Los Angeles-resident and visual composer K Á R Y Y N (with spaces & capitals, and Armenian & Syrian roots) has already been lauded by Björk, who just recently referred to her as a source of inspiration. She gives a nod to Oneohtrix Point Never and Holly Herndon in her work. Charlotte Adigéry seems about ready for an international breakthrough, aside her electro-punk alter-ego WWWater. NME just recently wrote: ‘Adigéry’s Soulwax-produced EP is a celebratory and thumping delight’. Her EP ‘Zandoli’ will be out soon via Soulwax’ well-reputed DEEWEE Records.

The most predominant theme in AB Salon is American primitive guitar, a term coined by American fingerpicking-guitarist and pioneer John Fahey. BRDCST dedicates an entire evening to the genre and implicitly honours John Fahey and Jack Rose, thus allowing Wales’ Gwenifer Raymond and Brussels’ Brecht Ameel to join generational peers like James Blackshaw, Daniel Bachman and Bill Orcutt. John Fahey-fan Steve Gunn will also be present: the indie guitar-god Steve Gunn who was recently described by Slug Magazine as ‘Steve Gunn = José González + Donovan + Ryley Walker’.

Berlin’s contemporary modern-classical/ambient label Sonic Pieces marks its 10th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, BRDCST gives the driving force behind Sonic Pieces (and founding mother) Monique Recknagel carte blanche to put together a big evening around this boutique label. On the bill: Danish quartet We Like We, Spanish neo-classical/electro composer Rauelsson, and the almost mythical post-classical drone-duo Deaf Center.

Under the title The Art Of Noise – a nod to the Futurist manifesto ‘L’Arte dei Rumori’ by Luigi Russolo – we present a daily dose of (claustrophobic) (punk-)noise(-rock) and keen experimental electro. Are you ready for the apocalyptic Bliss Signal or: noise & electro meets black metal?

For your daily dose of Turkish psychedelica – sounds like: ‘Pink Floyd op saz’ – you can head to Café Bonnefooi. For (avant-)jazz you need to be at the nearby stage of La Machine, with Bendik Giske, a Queer Norwegian saxophonist who gives a nod to both Lindstrøm  and Colin Stetson.

We finish every evening festively, under the banner of BRDCST BY NGHT in Beursschouwburg with grime producer Mumdance.

Full line-up and timetable: www.BRDCST.be 

THE COMET IS COMING FEAT. SHABAKA HUTCHINGS (uk) – KHALAB (it) – OBONGJAYAR (uk) – ALABASTER DEPLUME (uk) – AÏSHA DEVI (ch) – HANNAH SILVA (uk) – LEILA BORDREUIL (fr/us) – MLDVA & ÇINAR TIMUR (pl/tr)

Key figure for this evening is definitely Shabaka Hutchings: one of the trendsetters of the current jazz surge. This saxophonist from London (see too: Sons Of Kemet) comes to BRDCST with his driving cosmic jazz from the band The Comet Is Coming. Shabaka is also to be heard on ‘Black Noise 2084’, quite simply one of the albums of 2018, by illustrious Italian producer Khalab (who deals in afro-futuristic beats, global sounds and jazz). A textbook example of how unfettered music can be.

BRDCST also invites a Shabaka favorite: Alabaster dePlume (who he describes as ‘One of my definite favourite saxophone players’). dePlume is poised on the boundary between jazz and poetry and that’s something new for BRDCST. Award winning sound poet & vocal artist Hannah Silva will be joining in too. She is influenced by the cut-up technique of William S. Burroughs.

BRDCST hauls the future of hip-hop on board in the form of Obongjayar, a rapper from London with Nigerian roots. According to Pitchfork, Obongjayar presents ‘otherworldly spirituals for the modern soul’. Richard Russell, boss of XL Recordings (see: The xx, Thom Yorke …), has already taken him in and, in Paris, Obongjayar was asked to open the prestigious Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective.

For your daily dose of Turkish psychedelica – sounds like: ‘Pink Floyd op saz’ – you can head to Café Bonnefooi, for DJ and live versions.

We finish every evening festively, under the banner of BRDCST BY NGHT in Beursschouwburg, this time with Swiss soprano and producer-shaman Aïsha Devi who gives a nod to Björk and Arca.

Full line-up and timetable: www.BRDCST.be 

BLACK MIDI (uk) - COCAINE PISS (be) - NADAH EL SHAZLY (eg) – MAURICE LUCA PLAYS ‘ELEPHANTINE’ (eg) – TARKAMT (eg) - BLANCK MASS (uk) – IPEK GURGUN (tr) – BEN BERTRAND (be) – BENDIK GISKE (no/de) – ELEKTRO HAFIZ (tr) – ZULI (eg)  - 1127 (eg)

Today BRDCST takes you on a wonderful trip along untrodden paths. Under the title Cairo’s New Wave, the main part of the journey is a deep dive into the musical avant-garde of the Cairo underground. We’ve invited Egypt’s Nadah El Shazly to curate – ‘An Egyptian voice that will haunt your dreams for days.’ She serves us up an unexpected, but superb, mix of mix contemporary Arabian music, jazz, noise, hip-hop, psychedelica and experimental electro. On the programme: Maurice Louca, who presents his Sun Ra-inspired album ‘Elephantine’, Nadah El Shazly with full live band, but also contemporary cutting-edge producers like ZULI and 1127.

Under the title The Art Of Noise – a nod to the Futurist manifesto ‘L’Arte dei Rumori’ by Luigi Russolo – we today present a plenty of (claustrophobic) (punk-)noise(-rock) and keen experimental electro from acts like Blanck Mass, Turkey’s Ipek Gorgun, Belgian punk-pride Cocaine Piss and underground sensation Black Midi.

For your daily dose of Turkish psychedelica – sounds like: ‘Pink Floyd op saz’ – you can head to Café Bonnefooi, for DJ and live versions. For your daily dose of (avant-)jazz you need to get yourself to the nearby stage of La Machine, under the motto The New Wave of Jazz!

We finish every evening festively, under the banner of BRDCST BY NGHT in Beursschouwburg, this time with producers ZULI and 1127, direct from the Cairo underground.

Full line-up en timetable: www.BRDCST.be

WHISPERING SONS (be) – tak:til presents YONATAN GAT & SPECIAL GUESTS – JASON SHARP (can) – KELLY MORAN (us) – LEA BERTUCCI – tak:til presents REFREE

Whispering Sons signed off on one of the best (Belgian) albums of 2018: ‘Image. Stronger still: if ‘Imagine’ had seen the light of day during the heyday of post-punk then it would have effortlessly overshadowed its peers. What’s more: we think Whispering Sons is the Best Belgian Band of the moment. Basically: a more than worthy closer for BRDCST!

BRDCST also welcomes, for the second year in a row: tak:til, the brand new instrumental sublabel of superb house of global sounds Glitterbeat (see: AMMAR 808, Tamikrest ...). Last year Širom and Joshua Abrams performed here. This year BRDCST is pleased to welcome ex-Monotonix guitarist Yonatan Gat and Catalan flamenco guitarist Refree, who performs an inimitable mix of flamenco, jazz and experiment.

We pull out the prepared piano in a way that John Cage would be proud of, with Warp-debutante and Oneohtrix Point Never-musician Kelly Moran. Pitchfork wrote of her: ‘She’s making the piano sound like nothing you’ve ever heard before’. We completely immerse ourselves in the underground, with Canadian saxophonist/composer Jason Sharp – who is linked to the Constellation label (see: Godspeed You! Black Emperor). Just like composer and sound-artist Lea Bertucci, a new rising star of New York's improv underground.

In Belgium the rapper has already worked with rising-star duo blackwave. They released the track ‘Flow’ together.

Michael Harrison

Composer/pianist Michael Harrison’s work has earned him the label of, in the words of Philip Glass, an “American Maverick.” Harrison’s albums, “Revelation” and “Time Loops” were chosen by The New York Times, Boston Globe, and NPR among the Best Classical Recordings of the Year. Harrison is a protégé of composers La Monte Young and Terry Riley. He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, American Composers Forum, New Music USA, Aaron Copland Fund, Yaddo, and MacDowell. Performances include The Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Louvre, Carnegie, BAM Next Wave, Park Avenue Armory, MASS MoCA, Spoleto, Pompidou Centre, Big Ears Festival, Muziekgebouw, United Nations, and Sundance.

Christina Vantzou

Christina Vantzou is a Missouri native of Greek descent who resides in Brussels.  A composer & experimental filmmaker, she works with space, sound, and image on a level of curiosity and refinement. Vantzou has composed and released four albums of ambient-classical music on Kranky and has developed a form of graphic musical notation influenced by abstract minimalists.  Her many collaborations have included performing with Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse), co-founding The Dead Texan, creating abstract films for renowned musical artists, and performing with ensembles across 4 continents.  

2018 was L’Or du Commun’s year. After a summer containing highlights on both Belgian and French stages, their first full album ‘SAPIENS’ was released in November via their LaBrique label. They again entrusted their favourite sound-architect as producer, beatmaker VAX-1. The result is an incredible debut.

‘Et j'en menais pas large avant que L'Or Du Commun ne m'ait repéré’ – Roméo Elvis in ‘1000 degrés’, his song featuring Lomepal.

His international breakthrough hit ‘Be Alright’ saw the light at the end of 2018. The Australian singer bares his soul by singing about his deepest sadness. At the same time, he realises that it is a temporary pain and that gives the song a hopeful undertone. Together with his latest track ‘7 Minutes’, this is a foretaste of his long-awaited album.

With his eclectic mix of traditional folk songs and his classical background, it is logical that his work is regularly compared to that of Sufjan Stevens or Rufus Wainwright.

In the aftermath of the 2016 elections in America, he made a train trip through his country to collect tales for his 2018 album 'Book of Travelers' on the Nonesuch label (see: Conor Oberst, Fleet Foxes, David Byrne …). The album was received with rave reviews.

Uncut wrote: ‘Musically fascinating and hauntingly empathetic’ and Rolling Stone labelled the album ‘a stunning portrait of a singular moment in America.’

He could count on the assistance of beat-makers Skuna (Columbine) and Mems (Damso) for his most recent album ‘GEAR 3’.

Turkish psychedelica? Pink Floyd on saz!
The latest delight of the indie scene for a while now: Turkish psychedelica. Labels like Finders Keepers and Pharaway Sounds have ensured a revitalization of the heritage through a constant stream of Turkish reissues. Folk heroine Selda Bağcan is being massively rediscovered and contemporary acts like Gaye Su Akyol, Derya Yildirim, BaBa ZuLa and Altin Gün fully embrace the style. They all refer back to the heyday of Turkish psychedelica in the ‘60s-‘70s, when Anatolian rock and folk fused with Western rock-’n-roll. Artists like Erkin Koray, Bariș Manço, Selda and Cem Karaca, were the (politically engaged) Turkish heroes of that time.

Her music is influenced by both her Turkish roots - Gaye is a big Selda fan – and by Joy Division, Nick Cave and surf. Their shows – all musicians wear masks except for Gaye – are both compelling and mesmerising. Their latest album ‘İstikrarlı Hayal Hakikattir’ (via the superb Glitterbeat label) translates as ‘Consistent Fantasy Is Reality’ and it has been swamped with high praise, from specialised global sounds blogs to Pitchfork.

JAB recorded the album during the free time between his various collaborative projects. He used a mix of electronic and acoustic instruments for the recordings on the album, including modified Aphex Twin DX7-presets, Eurorack-oscillators ‘tuned according to intuitive structures using intervals of 30 hz’ and a number of flutes, including a Chinese ‘Dizi’ flute borrowed from his father – the well-known avant-garde poet and mail-artist John M. Bennett (a contemporary of New York underground poets Richard Kostelanetz and Steve Dalachinsky). Through this unique blend, JAB creates an album that goes beyond the conventional. Partly New York minimalism, part ambient, part classic electronic, but authentic JAB.

If there’s a remake of the excellent documentary series ‘American Epic’ in 2070, then Anna & Elizabeth are sure to be amongst the protagonists.

Following sold out shows in London Roundhouse, Manchester Yes and Tokyo Unit Gondwana Records is super excited to present Gondwana 10 Brussels at one of our favourite venues, the amazing AB (Ancienne Belgique) in Brussels.

In the main hall, local heroes STUFF. (who are released internationally by NEWS/Gondwana) headline, alongside performances from wide-screen minimalists Portico Quartet, sublime spiritual jazz from Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra and a debut for former Cinematic Orchestra bassist Phil France, performing his own subtle, ever evolving -compositions.

Meanwhile in the club you can check out, powerful electro-soul outfit Noya Rao from Leeds and Gondwana’s latest signings, Polish piano sensation Hania Rani performing compositions inspired by Icelandic landscapes and the Polish Bieszczady mountains and Sunda Arc whose unique hybrid of electronic and acoustic instruments will get you dancing.

This event is co-hosted by Flagey.

WHAT? Infectious German pop-rock phenomenon. Maybe already experienced at festivals like The Great Escape, Rock am Ring and Lollapalooza?

Ever evolving in their art, the band is constantly reinventing and growing. Set to releasing their 6th studio album in 2019, the band’s unique legacy consists of international hits and a very personal journey through two musical decades. Together with their fans, the band will dive deep into all their songs, ranging from their 2005 debut up to the yet to be released 2019 brand new album. Singer Bill adds: “A magical experience in the last Summer inspired us for the show concept, we will create a very special Tokio Hotel Set list for our fans”

Never abandoning their core principles of very personal songwriting and openness to new sound experiences, Bill, Tom, Gustav and Georg never took the easy route of heritage bands. Instead, they take risks to pursue an unprecedented career. Not only in their music but also on a visual level Tokio Hotel dares to step over boundaries and be the exception. The quartet became internationally known for extraordinary live productions and visual masterpieces to build the canvas for their fascinating soundscapes. Especially Bill is the creative force behind striking costumes, breathtaking stage sets and trippy light shows, always surprising and always bold.

Like their unorthodox career path; Out of their small hometown, Bill, Tom, Gustav and Georg set out to become an international phenomenon named Tokio Hotel. Against all odds, they have received more than 110 international and national awards - among them the US MTV VMA Moonman, five European Music Awards, four MTV Latin Music Awards and also the MTV Japan Music Award. More than 10 million records were sold worldwide, with platinum success in 68 countries – and half a million people even gathered at the Eiffel Tower to see Tokio Hotel's eccentric and stunning live show. 

“I rarely look back but when I do I’m filled with joy and nostalgia. Looking forward I feel melancholia just like I did when I was 13 years old sitting in my child’s room dreaming of the big stages of this world. In this new show we gonna do both.  It’ll be a crazy ride “

Think: the exuberant vibe of the famous Boiler Room Sessions, as well as established names in the scene who will make the AB their playground. Braindance is the ideal first stop for a night out on the town in Brussels and for mind-blowing musical discoveries.

New York musician and choreographer Alexandra Drewchin explores the boundaries of music with her remarkable sound. Her third longplayer ‘IRISIRI’ was released via legendary Berlin label PAN records a few months ago. A wonderful album on which classical composition and intense, reckless electro are doused in poetic whispering and her unbelievable voice (with which she can take on no less than 3 octaves). Live, she brings the universe of Eartheater to life, something that equates to an intense performance.

Her folky indie sound is the common theme, but Lucy Rose has never lost the sincerity of her music either. She decided to reinvent herself in 2016, by distancing herself from the music world and communicating more intensely with her fans. She did so by having her South American fans book concerts for her and she set up a backpack tour that way. All that resulted in the tender, surprising third album ‘Something’s Changing’.

The Irish indie pop sensation Walking on Cars returns to AB with a new album, after a sold out Club show in 2017 !

We know Samara Lubelski from her solo work and from various provocative art-music bands like Hall of Fame, The Tower Recordings and MV & EE. On her first solo release, 'In the Valley' (1997), she explored the boundaries of resonance and drones with her violin. Lubelski then went on to release a series of lush psychedelic folk-rock releases upon us: 'The Fleeting Skies' (2004), 'Spectacular of Passages' (2005), 'Parallel Suns' (2007), 'Future Slip' (2009), 'Wavelength' (2012), 'The Gilded Raid' (2016) and 'Flickers at the Station' (2018). Dennis Tyfus released her second solo violin issue in 2014 on his Ultra Eczema label. She toured and recorded with Thurston Moore’s band Chelsea Light Moving and played on Moore’s solo albums ‘Trees Outside the Academy’ and ‘Demolished Thoughts’. German collective Metabolismus and Marcia Bassett (Zaïmph) have been musical sparring partners for years now and she steered the dials in the studio for recordings of bands like Double Leopards, Sightings and Mouthus.

Guitarist Bill Nace regularly works with an exceptional group of influential musicians like Michael Morley, Mats Gustafsson, Joe McPhee, Chris Corsano, Greg Kelley and Kim Gordon (Body/Head). His range on the electric guitar has previously been described as ‘veering from sculptural, almost Remko-Scha-esque chime to Loren Connors-style elegance in only a few short moves.’ (Mimaroglu Music, 2010). We find his releases on diverse labels, such as Ecstatic Peace!, Ultra Eczema, Holidays, 8MM, Throne Heap, HP Cycle and Nace’ own label Open Mouth.

Bill Nace and Samara Lubelski released a very intense, entirely improvised LP on Open Mouth (Relative Pitch/cd) in 2018 and now tour Europe for the first time as duo…

Pavlove is a psychedelic indie-rock band from Ghent. The energetic five perform songs with playful vocals, inventive guitar parts and rousing rhythms.

Important members are the half-Iranian brother and sister Fabian and Reina Rasti. Inspired by 60’s music from the west as well as from Iran, they perform a mix of danceable indie and neo-psychedelic melancholy.

Their song ‘Because of You’ was also on the soundtrack of the film ‘Charlie and Hannah’s Grand Night Out’ by Bert Scholiers.

Le Manou

Junior Eurosong (2009), The Voice (2013) and De Nieuwe Lichting (2015). Student of music production, Manou Maerten, has done it all. 

After her successful EP ‘L’Homme’, she now returns with new material. On her new single ‘Addict’, we get to hear a wonderful fusion of lyrical classical music with electronic rhythms.

She made a overwhelming impression at the last edition of Eurosonic and thus landed in the Top 3 of AB programmer Astrid De Sterck.

Any Other will appear solo in AB Salon.

In 2017 the 2 young, terribly talented jazz musicians Hendrik Lasure & Casper Van de Velde (SCHNTZL) came to record their eponymous (and critically acclaimed) debut album with producer Koen Gisen at La Patrie Studio’s in Ghent.

Singer Songwriter An Pierlé, Gisen’s long-time partner in crime asked them if they wanted to join them on a new musical adventure.

In the simplest of Jazz Traditions this collaboration was aptly named the "An Pierlé Quartet".

They organized a musical 'bootcamp' in the MSK museum - where Pierlé is Artist in Residence - and Koen Gisen brought in his vintage and analogue gear to record the sessions, held in front of a wandering public.

It is a work in progress. Pierlé’s compositions are deliberately left completely open to leave enough room for experiment and improvisation. She plays piano and sings, Hendrik Lasure does synths & loops, Casper Van de Velde is his imaginative and colorful drumming self, and Koen Gisen glues everything together with his Bass Clarinet, sax & guitar

Versatile experimental pop music with a jazzy, improvisational twist, from wide-open stillness to expressive Brechtian Cabaret-like fun and noise, a new Band is born.

In the meantime An Pierlé Quartet made the music for “Sylvia”, a music theatre performance at the Brussels Theatre National, resulting in a cinematic “opera” inspired by the life of Sylvia Plath in collaboration with De Munt/ La Monnaie and Cie Artara, directed by Fabrice Murgia. They are touring internationally through 2019 & 2020.

AB launches the (ambitious) plan to, over the coming years, once again shine a spotlight on the masterful compilation ‘Anthology of American Folk Music’ (Folkways Records, 1952). ‘Anthology’ was compiled by American eccentric and 78 rpm collector Harry Smith and, with its 84 songs, it is considered to be the bible of American folk. In other words: the equivalent of ‘The Great American Songbook’.

Don’t know the name? Think twice! Both Harry Smith and the collector bagged three (!) Grammy Awards. It is considered by Rolling Stone to be one of ‘The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time’. Beck, Bob Dylan, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) and Elvis Costello are absolute admirers. Just like The White Stripes and Nick Cave, whose primal versions of ‘John the Revelator’, ‘Stagger Lee’ and ‘Henry Lee’ are to be found on ‘The Anthology’.

The plan? Every year, AB will invite an (inter)national artist here who has been influenced by (or is inspired by) this masterful collective work that, by the way, also abundantly exudes blues, cajun, gospel, jazz and hillbilly. The full evening programme will be a deep dive into ‘The Anthology’, with personal interpretations of songs from Harry Smiths epos.

Sam Amidon presents ‘Anthology of American Folk Music’

Following on from The Golden Glows, it is now the turn of Sam Amidon – our first international guest to become immersed in the work of ‘Anthology of American Folk Music’. This American singer, guitarist, fiddle- and banjo-player often borrows from American traditionals gathered together by musicologists like Alan Lomax and Harry Smith.

Amidon literally grew up in a family where Appalachian folk music formed the soundtrack of his youth. When Harry Smith’s ‘Anthology of American Folk Music’ was released on CD in 1997, it was a 16-year-old Sam that received the musical uppercut that would change his life: ‘When I heard old field recordings of fiddlers and singers on the mountain, it was as harsh and strange as an Albert Ayler free jazz album. Suddenly, here were vintage recordings buried under hiss and crackle, with strange accents and weathered voices. It sounded as alien as my first encounter with Ornette Coleman and was part of the same world of exploration.’

Sam Amidon received just one assignment from AB: rework songs from Harry Smith’s famous Anthology as if it were a modern masterpiece.

AB lanceert het (ambitieuze) plan om de komende jaren het meesterverzamelwerk ‘Anthology of American Folk Music’ (Folkways Records, 1952) opnieuw volop in de kijker te zetten. ‘Anthology’ werd samengesteld door de Amerikaanse excentriekeling en 78-toerenplaatverzamelaar Harry Smith en wordt met zijn 84 songs beschouwd als dé bijbel van de Amerikaanse folk. Zeg maar: het equivalent van ‘The Great American Songbook’.

Niet bekend? Think twice! Zowel Harry Smith als de verzamelaar sleepten drie (!) Grammy Awards in de wacht. Het wordt door Rolling Stone beschouwd als één van ‘The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time’. Beck, Bob Dylan, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) en Elvis Costello zijn absolute bewonderaars. Net als The White Stripes en Nick Cave, wiens primaire versies van ‘John the Revelator’, ‘Stagger Lee’ en ‘Henry Lee’ terug te vinden zijn op ‘The Anthology’.

Het plan? Jaarlijks nodigt AB één (inter)nationale artiest uit die beïnvloed is of geïnspireerd wordt door dit meesterlijke verzamelwerk dat overigens ook volop blues, cajun, gospel, jazz en hillbilly uitademt. Het avondvullend programma wordt een diepe duik in ‘The Anthology’ met persoonlijke interpretaties van songs uit Harry Smiths epos.

Sam Amidon presents ‘Anthology of American Folk Music’

Na The Golden Glows is het de beurt aan Sam Amidon, onze eerste internationale gast die zich verdiept in het werk van ‘Anthology of American Folk Music’. Deze Amerikaanse zanger, gitarist, fiddle- en banjospeler speelt vaak leentjebuur bij Amerikaanse traditionals, bij elkaar gesprokkeld door musicologen als Alan Lomax en Harry Smith.

Amidon groeide letterlijk op in een gezin waar Appalachian folk music de soundtrack van zijn jeugd uitmaakte. Toen in 1997 Harry Smiths ‘Anthology of American Folk Music’ op cd uitkwam, kreeg hij als 16-jarige een muzikale uppercut die zijn leven zou veranderen: ‘When I heard old field recordings of fiddlers and singers on the mountain, it was as harsh and strange as an Albert Ayler free jazz album. Suddenly, here were vintage recordings buried under hiss and crackle, with strange accents and weathered voices. It sounded as alien as my first encounter with Ornette Coleman and was part of the same world of exploration.’

Sam Amidon kreeg vanuit AB één opdracht mee: herwerk songs uit Harry Smiths befaamde Anthology alsof het een hedendaags meesterwerk is.                                                       

Yet he has been living in Paris for a quarter century already and invariably performs with his French friend Olivier Durand. This time too, to coincide with his seventieth birthday, they will appear as duo in AB Club with as ‘little extra’ the CD 'Elliott Murphy is alive!'. Call it a 'live @ AB', as it contains recordings from the splendid AB concert of 2008

Spinvis and Introdans enter into a new adventure in the spring of 2019, with the family show VIER VERHALEN EN EEN DAG, whereby Adriaan Luteijn (in collaboration with Marlena Wolfe and the dancers) again provides the choreography. The music of Spinvis and Van Camp is performed live.

In a constantly changing decor, the three musicians and twelve dancers discover the limits of safety and freedom in VIER VERHALEN EN EEN DAG. They build walls, check on each other with cameras, escape, search for a place to be alone, and create an ever changing new world. If everything falls apart, one thing remains: the unpredictability of love.

concept: Spinvis, Saartje Van Camp and Adriaan Luteijn

music/lyrics: Spinvis, Saartje Van Camp and Ro Krauss

choreography: Adriaan Luteijn, Marlena Wolfe, i.c.w. the dancers

decor: Thomas Rupert

light design: Joep Vermeulen

audience: you and me

Poldoore has now, after several years, finally finished a new CD: 'Mosaic', with 'Just Like Melody' as first single.

Boogie Belgique brings their 'fusion of old and new, vintage yet innovative' back to AB again too (as it doesn’t always have to be international destinations...)

Although Rootsriders normally do not depend on performing Marley's best-known songs only, playing his greatest hits is by no means something they don’t look forward to: « These songs are classics because they are all fantastic songs by one of the greatest artists and songwriters of all time, mind you! » The band asks Marley fans to share their personal favorite Marley tracks with them on social media under hashtag #Legend35 so Rootsriders can truly pay tribute to Legend together with Marley fans, 35 years after the release of this best-selling reggae album of all time.

Rootsriders were founded in 2006 to commemorate that Bob Marley had passed away 25 years before. A sold-out show in one of the best pop venues in the Netherlands tasted like more and since then the band has become the best Marley tribute in Europe (and some say far beyond). In 2013, the blind audition of Rootsriders singer Mitchell Brunings at The Voice of Holland went viral worldwide and created a lot of extra attention for the band, including some sold-out tours, together with Mitchell of course who then left the band and played the leading role in the official Marley musical. Currently, Mo Ali, from Sudan, considered by experts to be the best Marley-inspired voice in the world, and the Caribbean Tamara Nivillac are the most important singers of the band.

‘The Ideal Crash’ – the third and highly praised dEUS album – has been around for 20 years now and that’s something to celebrate! In no small way either! With a complete performance – from start to finish – of this absolute dEUS classic, actually. From the (frankly genius) first track ‘Put The Freaks Up Front’ to the musing last one ‘Dream Sequence #1’. Tom Barman about the album: ‘Als er ooit een moment komt om een album in de kijker te zetten, dan is het ongetwijfeld ‘The Ideal Crash’. Het was een bijzonder belangrijke plaat voor ons die meteen de standaard hoog legt voor de nieuwe dEUS-songs die we na afloop ook zullen spelen.’

‘The Ideal Crash’ was produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill – also producer for Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins and David Sylvian, amongst others – who would later handle dEUS’ second last album ‘Keep You Close’. ‘The Ideal Crash’ adorned many a year-end chart in ‘99 and even made it into the top 20 of Oor’s Top 100 Of All Time, finely flanked by Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ and Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’.

Guy Garvey (Elbow) still considers the wonderful single ‘Instant Street’ to be one of his most favourite songs of all time. And, 20 years later, ‘Instant Street’ still ranks in the top 15 of the most recent BelPop 100 (the ranking of the best Belgian songs, as chosen by listeners of Radio 1).

To coincide with dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’, the album will be re-released in a re-mastered version and the band will be playing – long live the symbolism! – no less than 20 concerts throughout Europe. Brand new guitarist Bruno De Groote is part of it all, of course. Together with the rest of dEUS, he will soon dive into the studio for the recording of their 8th album.

Just as the previous artists to appear in the ◄◄ REWIND series, dEUS will be lauded with an official ceremony in the Steenstraat as a tribute to their contribution to Belgian (pop) music.

◄◄ REWIND

In 2007, AB launched a timeless series: ◄◄ REWIND. Central to this series are Belgian artists who perform ‘their classic’. Call it a milestone in their career, or what’s more: a key album in Belgian pop music. It is often – but not always – about albums that are etched into collective memory. Call them points of reference in the Belgian music landscape. So each ‘pièce de résistance’ is performed in its entirety. Completely? That’s right, in the exact order that the artist wanted (or still wants) to tell his/her tale.

With ◄◄ REWIND, AB also contributes to the activation of Belgian musical heritage. Already passed in revue: ‘The Kids’ (The Kids), ‘Op Zoek Naar Romantiek’ (Guido Belcanto), ‘Jonge Helden’ (Arbeid Adelt!), ‘Gorky’ (Gorki),‘1981-1984’ (The Neon Judgement),‘Royalty In Exile’ (The Scabs), ‘Nooit Meer Drinken’ (Raymond Van Het Groenewoud), ‘De Mens’ (De Mens), ‘The Ship’ (Luc Van Acker), ‘Un Ball Dans La Tête’ (De Puta Madre), ‘Hè Hè’ (Jan De Wilde), ‘Laïs’ (Laïs) and ‘Struggle for Pleasure’ (Wim Mertens).

‘The Ideal Crash’ – the third and highly praised dEUS album – has been around for 20 years now and that’s something to celebrate! In no small way either! With a complete performance – from start to finish – of this absolute dEUS classic, actually. From the (frankly genius) first track ‘Put The Freaks Up Front’ to the musing last one ‘Dream Sequence #1’. Tom Barman about the album: ‘Als er ooit een moment komt om een album in de kijker te zetten, dan is het ongetwijfeld ‘The Ideal Crash’. Het was een bijzonder belangrijke plaat voor ons die meteen de standaard hoog legt voor de nieuwe dEUS-songs die we na afloop ook zullen spelen.’

‘The Ideal Crash’ was produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill – also producer for Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins and David Sylvian, amongst others – who would later handle dEUS’ second last album ‘Keep You Close’. ‘The Ideal Crash’ adorned many a year-end chart in ‘99 and even made it into the top 20 of Oor’s Top 100 Of All Time, finely flanked by Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ and Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’.

Guy Garvey (Elbow) still considers the wonderful single ‘Instant Street’ to be one of his most favourite songs of all time. And, 20 years later, ‘Instant Street’ still ranks in the top 15 of the most recent BelPop 100 (the ranking of the best Belgian songs, as chosen by listeners of Radio 1).

To coincide with dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’, the album will be re-released in a re-mastered version and the band will be playing – long live the symbolism! – no less than 20 concerts throughout Europe. Brand new guitarist Bruno De Groote is part of it all, of course. Together with the rest of dEUS, he will soon dive into the studio for the recording of their 8th album.

Just as the previous artists to appear in the ◄◄ REWIND series, dEUS will be lauded with an official ceremony in the Steenstraat as a tribute to their contribution to Belgian (pop) music.

◄◄ REWIND

In 2007, AB launched a timeless series: ◄◄ REWIND. Central to this series are Belgian artists who perform ‘their classic’. Call it a milestone in their career, or what’s more: a key album in Belgian pop music. It is often – but not always – about albums that are etched into collective memory. Call them points of reference in the Belgian music landscape. So each ‘pièce de résistance’ is performed in its entirety. Completely? That’s right, in the exact order that the artist wanted (or still wants) to tell his/her tale.

With ◄◄ REWIND, AB also contributes to the activation of Belgian musical heritage. Already passed in revue: ‘The Kids’ (The Kids), ‘Op Zoek Naar Romantiek’ (Guido Belcanto), ‘Jonge Helden’ (Arbeid Adelt!), ‘Gorky’ (Gorki),‘1981-1984’ (The Neon Judgement),‘Royalty In Exile’ (The Scabs), ‘Nooit Meer Drinken’ (Raymond Van Het Groenewoud), ‘De Mens’ (De Mens), ‘The Ship’ (Luc Van Acker), ‘Un Ball Dans La Tête’ (De Puta Madre), ‘Hè Hè’ (Jan De Wilde), ‘Laïs’ (Laïs) and ‘Struggle for Pleasure’ (Wim Mertens).

‘The Ideal Crash’ – the third and highly praised dEUS album – has been around for 20 years now and that’s something to celebrate! In no small way either! With a complete performance – from start to finish – of this absolute dEUS classic, actually. From the (frankly genius) first track ‘Put The Freaks Up Front’ to the musing last one ‘Dream Sequence #1’. Tom Barman about the album: ‘Als er ooit een moment komt om een album in de kijker te zetten, dan is het ongetwijfeld ‘The Ideal Crash’. Het was een bijzonder belangrijke plaat voor ons die meteen de standaard hoog legt voor de nieuwe dEUS-songs die we na afloop ook zullen spelen.’

‘The Ideal Crash’ was produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill – also producer for Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins and David Sylvian, amongst others – who would later handle dEUS’ second last album ‘Keep You Close’. ‘The Ideal Crash’ adorned many a year-end chart in ‘99 and even made it into the top 20 of Oor’s Top 100 Of All Time, finely flanked by Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ and Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’.

Guy Garvey (Elbow) still considers the wonderful single ‘Instant Street’ to be one of his most favourite songs of all time. And, 20 years later, ‘Instant Street’ still ranks in the top 15 of the most recent BelPop 100 (the ranking of the best Belgian songs, as chosen by listeners of Radio 1).

To coincide with dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’, the album will be re-released in a re-mastered version and the band will be playing – long live the symbolism! – no less than 20 concerts throughout Europe. Brand new guitarist Bruno De Groote is part of it all, of course. Together with the rest of dEUS, he will soon dive into the studio for the recording of their 8th album.

Just as the previous artists to appear in the ◄◄ REWIND series, dEUS will be lauded with an official ceremony in the Steenstraat as a tribute to their contribution to Belgian (pop) music.

◄◄ REWIND

In 2007, AB launched a timeless series: ◄◄ REWIND. Central to this series are Belgian artists who perform ‘their classic’. Call it a milestone in their career, or what’s more: a key album in Belgian pop music. It is often – but not always – about albums that are etched into collective memory. Call them points of reference in the Belgian music landscape. So each ‘pièce de résistance’ is performed in its entirety. Completely? That’s right, in the exact order that the artist wanted (or still wants) to tell his/her tale.

With ◄◄ REWIND, AB also contributes to the activation of Belgian musical heritage. Already passed in revue: ‘The Kids’ (The Kids), ‘Op Zoek Naar Romantiek’ (Guido Belcanto), ‘Jonge Helden’ (Arbeid Adelt!), ‘Gorky’ (Gorki),‘1981-1984’ (The Neon Judgement),‘Royalty In Exile’ (The Scabs), ‘Nooit Meer Drinken’ (Raymond Van Het Groenewoud), ‘De Mens’ (De Mens), ‘The Ship’ (Luc Van Acker), ‘Un Ball Dans La Tête’ (De Puta Madre), ‘Hè Hè’ (Jan De Wilde), ‘Laïs’ (Laïs) and ‘Struggle for Pleasure’ (Wim Mertens).

‘The Ideal Crash’ – the third and highly praised dEUS album – has been around for 20 years now and that’s something to celebrate! In no small way either! With a complete performance – from start to finish – of this absolute dEUS classic, actually. From the (frankly genius) first track ‘Put The Freaks Up Front’ to the musing last one ‘Dream Sequence #1’. Tom Barman about the album: ‘Als er ooit een moment komt om een album in de kijker te zetten, dan is het ongetwijfeld ‘The Ideal Crash’. Het was een bijzonder belangrijke plaat voor ons die meteen de standaard hoog legt voor de nieuwe dEUS-songs die we na afloop ook zullen spelen.’

‘The Ideal Crash’ was produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill – also producer for Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins and David Sylvian, amongst others – who would later handle dEUS’ second last album ‘Keep You Close’. ‘The Ideal Crash’ adorned many a year-end chart in ‘99 and even made it into the top 20 of Oor’s Top 100 Of All Time, finely flanked by Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ and Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’.

Guy Garvey (Elbow) still considers the wonderful single ‘Instant Street’ to be one of his most favourite songs of all time. And, 20 years later, ‘Instant Street’ still ranks in the top 15 of the most recent BelPop 100 (the ranking of the best Belgian songs, as chosen by listeners of Radio 1).

To coincide with dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’, the album will be re-released in a re-mastered version and the band will be playing – long live the symbolism! – no less than 20 concerts throughout Europe. Brand new guitarist Bruno De Groote is part of it all, of course. Together with the rest of dEUS, he will soon dive into the studio for the recording of their 8th album.

Just as the previous artists to appear in the ◄◄ REWIND series, dEUS will be lauded with an official ceremony in the Steenstraat as a tribute to their contribution to Belgian (pop) music.

◄◄ REWIND

In 2007, AB launched a timeless series: ◄◄ REWIND. Central to this series are Belgian artists who perform ‘their classic’. Call it a milestone in their career, or what’s more: a key album in Belgian pop music. It is often – but not always – about albums that are etched into collective memory. Call them points of reference in the Belgian music landscape. So each ‘pièce de résistance’ is performed in its entirety. Completely? That’s right, in the exact order that the artist wanted (or still wants) to tell his/her tale.

With ◄◄ REWIND, AB also contributes to the activation of Belgian musical heritage. Already passed in revue: ‘The Kids’ (The Kids), ‘Op Zoek Naar Romantiek’ (Guido Belcanto), ‘Jonge Helden’ (Arbeid Adelt!), ‘Gorky’ (Gorki),‘1981-1984’ (The Neon Judgement),‘Royalty In Exile’ (The Scabs), ‘Nooit Meer Drinken’ (Raymond Van Het Groenewoud), ‘De Mens’ (De Mens), ‘The Ship’ (Luc Van Acker), ‘Un Ball Dans La Tête’ (De Puta Madre), ‘Hè Hè’ (Jan De Wilde), ‘Laïs’ (Laïs) and ‘Struggle for Pleasure’ (Wim Mertens).

‘The Ideal Crash’ – the third and highly praised dEUS album – has been around for 20 years now and that’s something to celebrate! In no small way either! With a complete performance – from start to finish – of this absolute dEUS classic, actually. From the (frankly genius) first track ‘Put The Freaks Up Front’ to the musing last one ‘Dream Sequence #1’. Tom Barman about the album: ‘Als er ooit een moment komt om een album in de kijker te zetten, dan is het ongetwijfeld ‘The Ideal Crash’. Het was een bijzonder belangrijke plaat voor ons die meteen de standaard hoog legt voor de nieuwe dEUS-songs die we na afloop ook zullen spelen.’

‘The Ideal Crash’ was produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill – also producer for Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins and David Sylvian, amongst others – who would later handle dEUS’ second last album ‘Keep You Close’. ‘The Ideal Crash’ adorned many a year-end chart in ‘99 and even made it into the top 20 of Oor’s Top 100 Of All Time, finely flanked by Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ and Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’.

Guy Garvey (Elbow) still considers the wonderful single ‘Instant Street’ to be one of his most favourite songs of all time. And, 20 years later, ‘Instant Street’ still ranks in the top 15 of the most recent BelPop 100 (the ranking of the best Belgian songs, as chosen by listeners of Radio 1).

To coincide with dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’, the album will be re-released in a re-mastered version and the band will be playing – long live the symbolism! – no less than 20 concerts throughout Europe. Brand new guitarist Bruno De Groote is part of it all, of course. Together with the rest of dEUS, he will soon dive into the studio for the recording of their 8th album.

Just as the previous artists to appear in the ◄◄ REWIND series, dEUS will be lauded with an official ceremony in the Steenstraat as a tribute to their contribution to Belgian (pop) music.

◄◄ REWIND

In 2007, AB launched a timeless series: ◄◄ REWIND. Central to this series are Belgian artists who perform ‘their classic’. Call it a milestone in their career, or what’s more: a key album in Belgian pop music. It is often – but not always – about albums that are etched into collective memory. Call them points of reference in the Belgian music landscape. So each ‘pièce de résistance’ is performed in its entirety. Completely? That’s right, in the exact order that the artist wanted (or still wants) to tell his/her tale.

With ◄◄ REWIND, AB also contributes to the activation of Belgian musical heritage. Already passed in revue: ‘The Kids’ (The Kids), ‘Op Zoek Naar Romantiek’ (Guido Belcanto), ‘Jonge Helden’ (Arbeid Adelt!), ‘Gorky’ (Gorki),‘1981-1984’ (The Neon Judgement),‘Royalty In Exile’ (The Scabs), ‘Nooit Meer Drinken’ (Raymond Van Het Groenewoud), ‘De Mens’ (De Mens), ‘The Ship’ (Luc Van Acker), ‘Un Ball Dans La Tête’ (De Puta Madre), ‘Hè Hè’ (Jan De Wilde), ‘Laïs’ (Laïs) and ‘Struggle for Pleasure’ (Wim Mertens).

This show is free and is a part of the Brussels Jazz Weekend.

‘The Ideal Crash’ – the third and highly praised dEUS album – has been around for 20 years now and that’s something to celebrate! In no small way either! With a complete performance – from start to finish – of this absolute dEUS classic, actually. From the (frankly genius) first track ‘Put The Freaks Up Front’ to the musing last one ‘Dream Sequence #1’. Tom Barman about the album: ‘Als er ooit een moment komt om een album in de kijker te zetten, dan is het ongetwijfeld ‘The Ideal Crash’. Het was een bijzonder belangrijke plaat voor ons die meteen de standaard hoog legt voor de nieuwe dEUS-songs die we na afloop ook zullen spelen.’

‘The Ideal Crash’ was produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill – also producer for Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins and David Sylvian, amongst others – who would later handle dEUS’ second last album ‘Keep You Close’. ‘The Ideal Crash’ adorned many a year-end chart in ‘99 and even made it into the top 20 of Oor’s Top 100 Of All Time, finely flanked by Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ and Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’.

Guy Garvey (Elbow) still considers the wonderful single ‘Instant Street’ to be one of his most favourite songs of all time. And, 20 years later, ‘Instant Street’ still ranks in the top 15 of the most recent BelPop 100 (the ranking of the best Belgian songs, as chosen by listeners of Radio 1).

To coincide with dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’, the album will be re-released in a re-mastered version and the band will be playing – long live the symbolism! – no less than 20 concerts throughout Europe. Brand new guitarist Bruno De Groote is part of it all, of course. Together with the rest of dEUS, he will soon dive into the studio for the recording of their 8th album.

Just as the previous artists to appear in the ◄◄ REWIND series, dEUS will be lauded with an official ceremony in the Steenstraat as a tribute to their contribution to Belgian (pop) music.

◄◄ REWIND

In 2007, AB launched a timeless series: ◄◄ REWIND. Central to this series are Belgian artists who perform ‘their classic’. Call it a milestone in their career, or what’s more: a key album in Belgian pop music. It is often – but not always – about albums that are etched into collective memory. Call them points of reference in the Belgian music landscape. So each ‘pièce de résistance’ is performed in its entirety. Completely? That’s right, in the exact order that the artist wanted (or still wants) to tell his/her tale.

With ◄◄ REWIND, AB also contributes to the activation of Belgian musical heritage. Already passed in revue: ‘The Kids’ (The Kids), ‘Op Zoek Naar Romantiek’ (Guido Belcanto), ‘Jonge Helden’ (Arbeid Adelt!), ‘Gorky’ (Gorki),‘1981-1984’ (The Neon Judgement),‘Royalty In Exile’ (The Scabs), ‘Nooit Meer Drinken’ (Raymond Van Het Groenewoud), ‘De Mens’ (De Mens), ‘The Ship’ (Luc Van Acker), ‘Un Ball Dans La Tête’ (De Puta Madre), ‘Hè Hè’ (Jan De Wilde), ‘Laïs’ (Laïs) and ‘Struggle for Pleasure’ (Wim Mertens).

Blank Bashee is considered one of the figureheads of the Vaporwave scene. This music microgenre is inspired by nineties internet culture. The masked Canadian producer combines samples from 80s and 90s video games, with his own trap beats and vocals.

dEUS adds two extra concerts to the series ◄ ◄ REWIND: dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’ (’99)

A surprise to all: within barely 24 hours, no less than 10,000 (!) tickets were sold for dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’ (‘99) as a part of the ◄ ◄ REWIND series in which a Belgian classic is played live, in its entirety. The speed of these ticket sales is reasonably rare by AB norms but simply reinforces the assertion that ‘The Ideal Crash’ is etched in collective memory.

To meet demand, dEUS has added two extra concerts – namely SUNDAY 26 and MONDAY 27 MAY – to this already impressive series.

‘The Ideal Crash’ – the third and highly praised dEUS album – has been around for 20 years now and that’s something to celebrate! In no small way either! With a complete performance – from start to finish – of this absolute dEUS classic, actually. From the (frankly genius) first track ‘Put The Freaks Up Front’ to the musing last one ‘Dream Sequence #1’. Tom Barman about the album: ‘Als er ooit een moment komt om een album in de kijker te zetten, dan is het ongetwijfeld ‘The Ideal Crash’. Het was een bijzonder belangrijke plaat voor ons die meteen de standaard hoog legt voor de nieuwe dEUS-songs die we na afloop ook zullen spelen.’

‘The Ideal Crash’ was produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill – also producer for Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins and David Sylvian, amongst others – who would later handle dEUS’ second last album ‘Keep You Close’. ‘The Ideal Crash’ adorned many a year-end chart in ‘99 and even made it into the top 20 of Oor’s Top 100 Of All Time, finely flanked by Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ and Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’.

Guy Garvey (Elbow) still considers the wonderful single ‘Instant Street’ to be one of his most favourite songs of all time. And, 20 years later, ‘Instant Street’ still ranks in the top 15 of the most recent BelPop 100 (the ranking of the best Belgian songs, as chosen by listeners of Radio 1).

To coincide with dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’, the album will be re-released in a re-mastered version and the band will be playing – long live the symbolism! – no less than 20 concerts throughout Europe. Brand new guitarist Bruno De Groote is part of it all, of course. Together with the rest of dEUS, he will soon dive into the studio for the recording of their 8th album.

Just as the previous artists to appear in the ◄◄ REWIND series, dEUS will be lauded with an official ceremony in the Steenstraat as a tribute to their contribution to Belgian (pop) music.

◄◄ REWIND

In 2007, AB launched a timeless series: ◄◄ REWIND. Central to this series are Belgian artists who perform ‘their classic’. Call it a milestone in their career, or what’s more: a key album in Belgian pop music. It is often – but not always – about albums that are etched into collective memory. Call them points of reference in the Belgian music landscape. So each ‘pièce de résistance’ is performed in its entirety. Completely? That’s right, in the exact order that the artist wanted (or still wants) to tell his/her tale.

With ◄◄ REWIND, AB also contributes to the activation of Belgian musical heritage. Already passed in revue: ‘The Kids’ (The Kids), ‘Op Zoek Naar Romantiek’ (Guido Belcanto), ‘Jonge Helden’ (Arbeid Adelt!), ‘Gorky’ (Gorki),‘1981-1984’ (The Neon Judgement),‘Royalty In Exile’ (The Scabs), ‘Nooit Meer Drinken’ (Raymond Van Het Groenewoud), ‘De Mens’ (De Mens), ‘The Ship’ (Luc Van Acker), ‘Un Ball Dans La Tête’ (De Puta Madre), ‘Hè Hè’ (Jan De Wilde), ‘Laïs’ (Laïs) and ‘Struggle for Pleasure’ (Wim Mertens).

dEUS adds two extra concerts to the series ◄ ◄ REWIND: dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’ (’99)

A surprise to all: within barely 24 hours, no less than 10,000 (!) tickets were sold for dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’ (‘99) as a part of the ◄ ◄ REWIND series in which a Belgian classic is played live, in its entirety. The speed of these ticket sales is reasonably rare by AB norms but simply reinforces the assertion that ‘The Ideal Crash’ is etched in collective memory.

To meet demand, dEUS has added two extra concerts – namely SUNDAY 26 and MONDAY 27 MAY – to this already impressive series.

‘The Ideal Crash’ – the third and highly praised dEUS album – has been around for 20 years now and that’s something to celebrate! In no small way either! With a complete performance – from start to finish – of this absolute dEUS classic, actually. From the (frankly genius) first track ‘Put The Freaks Up Front’ to the musing last one ‘Dream Sequence #1’. Tom Barman about the album: ‘Als er ooit een moment komt om een album in de kijker te zetten, dan is het ongetwijfeld ‘The Ideal Crash’. Het was een bijzonder belangrijke plaat voor ons die meteen de standaard hoog legt voor de nieuwe dEUS-songs die we na afloop ook zullen spelen.’

‘The Ideal Crash’ was produced by Canadian producer David Bottrill – also producer for Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins and David Sylvian, amongst others – who would later handle dEUS’ second last album ‘Keep You Close’. ‘The Ideal Crash’ adorned many a year-end chart in ‘99 and even made it into the top 20 of Oor’s Top 100 Of All Time, finely flanked by Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ and Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’.

Guy Garvey (Elbow) still considers the wonderful single ‘Instant Street’ to be one of his most favourite songs of all time. And, 20 years later, ‘Instant Street’ still ranks in the top 15 of the most recent BelPop 100 (the ranking of the best Belgian songs, as chosen by listeners of Radio 1).

To coincide with dEUS plays ‘The Ideal Crash’, the album will be re-released in a re-mastered version and the band will be playing – long live the symbolism! – no less than 20 concerts throughout Europe. Brand new guitarist Bruno De Groote is part of it all, of course. Together with the rest of dEUS, he will soon dive into the studio for the recording of their 8th album.

Just as the previous artists to appear in the ◄◄ REWIND series, dEUS will be lauded with an official ceremony in the Steenstraat as a tribute to their contribution to Belgian (pop) music.

◄◄ REWIND

In 2007, AB launched a timeless series: ◄◄ REWIND. Central to this series are Belgian artists who perform ‘their classic’. Call it a milestone in their career, or what’s more: a key album in Belgian pop music. It is often – but not always – about albums that are etched into collective memory. Call them points of reference in the Belgian music landscape. So each ‘pièce de résistance’ is performed in its entirety. Completely? That’s right, in the exact order that the artist wanted (or still wants) to tell his/her tale.

With ◄◄ REWIND, AB also contributes to the activation of Belgian musical heritage. Already passed in revue: ‘The Kids’ (The Kids), ‘Op Zoek Naar Romantiek’ (Guido Belcanto), ‘Jonge Helden’ (Arbeid Adelt!), ‘Gorky’ (Gorki),‘1981-1984’ (The Neon Judgement),‘Royalty in Exile’ (The Scabs), ‘Nooit Meer Drinken’ (Raymond Van Het Groenewoud), ‘De Mens’ (De Mens), ‘The Ship’ (Luc Van Acker), ‘Un Ball Dans La Tête’ (De Puta Madre), ‘Hè Hè’ (Jan De Wilde), ‘Laïs’ (Laïs) and ‘Struggle for Pleasure’ (Wim Mertens).

Trixie grew up immersed in music. Music is a part of her very being. And, from a very young age, she experimented with the likes of drums, with guitar, as a dancer, in the DJ booth, and as a singer. Her debut ‘Fourth Corner’ was released in 2013, a wonderful mix of jazz, soul, blues, rock and pop. At the end of 2015 she delivered ‘Porta Bohemica’, an equally successful successor, borne by the stunning single 'Soft Spoken Words'. We are currently looking forward to a third album, from which 'Heartbeat' and 'Touch' are a delicious foretaste.

Trixie grew up immersed in music. Music is a part of her very being. And, from a very young age, she experimented with the likes of drums, with guitar, as a dancer, in the DJ booth, and as a singer. Her debut ‘Fourth Corner’ was released in 2013, a wonderful mix of jazz, soul, blues, rock and pop. At the end of 2015 she delivered ‘Porta Bohemica’, an equally successful successor, borne by the stunning single 'Soft Spoken Words'. We are currently looking forward to a third album, from which 'Heartbeat' and 'Touch' are a delicious foretaste.

MAXIMUM 4 TICKETS PER PERSON !

Since 1982 this trio is without any doubt the biggest German punkrock band. Since 1994 they’re back in the spotlights, having had 5 albums in the charts that same year. In the meanwhile they’ve become the absolute festival headliner in their own country. Awaiting their huge summer dates in 2019 the band will come to the AB in Brussels for an exclusive date on May 31st.

Bela B. (drums, vocals)
Farin Urlaub (guitar, vocals)
Rodrigo González (bass, guitar, piano, vocals)

With the albums ‘Harlem River’, ‘Still Life’, ‘Singing Saw’ and ‘City Music’, Morby has never disappointed. So it was that ‘Singing Saw’ received the label ‘Best New Music’ from Pitchfork and the comparison was made with greats like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. His fourth and most recent album is, according to Morby, inspired by and dedicated to his urban experiences in the US and further afield. ‘It’s a mix-tape, a fever dream, a love letter dedicated to those cities that I cannot get rid of, to those cities that are all inside of me.’

Now, four albums and hundreds of concerts later, the four have decided to call it quits and finish their tale with a final concert in AB. ‘Het is een ongelofelijke ervaring geweest van jongs af aan al volop mee te draaien in de Belgische en Europese muziekscène, van lokale clubs over grote festivalpodia tot in de VS’, say Lenny Crabbe and company, ‘We zullen Freaky Age en onze fans altijd blijven koesteren als iets uniek, maar het is voor ons alle vier tijd om andere paden te bewandelen.’

Kommil Foo at its best!

Direction: Ineke Nijssen en Walter Janssens
Decor: Kris van Oudenhove
Technical Direction: Koen Bellens
Production: Caroline Lanoye

Kommil Foo at its best!

Direction: Ineke Nijssen en Walter Janssens
Decor: Kris van Oudenhove
Technical Direction: Koen Bellens
Production: Caroline Lanoye

For dancing fans of Northern Soul, such as late DJ Thierry Steady Go.

Since their establishment in 2010, the hyper-productive band has delivered no less than thirteen(!) albums, including five(!!) in 2017. Their varied sound is an unlikely mix of surf music, garage-, acid-, kraut- and progressive-rock, and they’re rock-solid live – with an energetic show that mobilizes an increasingly larger number of fans. Suddenly, last month, “Cyboogie” was out. A mesmerizing track that balances between T-Rex and Giorgio Moroder, and now the seven-member announces its return to Brussels for a show on October 8 at AB! Get yourself ready for a musical trip that you won’t survive unscathed …

This concert is a co-production Ancienne Belgique/Live Nation.

The announcement by our colleague Mich is still valid: ' London resident Cunningham writes wonderful songs that are characterized by their impressive melodies and extremely personal, intimate themes. He is known for his percussive guitar sound, which is heavily influenced by the many years that he lived in Andalusia. He has previously toured with the likes of King Creosote, Mighty Oaks and the legendary Rodriguez.'

This time we are expecting Charlie as a trio (see too: that first video), with a new CD by the end of May too and a new single now: 'Permanent Way'.

Oh yes, pull out those tissues. After a career of 16 years, 5 albums, a few hundred concerts and tens of thousands of tour-kilometers on the counter… The Van Jets announce their very last concerts on October 31st en November 1st. 2019.

No better place to play that farewell concert than in AB, of course. There where, 15 years ago, The Van Jets appeared out of nowhere… the fiendish rock-n’-roll offspring arising from the 2004 edition of Humo’s Rock Rally.

In no time, The Van Jets established a reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in Belgium and also surprised on recordings by reinventing themselves with every album. Put on swan song ‘Future Primitives’ after debut album ‘Electric Soldiers’ and you’ll understand what we mean.

Last but not least: their arsenal of hits... Two Tides of Ice, Broken Bones, Boy To Beastie, Electric Soldiers, Down Below, Teevee, Here Comes the Light,... and The Future, of course, with which they wrote the anthem of a generation in 2010.

But, before The Van Jets are finally placed into the Belpop pantheon, first there is that big parting party in AB!

To be expected: a grand XL set with special guests and maybe a tear or two at the end.

Message from the band: ‘Wow, The AB show SOLD OUT in 7 hours. People, people, people! We didn’t see this coming, all this love (loving it!) Some of you could not arrange a ticket and are left empty handed. We want to give every fan a chance to see us live for one last time. So, we’ ve been checking with the AB for an extra show. Glad they still had nov 1st available. So let’s do this!’

Oh yes, pull out those tissues. After a career of 16 years, 5 albums, a few hundred concerts and tens of thousands of tour-kilometers on the counter… The Van Jets announce their very last concerts on October 31st en November 1st. 2019.

No better place to play that farewell concert than in AB, of course. There where, 15 years ago, The Van Jets appeared out of nowhere… the fiendish rock-n’-roll offspring arising from the 2004 edition of Humo’s Rock Rally.

In no time, The Van Jets established a reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in Belgium and also surprised on recordings by reinventing themselves with every album. Put on swan song ‘Future Primitives’ after debut album ‘Electric Soldiers’ and you’ll understand what we mean.

Last but not least: their arsenal of hits... Two Tides of Ice, Broken Bones, Boy To Beastie, Electric Soldiers, Down Below, Teevee, Here Comes the Light,... and The Future, of course, with which they wrote the anthem of a generation in 2010.

But, before The Van Jets are finally placed into the Belpop pantheon, first there is that big parting party in AB!

To be expected: a grand XL set with special guests and maybe a tear or two at the end.

Message from the band: ‘Wow, The AB show SOLD OUT in 7 hours. People, people, people! We didn’t see this coming, all this love (loving it!) Some of you could not arrange a ticket and are left empty handed. We want to give every fan a chance to see us live for one last time. So, we’ ve been checking with the AB for an extra show. Glad they still had nov 1st available. So let’s do this!’

So nobody saw it coming when the band stopped in 2018. The band name began to feel a bit dated and too often reminded them of frontman Brent’s deceased brother. There were 2 more hopelessly sold-out farewell shows in the Vooruit, but they have turned out to not entirely be the last… the 4 band members remain together and continue under the name STAKE.

It is under this name that they will release their first album in November, and come to present it live-and-exclusive in AB. Expect the same loud, moody post-metal and sludge-metal, but then with an unprecedented renewed energy!

Intensely agitated electro-pop of North French origin, but (for many reasons) there is quite some common ground with Bloc Party. After a break of a few years, now back together around fierce frontman Mat Bastard and with brand new material that apparently sounds very relevant in the current French context.