Usually this blog takes on a different kind of artists but nowadays I find myself under the soccer spell;-) What a better way to start a newfound summer with the grass that binds Europe.šŖšŗš§šŖ
I came to this conclusion in five acts. At the risk of sounding lyrical: especially since my country has a very good chance of winning this European championshipš§šŖš¤š¤š
1. Soccer is Film š„
2. Soccer is Drama š
3. Soccer is Music š¶
4. Soccer is Fashionš
5. Soccer is Art š¼
1.Mind those reruns in slo moā¦Corners, angles, bird perspectiveā¦#blockbuster
4. Pink & Turcqoise are the new black! The field has become a true runway! The latest trend? Pastel fluo shoes seem to be the new must haves for every playerš¦ #newprojectrunway
5. When that body language hits the big green, players unfold their ultimate movements, in result of years of practice and talent coaching. #artistcongratz
Soccer is all that! Never offside where this insider is concernedšKeep scoring those goals ā½ļø #reddevils
Off to the Finnish! š Fingers crossed for tonight in beautiful Saint Petersburg, one of the most artful cities ever:
Andiamo a Roma lāanno prossimo, cittĆ” natale di Damiano David, leadsinger of MĆ„neskin.
A powerful message
Many decades after Gigliola Cinquetti, Toto Cutugno and some close calls; remember āGente di mareā (Umberto Tozzi & Raf) and the late Franco Battiato who sang āI treni di Tozeurā!along with Alice, Italy managed to win over the hearts of the European public in Rotterdam for the third time in history.
Ā« Clean and powerful with only one message which is the band Ā» creative director Claudio Santucci explained early on in the competition.
MĆ„neskinās glam rock song āZitti e buoniā and their rough-around-the-edges-performance seemed to be the perfect cocktail for this pleasantly disturbed bunch to win over European voters.
āZitti e buoniā basically means āBe good and quietā and is part of the bandsā new record āTeatro DāIraā.
The message of the song goes deeper explained singer Damiano David during a press conference:
āJust be yourselves, express yourselves and donāt pay any attention to negative comments.ā
Hear hear! Senti senti!Congratulazoni ārocce azurriā; āRockān roll never diesā indeedšø
MĆ„neskin (Danish for moonlight)= Damiano David (vocals) Victoria de Angelis (bass) Thomas Raggio (guitar) & Ethan Torchio (drums)
Time to spot some speorgnotes! Who will incarnate the magnificent Rachel Mc Adams as the ultimate ESC singer in Rotterdam this week?
In Belgium we have our very own nightingale who will give it a go this evening. Along with her partners in crime Alex Callier & Raymond Geerts, Geike Aernaert doesnāt seem to be in the wrong place.
Hope Congratz will be in order for Hooverphonic! Letās start by putting on our Johnny Cash T-shirt š¤
Almost two decades ago, Alex already made fun of it, āNo more sweet musicā, right? An oracle to a distant future in 2021. Enjoy this Hooverphonic throwback.
Apart from some hairdoās, they havenāt changed that much š picture by yours truly
Or yet the journey of a troubled modern day nomad or musician
Eather way, a story behind the scenesš¬
just might
win tonightš
*
Glamour and glitz
When you love it to bitz
It might just turn you
poetic at this point
If you just joined;
Oscar delayed his starry night
At last enjoy this annual fiction flight
To sunny spring in Tinseltown
All the way right down
to the time of the old brand
when it was still called Hollywoodland
*
No castle in the sky
A real one passes by
William Randolph Hearst
came in first
*
Who would like to thank
āmasterā Mank
in red, black, white
darkish camera light
To all nominees
Congratz en Hello
from me and this shiny golden fellow
š
Hearst Castle, San Simeon, San Luis Obispo county, picture by yours truly, September 1995. This is where Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo came for a swim in the 1930āsāWell that…my good man… is Hollywoodā (Orson Welles)Hollymood š¬šøš»;-)
Some more quotes from the ten times nominated motion picture Ā« Mank Ā»:
š¬āNot even the most disgraceful thing Iāve ever seenā (Herman Mankiewicz)
š¬āNever belong to any club that would have someone like you for a memberā (Groucho Marx)
š¬āNobody makes a monkey out of W.R. Hearstā
š¬āItās no time to trade horses in the middle of the streamā
And my personal favourite:
š¬āIf you canāt say something nice, donāt say anything at allāš
Oscar & me in my glamourous wardrobe;-) ššøš»šš
Sound of Metal for the win!š„
ArtistCongratz also cheers for āSound of Metalā, the very first Belgian (co-) production that stands a chance to win Best Picture.
āSound of Metalā already holds two BAFTAās (best sound and editing). Curious which of the six Oscarnominations will result in eternal fame. Actor in a leading role for Riz Ahmed? Weāll know tonight…š¬
*
āNomadlandā, a book and a movie like a poem
Houseless but not without a home
Straight through a land where hearts are touched
Letās find the hugest screen possible to make this story unforgettable
Likewise to the mesmerizing Emerald Fennell who treats us to āPromising Young Womanā.
As presenter Regina King put it; āShe definitely earned the title of her filmā, shot while 7 months pregnant in less then 30 days(!) Congratzš¬šā¤ļø
Care to meet two musicians who are as ān sync as it gets? ArtistCongratz just had its first āTwins šÆinterviewā!
And boy are these brothers on the same page. ā”ļø Straight from Prague, introducing š¶BratÅI aka JiÅĆ and OndÅej. You might have come across this electronic drummerduo at the latest editions of Eurosonicšµtwo years in a row. Now is the time to spot them with their new single (Running) coming up this Friday!
AC: So nice to meet you both š»š·š“ā”ļøšØšæ How would you describe your evolution since your first EP Ā« Monster Ā» back in 2017?
BratÅi: Since Ā« Monster Ā» a lot of things have changed until now! I think we started to think differently in music as in general. Our music is more electronic than before. Now we play more techno and dance oriented tracks. After a couple of years of touring we decided to re-fresh and finetune our liveset as well.
We added more live elements into that. Especially we have focused on live interaction between us. Our live set is now more live than ever!
It is fun, because a lot of things are being improvised during the show and on the other hand our live set has strict rules. Everything makes sense.
Ā« Triangle & Cimbals Ā»
AC: You being twins you automatically go back a long way? Please tell us about your cradle (music runs in the family?) and your very first steps in music š¼ as kids?
BratÅi: Yeah, we have been interested in music since we were children. Music has affected us our whole life and we love it. We are classical trained musicians with conservatory. During the study at conservatory we were meeting a lot of musicians and new friends.
The main highlight of our studium was performance with the orchestra at Prague Spring, the main ceremony. I (Jirka) played triangle and my brother played cymbals :)) Classical music affected me in a certain way how to understand music in general. We found out what we want to do.
AC: Percussion being Jiriās domain and melodic sequences that of Ondrej, how do you manage to stay on the same page? As twins you probably are ān sync all the time š
O: Yeah, that’s true. As we are both drummers but on the stage I control synths and other electronic stuff – everything is in-sync and this is really fun, because we perfectly know each other.
J: We realized that there is only one way to play live. I am used to sitting behind my hybrid drumset and I think it works well.
J: We are connected through cables and also in our minds š šÆ
Heroes, collabs, Monarch & Running
O: I like todayĀ“s techno producers like Richie Hawtin, Setaoc Mass, ANNA, Stephan Bodzin, BookaShade and many others.. I would like to collaborate with visual artist like NONOTAK or Berlin visual studio Pfadfinderei.
J: I really love electronic music. Sometimes I listen to bands like Chvrches, because of their synth collection š or M83, Max Cooper, Alex Banks. I love Bicep! Or more techno stuff like Barker, Stephan Bodzin, FJAAK, Rodhad. It depends on my actual mood š
Jiri: I would like to collaborate with Stephan Bodzin, he is a mastermind in all ways:)
Speaking of collaboration we haven’t done it a lot so far. We released a remix in February with czech band called Teepee. There are a lot of possibilities to collab with other artists and we are open to everything, it is a matter of time..
AC: Whatās the story behind Monarch?
Monarch is a really cool single which we like a lot. We were in two minds. We didnt know which type of sounds we wanted. It is quite noisy stuff but good:)
AC: I understand you were about to release/finish your debut album just before Covid hit?
Yes, We worked on a new album last year. Now we have done it. It is very difficult to release a full album now because of covid time. Instead of that we decided to postpone it and we’ve released singles. On 26th March will be out our new single called Ā« Running Ā»
Finally new gigs coming up
AC: I noticed new gigs from April on, that must feel awesome to have perspective of playing in front of a live audience after such a long time? I hope you can go ahead as planned…what are you looking forward mostly?
Yes, our gigs have been postponed several times. It will be still a long way. We hope for a better future. Situation is getting better, especially in Europe, but not in Czech republic.
We are still waiting for regular vaccination of population in Czechia and it is a matter of time. Nobody knows anything… We just want to play regularly, traveling, being on the road. These things we miss a lot. We had been used to it before Covid.
AC: Did you do livestreams this past year? Which ones were most memorable and why?
Yes, we did quite a lot of livestreams last year and we enjoyed a lot of fun during the shooting. It is a new and important kind of playing and we’ve learned things about streaming. In autumn we made a special one with 3D virtual studio XLAB Realtime. The whole show was prepared for a long time. They created a virtual environment and virtual stage for us and we played there.
This video was also used for the Eurosonic showcase. It was nice experience for us and we could try to play in new environment.
AC: Did your paths cross with any known djās from my country? Like Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike?
No, we haven’t met them yet, but we can meet someday!
Of course we would like to play in Belgium. Looking forward to any offer:) Our favorite festivals are Dekmantel, Pukkelpop, Awakenings, ADE, Tomorrowland… and more!
The latest project we spotted is a special one. Introspection Music Experience has a lot of social relevance, the aim is to close the gap between people with and without psychological vulnerability.
The initial plan of IMEās latest initiative also consisted in a tour with a group of international artists who were selected in different countries. COVID threw a spanner in the works but this did not stop the organizers to go ahead with plan B.
ArtistCongratz invited caretaker Mike Michiels, driving force behind the Belgian non profit organization KAOS, and artist-philosopher Chloƫ Nols for a talk about their universal journey so far.
Talking to Mike Michiels and Chloƫ Nols, about their encounters
AC: Where did the inspiration for IME come from?
Mike: As you mentioned KAOS hasbeen around for a while. We were founded in 2011 and did several artistic projects since but mainly visual arts. Since 2015 we have an artist in residence in psychiatry. But thatās until IME.
Before we always worked with artists from our own network, who contacted us themselves or through other organizations we work with. For us this is the first European project we participate in. We got in contact with our Spanish and Greek partners Intras and Edra. Originally there was also Raw Material in Britain but because of the Brexit, they decided to quit the project unfortunately. Intras actually took the lead. They drew the outline and invited us as a partner. Their aim is to bring young musical artists and people with psychiatric vulnerability together in songwriting, to create music together.
We wanted to create one group of people. So we decided to invite music artists to come in residency in KAOS who could either collaborate, talk or have coffee together. To be inspired for the songs and the videoclips they created afterwards.
ChloĆ« in concert – Picture by Oliver Henrion
Gathering in Valladolid just before Covid hit
Mike: To select the Belgian artists we did an open call with Vi.be. 50 Belgian candidates responded to this open call on their website. We are responsible for the Belgian part but all the artists joined the gathering in Valladolid in February last year. Just in time before Corona. There were workshops and everyone could meet each other. Actually creating the music was an individual process.
AC: Do you still hope to realize the initial tour once Corona is behind us?
Mike: The project normally runs till the end of August this year. The European tour should have happened in April or May but of course thatās not possible now. The first idea was to postpone but finally we decided to do an on line event.
āSky highā and āCassandraā; signature songs
AC: Chloƫ, you want to make psychic vulnerability more open to discussion. How do you translate this into music?
Chloe: I wrote two songs for this project. The first one is called Sky High and itās actually a kind of report of the week in Valladolid, where we met other musicians and also some patients.
Jamminā in Valladolidš¶
ChloĆ«: I came across a lot of synchronicities there, which Iām very sensitive to.
It makes me wonder that maybe there is a greater force or some kind of God behind the scenes. But at the same time I think I might have too much imagination.
Itās also in the lyrics. I refer to one patient, who was very much into lyrics and who also paints with fluorescent paint, thatās what I also sing fluorescent paint. Sky high is more a reflection of that week. I liked it a lot.
About Cassandra, the first song ChloĆ« wrote for IME, which led to her new project Vis Ć Vis: Iām very interested in esoteric things. I just had this vision of a woman who thought she was like really clairvoyant and could see the future. She analysed her dreams and her lover in another dimension and stuff like that. I felt I could be free to explore this esoteric side of me without being to scared to be judged about it. I felt more free to write about these things in this project.
Meeting Krankland and Slow Lee
AC: You were selected with other artists? How was the symbiosis with Krankland for instance?
Chloƫ: Every one has their own music and wrote their own songs. I really liked the other two musicians from Belgium, Korneel (Muylle, from the band Slow Lee ed. note) and Thomas (Werbrouck, from the band Krankland ed. note), we had a nice connection. We support each other in what we do. Our music is very different, Krankland is more experimental, while Slow Lee is more down to earth, more in the folk/blues genre. But we respect each other and it was a nice meeting them.
I knew Thomas from a far because we are in the same scene in Belgium, but I hadnāt met him personally yet. Heās really nice.
Finally, lives again!š¶
AC: Not so long ago you played an on line concert in the museum Dr. Guislain in Ghent? How did you experience that?
Chloƫ: At first I was a bit scared because of news about the British corona variant at the time. But I was just looking forward to play live again even if it was just in front of a camera crew. But it turned out to be a real live set, one song after the other. My piano player Lenny Steigerwald and I actually rehearsed (laughs).
It was nice to be on the road again, traveling from Brussels to Ghent. To do the soundcheck and perform for real was quite liberating. The last time I played live before was in August.
This will be streamed on the 25th of February. So donāt miss it!
Mike: We decided to collaborate with the museum because of the different atmosphere to play in. Itās a venue where you normally donāt perform. Originally we were going to play there live at the Museum night of Ghent. But this was also cancelled. We also did some interviews and all this will be streamed on the 25 th.
Breaking stigmaās
AC: Chloe, you also had the chance to talk to some patients throughout the project?
ChloĆ«: I didnāt do the residency because of Corona but I did meet some of them in Valladolid. I really liked it because it was much more open than I expected, we jammed together literally. We went to a bar together where I felt quite at ease. Itās part of the project to break some stigmas and I felt like: āok, weāre just all people sharing something through musicšµ
AC: What kind of stigmas do you hope to break?
ChloĆ«: Thereās a heaviness around the word psychosis. I hope that people will slowly learn that itās not that scary actually. It has a bright side as well because there is a fine line between healthy imagination and maybe a psychosis.
A psychosis doesnāt always have to be negative I think. If we can make these kinds of cracks into the perception what people usually think about psychosis that would make me really glad already.
AC: You are originally a philosopher by training. Did that help you in any way in this project?
ChloĆ«: Yeah, in the sense that I like to think about things. I tend to think about the upside as well as the downside of things. How can we go beyond certain borders? Thatās also a part of the lyrics of Cassandra; āBeyond the borders of all timeā which refers to space and time. One of the frustrations in my life is that I will never know the truth.
No matter how far you travel you donāt have the eye of God, if he even exists and thatās what bothers me.š
AC: So what are the next steps besides the streaming on the 25th of February?
Mike: The KAOS Talks in our studio in Brussels, that we also use as a residence for other activities where artists can interact with people with psychological vulnerability.ā
With these talks we want to open up the residency program, a research program for the artists themselves. We can invite the public and the resident can also invite people that he or she finds interesting and interact with the public afterwards.
We organize three talks on line for Introspection Music Experience. Three artists, three talks…
ChloĆ« invited psychoanalist Abe Geldhof. He talked about creativity, stigma, psychiatric vulnerability, which was very interesting…
ChloĆ«ās new single for Vis Ć Vis just came out a few weeks ago, find out more through Facebook & Instagram
She also treats us to an even closer look on the lyrics of the two songs she wrote for IME:
Sky High
With thousand eyes and feathers (this refers to the (real) peacocks š¦of the central park in Valladolid. Peacocks represent a very spiritual symbol for vision and wisdom)
I felt the truth in Campo Grande (which is the park)
Six days, six nights (one week)
And only the Spanish windā¦ was my guide Oh you better watch out
Oh you better watch out.
Iāll expose you, to the light,
I’ll bring you sky high (my hunger towards wanting to climb higher and higher) Pickled brain, fickle mind (this refers to brain on strong water)
I am you and I am I (everything is connected)
Fluorescent paint (refers to the patiƫnt-painter)
And only this flashlightā¦ is my guide (you had to shine a special light on his work; nothing is what it seems at first) Oh you better watch out
Oh you better watch out.
I’ll expose you, to the light,
I’ll bring you sky high My mind is like the ocean,
ebb and flow, they come and go
*
Cassandra
I’m clairvoyant about it all when the morning comes.
My dreams have shown that I should walk away.
We met in an other life time.
I cut off my ear again, against the voices in my head (refers to psychosis and how to deal with them but also to Vincent Van Gogh)
Somewhere far, beyond the borders of all time, I am wondering whyā¦ I am blind, with one big heart and I can feel the stars you know that we are stars, right? This cosmic show silence lost its way, its voice weāre powerless somewhere far, beyond the borders of all time,
I am wondering why, I am wondering why somewhere far,
I know I’m gazing at some sky, and I’m wondering why it’s blue
After the deep Appleblueseagreen, ArtistCongratz spotted an Identified Flying Object and its intriguing navigator.
His hunger to improvise makes this piano virtuoso eager to constantly reinvent himself as a musician. Never a dull moment during our inspiring talk with Alex Koo.
Just last month he streamed his music live during Brussels Jazz Festival.
Alex Koo: It was a new experience for me but actually fun. A lot depends on the venue. This was in the big hall of Flagey in Brussels. The room gives you some energy. Obviously a concert is always the coolest setting but for a lifestream this was really fun. There was a nice vibe and energy. Itās just strange not to have any applause. I did some live streams before but this one was very well organized. There were like 8 cameras and a crew of 10 people.
Alex (on the right) with Ralph Alessi and Atilla GyĆ rfĆ s
AC: Without Corona you were going to be artist in residence here while playing with a very famous jazzmusician…
Alex: Ah yes Craig Taborn, he is my ultimate hero. Heās the god of contemporary and improvisation. Heās doing stuff that I still think is impossible. A true soundwizard.
āI actually have to split my brain in halfā
AC: How would you describe your evolution from Appleblueseagreen to Identified Flying Objects, which you made with Hungarian Attila GyĆ rfas ?
Alex: Attila is from Budapest, he also lives there. We actually studied in The Hague together. I think there is no musician that I know better than Attila. As one of my best friends but also as a musician.
Myself Iām evolving more towards -I donāt want to say minimalism, because thatās not true- but for sure improvisation on the moment.
In jazz as you know, a big part of the concert is improvised. But it can still contain certain rules and harmony structures of songs. I tend to drift away more and more from that. You can play a concert and have up to eight songs in your set list.
I am growing towards projects with two or three songs in the set list, so I still have to fill up the entire rest with improvisation without discussing anything.
AC: Sounds exciting. Not knowing where you start or where youāre going to end up.
Alex: Exactly, to answer your question, I think Iām going more and more into a direction where I want to make it as uncomfortable for myself as possible to play.
Thatās why I also like playing without a bassist. Itās giving me different ideas, playing with drums, using electronics and play a lot of the bass parts. In my left hand on the keyboard on top of the piano, so itās much more demanding. I have to be more virtuoso on the piano because I canāt just play my cords or my melodies.
I actually have to split my brain in half. Which is also very interesting. At the same time everything thatās happening is still spontaneous and thereās a lot of improvisation on the spot. Although sometimes very confronting. I feel like Iām more discontent with myself lately. After the live stream, I really doubted myself, not the band. I wasnāt completely happy but then I listened back to it and I thought wauw! This is one of the nicest concerts I did so far. So I think it pushes me on an edge of being uncertain. Itās confronting but I like it.
AC: You are constantly challenging yourselves.
Alex: Indeed, we donāt just want to play free jazz. Eventhough we sometimes play more noisy free jazz and very atonal stuff, we do end up going there as well but itās just part of many soundscapes we like to explore.
āAn improvisation is based on emotion and energyā
Alex: When I started to play classical piano at a young age, I knew I wanted to become a musician. With my brother playing violin, it was kind of clear that music ran in the family.
My mother was the one with the ultimate music vibe. She encouraged us to play music.
AC: Letās talk about the album, the songs go from pure improvisation to precomposed melodies.
Alex: Aurora is completely improvised and part of a larger improvisation. We were just playing with sounds and listening to each other. From start to finish, the whole track is an improvisation moment. So is Maenads, itās all based on emotion, the moment, an energy. It was a little more danceable, thatās why we named it Maenads, referring to the dancing fairies (mythological figures ed.)
Nebula is not improvised, it has a melody. We improvise over the actual harmony of the song.
In that sense, a big part is written out. That also applied for Ready, Set, Go and Levitate.
The first three tracks are pretty much pre composed in a sense that they have a theme, a melody and a harmony.
In the improvisations, we bend the rules a little bit. Ready Set Go has a very particular theme, itās like high energy, b bop.
We played a theme but at the end we replayed another so there is this whole middle part where there are no rules basically. When we compose music at least we try to stick to an idea and make it come out really strong. And then see where it goes from there. I tend to like that way of making music more and more.
Alex in Flagey – picture by Bjƶrn Comhaire
Looking for a soundtrack?
AC: Do you see yourself compose for film?
Alex: I think so, it would be fun, but so far the opportunity hasnāt come yet. I think itās difficult if youāre not in the scene.
AC: A director just might pick this up…
Alex: (laughs) You can mention that for sure, I would love to do that. Iām actually a huge fan of film music. A lot of my music and the way I improvise is based on films. Books as well. I tend to have a strong personal taste.
AC: What genre would be on top of your wishlist to compose for?
Alex: Interesting question. I think a movie with a lot of different landscapes and planets so probably a space movie. Actually thereās a new movie of Dune coming out…
AC: That leads us back to Identified Flying Object. Weāre intrigued by the titles you choose for your songs. āSource of the 10.000 things f.I.
Alex: That was one of the last moments of the recording. I remember we were very tired and with the last energy we had left we tried to go into the inner core of ourselves to improvise something very profound and trying to say a lot with very little words.
āThe only thing you worry about is ācan everyone make it in the same roomāā
Alex: Our recording was postponed twice. We were lucky to be in our studio bubble in September. Everyone flew here, but then the whole country shut down. We had a tour in March last year just when Corona started. We rescheduled and cancelled again. The third rebooking in September actually was the one. Thatās also why this record is so special since this is the very first time the three of us play together. I played with Ralph and Attila separately before but since this was our first encounter as a unit of three, it brought a kind of playfullness, freshness and curiosity in the album.
When you have all these travel restrictions, the only thing to worry about is āCan everyone make it in the same roomā will the plane arrive? Once we started to play, all the worries went away. It was one of the most liberating moments I felt in a sense that you donāt worry about the music. Usually we do. Like making sure the guy who places the mics arrives on time. But you just donāt care anymore given the fact itās a miracle everyone is here. That feeling gave a boost to the music I never experienced before. I hope we are going to appreciate that in the future as well. Oh woaw, everyoneās here, thatās great, letās play.
I think we clearly know what we want and weāre confident in what we do. This really worked well from the start.
AC: I hope you will be able to play live soon.
Alex: Our tour that was scheduled in January is now programmed for May. Thatās still a bit edgy but some of the concerts are in open air so letās wait and see…
AC: In the mean time you continue livestreams?
Alex: I like to keep my engin empty in terms of projects, I have some solo piano stuff I really want to focus on. There was a concert that I had to do in Bozar which was also cancelled. I was going to present all my solo music. So Iām trying to keep that in shape. Iām trying to compose and sing a lot.
āAdrenaline junkieā
AC: You say that your nomadic life taught you a lot.
Alex: I think thereās only one moment in your life when you can actually afford to be nomadic. Basically when you donāt have much money (laughs), and not too many worries, for sure no kids.
In general you have to watch out when you stop being nomadic because at some point you will have too many obligations.
Until a few years ago I wasnāt teaching or doing anything steady.My girlfriend, now my wife, we lived in different cities and countries, The Hague, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, New York…If I hadnāt done that, I feel like I would have been missing a lot of experiences and encounters with other musicians.
A few years ago I moved to Brussels. I still wanted to live in an urban environment. A lot of stuff is happening here.
The leading magazine Downbeat Jazz reported in favorable terms about Alexās music.
A lot of music lovers are very difficult to reach, US is not New York. We like to think of it as the Mecca of jazz. But the US represent a humongous country of 300 million people. A lot of them jazz lovers, scattered all over small towns, checking the internet for good music.
Zooming with Alexšµš«š¹
Alex: Iām very happy to receive international attention. Apple Blue Sea Green was well received. Especially in the States, where the most copyās of the album are still being sold today. Itās nice to have an audience there.
AC: What do you remember most about your time in New York?
Alex: I met a lot of my musical heroes there. I got to rehearse with them more often. I took some lessons with Craig Taborn and we had coffee a couple of times. You can build a different kind of relationship. The biggest lessons for me? New York is really fast. In Europe and especially in Belgium people have too much time to rehearse. I have friends who rehearse like 6 times before they do a concert. In New York thatās impossible. Before the concert you have 20 minutes to go through the songs. Thereās a high level of skill involved. You can do a lot of things with a lot of people in one week. In Belgium we are a bit too comfortable with the way things are. Letās not take this for granted and just take a risk to play the music with some mistakes. At least we wonāt play it in a way thatās too comfortable.
I hate being on a stage and knowing whatās going to happen. In a way I feel like an adrenaline junkie.
I canāt afford to jump from a plane. so I just try to do as much improvisation as possible (Laughs). But for sure I like that aspect of not being in control but to deal with things on the spot.
āOur brain works in mysterious waysā
AC: Youāre composingš¶ songs as we speak?
Alex: I do it very instinctively. Yesterday I composed part of a new song because I was watching a live concert of Craig Taburn on YouTube. He has a song I was practicing today. Itās super crazy what he does. And suddenly in the middle of the practice I get inspired. I never plan. It just happens and I write it down. When Iām in the car, I need to take my phone and record. I start singing; the baseline, the harmony, the notesšµ… itās like a baby seeing something for the first time. And If you donāt catch it, it goes away. Thatās how our memory works.
Obviously other people have the same experience. I heard this songwriter in a podcast. He dreamt that he was composing a song. He wakes up and thinks I have to write this down. Me, Iām not so good at controlling myself that I actually write it down, I just go back to sleep because Iām tired. (Laughs)
AC: O no, all those precious ideas gone forever…
Alex: Itās amazing how our brain works in very mysterious ways. You really donāt understand. Intuition and instinct is really a big part of it.
AC: The songs you are composing now are for a next album?
I have to become a performer more. I have to go back into the role of the classical pianist rather than only an improviser.
There is still a lot of promotion going on and now I hope to have nothing in my agenda for two months.
I havenāt experienced that since I was 18 basically. Iām gonna try to grow as a pianist. Something that usually takes you three or four years. Because you donāt have the time to practice and youāre always, I donāt want to say disturbed. When youāre playing in a lot of projects, you might lose practicing. I want to be confronted with myself. Be in self isolation for a while.
Atypical in these times I was very busy until January, there was the electronics album called Kimono garden in July. Then the preparations for this album: Identified flying objects. And then we basically recorded that album in two months.
It almost feels like a training bootcamp.
AC: Once COVID is behind us I hope you can tour also outside Belgium. A lot of journalists are talking about the fact that Belgium is too small for Alex Koo?
Without Covid I think we just would have finished our CD release tour. We also had a concert in Budapest. My booking agent had to stop booking concerts because it wasnāt looking good. I donāt know how much more concerts we would have done.
Alex: I hope so too, Especially with travel regulations. I hope that cultural workers and artists are going to be labeled essential. They kind of are now but I hope thereās going to be a clear policy so we can go back to normal as soon as possible.
Heroes and soulmates
AC: The interaction with artists from everywhere like Attila Is probably part of the reason why experts find your sound so international. You connect well with musicians from everywhere.
Alex: I always try to play with the people I admire the most. Once I have a really good connection with them. Of course sometimes you have to make decisions you donāt like. Sometimes I can do one project because I have another in the running. Or I have four projects at the same time and nobody wants to book me (laughs).
I think the international aspect is just because I lived in different places and met cool musicians everywhere. I just want to play with whomever I want.
AC: Who are your Belgian heroes?
Alex: I always looked up a lot to Dre Pallemaerts as a drummer with whom I also play in my Belgian trio. I think heās one of the few people who really understands the deep importance of groove. Not only the jazz tradition but also the spiritual side of music and jazz.I have a deep respect for him as a human being as well.
I also like to mention Erik Vermeulen. I think heās someone who doesnāt get enough credit. He is an incredible pianist. Of course there are also a lot of great pianists of my generation. But Erik, part of the generation of musicians who are now in their 60s, Eric is really like world class. I think he deserves more recognition.
On top of Alexā wishlist of musicians to work with in the future: Jakob Bro from Denmark.
Alex: He influenced me because of the simplicity in composing. He composes straight from the gut. Very instinctively. He has a very hands-on natural approach. And Gerald Cleaver is one of my favorite drummers on the planet. He plays a lot with Craig Taborn as well in his trio. I hope I get to play with him one day. Then thereās Wayne Shorter… just him replying me with one sentence, I would be over the moon. I think he has to be an alien, so gifted, so forward thinking in his composition. His music is not of this world. A lot of people might hate me now but I think the Miles Davis Quintet would not have been where they were without Wayne Shorter. He is actually one of the biggest influences in that quintet. A part from Miles Davis himself of course. Such an energy.
Multi instrumentalist
Alex also has some skills as a drummer and took one year of lessons in the conservatory.
Alex: Then I was Dreās student but at the same time we were playing concerts together on the piano.
Multi instrumentalist, Alex also played the cello when he was a kid.
AC: Never thought of participating in the Queen Elisabeth contest?
Alex: It takes a lot of time to practice all the concertoās and unfortunately I donāt have the time, Thatās kind of sad because I love playing classical music. I would have to be very specific with classical composers to practice. I donāt have time to practice Mozart. Frankly Iād rather practice Debussy or Messiaen…
Zoom zoom on the wall whoās the fairest of them all? Besides Dua Lipa it is…Slow Crush… Although there is no direct link between those two, ArtistCongratz managed to create one. But first things first.
This Thursday Slow Crush is part of the virtual line up of Eurosonic 2021. All the more reason to zoom in on this quirky band. Congratz!
Two bandmembers in the spotlight: Isa Holliday, Freddy Meeuwis, their journey, inspirations and everything you always wanted to know about a drummers influence but never dare to ask.
With a name like Isa Holliday, Slow Crushās leading lady was born to thrive in music.
Isa: My parents actually met over a guitar. My dad was traveling with my uncle who was dating my aunt (my motherās sister) at the time. They went to a restaurant. My father said: āI play the guitarā; my aunt said: āwell my brother also does.ā He wasnāt available and so my mother brought the guitar. Thatās how my parents met.
Music has always been part of my upbringing.
“ESC, the first step to lives againā
AC: For starters; CongratZ on the selection for Eurosonic! Slow Crush is on the verge of an international breakthrough…How does it feel?
Isa: We have been doing well in the US and the UK along with a lot of places outside of Belgium.
This is the first time weāre invited to Eurosonic, a bit closer to home; the first step to being able to play live again.
2020 was cut very short for us. Luckily we were still able to do a tour in the US In January-February.
When Corona hit we were supposed to go on three tours back to back but that was all canceled. For all musicians everything has been on hold this year.
We are really looking forward to the moment we will be able to play in front of live audiences again.
Eurosonic will hopefully open up some more doors In the Belgian festival scene or closer.
AC: A lot of big artists started out there. Like Dua Lipa for instance:
Isa: Freddy? Freddy: ah yes thatās my cue! Dua Lipa; Iām a big fan (lol)
AC: No worries, our range goes from Slow Crush to Dua Lipa and everything in between.
Isa: I think that Eurosonic is a little more mainstream then the crowds we used to play for.
Freddy: Itās a mixture of both, being there and have all the professional guys, the festivals, the booking agencies is a big plus. They can check you out and it might open some doors for the upcoming festivals in 2021 maybe 2022.
AC: Which ones are on top of your list?
Isa: Any place where Dua Lipa plays of course (laughs)
AC: What if she asked you to be in your pre program alongside Angele? Freddy: I would do it (lol)
Isa: I think Iād have to freshen up my dance moves (laughs)
āDrummer can be the keyāš„
AC: How does a drummer who is mostly in the shadow -but not on ArtistCongratz- can put his mark on a band?
Freddy: Thatās a good question. A drummer can be the key for a band for the sound and the whole vibe and groove. Slow Crush is more a band that writes songs, Isa and Jelle do so; in a second stage drums get in the song, like the guitarrif and so on.
AC: A song never starts with the drums?
Freddy: Not with Slow Crush no. A rhythm guitar or something like that. In other bands it can be like the opposite; it starts from a drumbeat…
I really like the live sound of a band. It gives you like a different vibe.
There are bands that work with electronica; drums and stuff but weāre really a live band. The drums can really give an extra there.
Isa: The way we write songs, we try to start of with ideas and kind of layer them all up together.
AC: Almost like baking a cake…
Isa: Freddy is the icing in the middle š The fiftieth guitarline comes at the end, that would be the cherry šIt sort of starts with a guitar idea š” or a melodyš¶ and then we get Freddy in as soon as possible. Once that idea is kind of ābakedā to play the drums on top of that. You got like the main guitar and then the drums. And all of the other layers can just be added.
So that combination of drums and initial guitar can spark off ideas on other melodies.
“Fellowships”
AC: How did your paths cross for the first time?
Isa to Freddy: Jelle and you practically know each other since you were born. Freddy: Kind of. One of my brothers and Jelle were class mates. I know Jelle from way back. My mom was friends with his mom, when they were kids. Weāre from the same area (Moorsel-Sterrebeek).
We used to hang out with Isa as well and the guitar player; Jeroen. Jeroen, Jelle and I played in a band for a long time. When that band broke up we started another one with more or less the same members. Slow Crush was founded in 2016.
Isa (Manchester native): I moved here when I was around nine. But I went to the British school in Tervuren. We werenāt planning on staying that long.
We all started hanging out together in our late teens and stayed friends in and out of different bands…
Ā« A new label Ā»
Isa: Thereās a lot of things going on behind the scenes of a band on top of the music. A lot to keep ourselves busy with.Although this year, itās been more quiet on the show front. If we were on tour, it would have been a lot harder to arrange. First of all, we had to find a new guitarplayer.
Also our label kind of crashed and burned. But we have a brand new one now! (Find out more below ed. note)
Weāve used these past six months to make a decision where we -as a band- want the next albums to be homed.
AC: Can you remember when you captured that typical Slow crush Sound? āPure hearts colour night skies.” Thatās Aurora, your signature song, if you please:)
Isa: yeah sure, if that’s how you feel.:) The title of the song and the lyrics also kind of hints towards the northern lights.But the song itself was inspired by a close friend of mine who was having some relationship problems.
Isa: “Aurora” is kind of a farewell song. Knowing that you have to let go and not hold on. Being in love with being in love isnāt always the answer. You have to be able to set yourself free.
AC: What song do you like to play live the most?
Isa: Itās been toooo long…I enjoy playing Glow, we usually end the set with that. Itās got a bit of a crazy part in it. “Release all of your frustrations.“
Freddy: Itās my favourite one as well. Along with āDriftā, I like it a lot. āGlowā is quite straight forward, punchy and itās maybe a bit atypical for Slow Crush. We talked earlier about the importance of the drums. One of the things I wanted to mention as well is that the drums tend to be very slow in a lot of the songs.
“Glowā is a bit atypical; more straightforward and up tempo with fast drums. I guess that may be one of the reasons we like to play it so much cause itās a total shift in our set.
AC: As a drummer, itās probably not easy to play slow songs?
Freddy: Yeah, thatās true, Iām used to playing in bands that are more straight forward, up-tempo, with more fill ins and more energetic.
Slow Crush is about less is more. Donāt fill it up too much, let the wall of sound take its course.
Like the guitar and the voice drowning in the effects thatās more our signature.
Freddy: For me itās very interesting to play in a band like Slow Crush because it makes me play differently then Iām used to.
Isa: I think it is about finding the right balance. Like Freddy mentioned the guitars can be a bit chaotic and full of effects. If the drum was straightforward all the time, Itās kind of pounding the entire time and can maybe loose some room for the vocals or the guitars.
Freddy: Itās very layered as well, a lot of details in the guitars and melodies.
Isa: I think we found the sound that we were going for, while recording the songs for āAuroraā.
In our first EP you can hear the shift in sound already. Like in the style of the songs as well. From Aurora we found the sound we wanted, the style we wanted to play.
āNew album in the makingā
Isa: There will be a slight change in sound on the album weāre going to record in January. But that signature sound is still there.
And I think that sound is caused by a pedal that weāve released.
Weāve actually put an effect pedal into production and sold some online so people can re-create that Slow Crush fuzz sound.
Freddy: The idea is to release in 2021, when exactly we donāt know yet. Isa: It should be somewhere around autumn time.
Early in 2020, Slow Crush toured along the US east coast.
Isa: Unfortunately Freddy couldnāt make it but this was our first time at the East Coast. We did the West Coast the previous year and that was also really cool. The first time we toured the US, I didnāt know it was going to be good. But it turned out fine. We even sold out a few shows in LA.
This year we have a booker in the US as well. We have a tour planned some time in 2021 hopefully. As soon as weāre all vaccinated.
āAudiences around the worldā
Isa: In the States and the UK audiences are a little more chill, a bit more open. Theyāre open to express themselves more as a crowd in comparison to some places in Europe like Belgium.
I remember we played a show in Ghent. Two or three people came to me after the show and said they really wanted to dance but nobody else was. If everyone has that reaction nobodyās going to dance of course.
AC: Maybe thereās a role for you Freddy, drummer entertainer.
Freddy: Next time Iāll bring my dog and make people dance (laughs).
You even see these differences in Belgium. When you go to the French speaking part, they tend to be more outgoing than in Flanders. In the UK you can sense differences between cities as well. Like Brighton or London…
Isa: I remember one gig where they were crowd surfing at the end. It was a very small show and the crowd surfed right into the toilets. (Laughs)
āTourlife is funā
AC: Besides the public, what do you miss most about tourlife Isa?
Isa: I think thatās it…
Freddy: Thank you Isa!
(Laughs)
Isa: Interacting with fans after a show thatās something I really miss. We still sell our merch online but thatās very different then actually meeting and chatting with someone after a gig.
Road life is fun, in the future we hope to take some more people but then weāll have to upgrade our van.
“A true fellowshipā
AC: Life as a drummer = in the shadow?
Freddy: It doesnāt feel like that for me, and if it is I donāt mind.
Isa: Youāre big enough and I am small enough. So everyone can see you.
Freddy: Slow Crush is like a band thing and itās more about the four of us. Together we build some thing and thatās Slow Crush. Youāre a piece of the puzzle.
I think thatās the best way to be a musician as well. Youāre just part of a big machine and together you can create a sound, thatās the most important thing about being in band. A true fellowship.
Pic by: Elke Damen
Isa lives in Belgium but still likes to play in her native town Manchester.
Isa: It is nice to go back up there and play out there. Every time we seem to play in Manchester, there is some party from another friendsā band. We know a lot of people there We can meet up and hang out with friends.
AC: How about music by Slow Crush for film?
Isa: Yeah why not? I think there are a lot of movies that have used songs in the style that we kind of play.
The dreamyness and sound can work as a background of scenes…so yeah why not, an indie alternative film or a slightly crazy road trip.
Twin Peaks is a good example of a series that has used a lot of songs in the genre that we play. Actually with the latest series of Twin Peaks, they had a band playing in the bar at the end of every episode. The first episode really captured me, the band was the Chromatics. I remember rewinding that scene a couple of times just to hear the band play. It helped building my own vocal sound.
“Shoe gaze and moreā
Isa: Shoe gaze might be the pigeon hole that weāre mostly classified in but there are a lot more elements to what we play then just pure shoe gaze. What sort of links us to that genre are the effects on the guitars, a lot of reverb, dreamy vocals…
We played a lot of different styles of music in the past and added little personal touches to each of the instruments.
āMusical heroesā
Freddy: When I was a kid I was a big fan of Deftones. I still am and was inspired by them. Radiohead is probably my favourite band ever.
Drumwise they were a big influence to me. Also Tailor Hawkins, the drummer of Foo Fighters. Some of my fill ins are inspired by them.
You hear a lot of different drummers as a kid and when youāre older you take bits and pieces. Itās the same with writing music.
Unconciously you use a lot of the things you hear and like and you put into Your own project. Thatās the interesting thing. Because I think that Isa and also Jelle have a bit of a different background then me, Isa?
Isa: Growing up we played in heavier bands then you.
AC: Freddy, if you could meet Deftonesā drummer what would you ask him?
Freddy: How are you doing? (Laughs) no Iād just say that Iām a big fan and I like his drumming.
Deftones is one of those bands that go way back and they still have their own thing going on. That is something I appreciate a lot. Something I wish for Slow Crush as well.
This is the second full length album weāre going to record and I hope like in 10, 15 years we can still make the things we like, We will have our audience, our own thing going on, Our own style itās the biggest thing that you can wish for a band. To have an own identity.
AC: I look forward to see you play live in 2021. Count me in.
Freddy: I hope so too, that we are allowed to play, in Belgium or somewhere else.
Isa: The likelihood is that local shows will be happening first. It depends on how the vaccination goes I suppose.
(Re)Discover Slow Crush this Thursday the 14th of January and gems like Aurora, Reel and Pale skin. Donāt miss the ESNS livestream at 21:35h (CET).
Pic by Nick Sayers
Slow Crush is also delighted to share the news of their new label.
Isa: After our previous label, Holy Roar Records, collapsed due to allegations made against the owner, we spent our corona “down-time” meeting with various labels who had offered us a spot on their roster. But Church Road Records (UK/EU) and Quiet Panic (US) were the ones we felt the most at ease with. Knowing that we are working with passionate, motivated teams that are fully invested in the band’s best interest, we couldn’t be happier. And to top it off, they’re all genuinely nice people š
Merch can be purchased from slowcrush.bigcartel.com and slowcrush.bandcamp.com. We’ve got some winter wear up there – hoodies and beanies, as well as various shirt designs, LP variants, CDs, pins, patches… Each purchase will be packed with love, goodies and possibly cat hair.
āA groovy group of friends meeting each other through musicā, thatās right up this blogās alley.
What a better way to reboot then zooming in on another very promising debut.
CongratZ are in order for this awardwinning band from my homeland.
K o s m o s o u n d presents A n t e n n a
We managed to catch Mattias, bass player, for a talk about roots and vibes of Kosmo Sound, who just gave birth to their first fullalbum. Would you care to dance reader?
The way to āAntennaā
Mattias: āMarius (drummer) and me (Mattias Geernaert/bass player) noticed each other’s love for steppers dub (sub genre in the soundsystem world based in UK/Jamaica) about 4 fours years ago in the soundsystem scene in Ghent.
After that we decided to do some duo rehearsals, Marius on drums and me on bass. In the beginning we tried to imitate the classic steppers dub sound. We soon realized we would need some more musicians to get to that sound we wanted. We decided to choose musicians who didn’t know the genre so that we wouldn’t be a copy of the genre we loved but rather an extension to that genre, or evolution. So we gathered this amazing bunch of musicians we knew from our mutual past in the jazz scene, each with their own unique sound and taste.
We decided to choose musicians who didn’t know the genre so that we wouldn’t be a copy of the genre we loved but rather an extension to that genre…
After having gathered 6 musicians and rehearsed and played a lot we started recording. First a 5 song EP than 1 single (mixed by Daniel Boyle) and in the beginning of 2020 we made another single with our lovely soundman (Christopher Lonneville) who also did a dubmix on “Antenna” — Yeasterdub.
Antenna was the perfect next step in this story around a group of friends meeting each other through music.
āA track about timeā
Mattias: The story behind Yeasterdub? This is a composition by our keyboard player Bos Debusscher: “This is a track about time and a presumed link between the words ‘yesterday’ and ‘yeast’, which is similar in Dutch (‘gisteren’ en ‘gist’). Yeast needs time to fulfill its process (i.e. fermentation).”
āPretty Weirdā
AC: weāre also intrigued by the artwork by āPretty weirdā and the collaboration with a soundwizard like Koen Gisen…
Mattias: Both are great artists. The collab with Bart De Vos was rather difficult in the beginning but we are very pleased and proud of the end result. I think Bart likes it as well and will tell you the same story. He is also a 3D artist who made an animation for one of the songs–> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9pbFvOGavw
āKoen Gisenā
Mattias: Koen is also amazing. To me he is like a confused scientist working in his messy lab.
š¶It turned out Koen is a dub lover himself so we had great fun doing all sorts of dub effects on our music. I think if we had the time and money we could have spent 2 months in his studio trying out stuff.
AC: Any favourite unforgettable moments in studio or elsewhere during these strange times while making/writing this first Kosmo sound story?
Kosmo Sound is a chain of unforgettable moments ;). I think it’s because we come along so well. There are very subtle moments and moments where it gets more crazy but I can’t think of one right now that pops out.
AC: How did 2020 and the whole Corona crisis affect your music and yourselves?
A lot like everybody!
Let’s talk about something else?
AC: Playing in front of a live audience still feels like a dream not so near but what are your hopes and musical wishes for the future?
Mattias: The thing I like the most with Kosmo Sound is playing live for big crowds who are dancing their asses off, so doing that as much as possible is one of the hopes.
Kosmo Sound is the brainchild of Marius Couvreur en Mattias Geernaert (Compro Oro)
In 2019, they won Sound Track, a new Contest of musicplatform VI.be. CongratZ again! (Picture by Sander Buyck)
Three Mediterranean springs ago I got the chance to experience this unique upclose concert of an R&B-legend from Haiti šš¹ at Midembeach in Cannes.
This year I would not miss this Master in the MidemClass.
Thank you Jean Wyclef forthatunforgettable experience/Breltribute šin 2017 but also to welcome us last Friday in your scintillating studio and swipe us away with your Fender Rhodes!
Jean Wyclef in concert @ Midembeach in June 2017
āInside the composerbrainā
Not only did Fugeesā Founding Father some explaining about how to make a sample different, traveling along all time classic āGuantanameraā he also made us relive the birth of some famous evergreens.
Carlos Santana first epiphany about āMaria Mariaā through cultmovie West Side Storyā for starters. And of course his own R&B gifts to the world:
Killing me softly with his song slash other famous quotes like āSomeone please call 911ā
ArtistCongratz 