Ambrose Akinmusire guests on Alex Koo’s Blame It On My Chromosomes

The witty and extravagant European jazz of Belgian-Japanese pianist and vocalist Alex Koo we were much taken by even bearing in mind the arid atmosphere encountered in a massive hangar type exhibition space at Jazzahead in 2023.

Better by far was the chance today all this time on to take a quick listen to Koo’s new album which is to be released in early-2025.

We certainly recommend the lead-off track ‘Slowly’ and the whole album is full of driving energy, formidable flow and bags full of improvisatory ingenuity that harnesses a lot of trio fire power and yes those quirky vocals play their part.

To be issued by W. E. R. F.

With double bassist Lennart Heyndels and drummer Dré Pallemaerts on the album which is entitled Blame It On My Chromosomes to be issued by the Bruges based W. E. R. F. Records, US trumpet icon Ambrose Akinmusire features on 2 tracks.

”The only way not to spiral into depression as a jazz musician nowadays is to vent and lose yourself in the music.”– Alex Koo

Koo (born in 1990 – real name Alex Koo Derudder) is the son of a Belgian missionary sent to Japan in the 1970s and a Japanese peace activist.

He hails from West Flanders in Belgium, studied at conservatories in Amsterdam and Copenhagen and later in New York.

W.E.R.F will release Blame It On My Chromosomes on February 7, 2025

Published by ·

Tags: , , , ,

Black Flower tease upcoming album with lead single ‘Monkey System’ ft. Meskerem Mees

There’s exciting new from Belgian quintet Black Flower, who are gearing up to release a new album in the new year. Entitled Kinetic, it follows their 2022 Magma, and arrives on January 31st through Sdban Ultra.

There’s still a long wait ahead but the collective are teasing the album now with a brilliant and boisterous lead single called ‘Monkey System’ featuring singer-songwriter Meskerem Mees. The title takes its inspiration from the parable of the monkey whereby the monkey is lured by bait inside a hole, it reaches for it with a clenched fist and can’t get the food out without letting go of it. When danger approches, the monkey chooses to hold on to the food rather than letting go of it and gets trapped.

The track “is a reflection on this state of mind, and by extension, a poignant metaphor for the human condition”, as the press release explains, and it “mirrors a deeper truth: our tendency to cling to desires that ultimately hold us back.”

Tracklist:

A1. Black Flower – Kinetic
A2. Black Flower feat. Meskerem Mees – Monkey System
A3. Black Flower – Underwave
B1. Black Flower – Synesthetic
B2. Black Flower – Violet Drift
B3. Black Flower – Conundrums
B4. Black Flower – Particles

Sdban Ultra will release Kinetic on January 31, 2025

Published by ·

Tags: , , , ,

30YRS FUSE

30 Years Of Making Noise

30 years of Fuse. That’s 1,560 weekends of love, techno, I ❤︎ TECHNO, Motion Room, party flyers, La Demence, renovations, label nights, sound isolations, Jeu de Balle, long shifts, noise complaints, stylus replacements, after-hours, legendary b2bs, compilations, resident DJs, On The Beach, emergency loops, and an unfathomable amount of tickets boisson.

2024 marked the nightclub Fuse’s 30th year of continuous operation on Rue Blaes in Brussels. Belgium is home to cultural visionaries, break-the-mould characters, and prolific producers who helped shape the foundations of the electronic music scene we enjoy today. As a result, Fuse’s story traces the outlines of the house and techno history at large. Through striking visuals, quotes, research, and storytelling, this book connects the dots between the rise of renowned artists and uniquely Belgian characters that crystallised Fuse as a temple of underground dance music.

From Detroit to the Marolles, Ricardo Villalobos to DJ Pierre, Carl Craig to Trish Van Eynde, Daft Punk to Deg, Laurent Garnier to Charlotte de Witte, Warp to Music Man Records, even Depeche Mode to Björk, this book documents not only the iconic performances and moments over the years but also the stories of those who took the risk of running a nightclub and the tens of thousands of dancers who poured their love, sweat, and tears into the labyrinthine walls of Fuse.

An essential for any raver or lover of electronic music history, this book is an archival work dedicated to the music heads who have kept their minds and ears open since 1994. 

Keep on Fusin’.

Written by Koen Galle
Language: English
Softcover
352 pages
Yarn-sewn bound in cold glue, Swiss binding, with linen spine strip
206,5 x 281,5 mm

Afterclub will release FUSE: 30YRS Of Making Noise on December 6, 2024

Published by ·

Tags: , , , ,

Claire Rousay Scores 80s Animated Film ‘The Bloody Lady’ by Pioneering Animator Viktor Kubal

claire rousay has announced a new album, The Bloody Lady, which is set for release on November 8 via VIERNULVIER Records. It features the reimagined score rousay wrote for Viktor Kubal’s 1980 animated film of the same name, which she debuted at Videodroom/Film Fest Gent 2023 in Ghent, Belgium. The record is accompanied by an extensive booklet including film stills and liner notes by Rastislav Steranka and Wouter Vanhaelemeesch.

Based on the folktale of Elisabeth Bathory, The Bloody Lady follows the story of a Slovak noblewoman who murders hundreds of young women in order to stay youthful. “The actions surrounding the heart are pivotal in the film, and, along with its heartbeat, they formed the initial pulse of the score,” rousay shared..

Listen to ‘VIII’ below.

Tracklist

A1. i
A2. ii
A3. iii
A4. iv
A5. v
B1. vi
B2. vii
B3. viii
B4. ix
B5. x
B6. xi

VIERNULVIER will release The Bloody Lady on November 8, 2024

Published by ·

Tags: , , , , , ,

Get a taste of the forthcoming Dusko Goykovich compilation

Sdban Records presents the first single from its forthcoming archival release ‘Dusko Goykovich – Doo’s Blues: The 1967 Belgian Radio Recordings.’

A signature Goykovich composition, The Wedding March of Alexander the Macedonian is an iconic example of Balkan jazz, the sub style that Dusko pioneered in the 1960s and perfected throughout his career. Those familiar with his oeuvre might recognise the tune from the landmark and much sought- after Swinging Macedonia album, but will be surprised by this newly discovered funky and swinging rendition that stars Goykovich alongside Belgian vibraphonist Fats Sadi.

This first single is taken from the forthcoming compilation ‘Doo’s Blues: The 1967 Belgian Radio Recordings’, a collection of previously unreleased tracks from two recording sessions Goykovich did for BRT (Belgian Radio & TV). It captures the Serbian jazz trumpeter, composer and band leader at the moment he established himself as one of Europe’s most distinctive jazz artists.

Doo’s Blues was compiled by Lander Lenaerts. Lander’s a DJ and writer who plays an important part in documenting the rich jazz history Belgium has to offer.

Doo’s Blues: The 1967 Belgian Radio Recordings is set for release via Sdban on 22 November 2024. 

Published by ·

Tags: , , ,

Ben Klock and Fadi Mohem reveal new album LAYER ONE featuring Flowdan

The project is out on November 29th via the Berghain residents’ new label, LAYER.

Out on November 29th, LAYER ONE eschews the techno both artists are known for in favour of IDM, ambient and experimental flavours. Flowdan and Coby Sey feature as guest vocalists. The project will be released through Klock and Mohem’s new label, LAYER.

LAYER ONE isn’t first time that the Berghain residents have collaborated on the production front. In 2022, they put out joint EP Klockworks 34 via Klock’s Klockworks label.

Listen to “Clean Slate (feat. Coby Sey).”

Tracklist

A1. Ultimately (feat. Coby Sey)
A2. Escape Velocity
B1. Restrained
B2. Nothing Else
B3. Our Sector (feat. Flowdan)
C1. The Vanishing
C2. Clean Slate (feat. Coby Sey)
D1. Rest Assured
D2. The Machine
D3. Melatonin

LAYER will release LAYER ONE on November 29th, 2024.

Published by ·

Tags: , , , , , , ,