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viewing 1 To 10 of 10 items
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LP
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WERF 213LP
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Brussels-based power trio Don Kapot present their rousing new album I Love Tempo via W.E.R.F. Records. A lifeboat of free jazz, Afrobeat and krautpunk sailed by Giotis Damianidis (bass), Viktor Perdieus (baritone saxophone) and Jakob Warmenbol (drums), the album follows the release of their critically acclaimed 2022 album Un Peu Live recorded with Dutch multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer Fulco Ottervanger, and described by Bandcamp Daily as a "very fun mix of modern jazz and krautrock." Don Kapot strike hard with their fourth album, mixed and co-produced by Greg Saunier (Deerhoof). Using a wide range of instruments, they evolve their sound into a solid complex rhythmic wave, shaken by demented samples and punk attitude. From the vibrant, pounding rhythms of opening track "Me Pig" to the off-kilter, whimsical beats of "Macarona" and "Terryble," Don Kapot integrate new instruments and sounds into their repertoire, including keyboards and sampling. The groove remains a central element to the sound as the trio deliver a palpable blend of high tension and joyous energy where genres are demolished. Elsewhere, the funk-heavy "Bernadette" allows the magical, freestyle sax work of Perdieus to take center stage while "Don Be No" is an urgent, flippant blast of vigor and zest before the album title track "I Love Tempo" is an exhilarating and hypnotic journey that combines the freedom and verve of free jazz with the trance-like zeal of artists such as Tony Allen, Fela Kuti, and Kologbo.
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LP
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WERF 155LP
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After their self-titled debut (WERF 151EP, 2018), MDCIII (saxophonist Mattias De Craene (Nordmann) and his drummers Simon Segers (De Beren Gieren/Absynthe Minded) and Lennert Jacobs (The Germans/Hong Kong Dong)) launch their full-length debut, Dreamhatcher. De Craene's sensationally strident sax parts elevate the hypnotizing grooves of rhythmic duo Segers and Jacobs to an ecstatic level. The almost alarming sound that stems from this combination leaves every listener in a kind of cinematic daze that would enthuse even directors like David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino. But is it jazz? Who cares? As prodigies of the new wave of Belgian jazz, De Craene and his two soul-mates effortlessly marry the virtuosity and free spirit of jazz to influences from the other end of the musical spectrum, from tribal rhythms and roots to far-out electronics. It makes it hard to categorize their music, unless the category extraordinary counts of course! LP includes download.
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10"
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WERF 154EP
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The youthful jazz iconoclasts of SCHNTZL are undoubtedly among that much-talked-about "new wave of Belgian jazz". Since releasing their untitled debut in the fall of 2016 (WERF 140LP), the band has played an impressive number of concerts, adorned the stage of Gent Jazz Festival, and hosted Badbadnotgood in Amsterdam's Paradiso. This brand-new EP Paper, Wind is a new adventure in the continuous sonic search of pianist Hendrik Lasure and drummer Casper Van De Velde. The result is a moving collection of melancholic snapshots in which they keep flirting with minimalism and subtle electro. RIYL: Nils Frahm, Erased Tapes.
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10"
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WERF 151EP
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MDCIII takes you on a slightly intoxicating musical trip balancing between psychedelic rock, tribal rhythms, and energetic free jazz. Ghent-based saxophonist Mattias De Craene (MDC) has caused a stir as frontman of jazz rock sensation Nordmann. 2018 sees Mattias fronting his own project MDCIII. Flanked by two special drummers -- Simon Segers (De Beren Gieren, Black Flower) and Lennert Jacobs (The Germans, Hong Kong Dong) -- he takes you on a slightly intoxicating musical trip balancing between psychedelic rock, tribal rhythms and energetic free jazz. Features singer Sylvie Kreusch (Warhaus).
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LP
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WERF 150LP
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Belgian musician Dijf Sanders pens and produces soundtracks for distant, far-flung places that brood with exotica, psychedelia, jazz, and electronica. His new album Java is a psychedelic and modern search for the sounds of the homonymous Indonesian island. Armed with a set of field recorders, Dijf traveled to every urban and rural corner of Indonesia in the spring of 2017. As a contemporary incarnation of ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, he collected an impressive repertory of recordings, commissioned by the Europalia Arts Festival and KAAP Creative Compass. "Kacapi", "Kendang", "Angklung", "Calung", or "Gamelan" are not the names of indigenous tropical diseases by the way, but those of local instruments that Dijf encountered on his adventurous musical quest. For two weeks the American expert ethnographer Palmer Keen stood by Dijf through his total immersion into the island's colorful culture and rich, ceremonial traditions. On his return to Belgium, Dijf headed straight back into the studio with the gathered material and invited some of his musical soulmates to put the icing on the cake. It is no coincidence that the three guests -- Nathan Daems, Filip Vandebril, and Simon Segers -- are all part of Black Flower, a band that famously flirts with oriental sounds. From hours and hours of field recordings, Dijf distilled ten psychedelic pieces which ride on waves of ecstasy and trance, and bridge the gap between two worlds. Tribal rhythms and warm melodies are fused to a seamless and beautiful musical work in utopia. The Brugge-born, Gentbrugge-based musician is one of those great Flemish talents. In the past, he earned his stripes with Teddiedrum and The Violent Husbands and has produced bands like Kenji Minogue and Blackie & The Oohoos. He has also released music under his own name including the critically acclaimed album Moonlit Planetarium (2016). Welcome to Dijf Sanders's wonderful journey into future exotica. Comes with printed inner sleeve; Includes download card.
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CD
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WERF 143CD
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It was during the revolution that people from all over the Middle East felt connected on a spiritual level no matter which country they came from. Tunisian-born and Brussels-based, Ghalia Benali, felt an otherworldly homogeneity with freedom seekers miles away and it felt as if she was destined for her new career venture. MwSOUL, which translates to "connected", was Benali's next music project. It is considered her most Sufi and spiritually oriented work. Most of the lyrics were written by her, yet the "MwSOUL" hit was written by the aspiring Egyptian poet, Abdallah Ghoneim. It all started during the revolution when Egypt shut down the internet and Benali lost connection with the youth. Ghoneim sent her a poem about souls and hearts intertwining, regardless of their inability to physically meet. It was about the silent yet ever present connection between two beings, the past and future and life and death. The songstress tried to understand her own emotions regarding deaths, crimes, and conspiracies and seek the true essence of the events. To her, freedom was never about over throwing political figures. Going through a personal revolution in her own personal life, Benali immediately started recording the powerful poem tackling the individual's path towards liberty. MwSOUL is a project that blends classic and contemporary Arab lyrics. The music using breath (brass) and beat (percussion) was written by Benali, referring to the soul and heart, and arranged by Belgian group, Mâäk, with whom Benali has been collaborating for over 20 years, and led by trumpeter Laurnet Bondiau with the excellent oud of Moufadhel Adhoum. Benali graces the stage in the MwSOUL performance and creates a pulse that is organically provided by oud, flute, trumpet, sax, sousaphone, and drums, along with her dark and commanding voice and horns that add punchy rhythmic riffs. From moments of calm voice tagged solely with oud or sousaphone to full-throated vocal notes, the performance is a roller coaster of beats and emotions. Comes in a digipack; Includes booklet.
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10"
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WERF 147EP
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RSD 2017 release. Late addition. Ghent-based, Latin jazz collective Compro Oro explored traditional Latin and Cuban rhythms, with wild guitar riffs and exotic vibraphone infusions on their debut Transatlantic (2015). Bombarda digs deeper and leaves the audience dancing on psychedelic dark grooves. Compro Oro offers wild, profound, and uncanny flavors, slowly fermented in some dingy slum's basement. "Miami Was A Nice Place In The 80s" takes you to a dark sweaty beach bar, while "Ababa Boogie" and "Greetings From The Colony" evoke a jungle trip on LSD, or a twang-American, psychedelic road trip to Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.
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LP
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WERF 145LP
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What happens when you bring two born improvisers together in a monastery? It was with this question in mind that the W.E.R.F. label gave carte blanche to the Rawfishboys, a contemporary duo, to spend a week at the 16th-century Abbey of St. Godelieve in Bruges, never previously open to the public, so that they could work on a completely new repertoire. The reed-player Joachim Badenhorst and bassist Brice Soniano distilled no less than 20 new pieces out of their stay in this almost sacral retreat, enough to fill both a CD and an LP. On the LP, The White Starline, spontaneous improvisation alternates with random street recordings and sound collages. All this is then flavored with a spiritual seasoning that creates a connection between the CD and the LP. Those who like Colin Stetson or John Zorn's chamber music can now add this musical masterpiece to their collection. Includes printed inner sleeve and download code.
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LP
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WERF 146LP
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One piano, two musicians, four hands - music at the crossroads of minimalism, chamber music, contemporary jazz and improvisation. In their new duo, the jazz pianist Christian Mendoza and classically-trained pianist Heleen Van Haegenborgh explore Bach's oeuvre, starting from Kurtág's transcriptions for four hands. This inspired them to make their own music, a mixture of compositions and improvisation. The result is a meeting of two worlds, a unique symbiosis of age-old music and the constant urge for renewal felt by two present-day improvisers. Copper, their debut album, is released on the W.E.R.F. label, a mark of quality in Belgian jazz since 1993. Includes printed inner sleeve and download code.
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2LP
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WERF 140LP
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A fresh new breeze is blowing through the Belgian music scene, taking the form of SCHNTZL. This duo of Hendrik Lasure and Casper Van De Velde is cheerfully pushing the boundaries of traditional jazz, armed with only piano and drums. The two young top talents are experimenting with minimalism, electronics and classical music, in their search for the preservation of fragility: how can strict composition and free improvisation be combined? How do acoustic and electronic elements fit together? The unique way in which they answer these questions leaves enough space for silence and takes the listener to the essence of music. Their first full album Schntzl was recorded by producer Koen Gisen (Dans Dans, Flying Horseman, An Pierlé, Robbing Millions). For fans of Nils Frahm, Radiohead and Keith Jarrett.
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