January 9, 2000

NOTHING'S QUIET ON FRONT 242
The electro-pioneers Front 242 are still busy as always :
- Richard 23 has put together a new project : LaTchak. You might have heard the first single of the band already, characterised by the vocals of Sunzoo Manley (aka Piet Goddaer of Ozark Henry) "If This is Love" . The debut album "Business Musical" should be out in the shops in February, on Groove Records.
The band has already opened a stylish website at www.latchak.com (including a 35 Megabyte video of the single, shot by Parabellum-director Olivier Vanhoofstad).
- Front 242 is rumoured to prepare for a new albumn (the last one dates from over 5 years ago), since they promise some new songs for their gig at the Ancienne Belgique of February 12.
- Cleopatra Records has released another "tribute"-album, on which VNV Nation, Electro Assassin, K-Nitrate, V-Sequence, TVOD ... do something new with old songs from the Front.
- C-Tec, one of the projects of Jean-Luc Demeyer, has also finished a new album, called "Cut", but the release-date keeps on getting postponed due to a conflict with TVT Records.

DESIGN THE ZAMU TROPHY
Easthetically endowed readers of this pop-telex might find new inspiration for their creative energy in the fact that ZAMU is looking for someone to design the "ZAMU Music Award". They have written out a contest (prize = 40.000 Bef + the chance to hand out one to the winner of one category) for a statue or trophy, which will be handed out to artists in 14 categories during their yearly ceremony.
Zamu (vereniging voor Zangers & Muzikanten) is an organisation that advises it's mebers and promote the interests of the singers & musicians v.a.v. the government, music industry, Sabam ...
This year's ceremony will be held at the Ancienne Belgique on March 7th.
Deadline for the contest = January 31st. More info on the contest & the awards at zamu@ping.be

BREL-MUSICAL UNDER FIRE
De Standaard reported last week that "Anonymous Society", a play with 19 songs of the Belgian singer-poet Jacques Brel, has gotten in conflict with the Brel Foundation, as there wasn't given permission to use his songs in the play. The show got great reviews in the British press, but a conflict about the rights could jeopardise the future of it.
"Anonymous Society" is a production of vzw Stage-Art, who debuted the play in the deserted docks of Boel two years ago as "Brel op de Boelwerf". In Flanders, the production got harsh reviews and not a lot of visitors. The show that is on stage in London now, is shorter, with a new choreography, and British directors (Andrew Hale & Perrin Allen). Also, the songs of Brel which are sung during the play all have got a new English translation.
Article (in dutch) should still be online at this location.

ALEX & THE DINNER CLUB
Presenting : a brand new band (they have only given two gigs to this date).
Alex & The Dinner club is a semi-acoustic band consisting of Erik Van Biesen (bass-player with Gorki), Mario Vermandel (was with Kadril for years, also into jazz with Ronny Verbiest), Nils Decaster (played with Perry Rose, Elliot Murphy, Bruno, Roland, Lieven Tavernier ...) and Alexander Brackx (Horn, Marjan Debaene ...). As the bio says, the music of the band is "new, exciting, surprising, with the "feel" of Buena Vista Social Club, Los Lobos, Daniel Lanois or Tom Waits". Ambitions : a cd in 2000, and a lot of gigs.
The immediate plans :
- 16 jan. : Kaffee Planchee, Zottegem om 20.30u
- 4 febr. : De Knoet, Aarschot( om 20.00u)
- 6 febr.: De Fabriek, Gent (om 20.00u)
- 17 febr.: Elefanto Branco, St .-Niklaas (om 21.00u)
- 23 febr.: Au Casino, Kortrijk (om 20.00u)
- 24 maart: 'De Leute' in Aalbeke (om 20.00u)
Contact : Alexander Brackx

SOULWAX 2000
In an interview with Dutch NCRV-radioshow De Groef, Soulwax revealed some of the plans for the year that has started.
- First of all, they want to finish recording a new album this year, but it is highly unlikely that it will already be released in 2000. Success in England (happening now) or the States might jeopardize this.
- They will start preparations for a theater show : Arne Sierens (celebrated theater director whose plays include "Bernadetje" (with An Pierlé), "Mijn Blackie" & "de Drumleraar" (with Thou), has asked the brothers Dewaele to perform and act in a play. The brothers won't make their debut on theater-stage with this (they played with Eva Bal in their youth), but it would be the first time they would compose especially for a theater play.
- Soulwax will start a European tour (from January 18 until late February) through France, Holland, Switzerland, Germany & the UK (where they will join the UK-tour of new Radiohead-ish band Muse).
You can listen to the interview in Real-audio from this location.

January 5, 2000

NOORDERSLAG / EUROSONIC
Next Friday and Saturday January 7 & 8, the focus of Belgian music will shift North a bit, since there are a lot of bands from here appearing at the "Eurosonic/Noorderslag Festival" in the Dutch city of Groningen. Eurosonic is the European Showcase festival, gives upcoming European rock, pop and dance acts the opportunity to present themselves to audience, industry and media. Noorderslag is where the new breed of contemporary Dutch rock, pop and dance music presents itself.
Studio Brussels has sent Arid as their entry for the Europan Broadcasting Union series of gigs, where they follow in the steps of TC Matic, Neven, Soulwax, La Fille d’Ernest, Betty goes green, Evil Superstars and Hoover who were selected at one time or another during the past 20 years.
But Arid won't certainly be the only Belgian participant at the festival, since Laïs, Angelico (ex-members of Ashbury Faith, Noordkaap and Sin Alley, signed on Universal), Soulsucker (for the first time with a fifth member. There's a try-out on Thursday the 6th of January, at 21:00 at the Boogie Woogie in Geraardsbergen !!!), The Dill Brothers and Buscemi also got a place on the line-up. Also scheduled were Venus and Eden, but they can't make it.
A large part of the festival will be broadcasted live on the internet (which makes this message slightly more relevant, since it is already sold out anyhow) at http://www.iprecom.nl/noorderslag/2000/live/index.html.
More info about the festival also at http://www.noorderslag.nl

ROCK RALLY 2000 ... THE NAMES, THE PLACES
The bi-annual Humo's Rock Rally, the most important "battle of the bands" that is organized in our country, has selected the 100 names that will be lining up to become the successor to the last winners Das Pop.
The preselections are :
- January 21, Jeugdhuis Nijdrop in Opwijk with Alma Luna, Tongue (see our demo-section), Cupcake, The Temple, Sonic Scheme, Fie, Eletrified, Monsoon, Nefast, Sexytiger.
- January 22, De Hemel in Zichem : Little Big Man, The Skunks, Captain Ferris, Steering Wheel, The Beautifulls, Crane, Tydal, Bruce, Posing Plaudit, Blue Hue, August.
- January 28, Heist-Op-Den-Berg : Ray 268, Humb, The Exploding Donuts, Malinas in de mist, Troissoeur, Triskel, Elvis lives in us all, Gemini Luv Deluxe, Stingray, The New Fools.
- January 29, Zaal Racing in Gavere : Groove Grocery, Nephritis, Gloin, The Flavour, Chaos, Urban Salad, Driver, Misses Bombie, Venus in Flames, Koen d'Artagnan Wostyn.
- February 4, Velinx in Tongeren : Elysian, Fox, Yearn, Scarrots, Meklar, Perfume Garden, Sideshow, The dodgems, Mint, Epic.
- February 5 at the Cactus Club in Brugge : Spaceman Spiff, Leather Snake, No More Broadcasting, Cowboys & Aliens, Higgins, Keratine, No Hands Mama, Phillibustaz, Dr. Pepper Family, Sunscape.
- February 11, CC De Kimpel in Bilzen : No Law, Disfunktional, Tequila Waitress, Tony & The Hangmatten, Bottom's Dream, Zornik Breknov, The Fruitsons, Flurk, choky, Zafirlukast.
- February 12, CC De Herbakker in Eeklo : Ganja Kid, De Egels, Top Tequila, Wickers, BM April, Admiral Freebee, Reptilian, Ernie Dexter, Lara, Vliegend Wild.
- February 18, CC 't Heilar in Beerse : Eye Scream, The Rosswells, L'Ocean, Mintzkov Luna, Thumbs Down, Convict, Country Feedback Club, Crosseyed Monkey, Kretzlnköpf, Polzki Fiat.
- February 19, de Kreun in Bissegem : Jealousy Parker, Tainted Towels, Mickey's Mind, Model T, The Junes, Little, Wrong in the Garret, Basics, !Cojones Grandes! and El Niño.
All the preselctions will be presented by Roos Van Acker of Eden.

January 4, 2000

Zap Mama impresses the States again
Zap Mama, the multi-etnic adventurous worldbeat group of Marie Daulne, is slowly but surely making a big impression in the States once again. They have just finished a tour over there, and are about to announce dates for a new one already. Meanwhile, "A Ma Zone" (which as you can see on the right has received a very different sleeve from Luaka Bop than the one which was released in Europe) is getting great reviews all over, and is currently topping the "World Music" chart of CMJ and AAA Radio. The CMJ-reviewer described the album as "Zap Mama's strain of Afropop is an ever-evolving global party hosted by melodies and textures that hail from everywhere under the sun. On the brilliant A Ma Zone, this renowned female sextet ... continues to take its musical approach even further into the urban jungle. ... This true must-hear has finally brought the beat box into the brave new world" (full review here)
Zap Mama will do a single Belgian concert on February 6 at the AB in Brussels.
Don't know "A Ma Zone"?? Read my review, or buy it at Proxis.

Millenniumconcert for Wim De Craene
The town of Wetteren, home of singer Wim De Craene who died about ten years ago, is organising a remembrance concert to her famous son. Five years ago, the city organized such an event for the first time, gathering over 3,000 people for that occasion. The precize date of the 10th anniversary of the singer of "Tim", "Rozanne" etc is is September 14, 2000, but the festivities already start this January 7 and 8.
A number of Flemish artists (such as Yasmine, Bart Herman, Hans De Booij, Stijn Meuris, and "is this a gay conspiracy?" Marijn De Valck) will bring their interpretation of a song of Wim.
More info : the millenniumsite of Wetteren.