Jan Maarschalk Lemmens had been around for a while, but when he dropped ‘Bugatti’ last year, it was clear he was ready to take Glints to the next level. It’s been awfully quiet in these last few months and usually that means a lot of new material is in the making. This hunch is confirmed by Lemmens: “I’ve been working on so much new stuff, so an album is not far away anymore”.

If “Gold Veins” is a sign of things to come, then we are dying to hear more. The single that's co-produced by Yong Yello and Jens Paeyeneers comes with a bright and colourful video, directed by one of Belgium’s best hip hop video directors, A$IAN Rocky. The track features samples by the legendary Western composer Ennio Morricone. “We were lucky those got cleared”, explains Lemmens. “I usually don’t really work with samples – normally we record everything ourselves – but that Western vibe really stuck with me. The lyrics are loosely inspired by the concept of a gold rush, drawing parallels with my crew and my daily life” (laughs).

Follow Glints on Facebook and Spotify to stay up to date with his latest news.

Belgium’s classic dance genres like New Beat, rave, techno and EBM have been getting their fair share of attention recently. Yet no one really took their reinterpretation of this heritage to the next level quite like Tim Van De Meutter aka Locked Groove did. The Berlin-based (but raised in Antwerp) house and techno producer-DJ is proud to present his long-awaited debut album ‘Sunset Service’, which comes out on the established Hotflush Recordings in March. On it, Van De Meutter digs deep for his roots and delivers a rich, versatile and refreshing take on that ‘classic Belgian sound’. Before the release hits the shelves, the artist takes a trip home for a cheeky little DJ-set at Ampere this Saturday. In anticipation of the show, we sat down for a coffee with one of this country’s finest techno exports to talk about the album and his admiration for Zillion (amongst other things).

Hi Tim! How is life in Berlin? Are you a regular at Berghain, or?

Life is pretty good to be honest. Having just finished the album, I can take a step back from the studio and focus on other things. And about Berghain, I try to keep my visits to a minimum (laughs).

Now that you’ve been in Berlin for a few years, what’s your take on the current Belgian house and techno scene?

I think we’ve got a lot of new talent that’s doing interesting stuff at the moment. I have a feeling the scene is going through a revival again, so I’m stoked to see what the future brings. Pelace for instance is doing some cool stuff, I really like what they are doing.

You’ve always had a fascination for Belgian heritage like New Beat and EBM. What is it about those genres that keeps you coming back for inspiration?

It’s an endless source of inspiration for me. Sadly, most people only know the hits, but if you dig a bit deeper, there’s an enormous amount of material to be inspired by. When I find a hidden gem, it still gets me really excited. For me, it’s the music that represents Belgium so well. Nothing like waiting for a delayed train in the rain while listening to some New Beat and feeling miserable. Now that’s Belgium for me (laughs).

Tell us a little something about your debut album. Why did it take you so long?

It took me a while to get the concept together. I didn’t want it to be a simple rehash of old sounds. Coming up with the idea of a 90’s inspired album wasn’t the difficult part. The challenge was to bring something new to the table. A lot of projects didn’t make the final cut. Out of all the tracks I made over the course of this year (a number that has to be something around 70) only these final 12 ended up on the album.

So what’s the idea behind the music on this album?

As I said before, it was my idea to create an ode to Belgian heritage, while bringing something new to the table. The most difficult part for me was using these legendary sounds, like a hoover for instance, without making it sound too cheesy. I wanted the whole project to be strictly Belgian, so we had Paul Boudens do the artwork. I really love his work and I think he did a fantastic job with transferring the vibe of the album into the artwork.

Does this mean you won’t be releasing stuff on your own Locked Groove label anymore?

\n\n\n\n

For now, I’m taking a step back and opening the platform to new talent. But I’ll definitely make another appearance at some point!

Back in 2012, Hotflush Recordings gave you your debut release. Now, they are releasing your album. Seems like you still feel right at home there. Has it come full circle now?

Absolutely, Scuba (the Hotflush label owner, ed.) always gave me the freedom to do what whatever I wanted and release any kind of music I wanted. In my mind, there was no other way than to release my debut album on this record label.

One of the tracks on your album is called Zillion (a legendary discotheque from the 90’s that closed its doors in 2003). Did you ever have the chance to go there?

My grandmother used to live right around the corner of Zillion and I remember driving past there on a Sunday morning. It always fascinated me. Unfortunately, I never made it before it closed down. I was just too young at the time. However, I did sneak out of bed on Saturday’s to watch this TMF show called ‘At the Club’. They would visit a particular nightclub every weekend and film what was going on in there. Sometimes they visited Zillion, so that’s about as far as my experience with that club goes (laughs).

You’re playing Hobbelpaard at Ampere in Antwerp this Saturday. What can we expect from your show?

A lot of fresh material from my album off course. I’m also in the process of digitizing a lot of old Detroit records I have collected over time, so I’ll definitely play some of those as well!

This Saturday, Locked Groove headlines Hobbelpaard at Ampere, Antwerp. Click here for more info and tickets. His debut album ‘Sunset Service’ will come out on Hotflush Recordings on March 8.

They grow up so, fast don’t they? In its 7 years of existence, the membership-driven Subbacultcha Belgium has proven to be a reliable and autonomous source of news, content and events that celebrates alternative music. The independent Belgian branch of the Dutch media platform's impact on the underground music and art circuit cannot be understated. And so, the birthday party this Friday in Beursschouwburg is set to be one for the books. In anticipation of this anniversary, we slid into the DM’s of Kasper-Jan Raeman, the editor-in-chief who has been there since day one.

Hi Kasper-Jan, how do you look back on the 7 first years of Subbacultcha Belgium?

Very positive. In 7 years’ time, we have grown into what has become an important brand within the Belgian cultural landscape. Not only did we organize a lot of fun shows (with artists like John Maus, Yves Tumor, Mykki Blanco, Future Islands, Amen Dunes and more), we have also grown as a media platform, creating a solidly working organization.

With your budget in mind, what’s the primary goal of Subbacultcha?

Our raison d’être is not related to money whatsoever. We aim to promote new and relevant artists, genres and movements to a larger audience. This a goal you can reach with both a big and a small budget.

What’s your main source of income?

Membership contributions for concerts and events are at the core of Subbacultcha. We also have a strong network of partners in and outside of Belgium and we have a platform on which organisations can advertise.

What would be the most remarkable trends and changes in the alternative music circuit of the past 7 years according to you?

A lot of things have changed. Our own audience seems to show a wider interest in different niches. Often they pick something up and then mix those styles together until they have created their own world. That’s a very interesting phenomenon. Other than that, there seems to be a lot more quality and quantity as far as concerts, festivals and parties go. If you compare the current situation with the one we had before, there are many more independent event promoters around: C12, Heartbroken, Slagwerk, Purple Panda, Supervue Festival, Overlast, etc... That’s an incredibly positive trend. When we look at the global picture, the monopolisation and increase in scale of booking agencies and festivals is something that strikes me. This development results in a situation in which big events and festivals all start to look similar.

Music and brands: what’s your take on this increasingly frequent combination?

It’s a collaboration that makes sense to us. Sponsoring is something timeless. If brands are willing to join your story and respect the philosophy of your organization, I don’t see why that would be a problem.

What’s the piece of Subbacultcha content that you’re most proud of so far?

I don’t have a preference. I’m just very proud that young people often want to contribute by making content. It’s great to see that they are proud of their work when it’s published online or in our magazine. We really value this model in which we give chances to young, creative talent.

After being an editor-in-chief for so long, what’s the most important lesson you learned?

Never think you’re the only one who knows the truth. You always have to remain open to new influences and ideas. It’s incredibly important to listen to your community. That’s how you accomplish the most – both literally and figuratively.

What can we expect from the 7^th birthday party this Friday?

We’ve invited artists that we value wholeheartedly: the Lait De Coco crew, Wu-Tangu & Golce Dabanna, Liyo B2B bb.zip and more. Other than that, we have planned a few live performances from the hilarious rapper Quintano and the NON Worldwide producer Bonaventure.

On Friday, Subbacultcha Belgium celebrates its 7^th birthday in Beursschouwburg, Brussels. More info and tickets on the event page. Want to become a member? Click here.

Some have already obtained some small successes, spending years in the shadows, waiting for the right moment and others have barely left their bedroom studios. Some aim for headlining festival stages, others aim for nothing in particular – but all of them have developed a sound with the potential to turn a lot of heads. With this feature we shine a light on some of the most interesting new talents that our tiny country has to offer.

You might know the\n23-year-old Martha Canga Antonio as the lead actress in the notorious 2015\nblockbuster ‘Black’ – or you might have seen her as a part of the rap\ncollective Soul’art. Now, the\nBrussels-based artist takes matters into her own hands as Martha Da’ro. Based on her first shows at Botanique and Lotto Arena, plus her debut single ‘Summer Blues’, we might be in for\na treat. The multi-talented\nperformer effortlessly blends dreamy pop with strong hip hop, English with\nFrench and boundless energy with fragile emotion. Before her upcoming EP ‘Cheap\nWine & Paris’ drops, we invited Martha over for a cosy coffee chat to see\nwhat she has in store for us.

How do you look back on the attention you got from starring in the movie Black?

I don’t mind, I’m an actress too after all. As an artist, I express myself in many ways. If people got to know me because of what I’ve done in the past, then sure, I’ll take it – as long as they give my other projects a chance too.

You were a part of the rap formation Soul’art too for a long time. Is that where you discovered your love for singing and rapping?

Soul’art already existed as a group under the slightly different name Soulart (pronounced in French) before I joined the team. One of the guys, Benjamin Kabango aka Jazzy Bench, was my best friend and I often joined him to ROJM, the local youth center slash studio. Usually I was just chilling out there, listening to what they were doing. One day they needed someone to sing a chorus, and the rest is history as they say. Before that moment, I never really thought about singing, but the ‘anything goes’ atmosphere at this studio convinced me to give it a shot. A few weeks later they were booked for a show and that’s how Soul’art came to be.

Your last performance with the group was at the Niveau 4 show at Couleur Café. Why did you decide to throw in the towel?

It all went quite naturally to be honest. There were no hard discussions or anything like that and the relation between all of us is still as strong as ever. I decided to leave because I wanted to explore the possibilities of my own sound by giving myself the time and space to discover everything on my own.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned from that era?

We were 5 completely different artists working together: so I learned that it’s ok to stay genuine without trying to fit in for the sake of it. Everyone knew their strengths and weaknesses, so it’s this variety of styles and ideas that made us strong.

Do you have creative outlets other than music or acting?

Yes, together with Yaqine Hamzaoui I form the Visual Poetry collective. It’s kind of hard to put a label on it. We just carry out various ideas: these can be music video’s (like the one for ‘Summer Blues’), fashion design (we’re currently working on something together with Cha Noir), or anything else.

You recently had your first live show: doing the warm-up for Mahalia at Botanique. How did it go?

It was such a stressful affair! I only knew I was going to do this three days ahead, so it was quite a rush. A few seconds before coming on, I was almost having a nervous breakdown. But when I got on that stage I remembered why I was doing this. A lot of people were supportive and towards the end, everyone was tuned into my groove. It went down really well in the end, so I hope every show will have as much reaction from the crowd as this one.

‘Summer Blues’ sounds like a dreamy version of R&B-pop. Are these the kind of vibes we can expect on your upcoming EP?

Well, I will always be Martha, you know? Some stories are told better with a certain sound. I hope to make music that can’t be put into one category, music that will just sound like ‘me’. It doesn’t matter if some folks categorize my tracks as hip hop or pop because it will never be my intention to make easily classifiable music. To me, it’s so much more important that people can identify themselves with my message.

So, what is that message?

Well it may sound cheesy, but I want people to follow their guts you know? You should be able to see a show and have that feeling from that 2014 movie Whiplash afterwards: the feeling that you will do whatever it takes to reach your goal. I’m not here to literally say this to everyone’s face, I’m here to show everyone that it can be done. I’m proof of that – or, well, at least I’m working on it (laughs). 

Seems like you got some inspiration in Paris for the title (‘Cheap Wine And Paris’) of the upcoming EP?

I mostly draw inspiration from my daily life: my emotions and the stuff that happens around me. So the content of this message really depends on the moment in my life during which I wrote that piece of music. It can be anything, really. But yes, I did spend 2 days in Paris for an audition last year. I didn’t get the part, but I did wander around aimlessly, stumbling upon a little flea market. The sun was shining, I bought a bottle of cheap wine, I was holding daisies in my hand, … It was the perfect snapshot. Not all tracks on that EP reflect that moment exactly, but in general this collection of music symbolizes my mindset for that moment in my life.

People have different reasons to make music. What’s yours?

I want to be able to create my own platform on which people can feel at home, both for music or for any other art form. Stromae is is the perfect example: he is his own platform. He can perform, design fashion, make videos, produce music: it doesn’t matter what you see or hear, you just know it’s him. He’s a genre on his own. That’s my ultimate goal.

What comes after this EP drop?

Making as much new music as possible (laughs).

'Martha Da'ro - Cheap Wine And Paris EP' is out soon. Follow Martha on Facebook in the meantime to stay in the loop.

Remember the KRANKk fellas we interviewed in our Fresh On The Scene series a few months back? The Antwerp-based trio of musicians have released a brand new single, 'Like That', that features the raps and rhymes of two of Belgium's finest fresh faces on the hip hop scene: Miss Angel and Blu Samu. The latter even took home the gold medal in the Chase Award for best new urban talent on the most recent Red Bull Elektropedia Awards. Now, this happy bunch is proud to present the colourful music video, directed by Romain Habousha. UK Grime à la belge, it's an interesting development - and we can't wait for more. We hear their debut album, 'Dark', is coming rather soon!

On March 13 you can witness a KRANKk live try-out at Bonnefooi in Brussels. On March 15 they will perform at Bouge B Festival in deSingel in Antwerp.

Follow KRANKk on their Instagram, Facebook and Soundcloud pages.

The Red Bull Elektropedia Awards dust may have settled, but the award show’s big winner is grinding harder than ever. Angèle took home Artist of the Year, Best Track and Best Breakthrough Artist at Flagey. More recently, she struck gold three times at the D6bels Music Awards (Female Artist of the Year, Album Of The Year and Song of the Year), the MIA's ('Best Breakthrough', 'Solo Female', and 'Best Artwork') and the prestigious Victoires De La Musique (Best Debut Album and Best Video) - the French music industry award that launched the careers of countless francophone acts (like Stromae for example). Belgium’s biggest rap star, Damso, was crowned with a well-deserved first place in the Best Rap Album category for 'Lithopédion'.

This just goes to show that there’s no stopping a Van Laeken. Roméo, Angèle’s older brother, already proved everything there is to prove. Together, they are a killer combo, each working their way up in their own unique fashion. We were lucky to catch these talented siblings in Red Bull Elektropedia’s backstage for a quick chat about awards, collaborations and the future. 

Have you guys made music together already?

R: We have made some music together. We even did a concert together about 6 months ago.

A: Yes, we were arguing the whole time! But up until that moment, we never got around doing a show together.

R: It went down perfectly!

Angèle, you won no less than 3 gold medals at the last edition of the Red Bull Elektropedia Awards. How does that feel?

A: It was already a major honour to be nominated in just one category, so this result feels almost absurd! Winning these awards feels crazy.

R: Even though I didn’t win Artist Of The Year, I was sure Angèle would win. Just to be second in this category feels incredible already. It’s great my little sister surpassed me!

What’s on the schedule now?

A: To be honest, quite a lot. Some new gigs, I will finish my tour, Roméo will release his new album, etc. We will never run out of things to do. What’s better is that even more people are following our moves now. This gives us more motivation to work on different projects. It feels like we are constantly climbing a staircase. I hope there won’t be a day where we fall down (laughs)! But for the moment more and more is coming our way, so it’s all good.

So will you be working working working all the time?

R: Of course. Ever since Angèle was a little kid, she always played the piano, performed on stage, etc. Exercise is the key for everything.

A: True that. Ever since we started, we knew this. From the moment things start rolling, there are shows, things to do, etc. At the same time, it’s an exciting job that we have to do properly. Yes, it demands a lot of energy and proper preparation beforehand, but in the end we love what we do. I don’t want to come across ungrateful, but yeah, there are a lot of gigs, especially for him!

R: Well, the both of us! We both toured a lot this summer. Work pays off.

‘Angèle – Brol’ is still widely available on all streaming platforms. Roméo Elvis' new album will drop sooner than later. Keep your eyes peeled.

Selling out Belgium’s biggest indoor venue for a weekend-long party is no small feat. Doing it 2 months in advance is a record. “Now that’s what you call a nice present for your 10^th birthday party”, says founder Hans Machiels aka Murdock. His team is on a roll, having announced their first edition of a full on 2-day festival in July, fully dedicated to drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep. Long story short: it’s an overload of good news for team Rampage. We linked up with Murdock for a conversation about his brainchild and the state of drum ‘n’ bass today.

First of all: congratulations on this remarkable achievement!

Last year was the first time we did two days of Rampage, a full weekend of mayhem with over 20 hours of drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep – but we were sold out 10 days before the event. This blew us away because we really didn’t expect to sell all the tickets the first time we did 2 nights in a row. Now, we felt we couldn’t go back to just one day, especially since it’s our 10^th anniversary. We have a slightly higher capacity now and when people arrive at the venue, they will see why. It will be a nice surprise. So it’s great to see the tickets fly out the door faster than ever. We’ve sold out a whopping two months in advance and we are flooded additional ticket requests!

You have seen drum ‘n’ bass evolve from its early jungle beginnings to filling up Belgium’s biggest indoor venue. What’s your take on what the scene looks like right now?

When I first got into the music, my world wasn’t much bigger than the city I lived in. Nowadays, the whole globe is within reach and distance has become relative. If something happens at the other side of the world, you can experience it online in realtime. To me, that’s the biggest difference: people are flying in or driving to Rampage from over 60 countries because they’ve seen it online. The trip to Belgium just has become a lot more feasible with cheap travel now.

Musically speaking, it’s all about cycles. The big thing in drum ‘n’ bass right now is rollers: pretty minimal drums with huge midrange stabs that sound like foghorns or some growling monster in a horror movie. It takes a lot from the jungle era and it has a cool, underground vibe to it. At the same time, there are still plenty of neuro fans that like it really hard, or jump up fans that just want to bounce. But at the end of the day, people seem to enjoy the musical side of this genre, which you can tell by the huge Spotify plays for vocal and vibey tracks. My vocal-led ‘Can’t Keep Me Down’ on V Recordings easily surpassed 700.000 plays in less than a year without any real radio or press support, solely because it was used in a lot of DJ-sets. 

And then there’s dubstep, which is having a big moment now. The big tear-out sound, particularly popular in the U.S., is starting to make serious waves over here as well. The ‘riddim’ movement has ushered people back into the arms of the original dubstep dons. Dubstep, the proper dubstep, that real, bass-driven sound, is really popping off again in London and the young guns doing riddim are popularizing this movement with their updated version of this sound.

Lineup-wise, you skipped the massive A list artists, booking only hardened drum ’n’ bass names (like Andy C, DJ Hype or DJ Hazard) as headliners instead. That makes selling out all the more impressive. Weren’t you afraid this tactic could backfire?

All the big waves in drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep are coming from the underground. It’s mostly new producers that come up with new ways of approaching the well-known recipe, creating a buzz along the way. Since I feel that Rampage should be about the essence of music and the gathering of real followers of the movement, everything just came together naturally. Although I do try to hit the different key elements of both genres with the different acts I book, selling tickets is not what’s on my mind during the process. But when the jigsaw gets pieced together just right, everyone in the scene seems to feel addressed.

Do you feel like making your event more niche actually helps you attract more people?

Again, it’s not a conscious choice as such, but I do get the impression that people are only willing to travel to events that really stand for something, that have a clear, outlined profile. Just look at the house and techno festivals that are doing so well across the continent: they wouldn't get more people in if they put on some flash-in-the-pan crossover hitmaker, they would most likely loose people, especially in the long run.

Now that you’ve also announced the Rampage Open Air weekend at the end of July, do you intend to make Rampage a brand that can compete with the giants of the Belgian festival circuit?

We’re not trying to compete. We’re trying to do our own thing. There’s too much competition as it is and everyone could take a few notes from the way things are handled in the drum ‘n’ bass scene, where big events co-exist and cooperate. Most of the big events just take place just once a year, so people want to party on the other weekends as well. That’s why you will need other parties and festivals too. And besides, if the crowd at Rampage Open Air is anything like the one in Sportpaleis, we will have around 60 to 70% of foreign visitors. So we are definitely not trying to eat into other festivals’ crowds.

That said, we’ll just see how things evolve. The daily capacity for this year’s Rampage Open Air is 15.000 per day and I would be very impressed if we can fill that up. And if we do, we can look into making it a bit bigger next year. There is no use in being too ambitious I think. the most important thing right now is to create something that has an identity of its own, a place where people will feel at home, an event that ticks all the right Rampage-boxes, something we can be proud of and we’ll be happy to look back on down the line.

How will you be able to successfully transfer that Sportpaleis energy to an outdoor stage?

We are putting a lot of thought and effort into the production of the three stages at Rampage Open Air in order to make sure we bring that same audio-visual experience. We will be working with tent- and dome-like structures to create an indoor feel while being outdoors, without losing the summer vibe. Additionally, the last weekend of July should (statistically at least) come with the best weather of the whole summer. So we aim to give people the best of both worlds: the mad rave vibes of LEDs, lights and lasers, but the holiday feeling of being away from the world for a while as well. We have permission to go on until 3 a.m., so we’ve got plenty of time to build the energy throughout the day and well into the night. The camping site will be right next to the festival, so people can go to sleep almost instantly after the last lights go out and really have plenty of time to rest up before we go back at it again. And if they don’t want to rest, they can grab a drink at the all-night bars! We intend to pour some of that special Rampage sauce over the whole weekend: we’re creating a haven in the middle of nowhere that will look and feel like a Mad Max world, while also providing the perfect camping grounds to make it a holiday.

You’ve also been in the studio with MC Mota to make another Rampage Anthem, which will premiere on the Rampage Weekend itself. What can we expect from that single?

Doctrine and I put the music together. It’s a bit of everything: a military style intro, frantic rave stabs in the build-up and a gruesome drop that switches up a few times. And yes, we have Mota doing a full vocal, expressing what it feels like to be a Rampage soldier. Last year, the anthem needed a little vocal input and I asked around for a bit, trying to find the right kind of voice to do so, but in the end I just ended up doing it myself. Doctrine went to town on the few bars I spit, so you can’t really recognise my voice anymore. Mota really liked the vocal drop in there and he told me if I ever wanted him to do vocals for an anthem, he’d be up for it. He really cracked up when I told him it was my voice on the track (laughs).

What could possibly be the next step after selling out a weekender at Sportpaleis and throwing a new festival?

Doing it all again? :)

Rampage 2019 takes place in Sportpaleis, Antwerp on March 29 and 30. Sadly, all tickets have been sold. Tickets for Rampage Open Air on July 26 and 27 in Lommel are still available. Head over to this link for more information.

Creatieve invulling van leegstand is hot. Na KERK en NEST (in Gent) en Contrair en Klub Goud (in Antwerpen) is ook Hasselt aan de beurt. Maar De Serre is een geval apart. Het voormalige administratieve centrum van Hasselt, pal in het midden van de stad, werd omgetoverd tot een waar kruispunt voor muziek, kunst en design – allemaal op maat van jongeren. Een wekelijkse alternatieve markt, repetitieruimtes, workshops, exposities, een digital creation lab, optredens, clubavonden en nog vanalles. Je snapt het wel. Wij zijn vooral geïnteresseerd in die laatste twee. Daarom vroegen we aan het team achter De Serre waar we ons deze komende maanden allemaal aan kunnen verwachten.

Hi guys! Leg eens precies uit wat er zich allemaal binnen De Serre afspeelt?

Wel, samen met de jeugddienst van stad Hasselt creëerden we een tijdelijke plek voor jonge mensen die hier de kans krijgen om creatief bezig te zijn. We geven hen hier een platform en een kans om hun ding te kunnen doen. Principieel zeggen we 'ja' op elk idee dat door een jongeren aangedragen wordt. Nadien is het dan de klus om uit te vissen hoe we dat praktisch doen (lacht). Soms evolueert een idee, verandert het van vorm - of soms sterft het een stille dood. Op andere momenten groeien er mooie onverwachtse dingen. Soms gaan ze op hun bek, maar dat kan én dat mag hier.

Ok, dus wat houdt dat concreet in?

De Serre steunt op drie grote pijlers: artistiek werk (muziek, fotografie, design, etc.), jong ondernemerschap en ontmoeting. Zaken zoals jonge artiesten die een try-out willen doen, workshops in social media willen volgen, fotoshoots willen organiseren, hun eerste kledinglijn willen lanceren, willen VR-experimenten, willen skaten op de halfpipe of gewoon iets willen drinken in de bar, het kan allemaal. Kom af, pitch je idee, en durf ook op je bek gaan. We hechten veel waarde aan laagdrempeligheid en betaalbaarheid.

Hasselt heeft met de cumulatie van venues zoals Labyrinth Club, Versuz, Forty Five en Muziekodroom toch aardig boven zijn gewichtsklasse gespeeld. Is er dan nog plaats voor een concept als dat van jullie?

Disagree! Degene die je hierboven vernoemt, vormen een hele andere werking, met één bepaalde focus. Wat hier in huis gebeurt, heeft verschillende doelen. Eerder dan een venue uit te baten en naar een bepaald publiek te zoeken, nodigen wij iedereen uit om mee te bouwen, zelf een verhaal te schrijven en met ons in te zetten op een werking die voorheen nog niet bestond in deze provincie. Jongeren zijn hier geen consument, maar producent.

Yes, dat klopt voor de De Serre in het algemeen, maar we bedoelden vooral de nachtprogrammatie van De Plantage, jullie nightlife luik.

Qua programmatie kijken we eerst naar Limburgse namen of namen die een Limburgse link hebben. Om jullie een voorbeeld te geven: PXL Music heeft heel wat grote DJ’s afgeleverd de laatste jaren die niet per se in onze provincie geboren zijn, maar ze wel verder ‘verfijnd’ hier (lacht). De Plantage zet volop in op een boeiend, muzikaal programma. We programmeren gedurfder en we pakken graag uit met talenten die nog maar weinig in België gespeeld hebben, maar toch een must zijn om te checken. Laat ons zeggen dat we ‘dieper’ programmeren. Dit soort house, electro of disco kreeg nog geen plaats in Hasselt. Geen grote headliners, maar back to the basics: volledige focus op muziek. Daarnaast houden we de decoratie minimalistisch en spelen we in op de unieke locatie. De capaciteit is slechts 200 personen en we houden de prijzen bewust laag – alles om een gemoedelijke sfeer te creëren. Perdu, Bjeor en Niels Kenis prijken op de eerste lineup, op 9 Februari (link).

Wat zijn jullie grootste uitdagingen en hoe hopen jullie die te overwinnen?

Twee zaken! Ten eerste willen we een gezonde voedingsbodem creëren voor een generatie fiere Hasselaars die op lange termijn de stad weer kleur kunnen geven. Er zit enorm veel talent in Limburg, maar spijtig genoeg versluist dat vaak naar grootsteden zoals Brussel, Antwerpen of Gent. In ons droomscenario blijft Limburgs talent ook gewoon in de eigen provincie.

Ten tweede willen we ook aantonen dat leegstand anders benaderd kan worden. Vaak duurt het enorm lang voor een projectontwikkelaar effectief aan de slag kan met een gebouw, terwijl je in tussentijd hele sterke dingen met die ruimte kan doen. Er wordt vaak gezegd dat er een tekort aan ruimte is in onze steden. Dat klopt niet. Veel ruimtes staan gewoon leeg en we gebruiken ze verkeerd. Dat kan en moet beter. Het is een algemeen probleem in Vlaanderen en ook in onze provincie kunnen we daar stappen zetten in de goede richting.

Jullie hebben ook war kleine exclusieve nieuwtjes voor ons: vertel eens?

We hebben héél wat te vertellen. Ons programma in De Serre voor de komende maanden is voor 90% rond en we gaan écht knallen! Hier zijn een paar data die je in de agenda kan zetten:

- 8 Februari: een Red Bull Elektropedia documentaire nacht.

- 9 Februari: De Plantage, met Perdu, Bjeor en Niels Kenis.

- 22 Februari: De Plantage, met Dexter, DMT Lemons en Goldfox.

- 1 Maart: Neon Noir, met een B2B tussen AliA en Arno Lemons.

- 28 Maart: een luistersessie met Thomas Neyens, waarop unreleased Kiani & His Legion materiaal beluisterd en besproken wordt.

- 30 Maart: Konna B2B Timmerman all night long.

- 10 April: Nog zo’n luistersessie, maar dan met de jongens van Pelace.

Volg De Serre op Facebook, Instagram en Twitter om volledig up to date te blijven met de laatste nieuwtjes.

Some have already obtained some small successes, spending years in the shadows, waiting for the right moment and others have barely left their bedroom studios. Some aim for headlining festival stages, others aim for nothing in particular – but all of them have developed a sound with the potential to turn a lot of heads. With this feature we shine a light on some of the most interesting new talents that our tiny country has to offer.

Artists in The Netherlands and France already know the damage you can do in the top 40 charts with Caribbean influenced hip hop and R&B. You’d be hard-pressed to find an urban radio station or nightclub that isn’t banging out dancehall or Latin-minded hits on the regular. Few Belgian artists have embraced this vibe quite like Bryan MG did. The 22-year-old Bryan Mumvudi Gazambo is clearly a fan of this sound and fluently raps in three languages – often on the same track - an impressive feat to say the least. His debut album ‘MGSEASON’, with hits like ‘Bouge Ton Derrière’, ‘Waard Bent’, ‘Balançoire’ or ‘Avec Moi’, easily found its way to many DJ crates across the country. Frankly, the time was right to ask this Ghent-based multilinguist rapper what he’s up to.

Hi Bryan! To be fair, you seemed to come out of nowhere. Have you been making music for a long time already?

Well, I threw some stuff on Soundcloud a while ago, but listening back to this I feel like I have developed and grown so much further as an artist. I dropped ‘Brand New Vibe’, ‘Voorbij’ and ‘OMG’ on my own, after which Striker Recordings got in touch with me. They helped me release MGSEASON to the world and that’s where we are now.

How were the reactions on your album so far?

Great! There has been a lot of positive feedback from all different angles. Thank you for the love, everyone!

It’s not common to see hip hop artists rap so effortlessly between Dutch, French and English. How come you’re so fluent?

These days, communication is everything and I’m lucky to come from a multilingual household. Additionally, I’m a firm believer in the saying ‘practice makes perfect’!

Our Dutch and French neighbours have clearly understood how dancehall and Latin vibes can have a lasting effect on the charts. For now, Belgium seems to lag behind with that sound, with only a few exceptions like you. Why do you think that’s the case?

I’m not sure that’s Belgium’s fault. Artists in other countries just found their thing and ran with it. Maybe I just haven’t made the right track to convince people out here! I guess only time will tell…

So how is the Belgian hip hop scene doing right now according to you?

It’s as strong as ever. There is so much talent around at the moment. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before many of these break through on a higher level.

Which local (or international) rappers inspire you the most then?

To be fair, I don’t really look up to others in that way. Sure, I like and respect guys like Chris Brown or Ty Dolla $ign, but your own identity should always be the bottom line. My music is a reflection of myself and I don’t want to taint it too much with external influences.

What are your favourite subjects to rap about?

Romantic relations and things that real life stories basically.

You recently performed ‘Waard Bent’ in a live session with a full band. Is that something you want to be doing more in the future?

Yeah, most definitely. I can’t wait until I’m able to perform live with my own band! It has been such a great experience so far.

What’s in the pipeline for you in the coming months?

Many things, but music comes first: working on my next EP, dropping new stuff and basically spending as much time in the studio as possible. I’m sure the good times will roll!

Follow Bryan MG on Facebook or Spotify and be the first to know the latest and greatest.

In what has become a yearly pilgrimage for the fans of hard hitting electronic music, Reverze unites more than 20.000 across Sportpaleis and Lotto Arena in Antwerp on February 23. One look at the track record of this truly massive event proves something special is going on. Since 2006, the Bass Events production has been throwing yearly sold out raves in the massive Sportpaleis (and since 2011 simultaneously in Lotto Arena) with increasingly impressive line-ups, lights and lasers. How’s that for a 2-room party? 

In what has become a normality for Reverze, all tickets have flown out the window already – but we still have 3x2 tickets left for the hardcore aficionado’s or the curious electronic explorers amongst us. Fill in the form below and maybe you’ll find yourself in a jumpstyle frenzy next weekend.