About students and alumni
When you graduated you will build a career as solosist, sideman, improvisor, composer, arranger, session musician, studio musician, electronica wizard, teacher or a combination of these!
The young and succesful bands you see here below mostly consist of alumni.
STEIGER
Gilles Vandecaveye - piano
Kobe Boon (*) - bas
Simon Raman (*) - drums
STUFF
Andrew Claes (*) – saxofoon+EWI
Joris Caluwaerts (*) - keyboards
Dries Laheye (*) – bas
Lander Geyselinck – drums
Mixmonster Menno – turntables
LINUS
Ruben Machtelinckx (*) - gitaar
Thomas Jillings – saxofoon
“This is an adventurous, extremely flexible group of players. They're not afraid to mix a bit of electronics in with their acoustic instruments, or to cross stylistic lines. Jazz, folk music, classical music and free improvisation are all fair game. There's also a feeling of welcome to listeners that is rare in experimental music”, Mark Sullivan over Linus+Økland/Van Heertum/Zach, All About Jazz, 14/11/17
POMRAD
Adriaan Van de Velde (*) – keyboards/elektronics
Pomrad a.k.a. Adriaan Van de Velde brings, a collection of razor sharp keyboard licks, phat electro grooves and thick funk straight out of Chocolate City. Pomrad's very first eps were cool calling cards that made a couple of heads turn. After his first solo performances, Pomrad assembled a full-blooded band, with a drummer and a second keyboard player beefing up his signature sound. Together they’re a party squad with a couple of nifty tricks up their sleeves. You want some cosmic funk, Herbie Hancock style? You got it. Hope you like your funk hot and steamy.
BRZZVLL
Vincent Brijs (*) · saxophone
Andrew Claes (*)· saxophone, EWI, darbuka
Stijn Cools · drums
Geert Hellings (*) · guitar
Dries Laheye (*) · bass
Maarten Moesen (*) · drums
Jan Willems (*) · keys
BRZZVLL was founded by Vincent Brijs in 2006. This Antwerp collective plays improvised dance music with a jazz-fusion, funk and rare groove sound like those of the 70’s: bass and drums very tight and funky, horns, guitar and keyboards very imaginative and sexy. The bands’ unique cross polination of cosmic jazz, spoken word & afrobeat makes them stand out in today’s jazz scene. Their debute “Days of Thunder, Days of Grace” was voted Best Belgian Jazz Album of 2008 by newspaper Le Soir. For their last two critically acclaimed albums, BRZZVLL worked together with spoken word artists Anthony Joseph (“Engines”, 2014) & Amir Sulaiman (“First Let’s Dance”, 2016). Both albums arose from one intense, even legendary, improvised recording session. In September 2017, however, they go back to the roots with a new instrumental album “Waiho”, Maori for ‘leaving’. No vocalist or soloists, but excellent psychedelic, cosmic jazz-funk in which BRZZVLL’s solid, characteristic sound comes forward.
SCHTNZL
Casper Van De Velde (*) – drums
Hendrik Lasure – keys
LABtrio
Bram De Looze (*) – piano
Anneleen Boehme (*) – contrabas
Lander Gyselinck – drums
“The LAB trio-which is drummer Lander Gyselinck, bassist Anneleen Boehme and pianist Bram de Looze, then took off to a new shore of trioism, inducing a jaw-dropping, high level of musical experience through their miraculous interplay of characteristics including an amazing, mutual musical sensibility and agility, deep in-the-moment playing and delicate as well as thrilling timing, effortless execution and the sheer joy of performing. It all led to a great sound and gripping, infectious dynamics that rose, unfettered, to the apogee of the night.” Henning Bolte, All About Jazz – April 2014
LABtrio consist of three musicians with strong personalities, endowed with a fresh and adventurous approach to music. The trio’s acoustic universe conceals an urban jazz that flirts with electronic, underground and hip-hop cultures. Since the Trio’s founding in 2007, they have received several awards and prizes (including a superb double – Audience Prize and Grand Prize – at the prestigious Avignon ‘Tremplin Jazz’ festival in 2011). Thanks to this price, they recorded their first album at the Studio la Buissone, Pernes-les fontaines in France. Their first album “Fluxus” released in October 2013 (Outhere records) – a real gem – constitutes testimony to what is the jazz of today, seen by this new generation of musicians.
DONDER
Harrison Steingueldoir (*) – piano
Stan Callewaert (*) - bas
Casper Van De Velde (*) - drums
IFA Y XANGO
Filipe Nader - sax
Viktor Perdieus (*) - sax
Niels van Heertum - euphonium
Sep François (*) - vibrafoon
Seppe Gebruers (*) - piano
Laurens Smet (*) - bas
Ruben Pensaert - drums
"Ifa y Xango are clearly thinking well beyond the boundaries of what is known and accepted within any given musical genre, be it jazz or rock or whatever. Monumentally trangressive, the music on Twice Left Handed / Shavings will delight some, and infuriate others. This album is easily one of the most adventurous, daring, and accomplished recordings of 2015." Dave Wayn, All About Jazz, ***** (09/11/2015)
Ifa y Xango released its debut album 'Abraham' in 2012. The album is a 'stream of music' - still separate tracks which eventually flow together and tell one story - based on the films of Lars Von Trier and the paintings of Pieter Brueghel and Jeroen Bosch. Ifa y Xango made use of its own invented script and three compositions (by Seppe Gebruers) to structure their improvisations. 'Abraham' has recently been selected by the distinguished jazz magazine 'New York City Jazz Record' (US), by praising and entitling the album to be one of the 'Best Debut Releases 2013'. It was considered a big success by the Belgian press as wel. The second album “Twice left handed shavings” is inspired by the band's love for experimental electronic dance music, trance music and musique concrète.
