NEWSARCHIVE

Period : June 21-28, 1999
In this issue : JMX, Kamagurka, Pop-Punt, Voylords, Five-O Records, Kloot Per W, Buscemi, Humo, Couleur Café, Soulwax.

June 28, 1999

JMX
Jean-Marie Aerts, the busy guitarist (see Big Bill, TC Matic, Arno among others) and producer (about the complete generation of belgian groups of the eighties) has recently released the first CD of his private studio-project JMX.
Earlier this band (nucleus are Jean-Marie and DJ Donatask - of Urban Dance Squad-fame - with the rhythm section of the French reggae-band Babylon, Angélique Wilkie - Zap Mama - Filip Casteels - of El Fish - Kaz Lux - Dutch blues-legend - and Patrick Riguelle) had already released vinyl-maxi's (entitled "1","2" and "3"), and you can find these bundled on on extra bonus CD that comes with "Autonome". On the "regular" CD you'll also encounter 11 tracks that balance on the wide rope between dub, funk, blues and rock, such as on the single "I Know".
Somewhat related is the news that Jean-Marie Aerts recently recorded an hour of guitar-jams with Daan Stuyven, although there don't seem to be definite plans to do something with that material.

KAMAGURKA ON-LINE
Somewhere in the past few weeks, the Belgian internet-surrounding has gone through a major change the culprit is no-one other than Kamagurka in all his appearanced (Cowboy Henk, Kamiel Kafka, cartoonist, theater-animal, singer ...)
On this - the official website - that is still a bit under construction - you can find already loads of images and sound-material. That the navigation is somewhat unclear is no real surprise - considering the subject.
The address: http://www.kamagurka.com.

POP-PUNT
The organisation vzw Pop-Punt recently announced that they will have made a deal with the organisers of a number of big Belgian festivals (T/W, Dour, Suikerrock and Marktrock Leuven) to provide an extra stage where the festival-goers can "do their thing". Pop-punt provides the stage, a complete backline and a number of instruments, and starts waiting for the most musically gifted visitors. In exchange for their deeds, the musicins get a picture of their show ("Look children, granddaddy was a famous rockstar in his days, he even stood at Werchter") and a musical gift. The participant with the most original contribution at Werchter will also receive a checque worth 30.000 Bef. (some 7400 euro). The only inconvenience is that you have to have a ticket for the festival to get in, but it seems that even in the case of T/W that should be no problem : everybody has one - almost sold-out!!).
More info: http://www.poppunt.be

June 23 1999

FIVE-O RECORDS
It's not that every day there are new independent labels rising up from out of the blue in Belgium, but at the moment there is at least one that is presenting it's "maiden release" : Five-O Records.
It is an independent label, based in Ghent, of Wim Arys, in search of new talent and group that want to put out material. Distribution is only done via the Five-O Website (the most simple and direct way to attain customers).
The first release on Five-O is done by Voylords, a band with some ex-members of the Nothing Bastards (finalists Rock Rally '98 - nowadays operating under the name L.Santo) and a talented singer with their single "Can't Stop".

BLUE BELGIUM
Kloot Per W hasn't only written and recorded a film-soundtrack, he is also trying to get the film finished and released.
The movie in question is the (in)famous "Dutroux-film" by Rob Van Eyck, codename "Blue Belgium", of which some of you might recall the heavily mediatized auditions. The shoots for the film have long been finished, but so has the supply of money (the Flemish Community has declined an application for a grant). Kloot now has put the trailier of the movie in world-première on his website (in both Mpeg or Real-Video-format), in the section film-music. If you have two Megabyte of time to spare, you might as well have a sneak peek.

FESTIVAL-KOORTS
The youngsters are finishing their last exams these days, so the festival-season is getting well on the way this weekend. The next few days there is in fact already a bit of an overdose, with - among others - the swinging Couleur Café, the free Swingin' Genk, the sympathical Markrock Zottegem, the popular Pennezakrock, the heavy Graspop, K's Choice + Postmen + Arid at a tent in Werchter, and the alternative Rock Herk that are begging for your attention (and in a number of cases your money as well).
Those that don't want to miss a single opportunity to see their favourite bands, might be interested to learn that today there is an extra edition of "Metro" in "De Morgen" with all the details on the upcoming festival season. On the web you can find a calender at the Humo-site.

BUSCEMI RELEASES "MY SUITOR"
Buscemi - or the knob-wizard Dirk Swartenbroeckx - has put his terrific version of the Bernthöler-song "My Suitor" out on single. It was with this version that he won the "Basstaard"-contest (an organisation of the now defunct program Bassta on Studio Brussel) in front of groups such as Das Pop, Cinérex en Vive La Fête ... earlier this year.
Since this week the first copies can be obtained on the Lowlands-label, with on the cover the face of Emma Peel of "the Avengers".

June 21, 1999

It's official now : Summer's here !!

HUMO'S LINKE BOEL
This week in Humo's Linke Boel (a collection of wild & wonderful links) : "Those who explore the www from time to time will undoubtedly have a bookmark or favourite to this site, but it remains a classic : 'The Belgian Pop & Rock Archives' by Dirk Houbrechts is more than the ultimate compendium about Belgian pop- and rock music, it is a life's work that no encyclopedia, article series or radio-series can beat. And the site is updated frequently too. If this goes on a bit longer, artists will come to 'The Belgian Pop & Rock Archives' to find out what they have been doing yesterday night or to learn which single their record company has released now."
I don't know about your day, but mine is good.

COULEUR CAFÉ
Couleur Café, the colourful festival in Brussels is busy preparing it's 10th anniversary later this week. To this goal, they have once again compiled a fine program with musics from the four corners of the globe. The line-up :
- Friday June 26th : Salif Keita (Mali), Zap Mama, Kassav' (Antilles), BJ Scott, Femi Kuti (Nigeria), Urban Species, I Fratelli (It), Positive Black Soul (Sénégal) and a mixed bag of Belgian rappers under the flag "Belgique Ta Mère" (Les Souterrain Squad, Manza, Krewcial, 'T Hof van Commerce, Sint Andries's MC'S, Namur Break Sensation, D.J. Le Diamantaire, D.J. FLIP + Breakers.)
- On Saturday, the latin rhythms take over, with Yuri Buenaventural, P18 and Ruben Blades (Panama), Macanda (Spain), La banda XXI and Mangu, Proyeccion Latina, Los Amigos Invisibles and the belgian swingband The Groove Cartel.
- On Sunday, the afternoon and evening will be dedicated to Raï, with Rachid Taha, l'Orchestre National de Barbès, Faudel, Cheb Mami, Malick Pathé, Renegades Steel Orchestra, Tambours du Brazza + Positive Black Soul, Akiyo, Deep in Time, Dalton's Drums Syndicate, DAAU + Alma Flamenco and Ben Ngabo.
All practicalities about the venue (Thurm & Taxi's), tickets etc .. can be found at the trilingual "hot 'n spicy" Couleur Café-site.

SOULWAX
Contrary to what we were telling here yesterday in this spot, the limited edition bonus-cd to "Much Against Everyone's Advice" is NOT a live-cd, and it does NOT contain the "Casio-act". Instead, PIAS informs me that the cd contains 5 songs from a session the band did for the program "Buzz" on Dutch 3FM-radio, 3 new versions of well-known Soulwax-songs ("Saturday - Morning after thrill version", "Conversation Intercom - vocoder intermix" and "My Cruel Joke - Mike Rule Joe Cream Mix). Lastly, there is a cover of "I Go To Sleep" on it.

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