FEEËRIEËN 2018: A MUSICAL GUIDE
Why complain about the state of contemporary pop music? Those who go looking, and dig around, in the margin will see that there is actually quite a lot going on. In the broadest sense. Every year, the Feeërieën attempts to reveal a piece of that (untamed) beauty. Deliberately presenting lesser known acts and sorting them neatly into particular themes. Because discovering music is what really ensures an experience, more than the decor does. The natural beauty of the Warande Park is unmistakably a 100% part of Feeërieën though too, of course. Experience2!

KAMAAL WILLIAMS (uk)
While Thundercat, BadBadNotGood and Kamasi Washington are throwing the dialogue between jazz and hip-hop in America right open again, the London jazz scene – which includes Ezra Collective, Shabaka Hutchings, Vels Trio and Kamaal Williams – is full-on absorbing the urban heartbeat of the capital. Kamaal Williams is and excellent example of that. This is the project of keyboard-player/drummer Henry Wu, who raised eyebrows last year with the album ‘Black Focus’ by his band Yussef Kamaal. He calls Kamaal Williams ‘a natural evolution of the Yussef Kamaal project, mining the influence of visionary jazz but blended with all kinds of texture, sounds, and signals from the over-saturated London streets.’ Seldom did jazz sound so funky and danceable.

Line-up:

Henry Wu: rhodes
MckNasty: drums
Pete Martin: bass

MAMMAL HANDS (uk)
Mammal Hands, the jazz trio from Norwich, finds itself in the good company at leading jazz label Gondwana Records. The label – established by trumpet player Matthew Halsall – is mainly known for the first albums of the now popular GoGo Penguin, Portico Quartet and, recently, even our Belgian pride: STUFF.. Their latest album ‘Shadow Work’ – with artwork that winks to ‘Unknown Pleasures’ by city-mates the late Joy Division – sounds blatantly fascinating and is a clever mix of spiritual jazz, Indian music, folk and contemporary classical music. Lastly, a small piece of advice from Written In Music: ‘Shadow Work’ is een fascinerend album dat zich met elke luisterbeurt dieper in je hart nestelt. Het wordt nu echt tijd dat de hele wereld Mammal Hands gaat leren kennen. Zoveel talent mag niet voor een kleine groep liefhebbers blijven.’

Line-up:

Jordan Smart: sax 
Nick Smart: piano 
Jesse Barrett: drums/percussion

Soundtrack by De Gebroeder op 78 Toeren