Sound Track is back. For the fourth time, VI.BE is joining forces with the entire live music sector to track down new musical talent from Flanders and Brussels. This is not a fierce competition, but a fertile breeding ground: the 144 artists who are selected will get opportunities to perform, with appropriate feedback and exposure, and a chance for a tailor-made growth plan. Past editions of Sound Track have demonstrated how it can launch ambitious artists from the bedroom to a stage at Best Kept Secret.
Last Saturday, the third edition of Sound Track, in collaboration with Radio 1, wrapped up in a packed AB Club. This past edition’s 18 winners looked back on their journeys during the ‘Sound Track Special’, with live sessions, stories and interviews, and kicked off the fourth edition, which officially opened today. Those who fancy their chances can register from now until 1 June via VI.BE, the foremost hub for up-and-coming musicians in Flanders and Brussels. In addition to the coveted trophy, participants have a chance to win the support of pretty much the entire Flemish and Brussels live music sector, with VI.BE, Clubcircuit, Ancienne Belgique, Het Depot, Trix, N9, Democrazy, De Casino, Wilde Westen, Cactus, Het Entrepot, 4AD, De Zwerver, Club AFF and Entree all throwing their weight behind the winners. You could call it the hidden power of the music sector.
And it works. Plenty of success stories attest to that: Meskerem Mees, Lézard, Niels Orens, Porcelain id and ISE, or, of course, Bobbi Lu, who stood up on a stage for the very first time during the selection rounds of Sound Track, only to play in the aftershow of the showcase festival The Great Escape in Brighton. Or Ão, who recorded her first album on the stage of Het Depot via Sound Track and soon got to conquering major stages in Belgium and abroad. Another shining example is Kaat Van Stralen, who made waves on the Sound Track stage, leading to support in the form of residences, masterclasses and advice, soon thereafter winning De Nieuwe Lichting, catapulting her into greater fame. Proof that Sound Track prepares its talent for a breakthrough.
“I’m proud that we can collaborate with the live music sector to till the fertile ground of our musical landscape. It’s a springboard for talent as much as a music contest: that’s what Sound Track stands for!” - Luc Nowé (director of VI.BE)
More than a music contest
Solo or duo, quintets, hip-hop, afrobeat, R&B, (heavy) metal, indie rock, traditional and folk music, ambient, electronic, jazz, punk, and much more: at Sound Track, anything is possible as long as it’s live.
The club juries go over the entries and select the artists who will get the chance to step into the spotlight and play live during the regional selection rounds. They’re not alone in this: as before, 8 ambassadors will call on their expertise to advise on who they believe possesses the sound of tomorrow: Willem Ardui & Jean Atohoun (blackwave.), Emma Bale, Nabou Claerhout, Aili Maruyama & Orson Wouters (Aili), Thomas Michiels (Psychonaut) and Florian De Schepper (Broes, Flo,...) as well as previous winners Catherine Smet (BLUAI) and Sietse Willems (Metheads).
“Sound Track was an unbelievably valuable experience for us. It offers countless opportunities and helps to create a network of industry professionals and artists in the same phase of their careers and work with them to inspire and empower each other.” - Catherine Smet (BLUAI)
The artists selected through the VI.BE platform will then get the chance to prove themselves during the live rounds: 22 selection nights in music clubs and youth centres in Antwerp, Brussels, Limburg, Flemish Brabant and East and West Flanders. Of the 144 artists who make it to the selection phase, 48 will earn a place in the regional finals. Each regional final will yield 3 winners. Then, we count down to 21 December, when 18 artists will be named this edition’s “sound of the future”.
Then their tailor-made growth journey will commence, lasting over a year. From residences to (inter)national opportunities, PA rehearsals, coaching, masterclasses, personal advice, studio recordings and much more. On top of that, they can count on exposure via several mainstays of Flemish and Brussels media: Studio Brussel, Knack, Dansende Beren and Luminous Dash. Partner Lotto will present an audience award and both Sabam and PlayRight will throw their weight behind the project.
