Buscar:stef kamil carlens

(2LP, limited black vinyl repress) After last year's extroverted and funky album "Be Who You Wanna Be," Stef Kamil Carlens presents a more introspective double album recorded with Nel Ponsaers and Rahmat Emonds.


Featuring 14 songs—some of his own compositions and very surprising covers or reinterpretations—this album emphasizes lyrics, vocals, and a band sound primarily driven by acoustic instruments. Once again, it stands as a key addition to the already very eclectic catalog of one of Belgium’s most versatile and productive artists. Stef Kamil Carlens & The Poem will tour starting in October 2025.

After last year's extroverted and funky album "Be Who You Wanna Be," Stef Kamil Carlens presents a more introspective double album recorded with Nel Ponsaers and Rahmat Emonds. Featuring 14 songs—some of his own compositions and very surprising covers or reinterpretations—this album emphasizes lyrics, vocals, and a band sound primarily driven by acoustic instruments. Once again, it stands as a key addition to the already very eclectic catalog of one of Belgium’s most versatile and productive artists. Stef Kamil Carlens & The Poem will tour starting in October 2025.

The song sets the tone of this album. A simple structure, over which a web of rhythm is woven using an instrumentation of old drum machines in dialogue with live drums and percussion. Lots of sax, tenor and baritone! A pumping bass. A frisky pizzicato violin. And some classic keyboards: the Fender Rhodes, the Hohner Clavinette D6, the L-100 Hammond organ. And lots of analogue synthesisers: a rippling Juno-106 marks the path to follow, which is crossed with phrases from other museum pieces: Crumar's Stratus, Farfisa's Synthorchestra, Sequential's Prophet-10. Or still the Casio Club M-100, which is basically a toy, but has been subtly colouring SKC's songs for years!

SKC has often dived deep into the repertoire of artists he holds in high esteem, looking for pearls, forgotten or not, to work on. Likewise on this album with versions of songs by Prince, Dez Mona, Alain Bashung…

A playful, funky album, born from the desire to be live again; a playful and funky band that will tour extensively in Belgium and the Netherlands from April. First single 'Walk On Red, Stop On Green' sets the tone of this new album. A simple structure, over which a web of
rhythm is woven using instruments from old drum machines: the Roland CR-78, in dialogue with live drums and percussion. Lots of sax, tenor and baritone! A pumping bass. A frisky pizzicato violin. Vocals based on the 'Boy Scout Trail' principle; the leader sings and the others repeat. And then of course the classic keyboards: the Fender Rhodes, the Hohner Clavinette D6, the L-100 Hammond organ. And many analogue synthesizers: a rippling Juno-106 draws the path to be followed, which is crossed with phrases from other museum
pieces: Crumar's Stratus, Farfisa's Synthorchestra, Sequential's Prophet-10. Or the Casio Club M-100, which is actually a toy, but has been subtly coloring SKC's songs for years! In addition to his own work, also covers of Prince (The Future), Dez Mona and Alain Bashung.

The late Matt Watts was an American songwriter/storyteller and performer from Montana residing in Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium. He ws the son of a catholic priest and mother with Cherokee roots in the Carolinas.

He first began using the electric organ to write songs and also recording them on cassettes when he was 11 years old. When he was 13 his mother bought him an electric guitar from a pawn shop in South Carolina. Using a karaoke machine as an amplifier, he began writing and performing and recorded his first album at age 15 in a small studio in Great Falls, Montana.In addition to writing and performing his own music, he began performing and touring with various local Punk & Noise bands.

In 2007 when he was 19, he moved to Antwerp, Belgium. Since his arrival he has worked and performed with Zita Swoon Group, become a member of Rudy Trouvé's I H8 Camera, translated Simon Allemeersch and Rudy Trouvé’s critically acclaimed piece SCREEN into English, formed The Calicos (now Humo’s Rock Rally winners under Quinten Vermaelen) as a one time backing band, worked with many artists and songwriters (including Emillina Torini & The Colorist, The Love Substitutes, ..) and toured and released various widely acclaimed solo albums and a duo album with Nicolas Rombouts on Starman Records.

Highlights for sure were “How Different It Was When You Were There” (2017 - **** De Standaard), produced by Nicolas Rombouts (ex-Dez Mona) and featured guest performances by Nathalie Delcroix and Bjorn Eriksson (Eriksson Delcroix) and Stef Kamil Carlens. Its excellent successor “Queens” (produced by Stef Kamil Carlens and Nicolas Rombouts) featured a.o. the late Sandy Dillon and Jim White.

Sadly Matt Watts passed away too soon in June 2024. “Restless Kind” is the final album readied shortly before his death in a production by Bai Kamara Jr. Another astonishing collection of intimate Americana songs with lyrics as fascinating miniature novels.

Terry Beks and Kim Vreys, working under the name KID., bring together fiction, documentary, and abstraction in their art-house film Analogue Humans.Featuring artists for this album are Chantal Acda, Joy Adegoke, Stef Kamil Carlens, Nathan Daems, Kris Dane, Naima Joris, Buni Lenski, Stijn Segers (TOUR), Donai Singleton, Rudy Trouvé, and Yves Theeuwen.

Terry Beks and Kim Vreys, working under the name KID., bring together fiction, documentary, and abstraction in their art-house film Analogue Humans. The film captures a snapshot of the transition from the analogue to the digital age.

This film project, along with its accompanying exhibition, is the result of an artistic collaboration with Bucho (Kim Vreys), Rob Walbers, Gideon Kiefer, MELVIN, Dirk Hendrikx, Jaak De Digitale, Geert Peeten, Frits Standaert, Thijs Boonen, Kris Ercken, and Cas Van Nieuwenhuyse.

The film's music was composed by Terry Beks in collaboration with Chantal Acda, Joy Adegoke, Stef Kamil Carlens, Nathan Daems, Kris Dane, Naima Joris, Buni Lenski, Stijn Segers (TOUR), Donai Singleton, Rudy Trouvé, and Yves Theeuwen.

Belgian sitar player Nicolas Mortelmans will release his second album, titled "SPACE". For these recordings, he went into the studio with Roland van Campenhout, Stef Kamil Carlens, Tim Vanhamel and Simon Segers. The result of this encounter is a raw and honest record in which all the music is improvised. With this album, Nicolas returns to his roots and experiments with psychedelic rock, ambient, funk, and jazz. Expect an intense meditative and explosive listening experience.

Matt Watts (1987–2024) was born in Philadelphia, in the USA. He recorded his first songs along the banks of the Missouri River in Montana when he was 15, touring the north-western states extensively as a young troubadour. He arrived in Belgium at the tender age of 19 and grew into a full-fledged singer-songwriter that combines a profound respect for the folk tradition with contemporary influences.

His solo album, Songs from a Window, was released in 2014 by Starman Records and received glowing praise in the press.

Matt Watts played dozens upon dozens of shows in the Benelux, often together with Stef Kamil Carlens and Nicolas Rombouts. While his predecessor Songs from a Window was a true solo album, How Different It Was When You Were There includes personal stories by Watts that have been subtly seasoned with wonderful musicians such as Nathalie Delcroix, Bjorn Eriksson, Geert Hellings (Stanton, Guido Belcanto), Maarten Moesen (Guido Belcanto), and bassist and this album’s producer, Nicolas Rombouts (formerly with Dez Mona, Stef Kamil Carlens, The Colorist, Guido Belcanto, and many others).

One of the highlights of this album, which truly showcases Matt Watts’ awakening, is “Many a Friend Too Kind”: a fabulous duet with Stef Kamil Carlens. Watts also performed in Zita Swoon Group’s production, The Ballad of Erol Klof. Sadly, Matt Watts passed away in June 2024.

MORE QUOTES

“Watts, who washed up in Belgium, sings his personal, poetic lyrics in a high, whispering voice that immediately brings Nick Drake to mind.” 4/5 **** (De Standaard)

‘This is an album full of sincere sentiment and stimulating, evocative stories in fine songs that have been beautifully coloured by Watts and his band, and on which he brings the narrative aspect to the fore more than ever.’ (daMusic)

‘Sensitive songwriter, exceptional storyteller... Introverted, dark, more country, less Nick Drake.’ (OOR)

‘This is real, raw, authentic. Well done, Matt, very well done.’ (Keys And Chords)

‘And no matter how young Matt Watts may be, the singer/musician writes timeless songs reminiscent of those by David Blue and John Martyn...’ (Rootstime)

‘Matt knows how to strike that chord in the same way as Cohen, which immediately moves you. From the beginning to the end of this record.’ (Gigview)

‘A singer-songwriter who believes in simplicity (not a note too many), but grabs you by the scruff of the neck from the start and confronts you with the painful beauty of romance.’ (Luminous Dash)

‘Let's be honest here: Belgium has simply become too small for an album like “How Different It Was When You Were There”. Song material of this calibre deserves a much, much wider audience!’ 4.5***** (ctrl.alt.country)

On an evening in November 2020, Belgian artist Nicolas Rombouts (Dez Mona, Stef Kamil Carlens…) and American-then-Brussels-based artist Matt Watts (+2024) met at Studio Caporal in Antwerp, behind Central Station. Just a week after the suicide of friend and artist Loloman (aka Ward Zwart), and in the wake of the end of a marriage marred by pain, addiction, and depression. The two had spoken by phone and agreed to a recording session.

That evening, they shared their loss in conversation, on muted piano, contrabass, and electronics. Compositions were shared and improvised, and by the next day, their album Muted Songs For Piano was complete.

It is meant to be listened to in one full trip from beginning to end. You’ve traveled across the galaxy and are looking back through a telescope at this world and its lonesome mausoleum of memory. Sounds you can almost hear, and movements you can almost feel, though you know it has passed in the time its light has taken to reach you.

Muted Songs For Piano is an impressive and extremely intense listening experience, an album that engages in a heroic battle with the personal nocturnal demons of the two composers.

I H8 Camera is the improvisation collective of ‘Master of Ceremonies’ Rudy Trouvé who, for more than 15 years now, has been leading an ever-changing line-up of absolute top-notch musicians through an insane adventure across rock, jazz, folk, krautrock, no wave, post-punk...boundless improvisation starting from a few brief pointers...innovative, contrary, abrasive and often very brilliant.

This double album was recorded during a 5 day residency at the famous club L’Archiduc in Brussels with a killer line up of Rudy Trouvé (Guitar, vocals) Stef Kamil Carlens (Bass, vocals), the late and dearly missed Matt Watts (Vocals), Teun Verbruggen (Drums), Teuk Henri (Guitar) and Jef Mercelis (Korg MS 10). Guest appearances by a.o. Roland Van Campenhout (Guitar) and Catherine Graindorge (Violin).
An intense and adventurous album, super hot CBGB’s vibes in Brussels!

As a self-taught musician, Jonas Meersmans developed his own personal instrumental language on the guitar, hovering between neoclassical layered compositions and psychedelic narrative fingerpicking.In the past, he released two albums for acoustic guitar, strings and horns that were warmly received by Belgian and Dutch press. Jonas made soundtracks for several short films and theater plays, and in 2020 he wrote the opening track for a guitar-compilation album on the American Tompkins Square label.



He also is the guitarplayer of Stef Kamil Carlens & The Swoon and the Nicolas Mortelmans Quartet. On his new album "Glassman", produced by Tim Vanhamel the intimate fingerpicking expands into multi-layered and string-arranged compositions with electric guitar, loops and double bass. It is presented live in trio with Gerben Brys on double bass and Michaël Lamiroy on violin and synths.

The common thread throughout the album is the sitar. With this album Nicolas Mortelmans (Condor Gruppe, Leki, Merdan Taplak) builds a bridge between his love for Indian music and his roots in Western genres such as electronic, jazz and rock music.



On April 12, 2024, Nicolas Mortelmans (Condor Gruppe, Leki, Merdan Taplak) will release his long-awaited debut album MÁYÀ on WERF Records!


The common thread throughout the album is the sitar, an instrument that he learned in the traditional way from various sitar masters in India. Since 2017 he has been trained by the world-famous Anoushka Shankar. In every song he tries to approach this unique instrument in a different way.


With this album he builds a bridge between his love for Indian music and his roots in Western genres such as electronic, jazz and rock music. On the album guest musicians from all over the world are playing, such as Ravichandra Kulur from India (Anoushka/Ravi Shankar, John McLaughlin, Aka Moon,..), Benny Bettane (Australia/handpan) & Belgian friends like Roland van Campenhout, Tim Vanhamel and Stef Kamil Carlens.

It doesn't happen too often that you come across someone with Sam's composure and artistry at such a young age. 22 year old Sam De Nef has been in music for a while as lead singer of indie outfit 'Danny Blue and the Old Socks', but It wasn't until last year he started thinking of a solo career. Influenced by a generation of songwriters he listens to every day, Sam felt an urge to follow his own path and write genuine songs he could play all by himself and at any time, unadorned and without pretence.

He started recording demo's during the March lockdown, swiftly landed a record deal and started recording his debut with Nicolas Rombouts (Dez Mona, Ottla, Stef Kamil Carlens) and PJ Decraene (Rhinos are People too) - also his live band - in an old house in the French Vosges mountains.

The first tracks he released did not go unnoticed at national radio, press and streaming playlists alike. Sam is a prolific writer and lyricist, he recorded a 7 track debut mini album, expected in February. We are instantly struck by his stunning vocals, his versatility and maturity as a songwriter, embracing the classics but never without transcending their influence.

Sam De Nef's first solo project is a vehicle to tell his own stories and write songs that come to him in the most natural way. His debut mini album is an inspired collection of visceral folk and singer songwriter tunes, drenched in nostalgia. He's inspired by the likes of Dylan, Jack Kerouac, Leonard Cohen and Karen Dalton, but displays a unique voice and decidedly steers clear of platitudes.

"On my first trip to Serbia, visiting my girlfriends family, I discovered a whole new world in music. People played their songs around the diner table. What I saw was a family sharing food, alcohol and stories everyone could relate to. This experience opened up a new window, the wind blowing inspiration. I want to tell stories and touch people with simple songs and colorful language."

There is a directness and intimacy throughout each of the record's 23 minutes, which both sparks universal melancholy and makes Sam De Nef's debut very personal.