In the past few days, my wife and I have been invited to two living room concerts. I'm not sure if we can speak of a new trend in the music scene, but as far as I'm concerned, everybody can invite me into their house to enjoy some beautiful music. I'll even bring my own drinks. At these two gigs combined, there were about twenty five people. Therefore, these gigs came with an intimate atmosphere, making it easy to compare them with eighteenth century chamber music performances. For a few hours, all twenty five of us felt like old European nobility who witnessed something unique, something nobody else would.

While the city of Antwerp was becoming occupied with Iron Maiden fans, we prepared for an entirely different day of music. For us, it started in the afternoon, when we went to the beautifully renewed Elizabeth Zaal in Antwerp. There, we witnessed Belgian jazz and classical music pianist Jef Neve perform 'Rhapsody In Blue' by Gershwin, accompagnied by a full orchestra. As expected, this was a performance from a very high level but what followed was even more breathtaking. After a short technical break, the Chorale choir walked on stage, along with a youth choir. Shortly after, the massively popular 'Oh Fortuna' by Carl Orff resonated through the theater, followed by the rest of the 'Carmina Burana'. Magic, pure magic, but what would you expect. There were about 200 people on stage, each of them a highly trained master of his/her skill. This was top level in all its glory and bombast.

An Irish coffee and a durum later, we walked to a nearby street where we would soon enter the living room by someone named Thomas. We were early, but we are always early. Early to arrive and early to go (I have things to do at night, and at the end of this review, I'll tell you about it). We met up with the artists and the other people and prepared for the exact opposite of the earlier performance.

Stratosphere opened and did that in perfect Stratosphere style. His gig was quite similar to that in Mol, which proves my theory that he is the perfectionist who methodically prepares his set. The two tracks he played were two of his best and it's always a pleasure to listen to them. With our eyes closed and our asses comfortable on a chair we allowed Stratosphere to take us into another dimension.

Before the show, the artists had been talking about unwanted sounds, like the noises a cable makes when you plug it in our out. Well, guess what. That was exactly what happened when Ashtoreth started his set. Yet, since he is the improviser, he just worked his way around it and turned it into a ritualistic piece of music. He played a lot louder too, creating both intimacy and intensity. 

After a short break, less technical than the one at the 'Carmina Burana' concert, both artists walked back to the stage and performed a song they made together. I was curious since the two are completely different characters and have a completely different way of composing music. But what I heard was amazing, a brilliant and coherent combination of both solo acts, one that is definitely suited to be repeated. 

Two days later, we jumped on the tram towards Ashtoreth's living room where a duo named Kuro was about to perform. We didn't know the band but hey, when you're invited to that living room, you go. Once inside, we noticed the instruments, a violin, a theremin and an electric double bass. I loved it already. We cheated a bit too, since we listened to their album beforehand. I couldn't wait for this gig to start.

When it did, it pretty much blew everybody away. From inside the very soul of these instruments came a form of music that blended drones, ambient, classical music and jazz together in a whirlpool of soundscapes. I fell in love with the double bass (afterwards, Ashtoreth and I were plotting a plan to steal it) and, like every one inside, I was mesmerized by the music these two played. Of course we bought the vinyl afterwards.

When the final tones of the concert faded away, something hilarious happened, but I'm not going to tell you what that was. To know that, you will have to read my book, 'Cecilia's World' which is currently being written. This concert (and many others) will appear in it since it's a book about a young girl who discovered the world of alternative and underground music. Merchants Of Air will keep you updated about that when the time is right.

So, anyway, these were two amazing concerts which I will not easily forget. 


​Serge

Those who check out our website regularly might have noticed that we are the driving force behind the Lapses project by Belgian writer Tamara E. Williams (click here). While our writer Paul takes care of the paintings, my mission was to find ambient and drone artists to accompany the story. Coincidentally, four of the selected artists played at this nice mini festival in Mol (Sitka, Stratosphere, Ashtoreth and Monnik, who fronts Charnia. Misantronics and Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness were in the audience, enjoying this splendid evening). So in a way, Rituals Of Frost was a reunion avant-la-lettre. But you'd probably want to know how the gigs went, right? Oh, by the way, I forgot my camera so I had to make photos with my phone.

Armed with his guitar and the usual bunch of effects, Sitka nervously opened the evening with a nice set of drones and ambient. Sitka is a young, fresh force within the drone genre and certainly one to keep an eye on. I'm not sure if this was his very first live performance or not, but the feeling was right, the sound was excellent and the drones coming out of the speakers were interesting. Given time and effort, this project might indeed be able to compete with the big ones in this scene. Today, he was an excellent opener for what would become an incredible evening of music.

I know that some people think that drone ambient is a stale and unimaginative genre where nothing really happens. Well, these people should have been at the Stratosphere gig yesterday. While Sitka came up with the well-known and somewhat typical version of the genre, Stratosphere took things further, meticulously blasting out layers of riffs, soundscapes and plucks and eventually coming out with two huge tracks. I heard references from new wave, indie rock and shoegaze. My mind started imagining drum patterns over these layers, something I would like to do live one day. Anyway, Stratosphere is the perfectionist in this the Belgian drone scene and his performance came extremely close to perfection.

Then it was time for the heavier side of things, something I'm not always looking forward to. Sludge and post-metal have never been my favorite genres and I don't think they ever will. However, that doesn't mean that post-metal gigs bore me, on the very contrary. Charnia is a unique entity, one that doesn't just focus on trying to be as loud and aggressive as possible. This quartet came up with an intense, varied and atmospheric version of the genre, nudging towards doom metal, something I do like. Unfortunately, some sound issues made the gig less pleasurable for the band than for the audience but nonetheless, Charnia put up a very decent performance. These guys should be bigger, that's for sure.

Second heavy act on the bill was Eleanora who delivered a massive slab of in-your-face post-metal and sludge, complete with the usual bombast, the screams and the steamroller sound. For a while I watched them do their thing, quite convincingly I might add. Fans of this genre will know why Eleanora are one of the must-see acts. Their technical abilities reach perfection, their performance is a slab of hardcore energy and their music pounds on your head like there is no tomorrow. Although I'm not a fan of their music, I can only respect them and be proud of these guys. After two songs, I went outside for a smoke and witnessed their pulverising sound roll over the city of Mol. This surely is a destructive force, one every sludge fan will adore.

It is always disappointing to see that most of the audience members leave after the last heavy band. Personally, I think it's a lack of respect but then again, it was already midnight. When Ashtoreth finally climbed on stage, not even half of the audience was still present. But, those who left surely missed something.
Where Stratosphere is the perfectionist, Ashtoreth is the improviser, the generalist. I've seen him before but it's always different. This time, the ambient tag didn't really apply. Ashtoreth first showed a nice psychedelic piece, turning the venue into a searing hot desert. The second part of his set was dedicated to sheer noise and drones, harsh, intense, relentless and so bloody awesome.
Later I would hear that Ashtoreth was somewhat frustrated with his performance and therefore turned it into that wall-of-noise, but as far as I'm concerned, he can be frustrated all the time if it leads to a stunning performance like this. Like I said to Björn afterwards, 'out-harshing two sludge metal bands on your own is quite an achievement'. This was a stunning gig, one that can be repeated anytime.

This was the very first Rituals Of Frost festival. Sitka has been working on it for quite some time, resulting in sleepless nights, unexpected misfortunes and probably a lack of appetite. Yet, it was all worth it. This was a great evening with excellent gigs and a nice atmosphere. If he organises another edition, I'd recommend a bill with four acts instead of five. I think everything is just going to be a little easier. You can always add a dj after the gigs or just make each act play a bit longer. Nonetheless, I applaud these initiatives, certainly in a country where Sabam and the government are always on the lookout for a bit of the money you make (or they think you make). So good work and hopefully until next time.


​Serge

What a weird day it is today, and what a contradiction to yesterday it is too. My country, or at least the capital, Brussels, is under terrorist attack. After explosions in the metro and at the airport our whole country is in lockdown. Anger, fear and confusion take over and we mourn the victims of this cowardly act. Even here in Antwerp I can hear the impact. There are more sirens than on any other day, once in awhile suddenly interrupted by an ice-cream truck whose music now sounds bleak and desolate, like a music box in a dystopian area.

I've been silent all day, not knowing how to write about the exact opposite feeling I experienced yesterday. Yesterday was a day of excellent spaghetti, tasty Geuze-beer, the music of Philip Glass and chianti, completed by three great performances and a free ride home thanks to my Merchants Of Air colleague Björn. It was a day of many familiar faces and very few 'hellos'. I guess I just wasn't feeling very social yesterday. As a matter of fact, I rarely am.

So for awhile I've been thinking about absolute silence on Merchants Of Air today, even though I still have a lot of stuff to check out. However, at some point, I decided to get this review done anyway. Perhaps I wanted to start spreading some positive words from inside this 'warzone', realizing that the people in attendance at Het Bos yesterday might appreciate that. Besides, all three gigs were too good to not write about them. Once again, sorry about the lousy quality of our photos. Let's just say it's not our speciality...

It was quite a strange line-up, if I can be honest. A Shoegaze/post-punk band, a drone act and a psychedelic black metal band on one evening, could that work? Damn well it did, once you saw the general pattern: an immersive atmosphere.

This is actually the third time I review a gig by The Mary Hart Attack. The first one seemed a bit hesitant, the second one was awesomeness in absolute darkness and this last one was tight as hell. These guys have been growing as a band, that's for sure. In Het Bos, they delivered a massive wall of sound, guided by that intense, rolling bass and energetic drums. At the moment, I wonder what's keeping The Mary Hart Attack from completely breaking through. They are becoming one of the most interesting things in the shoegaze and post-punk scene. A new album seems to be on its way and judging from what I heard yesterday, it's going to be a blast.

Up next was Antwerp's own Ashtoreth and his gloomy drone folk set. Armed with a guitar, his voice and a rack of pedals, this one-man act captivated the audience, some lying or sitting on the floor, some standing up. I was standing in the back, with my eyes closed, sometimes imagining some deep percussion over the layers of drones coming from the speakers.

This too was as excellent gig, very atmospheric and somewhat trippy. Ashtoreth formed a perfect bridge between the intense walls-of-sound this evening. It also was too short for me but I guess that's nobody's fault. I just love to be engulfed in drones and soundscapes for long periods of time. 

After the gigs, I heard Oranssi Pazuzu had to cancel some shows due to a wave of sickness in the band. In Het Bos, none of that was noticeable. The Fins blasted their psychedelic and massively immersive blackened metal over a stunned audience. That audience was simply ecstatic and loved every single second of this intense gig.

Helped by a minimal but on-point light show, the songs from Oranssi Pazuzu blended the complexity of psychedelic rock with the intensity of extreme metal, sometimes grinding, sometimes noisy but always enthralling. These guys proved that the evilest of genres isn't dead yet and that original and fresh acts can pop-up anytime.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who enjoyed this show, and something very Belgian happened right after it. In front of the merchandise table, a nice line of people formed, each one gently waiting to be served. Björn and I took our place in line and went home wearing a brand new t-shirt and carrying what is possibly one of the most interesting albums in 2016. 

I will probably soon visit Het Bos again to see Conan & Hemelbestormer and Zion Train. Many other concerts will obviously follow in this great venue but, like most people in attendance, I will always miss Scheld'Apen. It felt good to see the Scheld'Apen facia hanging in the hall as a sign that some scenes will never die...


​Serge