20 to Watch in 2020

Annabel Lee has decided to rush with nonchalance. First single "Best Good Friend" (2017) became the flagship of their first EP "Wallflowers" and their shows at Botanique, Eurosonic's off or Parquet Courts opening, installed them on the radar of the belgian garage pop scene. After half of Mountain Bike passed by, the band is now Audrey (lead singer & guitar), Vankou (bass) & Hugo (drums). Perfect mix between Courtney Barnett & Best Coast. Their first LP "Let The Kid Go" will be out March 20, 2020.

Previous GSA showcases:

No

Press kit | Facebook

If you missed the “Influenceur” tidal wave, the first ascendant vierge title, we invite you to find out right away. With more than 1 million plays, “Influenceur” made its way between the turntables of the best current djs (Anetha, Vtss, Sentimental Rave, Randomer …) and the playlists of millennials. The perfect combination of Gabber / hardstyle and pop / lyrical vocals, ascendant vierge is the apotheosis of the past 5 years of mixing and musical research. Paul Seul, the co-founder of the CasuaL Gabberz collective which is becoming the leader of the young French electro scene, and the singer Mathilde Fernandez, who stood out with her projects halfway between performance, l total art and 90s pop have created a subtle mix, surely the most exciting thing in today’s pop landscape. Their second title “Faire & Redo” confirms the test and the clip to come is awaited by all. With an EP and a single on the Nadsat compilation which comes out at Because Music and which brings together the most exciting artists of the Parisian electro scene, vierge ascendant has a bright future ahead of it.

Success highlights in GSA: 

- German label

- release party in Berghain in May 2020

Previous GSA showcases:

No

Press kit | Spotify | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram

From Portugal to Brussels, passing through Antwerp, Blu Samu, age 25, already lived several lives. Somewhere in between poet and urban samurai, Blu Samu tells her story through an intuitive mix of hip hop, soul and trap, using her hoarse voice to express her love of words. After moving a few years ago with her friends from le 77 in Brussels, and then meeting Zwangere Guy, she found a real crew. She quickly became the new sensation of Belgian hip hop which allowed her to win the Redbull Elektropedia Award for best upcoming Urban artist but also to perform at festivals such as Dour, Pukkelpop, Couleur Café, and tour across Europe alongside her DJ Loumana.

Success highlights in GSA: 

- Germany is in the top 3 of listeners

- Performed at Das Fest Festival, Juicy Beats Festival & Festival Pop Kultur

Previous GSA showcases:

No

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In 2016 Haitian vodou band Chouk Bwa (WOMEX 2015) meet the Brussels based duo The Ångströmers. This project combines a new dub sensitivity and Haitian rhythm science and spirituality. Modular synths and vintage electronic instruments bring another dimension to Chouk Bwa’s music, although it is always the band’s fluent groove that leads the energy of the ensemble: no laptops, no drum machines. Electronic instruments are wired directly to the drums, fed with impacts. Radical Vodou roots for urban audiences. They performed at Trans Musicales de Rennes in 2019, among other gigs.

Success highlights in GSA: 

- Gretchen Berlin, May 2020

- Interest from Fusion Festival

- invited to FK:K 2020

Previous GSA showcases:

No

Press kit | Facebook

„One of the most exciting groups in Europe."  ( London Jazz News - Tony Dudley-Evans )

„imbrication or clash of timbres, mastery of nuances, surprise of alloys of sounds, beauty of lyric passages ... Everything here is a source of delight“. ( Jazzman , choc - Thierry Quénum )

„Beyond his obvious rage (to play / to live / to surprise), this trio shows a true band sound: original, bitter and contemporary“ ( Jazz news - Albert Laroux )

"Spontaneity, energy and urgency of the moment"  ( Citizenjazz.com - Nicolas Dourlhès

Success highlights in GSA:

- Article in Jazzthetik in May 2020

- played at Berlin Jazz Festival, Münster Jazz Festival & Bunker Ulmenwall

Previous GSA showcases:

jazzahead!

Press kit

Salas is a Belgian DJ and producer hailing from Brussels. Active on the Belgian and European nightlife for 12 years now, as a DJ, DC crafted his sound into something pretty diverse: house, new beat, 90’s wrong speeder or percussive beats, no boundaries. His singular approach made him a regular/resident DJ at C11 in Brussels, Kiosk Radio and Tsugi Radio.  

As a producer he released EPs and remixes on prestigious labels such as Kill The DJ, B-Pitch Control, Correspondant and of course Biologic Records, the label he co-runs since 2012. Lately Diego released an EP on Jennifer Cardini’s Correspondant Record and has 2 EP’s coming out soon: 1 on Éclair Fifi’s River Rapid and 1 on legendary Live At Robert Johnson imprint.

Success highlights in GSA:

- EP to be released on Live At Robert Johnson

- A podcast/mixtape for the German label Keinemusik out in April

Previous GSA showcases:

Eurosonic 2020

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Passionate, inventive, sensitive, the double bassist Giuseppe Millaci is praised by the international press for his exceptional qualities. After brilliant studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Giuseppe Millaci’s musical career took him beyond European borders to perfect his skills with Drew Gress and Marco Panascia (New York). He will perform first as a sideman alongside the biggest names in Belgian jazz and then as a leader of “Vogue Trio” with the French pianist Amaury Faye and the Belgian drummer Lionel Beuvens. The first album “Songbook” will win him distinctions in various music magazines as well as the “Octave de la Musique - PointCulture” prize, awarded in 2018.

Previous GSA showcases:

No

Press kit | Spotify | Website | Facebook

Martin Grégoire and Antoine Flipo developed their project in complementarity and trust. At their beginnings, relying only on themselves, they built a universe in combinations, between jazz and electronics, with force and singularity.

With Reykjavik, Glass Musem comes back with a second album that establishes his authentic musical identity at the table of contemporary jazz. Cinematographic, electronic and organic, the disc hybridizes twilight melodies to a lively rhythm. A glow in the night. 

Success highlights in GSA:

- Elbjazz, Jazz Experience, Enjoy Jazz & Treumzeit Festival 2019

- German tour in April-May 2020: München, Köln, Hamburg, Berlin, Wiesbaden

Previous GSA showcases:

Reeperbahn 2018

Iceland Airwaves 2019

Eurosonic 2019

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Immersed in electronic fields, Glauque wanders between anger and love, between quiet and loud, between questions and certitudes. Here, where filth is beautiful, words and sounds collide while feelings keep coming, unleashed. Then the silence… a fragile intimacy plunges us back into the reassuring tenderness of those who seek to convince themselves.

Success highlights in GSA:

- working with Selective Artist

- shows in Switzerland in 2020

Previous GSA showcases:

Sonic Visions 2019

Eurosonic 2020

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Pop band from the 90’s indie rock culture, but soaked in groovy beats tinged with soul/afro-funk, hot and fluid, producing songs that are melodious, ethereal and dancing. Author of two albums, Canopy (2011) and Sundogs (2015), the band pursues its aspirations to create the moment both in concert and at home; to catch the magic of the moment beyond styles, the indescribable, the candid urge to sing to kill-heads to metalheads as to rappers good songs that whisper in your ear that the night may be longer than expected.

Previous GSA showcases:

No

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Through the years It It Anita has won considerable recognition, mostly a result to their numerous energetic live concerts … and hard work pays off because they were already invited by The Great Escape (UK), Eurosonic (NL), Monkey Week (SP), FME (CAN), Le Printemps de Bourges (FR), C/O Pop (DE), Ment Ljubljana (SI) etc. Each time they smashed the stage with a very tight and energetic set. With their new album Laurent, It It Anita has achieved a solid position amongst some contemporary bands such as Metz, And So I Watch You From Afar, Idles, Lysistrata, Shame, Girl Band, etc., a new generation of highly-talented musicians who gives a fresh boost to the beloved indie-rock family!

Previous GSA showcases:

c/o pop (unofficial)

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«An understated soloist, Estievenart’s restrained lyricism reminds me of the american trumpeter Tom Harrell». BBC Music Magazine (Garry Booth). After 2 trio albums (Werf Records & Igloo Records), Jean-Paul presents this brand new band. With a traditional acoustic quintet formula, he succeeds in transforming his pure melodies into contemporary improvisations, bursting in all directions. The result will appeal to Jazz fans of the 50s and 60s as well as  lovers of modern melodic music ... Between a modern version of the second quintet of Miles Davis and some Ambroze Akinmusire albums, it is a high-flying jazz that never loses the listener thanks to a strong melodic catch and a deep sincerity of their play.

Previous GSA showcases:

No

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Hailing from Brussels, Le Motel’s world is a vortex of sight and sound that takes in the many and varied corners of the planet. As a music producer and film composer his versatility has taken him to festivals and clubs in every direction as naturally as he has ventured out to the less accessible areas of the globe as a field recordist. It’s somewhere in between these spaces that Le Motel operates, gathering unique experiences and sounds to channel through his studio.

Charting a way through intricate contemporary electronics and the cutting edge of street-level productions, Le Motel’s DJ sets channel his unique influences into a rugged, forward-leaning expedition in beat-driven sound.

Previous GSA showcases:

No

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The Swedish saxophone player Mikael Godée and the Belgian piano player Eve Beuvens needed only a flyer and few clics on Myspace to meet each other ten years ago. From the start the two musicians found a very natural complicity. Soon joined by Magnus Bergström on bass and Johan Birgenius on drums they created this quartet. As equal bandleaders, Eve and Mikael both compose for the group; their pieces form a surprisingly consistent whole. The four musicians are bound by a strong mutual trust, the risks they take do not impair the natural flow of the music.

Previous GSA showcases:

No

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Two Belgians, one Hungarian and a Luxembourgish. Four jazz musicians enjoying the exploration of a psychedelic blend of rock and trip-hop. At the crossroads of Radiohead, Damon Albarn, Modeselektor and Miles Davis. Next.Ape have shaped their sound: a slamming snare drum, a deep bass on the Moog, a distorted guitar, some keyboards and of course a clear and charismatic voice. The groove is hectic and incisive. Improvisations give you goosebumps. It is impossible to remain static or indifferent. Their music just takes you.

Success highlights in GSA:

- singer Veronika Harsca is a familiar face in Germany

Previous GSA showcases:

No

Press kit | Website | Spotify | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram

Indie-pop project of Boris Gronemberger (Girls in Hawaii-Françoiz Breut - Castus a.o.), formerly known as V.O. Seven years after his last record ‘On Rapids’, strengthened by his experience with Girls in Hawaii and a solo tour of support of Agnes Obel in 2017, Boris returns under the moniker RIVER INTO LAKE and with a new album  ‘Let the beast out’ ©2019 Humpty Dumpty records /Microcultures. The record delivers nine Ochestral-Pop songs in a sound magma made of analog synths and drum machines mixed with acoustic instruments. It’s a journey between Krautrock, Jazz, and Synth Pop from the 70’s -80’s with the common thread of allaying fears, living together, moving on, it’s an anthem for the beauty of life and the Universe.

Success highlights in GSA:

- Byte FM supported tour in 2019

- German booker

Previous GSA showcases:

No

Press kit | Youtube | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Belgian jazzman Toine Thys is a key figure for saxophone and bass clarinet in Europe. They have been playing for 10 years in trio with a.o. dutch Hammond organist Arno Krijger through Europe, Asia and Africa. In January 2019 they released a new trio CD « THE OPTIMIST » (Igloo records) featuring international musician organist Sam Yahel (Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Steely Dan), Senegalese guitar player Hervé Samb (Youssoun Dour, Lisa Simone, David Murray, Salif Keita), Canadian drummer Karl Jannuska, and Toine Thys. They toured extensively through Europe, and several countries in Africa. « THE OPTIMIST» was awarded by many jazz critics (‘Must’ TSF Jazz, ‘Découverte’ Jazznews, ‘Choc’ in Le Soir., **** in Jazzman.).    

Previous GSA showcases:

No

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Suspended' is URBEX third repertoire, but also the first live recording of this adventurous band created 5 years ago. The music is groovy and sparkling. It's an eruption of sound and energy. Sometimes a trance, sometimes a flight to a stunning climax. URBEX has played over 50 concerts since their start in 2015 (BE, NL, DE, FR). They released two albums on Igloo Records in 2016 and 2018, both acclaimed by the critics and the public. The leader Antoine Pierre is the sideman of Philip Catherine and TaxiWars.  

Previous GSA showcases:

No

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YellowStraps was created by two Belgian self-taught brothers (Alban & Yvan Murenzi) drawing influences from their travels early on. Born in Rwanda, raised in Uganda, and living in the melting pot that is Brussels, ever since. They have always been busy conjuring up a very particular sound mixing many styles like Jazz, Soul, Hip-hop & electronic music.  Top Youtube channels (Majestic Casual, The Sound You Need, College Music, etc.)and international music blogs such as Complex, Earmilk or Highclouds, have already picked up on the duo’s releases to date.

Previous GSA showcases:

No

Press kit |  Youtube | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram