For De Beren Gieren, minimalism and bursting energy go hand in hand. It’s no coincidence that this band is based in Belgium, where the culture has spawned its own styles of surrealism and techno. These three musicians are highly active in the European music scene, and their versatility flows freely in this band. In their multi-layered improvisations, acoustic instruments fuse with electronic effects. Here they take example from such musical visionaries as Visible Cloaks, Radiohead and Jon Hassell.

With deceptive rhythms, clear melodies and uninhibited electronics, De Beren Gieren have created compelling music on their seventh album What Eludes Us. The band’s pianist Fulco Ottervanger composes most of the tunes, exuding a childlike clarity, yet without ever pointing to a specific genre. It challenges the band to conceive a never-heard combination of sounds and parts supporting those sing-along melodies, often resulting in cinematic structures with a kaleidoscopic quality.

Fulco Ottervanger piano/synthesizers/effects, Lieven Van Pée double bass/electric bass, Simon Segers drums/effects