KAU – Minla
Release | A standout of Brussels’ jazz scene, blending broken beat with raw groove
“A melting pot of styles (jazz, hip hop, beat, electronic, etc.) and nationalities (one Italian, one Italian-German, and one Norwegian), the group follows in the footsteps of some of Brussels’ most exciting artists of recent years.”
JAM (RTBF)
To fully appreciate KAU’s music, you have to let go and rise above, forget preconceived formats and stylistic pigeonholes, and simply reconnect with the primal love of music, which creates an inexplicable link between the body, the brain, and the heart.
Born in Brussels, KAU brings together a German keyboardist (Jan Janzen), an Italian bassist (Matteo Genovese), and a Norwegian drummer (André Breidlid), all determined to break free from constraints to create pure and personal music. Trained at the conservatory while experimenting with rock aesthetics in their previous band, the three instrumentalists came together during Covid with the idea of creating a free-flowing, traveling tape, combining their influences and reconnecting with the creativity and audacity of this format dear to hip hop. It would be wrong to rush into classifying KAU in the somewhat catch-all category of new school jazz. Indeed, the trio has succeeded in creating a sophisticated and hypnotic syncretism between synthetic music, haunting melodies, electronic groove, and spiritual beatmaking.
Unknown Waveforms lives up to its name, embodying a dive into the unknown, favoring vibe over the sometimes restrictive format of pop or jazz albums. Atmospheres that reconnect with free music, where breaks in tone and sonic discoveries lead to dance without really expecting it. Recorded at the Freehouse in Brussels’ Woluwe Park, while snow fell outside the studio, Unknown Waveforms is a soundscape exploring the links between humans and machines, the contrast between a bright future and a fear of the dark. Like its entirely acoustic outro, KAU values its humanity and spontaneity, embraces its imperfections, and effortlessly achieves the ecstasy of every musician: that of unbridled creativity that speaks to the masses without compromising its artistic standards.
After The Cycle Repeats, their first album released in 2023, and concerts all over the place (including an appearance on the main stage at Dour), KAU is back with Unknown Waveforms, presenting themselves as a new centerpiece of the Brussels Sound, as well as a hope for a new, vibrant music scene at the crossroads of hip hop, synth jazz, and club music aesthetics.
