Bombataz

Not easily pigeonholed, the Brussels-based Bombataz emerged when conservatory students Vitja Pauwels (guitar, vocals), Hendrik Lasure (keys), Ruben De Maesschalck (bass), and Casper Van De Velde (drums) discovered that their shared love of music extended not only to jazz but literally to all genres. These four musical all-rounders pick and choose elements from every possible genre at their discretion, ranging from a splash of jazz and a pinch of danceable funk to a shot of synth-hop, ultimately resulting in an incomparable cocktail that’s contagiously danceable.

On their second album, “Baby Dry My Tears” (scheduled for release on September 22, 2023, on the Cloudshaper label), this post-jazz pop quartet now eagerly dives into eclectic indie rock. They channel the spirits of Animal Collective, MGMT, and nearly everything else that’s cool and funky, and melt it all into captivating gems. While their first album bounced in all directions--they even sang in four different languages to illustrate their big-city existence ”Baby Dry My Tears” tightens the reins slightly, singing only in English, which naturally benefits cohesion. Often dramatic or yearning, this contrarian album eschews demagoging. It’s not what you think you want to hear, but rather what you should hear.

This concert is supported by Liveurope. The first EU-wide initiative to support concert clubs in their efforts to host concerts by emerging European artists. Liveurope is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.