We Are Open 2022

Anyone who can call Soulwax's DEEWEE studios their second home is in good form. Asa Moto first appeared at DEEWEE in 2016 and quickly became one of the showpieces of the stable.

They regularly tour with the Dewaeles, occasionally host a wonderfully eclectic radio show on Kiosk and wonderfully found time to (co-)produce the albums 'Yol' and 'Âlem' by Altïn Gun. With that same eye for precision they also put together their live show, where you get their unmistakable body music fired at you.

It makes sense to sing in your native language: Antwerp based Aili sings in Japanese. 'Dansu' is a nice sticky and uplifting song, perfect for warming up your homely dance floor. Her Ghent companion Transistorcake provides the beats that could come straight from the studio of the Dewaele brothers.

Bibi Seck’s thrilling energy and mixing skills have taken Belgium by storm, and she is now conquering Europe. Bibi is the perfect example of a self-made star in the world of electronic music.

Her talent and passion are undeniable, her back catalogue is diverse and often surprising and she has a unique ability to connect with the crowd.
As a multidisciplinary creative, she blends various influences of electronic music to create a high-energy atmosphere. Her performances are always about fun, celebrating life, love and the uplifting power of music.

Upcoming opera director and countertenor Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe and versatile composer, curator Laurens Mariën (ex-Soldiers Heart, Dolly Bing Bing) teamed up again for a radical electronic album and accompanying show.  

Their operatic dada-blues-punkpop lends itself perfectly to the mystical and theatrical love ritual they had in mind. ‘SPECTACLES’ is their brand new album and performance, including dance, a whole light show and triple load of smoke.

MUSIC Laurens Mariën, Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe
STYLING Paule Josephe
PRODUCTION & MIXING Jasper Segers
REC. MUSICIANS Lander Gyselinck, Mattias De Craene, David Numwami, Jasper Segers

PARTNERS: Ancienne Belgique / Muziektheater Transparant /Kunstencentrum Vooruit / detheatermaker / STUK / DeStudio / Pilar/ C-tact Recorded, produced and mixed by Jasper Segers
Art Direction: Charles Dhondt

Blck Mamba gives her own twist to club music with idiosyncratic edits, bizarre blends and monster-heavy rhythms. She keeps her finger on the pulse of the Brussels club circuit, highlighting local producers, artists and labels in her sets.

With her own party concept Mo Mamba as icing on the cake. Recently, the Belgian-Nigerian artist put her own spin on the genre with two dark, no-nonsense club bangers featuring scene favorites Rouge and Magugu.

BLUAI really doesn’t need an introduction anymore. But we want to do it anyway. Ex residents, winners of Humo's Rock Rally, De Nieuwe Lichting, and Sound Track and plenty of good vibes. This is BLUAI in a nutshell. You know the trio from such sounds as their early “Dime Store” and recent bangers like “My Kinda Woman” and “In Over My Head”. These last two appeared on their debut record “Save It For Later”. An Indie, Americana fusion about growing up in Belgium. You can expect al setlist full of amazing songwriting and the sweetest vibe ever.

It’s no coincidence that Bolis Pupul’s music sounds the way it does. Born in Belgium to a Chinese mother and Belgian father and raised in the super-cool creative city of Ghent, Bolis’ music is a joyous cross-cultural assemblage. Mixing widescreen electronica – think early Mr Fingers-like techno and Yellow Magic Orchestra’s exuberant man-machine minimalism – with the warm-hearted and wonky naivete of Belgian New Beat, Bolis’ singular sonics are at once playful, emotive, unrelenting and tender.

Brussels based singer-songwriter BRYN followed his musical dreams, against the advice of his teachers and parents, who wanted to push him into academic studies. He started writing songs at age eleven, and when after fleeing Rwanda he ended up in a Flemish asylum center, he taught himself how to play the guitar and later on the synthesizer. He regularly played his compositions to a friend there, who used to call him “The Brain” as a way to encourage him, which led to the name BRYN (pronounced “brain”). He just finished his debut EP, very much pop-infused and inspired by Lorde and Tove Lo.

Camille Camille is a Belgian singer-songwriter, visual artist, and boat dweller. She creates intimate bedroom folk with a warm, husky voice that sounds soft and honest, sometimes tinged with melancholy. After years of street performances and bedroom recordings, she released her debut album "Could You Lend Me Your Eyes" in 2021. She toured Europe supporting King Hannah and Widowspeak, bought a boat with her partner, and has since been living between Belgium and the Netherlands. Camille is now working on her second album — a subtle blend of hope and wistfulness.

Let her captivating voice carry you away and immerse yourself in her dreamy, soulful melodies.

Chibi Ichigo made her DJ debut at Best Kept Secret 2025 and was instantly named “DJ set of the day” by Belgian newspaper De Morgen. “She built that hour incredibly well for a beginner… credible techno, alternative gems, and the perfect Benny Benassi drop at just the right moment.” Born in Uzbekistan and raised in Belgium, she brings raw emotion and razor-sharp precision to the booth. Her debut EP as a DJ and producer drops in late 2025: six electronic tracks about family, love, and finding home — on and off the dancefloor.

As a songwriter, composer and producer, David Numwami is truly a musical jack-of-all-trades. And although his name doesn't necessarily ring a bell in Flanders yet, the Brussels native David Nzeyimana has already toured with Charlotte Gainsbourg, dived into the studio with Sébastien Tellier and Nicolas Godin from Air and won on the other side of the language border a D6bels Music Award (the Walloon version of the MIA's). Singles ‘BEATS!​’ and 'Le fisc de l'amour​', bundled with other goodies on debut album ‘Numwami world​’, reveal a delicious portion of DIY feel good vibes.

DOODSESKADER, the duo of Tim De Gieter and Sigfried Burroughs, continues to push their limits with unrelenting force. Their new album The Change Is Me delivers a volatile blend of witch house, hip-hop, industrial dream pop and stadium rock: an intense, immersive surge that hits with both emotion and impact.

Stepping beyond their “Year” cycle, they created a record that captures who they are right now, written in one focused week at Much Luv Studio and documented in Now I Know You See Me. On stage, DOODSESKADER has become one of Belgium’s must-see acts, with sold-out AB and VIERNULLVIER shows and festival appearances at Roadburn, Hellfest, ArcTanGent, Eurosonic and more. The Change Is Me drops April 3rd, 2026 on their own label, 45 Records.

Since 2017, Brussels-based ECHT! has been causing a series of explosions, from the North Sea Jazz Festival to the stage of Paradiso, passing through Dour, Pukkelpop, Ancienne Belgique, and even the legendary Jazz Café in London. The strength of ECHT! lies in the eight hands and four minds that play and think in the same direction. Their instrumental music prefers to raise questions rather than provide answers. Engulfing the listener in a sonic experience where the identification of individual instruments becomes elusive, each person becomes a cog in the rhythm and melody.

After their highly acclaimed debut album "INWANE" in 2021, the quartet returns to delight us with their resounding new album "Sink Along". Ten fiercely electro, trap, and bass music tracks, entirely performed and shaped through experimentation. It promises to be a night where ECHT!'s sonic identity reveals colorful surprises amidst its darkness.

Emy's debut single 'Freestyle' was picked up as Catch of the Day on Studio Brussel, and the renowned French music magazine COLORS framed her somewhere between Arlo Parks, Jpegmafia and Jessie Ware.

Emy has a unique voice and the talent to write a special song. Packed and dropped with a great live band and an international progressive/neo soul sound in her back pocket, Emy is ready to conquer the world!

Endless Dive is an instrumental band from Tournai. The group deals in energetic post-rock with various influences from the alternative and post-hardcore scenes.

After releasing a debut EP, Endless Dive broke through with the release of their debut album 'Falltime' in 2019. Now they are back, with a brand new single 'Blurred', which will appear on their next album.

Interstellar poster-boy Frankie Fame is a natural born performer, multi-instrumentalist and ecstatic dancer. With catchy hooks and quirky grooves held together with a homemade brand of cosmic glue, Frankie Fame is aiming to create a world of his own that’s both accessible and expanding. Aiming big but staying real, Frankie Fame is made to stay!

Judith Kiddo is back again with her enchanting synth pop. A fragile voice, playful guitars and the sound of retro-futuristic keys have her tracks oscillating between electronic and organic sounds. On stage Judith appears as a brutal and yet ultra sensitive contradiction. Surrounded by musicians we know from projects like David Numwami, Askak Maboul and Steve Gunn she plays with the audience. 2023 meant the release of her first album “Ready to heal”.

JUICY is a post rnb music band with jazz, soul and hip-hop influences.

The duo consists of Julie Rens (vocals, keyboard, electronic drums) and Sasha Vovk (vocals, keyboards, guitar), who met at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in David Linx's singing class.

JUICY released two EP's in both March 2018 and March 2019, and has played a bunch of festivals: from Printemps De Bourges, and Eurosonic to Dour, Couleur Café and Les Ardentes. They also opened for many artists such as Angèle, Gringe, Ibeyi and Trixie Whitley.

JUICY will release their debut album on February 4 2022.

Kids With Buns is the band of Marie van Uytvanck and Amber Piddington. With their atmospheric guitars and uniquely disarming, androgynous voice, Kids With Buns create a sound that silences their crowd. 

With a sober open-mindedness they arouse a sense of security. Their music is sometimes compared to London Grammar, Phoebe Bridgers and Girl In Red. Live, the dynamics between both provide an intense, warm experience of their tracks. They already reached the semi-finals of Humo's Rock Rally 2020 and a number of major stages. Think of Dranouter, Theater Aan Zee's Zomer in O. and music club De Casino. And in 2021 they won Studio Brussel's De Nieuwe Lichting. Kids With Buns, remember the name!

KLAKMATRAK = Brennt van Stake en Bert - Dreeten - Van Maris.

Samen maken ze de lelijkste of misschien wel net de mooiste muziek die je ooit zult horen... 180 bpm is traag volgens deze twee crazy boys. De perfecte gangbang tussen terrorcore, noise, punk en metal. Maar vooral: chaos.

Under L. Jacobs, Lennert Jacobs  - known from The Germans en MDCIII, among others - launches his first solo album 'Enthusiasm'.

For this, he not only crawled behind his drum kit, but also shows that synthesizers, percussion instruments, loop stations and sample modules are no stranger to him.

The sonic trip in which he takes you, navigates between light and dark and obscure. Lovers of library music, vintage horror OSTs, analog synthesizers, psychedelia and out of the ordinary sounds should definitely not miss this. To bring his musical universe to life, he invites a host of special soulmates on stage: Sarah Yu Zeebroek (Hong Kong Dong), Geoffrey Burton (Hong Kong Dong) and Noah Melis (Borokov Borokov).

Sometimes a passion arrises from an anomaly. This seems to be the case with hiphopper Lo Bailly. His family tree shows no hints of musical interest. Still the Brussels based singer dug up a synth and guitar. An autodidactic journey followed and now, Lo Bailly presents his sharp pen and dead honest lyrics.

With his musical project Lo Bailly dives into a world close to artist like Veence Hanao and Scylla. Melancholy, electronic beats, French chansons,… He mixes genres and creates an auditive space of his own.

Meltheads zijn vier jonge honden uit Antwerpen die met bakken talent en evenveel drang en branie tot op het bot gaan. Tim Pensaert en Simon de Geus en Yunas de Proost spuwen aanstekelijke garage, clevere postpunk en fascinerende cold en andere wave uit. Vierde hond, frontman Sietse Willems, de vleesgeworden bastaard van Jim Morrisons charisma, Robert Plants sexappeal, Iggy Pops razernij én de blote bast van alle drie. Hun live-reputatie buzzt als een lopend uurtje door de Lage Landen, en wie hen al aan het werk zag, weet: deze hongerige wolven bestormen een podium alsof ze de laatste show van hun leven gaan spelen. 

Things have gone incredibly fast for Miss Angel over the past years: from slam poetry shows in Antwerp to a packed meadow at Rock Werchter. Tracks like 'Ghetto Superstar', 'Money Making Mami' and 'All Of The Shmoke' quickly turned her into another Lil' Kim or Left Eye Lisa.

That the Antwerp based artist is more than a row of impressive comparisons, she confirms with own songs, as well as with features on tracks by KRANKk and Le Motel.

For We Are Open, she brings all of her friends for a unique show!

Do you know BRNS? Well, founder Antoine Meersseman also started Paradoxant. After a serious existential crisis, he decided to take up the challenge with song material that sounds radical, dangerous and simply different. On the man's debut album 'Earworm' it pinches from all sides, and reminds us of Crack Cloud, Suuns, Clinic or Liars.

Peet has been working as an MC for Le 77 for years. Under the approving eye of Zwangere Guy, among others (count how often Peet appears in the credits of both Wie Is Guy? and BRUTAL), he is one of the most amazing Brussels voices. Sitting still is not an option: after two solo albums - Peate and Mecman - Peet released an EP this year entitled PEPER.

Every Desertfest-edition there is always something truly unique happening. This year noisers/punkers/trashers Pink Room will not only play Desertfest Antwerp, they will also play in their hometown at Desertfest Ghent! Even more unique is that they will play the Black Sabbath classic album Paranoid (1970) from A to Z at both shows. What a black surprise!

More than 50 years after its original release the album still stands solid as a rock. Untamable songs like 'Iron Man' and 'War Pigs' -with untamable riffs- were the start of a whole new music genre. Without ‘Paranoid’ no heavy metal, no stoner rock, no doom, nor sludge – and of course no Desertfest. The horror!

Pink Room brings along a flock of bats, friends and guests to bludgeon your ears:
- Bart Baele (Speedözer, Ndugu, Tubelight)
- Jelle Denturck (DIRK., Protection Patrol Pinkerton)
- Lynn Claus (Ponycamp, Mother)
- Willy Organ
- Wim Segers (Compro Oro, PAARD.)

Together they will transform our venues into a deadly catacomb. Loud, louder, loudest!

The Hasselt producer Pippin became a household name within the electronic beat scene after he won Champion Sound in 2015. H can easily count Lefto among his fans. A year ago he released his debut EP OMLA, in which offbeat rhythms and melodic soundscapes alternate and melt into a hypnotic warm blanket. Enjoy!

Promis3 are Andras Vleminckx & Brent Dielen, the queer Belgian duo making mind-bending and ethereal cyborg-pop for fans of the likes of Hannah Diamond and Sega Bodega. Today they drop their latest single, the mesmerising 'Don't Wanna Fall in Luv', available as a Bandcamp exclusive until Friday. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

PSYCHONAUT is a three-piece Belgian collective crafting a dark, melancholic and spiritually charged sound. Their music recalls Tool and Amenra, while also nodding to the timeless scope of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. Following their acclaimed debut and the powerful 'Violate Consensus Reality' which took them to stages like Roadburn and Alcatraz. The band returns with 'World Maker': a more personal and hopeful record built on contrast and variation. Raw, compelling and designed to create an eternally captivating experience.

“You don't know Rare Akuma yet, XXXTentacion did.” This is how Knack Focus summarized the young Antwerp resident a few years ago. The millions of listens of his tracks don't lie: Rare Akuma is extremely popular internationally.

Akuma has since continued to develop his own style through collaborations with Zwangere Guy, for which he produced both 'U Ma Is U Pa' and 'Guttergang', and DJ Murdock for whom he had 'Gantz' remixed. In the meantime, Rare Akuma released his new album 'dirtytwominus'. The young Antwerp based artist shows how it's done, and many great artists on the other side of the ocean are watching him.

Reinel Bakole is master of captivating an audience. Her sensitive voice and personal lyrics immediately demand all the attention. This is also the case on her latest EP 'Closer To Truth'.

During her Urban Dance studies in Amsterdam, Reinel had the freedom to develop and to give her Congolese roots a place in her work. The result is not only beautiful, but beautifully brings together her most important influences and disciplines.

Shoko Igarashi was born in 1991 in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. An accomplished tenor saxophonist, she is also a versatile flautist and plays alto and soprano saxophone fluently. She has already made her mark as both an arranger and a composer. Shoko grew up surrounded by dreamlike landscapes of abundant nature in the snowy countryside of Tsuruoka, a mysterious and surreal region renowned for producing the best quality rice in Japan, where she says, “the water and the air feel the purest," and where mountains and shrines overflow with ancient mysticism.

After beginning her musical career in Tokyo, she attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree of music. She then relocated to Brooklyn, New York where she began regularly performing live alongside innumerable talented jazz musicians. In 2018, she moved to Brussels, Belgium and founded the group Maniac Maison with her partner, pianist Casimir Liberski, and guitarist Lucien Fraipont.

Since 2018, Shoko has written and compiled a series of well-crafted, colourful electronic songs curating diverse influences such as Sly & the Family Stone, Earth Wind & Fire, Japanese City-Pop, '70s jazz fusion, and the anime film music that she grew up learning to play. Her nimble and seamless assembly of these very different elements into her unique sound is astonishingly natural. In addition to her primary group Maniac Maison, her first official solo Album will be released by Tigersushi Records in 2022. Her single will be out in end of November 2021, be ready!

The Haunted Youth, the project led by frontman Joachim Liebens, quickly became one of Belgium’s most exciting indie acts. Known for dreamy indie rock and melancholic synths, the band has toured across Europe and released hits like 'Teen Rebel' and 'Gone'. For this night, the frontman takes over the decks with a DJ set, creating a unique and captivating atmosphere.

Walfang is a noise collective from Sint-Niklaas that does not limit itself to genres and creates a unique musical identity within the vibrant Belgian alternative music scene. With a unique mix of noise rock, post-punk and experimental grunge, Walfang invites you to explore human existence. Their music deals with themes such as apathy, self-destruction and existential angst, but also offers hopeful and harmonious moments.

With their brand new album, 'Trigger The Short-Fused' (released on November 8, 2024 via Barley Records), the band dives even deeper into their already stimulating, dark musical terrain. Singles such as “No Season”, “Probably Sand” and “Soaring” set the tone for a record that explores topics such as existential uncertainty, depression and futility, but also offers hopeful moments.

A gorgeous, fragile voice and an acoustic guitar: Wanthanee doesn't need more to work its way into your heart. The modest singer-songwriter won De Nieuwe Lichting in 2016 and opened for acts such as George Ezra, Starsailor and Amongster.

2021 is all about her debut album W A N T H A N E E, for which she went looking for the right arrangements with partner Orson Wouters (Transistorcake, Sleepers' Reign) (besides guitar, piano and violins also play an important role), while the lyrics reflect her personal search for an identity and dealing with life events. Her broad, warm voice still reaches out like a comforting shoulder while the rich arrangements draw the listener more than ever into her thoughts, her vision, her universe.

In the name of all that is ugly and harsh in music, the band WHORSES has been commanded by sound wizard Micha Volders to transfer their life struggle into sound waves.”

And thus they did. “Wheels Up”, the follow-up to their self-titled double debut album, is an amalgation of mental tsunami’s caused by sudden changes in personal life and a celebration of all that is too toxic to live by.

Y O K O C H O is an Antwerp, electronic and danceable one-man project that sounds like 90s house and is reminiscent of retro video games and tropical islands - recorded live on cassette tapes. Y O K O C H O 横丁 is inspired by 808 State, Joe Hisaishi, Air, David Wise, Fatima Yamaha, Yellow Magic Orchestra & Daft Punk.

Ariana aka WLTR is a Nooit Meer Naar Huis DJ and the managing mommy of the young Antwerp based collective Burenhinder, an female art and rave collective striving to give local female artists a network. Her sets bring together the nastiest of hardcore tracks, euphoric harddance and most recognisable thunderdome sounds. WLTR's number one priority is giving the audience an unforgettable gabber experience.

TEEN CREEPS are an indie rock band from Belgium. The three piece bring the sounds of 1990s alt-rock to the present day with a fresh energy. The main ingredients? Fuzzy guitars, fast drumming and heartfelt vocals. On their new album ‘FOREVER’ the band still brings the noisy punk bangers, but also explores a more melodic and melancholic approach. “Mellower, without losing any of their edge”, as The Line of Best Fit writes. https://www.facebook.com/teencreepsband https://www.instagram.com/teencreepsband 1. Teen Creeps are also a trio of Djs from Brighton, UK. They specialise in Italo-Disco, Electro, New Wave and getting too drunk when they play. www.facebook.com/teencreeps

Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.