You could say 1 AM is a rather strange hour to present a new album to the public. Nevertheless the Antwerp band BRZZVLL (say: Brazzaville) decided to take the risk for the release of their fifth record last Friday in the Antwerp party venue . With little expectations we arrived, with a warm and overwhelmed feeling we left.
When we entered an almost empty Piaf, the evening didn’t seem quite promising. DJ Louis Katorz did his best to warm up the little audience that was present but eventually only found a hand full of enthusiasts to dance on his groovy tunes. Gradually some Antwerp people did found their way to Piaf and suddenly! Finally! There it was: The hypnotizing sound of BRZZVLL and the warm voice of their guest Amir Sulaiman that asked for our attention.
The music of BRZZVLL is difficult to categorize and can probably best be described as a mix of electronic funk and jazz. Some will know them as the house band of Nuff Said, a well-known monthly evening full of literature, music and stand-up comedy. It was here that BRZZVLL met the American spoken word artist and musician Amir Sulaiman. According to the myth the album that came out of this rendez-vous , is for the upper part the result of one three-hour recording session. During this session, Sulaiman suffered a serious jetlag and was in a rush to catch his plane home.
Lay this circumstances at the root of the intensity of this album? As listener you feel drawn into the music and lyrics. An experience that is reinforced when you get the chance to witness the product of this wonderful collaboration live. The combination of the smooth and groovy sound of the band and the deep voice of Sulaiman works intoxicating.
Sulaiman himself had something of a self-proclaimed prophet. Like a modern Jesus, he was on a mission to spread love, positivism and happiness over his audience. According to the reactions of the public, he succeeded for the full 100%. Nevertheless, how inspiring Sulaimans' musical preaches were, the musicians of BRZZVLL made the biggest impression. It was wonderful to witness their playing pleasure and strong musical connection.
BRZZVLL is one off those bands that make you wonder: do they deserve a bigger audience than showed up at Piaf last Friday? Or would extra ears spoil the magic? Something to think about during our spare time. But first … let’s dance.
'First Let’s Dance' was released on February 3rd at Zephyrus Records.
Text by Saar De Permentier
Pics by Kwestion & Wim Vanlee