* En anglais uniquement
Flemish ensemble
Aranis play original music that blends classical chamber music elements with the rhythmic drive and pulse of rock and minimalism. Based in Antwerp and led by composer/bassist
Joris Vanvinckenroye, the core group has no drummer and strongly emphasizes acoustic instrumentation. In addition to
Vanvinckenroye, the bandmembers have included flutist Jana Arns; violinists Linde de Groof and Liesbeth Lambrecht; violist Stefan Wellens; accordionist Marjolein Cools; guitarist Stijn Denys; and either Axelle Kennes,
Ward De Vleeschhouwer, or
Pierre Chevalier on piano.
Aranis' eponymous debut CD was recorded in August 2005 and distributed by Lowlands later that year;
Aranis was reviewed enthusiastically by those who heard it, and compared to the work of other notable chamber-style ensembles straddling the worlds of modern classical, rock, jazz, and European folk musics, including the Belgian groups
Julverne and Louise Avenue -- both of which featured members of avant-prog warhorses
Univers Zero. The band in fact cites
UZ as an influence, along with a host of others ranging from
Astor Piazzolla to
Gavin Bryars,
Godspeed You! Black Emperor,
Flat Earth Society, and
Stravinsky,
Bartók, and
Shostakovich. In 2007
Aranis recorded and released their second CD, Aranis II (featuring an appearance by
X-Legged Sally,
Flat Earth Society, and
Think of One trumpeter
Bart Maris), and embarked on an extensive series of live concerts throughout Belgium, continuing through the fall and winter and extending into spring of the following year.
In April of 2009 the group recorded its third album,
Songs from Mirage, featuring vocal contributions from Els Van Laethem, Herlinde Ghekiere, and Anne Marie Honggokoesoemo. That same month,
Aranis leader
Vanvinckenroye -- using the moniker
BASta! -- recorded his first solo CD, entitled
Cycles. Both
Songs from Mirage and
Cycles were released on the Belgian "modern folk" label
Home later in 2009.
Aranis' fourth album,
Roqueforte, arrived the following year on the Italian AltrOck label; the album brought a change in personnel, with the band now consisting of
Vanvinckenroye, Arns, Lambrecht, Cools, Denys, and violist Wellens along with keyboardist
Chevalier (
Univers Zero,
Present) and drummer
Dave Kerman (
5uu's,
Thinking Plague,
Ahvak,
Present), giving somewhat more emphasis to the music's rhythmic pulse and power without compromising the group's chamberesque qualities or the consistency of
Vanvinckenroye's compositional approach.
In 2012 the band returned in a drummerless sextet lineup of
Vanvinckenroye, Lambrecht, Cools, Denys, Arns, and
De Vleeschhouwer with the
Home label album
Made in Belgium; rather than focusing exclusively on the music of
Vanvinckenroye, on
Made in Belgium the band interpreted the work of Belgian composers -- including prolific melodic minimalist
Wim Mertens,
Univers Zero's
Daniel Denis,
Present's
Roger Trigaux, and Louise Avenue's Jan Kuijken -- with typical rhythmic precision, energetic spirit, textural complexity, and timbral warmth. The success of the project led
Aranis to release
Made in Belgium II on
Home in 2014 -- and announce the disc as the second in a Belgian composer-focused trilogy. With
Chevalier back in the lineup (replacing
De Vleeschhouwer),
Made in Belgium II presented an even more diverse array of music written by Belgians, including
Flat Earth Society's
Peter Vermeersch and
Univers Zero's Kurt Budé in addition to
Vanvinckenroye,
Chevalier, Kuijken,
De Vleeschhouwer, and others. Avant rock, jazz, and experimental guitarist
Pierre Vervloesem appeared as a guest on two tracks. ~ Dave Lynch