FLANDERS ON THE MOVE | LAUGHING BASTARDS: FETISH

The music of the Laughing Bastards was born out of the myriad, tumultuous and illicit love affairs that jazz has had with so many different kinds of music from around the world. The quintet is born from the alchemy of the youngest generation of the thriving jazz and improvisation scene in Ghent and one of the area's seasoned and old, but novelty-hungry bikers, who together profess a passion for the jazz tradition - with no small twist. This seasoned musician is saxophonist Michel Mast, who has also appeared on the Opus stage with Flat Earth Society, one of the best contemporary European jazz big bands, and who can create with a verve and innovative spirit that belies his age.

What better testimony to this than their new album Fetish, now out on BMC Records with W.E.R.F. On this album, Laughing Bastards showcase the very best of Belgian jazz, while absorbing musical influences from a thousand sources, from Ethio jazz to Jamaican dancehall. Combining jazz and chamber music with pop not only gives their music an iridescent edge, but also creates a fresh and inspiring interplay.