"Elke track is een nieuwe, zorgvuldig opgebouwde wereld, met improvisaties die zich niet in oeverloze zelfexpressie verliezen, maar gebald in dienst van het geheel staan. De bekroning van een zoektocht, die ook resulteerde in een plaatsje op het podium van Jazz Middelheim 2022."
- Radio Klara -
"Terre Sol Four verkent het niemandsland tussen postrock, minimal jazz en elektronica. Soms dromerig en subtiel, soms gestut door potige saxriffs en bij momenten zo ijl als het oeuvre van Tangerine Dream."
- Knack Focus -
"Liberating, complex-free, raw, thrusting, intuitive, organized chaos, bold, unconventional, otherworldly. Sounds like the jazz punk version of Morphine."
- Quote from LaBestia -
Terre Sol Four investigates the territory between rugged jazz and vigorous rock music, with thundering repetitions, ecstatic cries and an unstoppable forward thrust.
One thing is certain. Karen Willems relies on her feel. Amazement, connection and intuition are her driving forces, things that quickly result in a cross-border approach.
In her search for the essence she explored pop, jazz, kraut and prog rock, experimental music, avant-garde and free improvisation. It is therefore not surprising that her formative records vary widely; from Charles Mingus to Vangelis, from Moondog to The Breeders, from Papa Jo Jones to John Carpenter.
Her expressive, physical drum and percussion technique brought her to Alabaster Deplume, Yuko, Zita Swoon and Novastar, among others. With her project Inwolves she took the first steps towards the discovery of the essence of her own music. Her solo project 'Terre Sol' elaborates on this and with the album 'Grichte', which was released on WERF Records in 2022, the debut was a fact. It is a diptych in which, among other things, the introduction of three saxes is striking.
Karen's personal research 'Terre Sol' is now given the addition 'Four', which refers to the number of musicians: Karen Willems (drum, percussion, vocals), Naomi Sijmons (vocals, elec. guitar, synth) Marc De Maeseneer (baritone sax, bugel) and Vincent Brijs (baritone & tenor sax, flute). Not the least in their field, with references such as Lady Linn, Lucid Lucia, Reena Riot, The Whodads, El Tatoo Del Tigre.
On the album 'Juju' (May 2024, WERF Records) the four-piece digs even deeper and the results are utterly spellbinding, swerving from introspective exploration to expressionist riff rock and semi-Dadaistavant-garde. The playing feels confident, diverse and punchy. There are rich vocal arrangements, roaring saxes and sweeping melodies. Eccentricity and playfulness go hand in hand with exercises in tension and release, and calls for connection in antisocial times.
01/02 - CC Ter Vesten - Beveren
18/05 - Lokerse Jazzklub - Lokeren
11/07 - Gent Jazz Festival - Gent
07/09 - RUIS - Antwerp
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