FNUSSJEN
In January 2017, drummer and composer Nicolas Chkifi was invited to play at the festival « La Semaine du son » in Brussels.
For this opportunity, he decided to put a new band together. The whole group wrote some miniatures for it, having in mind the idea of a certain aesthetic, a special band sound, and line up.
FNUSSJEN is an acoustic quartet including the versatile violist Ananta Roosens, the original harpist Ann Eysermans, the talented pianist Christian Mendoza, and Nicolas Chkifi on the drums.
With this unique band, Nicolas Chkifi is looking for peace and simplicity.
Their debut album "Forest of pictures" came out in September 2020 and has been very well received by the press.
NIMA
NIMA brings together saxophone player Mathieu Robert and drummer Nicolas Chkifi.
Both of them are composers and improvisers.
Together they create music that transcends the genres with simplicity, purity, and always with a warm acoustic sound.
dDOKO
Sound artist Gregor Siedl and drummer Nicolas Chkifi have been a close-knit duo for many years with a common drive for improvisational music.
The duo focuses on humanized electronics and beastly batting on their second release (el NEGOCITO Records). Whilst Nicolas has a deep rooting in jazz, African rhythms and a tendency for yoga extravaganza, Gregor´s background entails sound art, contemporary music, Marxist philosophy, and botanophilia.
DOKO, the band name, is based on a Japanese word that can be translated as the exclamation « Where ? » and pinpoints the essence of their sonic ventures.
It's in the momentum of navigating into the unknown, that the spirit of the music shines and enchants the most.
MOTIAN LOVE
Motian Love is a brand new quintet dedicated to the music of the great drummer and composer Paul Motian. The quintet brings together the finest musicians of the jazz and improvised music scenes of Belgium from different generations.
Motian Love's band sound also resonates with the legendary trio consisting of Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell, and Paul Motian himself.
It's the same bassless lineup but cleverly doubles the tenor saxes and guitars allowing the creation of rich melodies and harmonies.
Motian Love will record his debut album in March 2024 for Ramble Records.
LANIAKEA
LANIAKEA is Jeroen van Herzeele on tenor & soprano saxophones, Ewi and Modulars, Jozef Dumoulin on Fender Rhodes and FX (From December 2022) and Nicolas Chkifi on drums & percussions.
They drink divine Chinese tea, they talk about yoga, kung-fu and laugh a lot.
They walk down, connect, listen, and play!
Laniakea is a Hawaiian word that means "immense heaven".
It's a supercluster of galaxies.
This inspires them for their instant compositions".
E. M. A.
E.M.A. means Ensemble de Musique Acoustique and is born from the desire to experiment with graphic scores into a larger ensemble.
The drums are in the center like the trunk of a tree, then below you have the strings trio being the roots of the tree, and above you have the winds trio flying high in the unlimited skies.
E.M.A brings together the finest musicians from the rich Belgium jazz improv scene.
4 Circles
Because it includes a part of unexplained in its manifestations, like telepathy or presentiment, intuition confronts us with a vision of the world, oscillating between rational and irrational, logical and mysterious, determined and moving.
It is by working on these concepts that 4Circles presents fresh, interesting music combining compositions and improvisations.
JNK Trio
JNK is the new collaboration between the Italo-American reeds player Jan Rzewski, French double bass player Kevin Ambrogi and Belgium drummer Nicolas Chkifi.
JNK has recorded his debut album called "First meeting".
The music is a mix between free improvisations and compositions from each member of the band.
Exciting and always on the edge!
TASSIN/CHKIFI
New explosive duet with the super active guitarist Julien Tassin who here enters in resonance with versatile drummer Nico Chkifi to explore new territories.
Musical dialogues made of colors and chaotic sounds in the service of a music at the border of jazz, free improv rock, experimental, soundscape and noise.
SUPERNOVA
Supernova is a new international group of four musicians well known in the jazz and improvised music scene.
In this quartet they pay tribute to saxophone legends such as Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders, Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp, etc.
What was originally a sax-bass-drums trio has been expanded several times by adding an extra guest. Pianist Seppe Gebruers was a perfect fit for the trio of John Dikeman, Nicolas Chkifi and Hugo Antunes.