BERLINDE DEMAN - PLANK 9

• Berlinde Deman: Plank 9
      (2025, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)
      (2025, cd, USA, relative pitch records)

Being a music lover, I consider myself very fortunate to live in Belgium.
We still have a lively music scene, and when bands tour, as Belgium isn't that large, we get several opportunities to see them.

Just to give you an example, we caught the Flat Earth Society Orchestra twice this month. Once celebrating the 20th anniversary of Michel Mast's Ham Sessions festival in Ghent, and a second time in 'De Kern', a fine cultural center in Wilrijk nearby Antwerp.

Flat Earth Society (FES) is led by Peter Vermeersch and includes a colourful assortment of excellent musicians. One of these is Berlinde Deman.
Berlinde plays the bass tuba and is a indispensable factor in the rolling train that is FES.

In October, Berlinde released her first solo album, "Plank 9", on which she features the Serpent, a 16th century musical instrument that produces beautiful deep sounds.
It shows a completely different side of Berlinde.

Using the Serpent, her voice, and some effect pedals, Berlinde succeeds in creating a world in which light and darkness move alongside each other. Cautious, hesitant, slowly moving. Love it.

Recommended listening !