STEREOSEAT

What do Belgian bands Kenji Minogue, Vive La Fête, Absynthe Minded and Pink Room have in common? Not a lot at first sight. Unless…

It all started in Ghent (Belgium) back in 2013, as a studio project by songwriter Tom Van Dorpe (Chrome Yellow) and sound wizard/engineer Sergej Van Bouwel (Absynthe Minded). They pulled out all the stops and lifted their live performances to another level, together with guitarist David Van Glabeke (Kenji Minogue) and drummer David Van Belleghem (Delavega). Over the years they became a scouring yet atmospheric rock band.

Their style changed in 2018 with the arrival of second keyboard player Maarten De Meyer (Vive La Fête) and drummer Jelle Lefebvre (Pink Room, Celestial Wolves). Guitars are tuned as if they were synths, synths as if they are guitars. Twisted as hell.

Stereoseat proves guitar music is not only relevant in 2020 but can still be innovative too. Over the years, the band has built up a broad fan base with their strong energetic live shows. Their first album Safety Car Crash already dates back to the end of 2015 but in February 2020 the successor Heavenly Creatures was released.

How hard it rocks, cracks and grunges is crystal clear with the opening track ‘Waltz’. Heavily distorted guitars in an immense battle barely within the limits of sound. Where superlative Motorhead has a patent on hard guitar sounds, Stereoseat comes very close to this sound in certain songs. A bass line cutting through marrow and bone, backed by a very distorted sounding guitar, hits you in the face with ‘Sluthead’. Sometimes, fearless rock can also be very catchy, like ‘Sittard’, a very psychedelic, yet catchy song. Over two minutes long, cutting synths take the lead, only to merge into a shoegaze-wrapped finale that cuts through marrow and bone again. ‘Coda’ is very spherical, floating, pure and compelling. Sharp riffs ensure a solid swipe at ‘Arcade’, while in ‘Out of Tune’ they get a more doomy sound. Also, Tom puts his vocal cords under strong pressure at the latter. Completely troubled is the amazing ‘Whigs’, where the mash-up from chaos and sounds is complete. As if a living creature is cut up alive, that's how intense and painful it feels.

Stereoseat has lots of potential. Stereoseat has balls. Stereoseat makes good solid music. More variated and rocking than ever before. Each of the members clearly has their own input which seems to stand miles away from their previous projects. What unites them and is audible is their drive! Heavenly Creatures is definitely a very energetic album with its own sound. Rock on guys!

Jurgen BRAECKEVELT
13/03/2020