9/02/2025 – 19.00
AB Club
AB and Oorstof/SiM present the first Belgian concert of the stunning Dietrichs – the noise duo of Don Dietrich, legendary Borbetomagus saxophonist, and his classically trained daughter Camille on cello – in a triple bill alongside a challenging new duo of Jef Mertens and Glen Steenkiste on taishogoto and Pythagorean harp, plus a short passage from Mascletá featuring French noise guitarist Yves Botz.
Legendary saxophonist Don Dietrich and his cellist daughter Camille Dietrich come together in DIETRICHS, a pairing music critic Byron Coley calls “sheer wailing sonic pleasure.” Don has been a driving force as a member of Borbetomagus for over four decades, known for his volatile style and “unyielding wall of sound.” Camille’s raw energy balances classically trained precision with the instinctive flair of someone raised on aggressive improvisation. Together, they drown audiences in sound, leaving an impact long after their final note fades.
DIETRICHS began their journey in 2017 with their debut album on Pica Disk Records, followed by a series of performances that landed them a spot on the list of Jazz Right Now’s Best Live Concerts of 2018. In 2021, the duo joined Feeding Tube Records’ Quarantunes Series, subsequently releasing the recording with the same label. Their livestream was ranked in Art Forum Magazine’s “Alan Licht’s Best Music of 2021.” DIETRICHS released their critically acclaimed third album Catch the Leaves through Relative Pitch Records in 2023, followed by its 2024 vinyl re-release via Feeding Tube Records. A new Dietrichs studio recording ‘No Badhu’ will be released by Relative Pitch to coincide with this first European tour.
Mertens & Steenkiste is the exciting new project by Jef Mertens and Glen Steenkiste. After some previous collaborations the duo now embraces the Pythagorean (harmonic) harp and Taishogoto (Japanese string instrument based on the Indian bulbul tarang). A new release from this remarkable pair is already in the works.
Glen Steenkiste, also known as Hellvete, gained recognition as a member of the drone-folk collective Silvester Anfang. Exploring early minimalism and traditional folk music, he crafts immersive soundscapes with harmonium, shruti box, and now Pythagorean harp. His music effortlessly dissolves the boundaries of time and space.
For nearly two decades, Jef Mertens has been delving into the experimental music and film scene in Belgium and beyond. He made documentaries (Dronevolk, Borbetomagus, Sonic Youth), ran the now-defunct Dadaist Tapes and released a solo album No Mathematics on KRAAK/Feeding Tube. Inspired by artists like Bill Nace, Jef transitioned to the Taishogoto, a Japanese string instrument. His second solo album, Orchid Alto, entirely recorded with the Taishogoto, is slated for release in 2025.
Mascletá is Yves Botz, ‘no’ guitarist in Dustbreeders since 1988, ‘jazz mort’ guitarist of Mesa Of The Lost Women and ‘blotto-folk’ guitarist with Romain ‘Vomir’ Perrot (Saboteur); toured with scream-queen Junko (from Hijokaidan) as Junko & Yves; can transform into a loud, screaming saxophonist with Les Fondations De La Nuit; and played with a.o. Jac Berrocal, Cathy Heyden, Michel Henritzi, Masayoshi Urabe, Tamio Shiraishi and Mico, Don Dietrich, Jérôme Noetinger. and shouted legendary once with Flipper!
