Fulco Ottervanger (piano, synths, fx) | Lieven Van Pée (double bass, el. bass) | Simon Segers (drums, fx)

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Two and a half years after their acclaimed last release Less Is Endless, De Beren Gieren have finished their seventh full album.

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What Eludes Us is an ode to what escapes us. And what we consciously want to look away from. For their 7th full album, De Beren Gieren (“The Bear Vultures”) even ignored the unimaginable beauty of the Norwegian fjords by sneaking into a dusty recording studio in the harbor of Bergen. They worked with the celebrated and mysterious producer Jørgen Træen (a.o. Jaga Jazzist) who silently watched over the imperfections and interference as the driving force behind the skilled and lively playing of this electro-acoustic jazz trio.

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The result turns out to be compelling music with deceptive rhythms, clear melodies and uninhibited electronics in a way that also surprises themselves. How did that happen again?

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‍‍‍What Eludes Us was  released on 29th of March 2024 via Sdban Ultra.

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For the post-contemporary jazz trio De Beren Gieren, minimalism and bursting energy go hand in hand. It may be no coincidence that this band is based in Belgium, the home ground of surrealism and techno. De Beren Gieren consists of musicians highly active in the European music scene, but it is within this band their versatility flow freely. Its music is multi-layered, improvised and visionary. Corresponding acts could be Visible Cloaks, Radiohead, Erik Satie and Jon Hassell. Well, expect at least Beren music. 

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Pianist Fulco Ottervanger composes most of the tunes, shining a childlike clarity, yet without ever pointing to a specific genre. It challenges the band to conceive a never-heard combination of sounds and parts supporting those sing-along melodies, often resulting in cinematic structures with a kaleidoscopic quality.  

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Bass player Lieven Van Pée and drummer Simon Segers, join Fulco in a shared effort of control and letting go, tying the three together in a unique band. Live concerts of De Beren Gieren are an ongoing adventure full of beauty, dynamics and group interaction.

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De Beren paved their own path since 2009. They started off as a quirky acoustic neder-jazz trio, naturally evolving to the subtle acoustic-electronic realm of their latest albums ‘Dug Out Skyscrapers’ (2017), ‘Less is Endless’ (2021) and the upcoming ‘What Eludes Us’ (2024), for which they worked together with the Norwegian producer Jorgen Traen.

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De Beren Gieren have played with external guests such as Ernst Rijeseger, Louis Sclavis and Susana Santos Silva, giving them international acknowledgement. Yet it remained clear that gold can still be mined from the classic jazz piano format. Instead of changing direction, De Beren Gieren choose resolutely to dig deeper.