Warhaus
Before Maarten Devoldere started releasing smoky art rock with an erotic broadside under the alias Warhaus, his Nick Cave memorial vocals had already become a trademark of the "adult rock" band Balthazar. While he may not always croon quite as deeply and not always quite as rough as for example on his wonderful solo debut "We Fucked a Flame into Being", he was able to amass plenty of experience in the music business over the past years - from which he benefits today especially in form of creative independence. Devoldere has long since found his unmistakable signature which he continuously reformulates through a changing of moods and instrumentation while staying as cool as a young John Travolta. Another reason why the Belgian's song writing might often remain difficult to grasp emotionally. The slightly husky noir-pop-flavoured "Mad World" demonstrates this just as impressively as the sepia-shimmering "Love's a Stranger" - Warhaus constantly juxtaposes the euphoric flow of loving and being loved with the sober gaze of the abandoned. These atmospheric and musical contradictions lovingly push and pull on each other across his albums, but in the end promise to deliver pure pleasure. Belgium has never grooved more sensually.