Aranis are a Flemish acoustic avant-rock, experimental and neo-classical chamber music group led by composer and contrabass player Joris Vanvinckenroye. Their music has been described as a blend of "chamber classical and rock", "Chamber Music Rock", and "Belgian chamber rock" with elements of East and Southern European folk music. Aranis have recorded six albums, and have performed live at a number of European venues, including the Rock in Opposition festivals in Carmaux, France. They made their American concert debut at NEARfest Apocalypse at Zoellner Arts Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in June 2012. A biography of the group at All About Jazz said that " concert, Aranis creates an unforgettable atmosphere. Variation and expressivity hold the audience riveted. Chaotic structures and virtuoso crescendos alternate with serene intervals."

Biography

Aranis are based in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, Belgium, and their music, composed by Vanvinckenroye, features contrabass, violin, accordion, flute, piano and guitar. Their first live performance was in Heist-op-den-Berg in 2002, and their debut album, ''Aranis'' was released in 2005. Aranis' third album, ''Songs From Mirage'' was released in 2009 and their sound was augmented by the inclusion of three female vocalists. Also in 2009, Vanvinckenroye created a solo bass project called BASta! and recorded ''Cycles'', an album featuring him on solo multi-tracked double bass. Aranis released ''

RoqueForte ''RoqueForte'' is a 2010 studio album by Flemish acoustic avant-rock, experimental and neo-classical chamber music group Aranis, led by composer and contrabass player Joris Vanvinckenroye. It is their fourth album and was released in Belgium by H ...

'' in 2010 and included drummer

Dave Kerman David Kerman (born August 24, 1959), better known as Dave Kerman, is an American experimental rock drummer and composer, best known as the founder and member of the Los Angeles avant-rock group 5uu's. He is also a member of the Belgian progressi ...

of the

5uu's The 5uu's were an American avant-rock group founded in Los Angeles, California in 1984 by drummer-composer Dave Kerman. The group released their first album in 1986 and recorded a second in 1988 with Motor Totemist Guild, a similar band from t ...

and Thinking Plague, departing from their hitherto "signature drummerless acoustic sound". In 2011 Aranis joined forces with Belgian groups Univers Zero and

Present The present (or here'' and ''now) is the time that is associated with the events perception, perceived directly and in the first time, not as a recollection (perceived more than once) or a speculation (predicted, hypothesis, uncertain). It is ...

to form a 17-member ensemble called Once Upon a Time in Belgium. They premiered at the fourth edition of the Rock in Opposition festival held in Carmaux, France in September 2011, where they performed "New York Transformations", a work composed by Kurt Budé of Univers Zero. Once Upon a Time in Belgium appears in the documentary film '' Romantic Warriors II: A Progressive Music Saga About Rock in Opposition'' (2012); Aranis also features in this film, and the companion '' Romantic Warriors II: Special Features DVD'' (2013). In 2012, as a sextet and without a drummer again, Aranis departed from recording compositions by Vanvinckenroye and released ''Made in Belgium'', an album of interpretations of works by other Belgian composers, including Wim Mertens, Daniel Denis of Univers Zero, and Roger Trigaux of Present. In 2014 Aranis released ''Made in Belgium II'', another album of interpretations of works by Belgian composers, including

Peter Vermeersch Peter Vermeersch (born 1959 in Waregem) is a Belgian composer, clarinet player and producer. He is a main character in several Belgian bands such as X-Legged Sally, A Group and the Flat Earth Society. His compositions, balancing between cl ...

and

Walter Hus Walter Hus (born 2 July 1959) is a Belgian composer and musician. He studied at the music conservatories in Ghent and Brussels. In 1984, he graduated with excellence (''Diplôme supérieur'') for piano with Prof. Dr. Robert Steyaert and soon bec ...

Discography

;Studio albums *''Aranis'' (2005) *''Aranis II'' (2007) *''Songs from Mirage'' (2009) *''

'' (2010) *''Made in Belgium'' (2012) *''Made in Belgium II'' (2014) *''Smells like Aranis'' (2017) ;Compilation albums *''Vinylplaat'' (2008) – contains selections from ''Aranis'' and ''Aranis II'' ;Singles *"Hidden Soundscapes" (2007) – collaboration with flutist Toon Fret Source: Aranis homepage

Film appearances

* Romantic Warriors II: A Progressive Music Saga About Rock in Opposition * Romantic Warriors II: Special Features DVD

Members

* Joris Vanvinckenroye – composer, contrabass *Linde de Groof – violin *Liesbeth Lambrecht – violin *Marjolein Cools – accordion *Axelle Kennes – piano *Ward De Vleeschhouwer – piano *Stijn Denys – guitar *Jana Arns – flute Source: Aranis homepage

Guest musicians

;On ''Songs From Mirage'' *Els van Laethem – voice *Anne Marie Honggokoessoemo – voice *Herlinde Ghekiere – voice *Linde de Groof – violin *Els Vrints – piano ;On ''

'' *

– percussion *Stefan Wellens – viola *Pierre Chevalier – piano Source: Aranis homepage

References

External links

"Chamber Music Rock" – the Belgian form of R.I.O.
at psychemusic.org – includes reviews of all Aranis' albums {{Authority control Belgian progressive rock groups Chamber music groups Rock in Opposition Musical groups established in 2002