The Flat Earth Society (FES) is a Belgian big band ensemble founded and led by
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 ...
. They mix the rich Belgian brass band (HaFaBra) tradition with characteristic topsy-turvy creativity.
Biography
Their earliest gig took place in 1997, when they performed a composition by Peter Vermeersch to accompany a circus act by De Circusplaneet during the Oorsmeer festival. They also performed on the song ''Porqué te Vas'' by
A Group
The First Professional Football League ( bg, Първа професионална футболна лига, Parva Profesionalna Futbolna Liga), also known as the Bulgarian First League or Parva Liga, currently known as the efbet League for spon ...
, Peter Vermeersch'
avant-garde pop
Avant-pop is popular music that is experimental, new, and distinct from previous styles while retaining an immediate accessibility for the listener. The term implies a combination of avant-garde sensibilities with existing elements from popular ...
band.
Wider attention came thanks to the Flemish radio station Radio 1, where they performed on the show ''Levende Lijven''. The entire gig was recorded and later released under the title ''Live at the Beursschouwburg 1999'', containing compositions by Peter Vermeersch and covers of jazz numbers. Unfortunately the Viakra label that released this CD went bankrupt, preventing a wide distribution. This prompted Peter Vermeersch to found his own record company, Zonk!Records.
The year 2000 was a busy one, with a Belgian tour, a new appearance in the last broadcast of the ''Levende Lijven'' radio show, and the first release on Zonk!Records: ''Bonk''. The track list contains new and old compositions by Vermeersch and other members of the big band, but ends with two covers of songs by
The Residents
The Residents are an American art collective and art rock band best known for their avant-garde music and multimedia works. Since their first official release, ''Meet the Residents'' (1974), they have released over 60 albums, numerous music vi ...
. FES also played in the theatre play ''Larf'' by
Josse De Pauw
Josse De Pauw (born 15 March 1952) is a versatile Belgian actor, film director, dramatist, author and columnist. He was married to modern dance performer Fumio Ikeda for over thirty years.
Theatre
After graduating from the Royal Conservatory in ...
, the music of this performance being released the same year. Meanwhile Peter Vermeersch also composed the music for Minoes, a children's movie by Dutch film director Vincent Bal on a story by
Annie M.G. Schmidt (released in 2001).
In 2002, the Flat Earth Society was the house band of the Brugge2002 festival, where they participated in the Benenwerk project, turning the centre of the city of Bruges into a large ballroom. ''Trap'' became the second regular studio recording, and in August the Flat Earth Society premiered their Louis Armstrong project ''The Armstrong Mutations'' at the last night of the free Brussels festival Boterhammen in de Stad. A tour and a CD release followed in 2003.
Meanwhile Peter Vermeersch was also commissioned by Gerard Mortier to write a big band opera on the libretto ''Heliogabal'' by Thomas Jonigk, with stage directions by Roy Faudré. The opera premiered on May 8, 2003 in Duisburg during the Ruhr Triennale festival. In 2005, the opera toured Belgium in a new setting provided by
Josse De Pauw
Josse De Pauw (born 15 March 1952) is a versatile Belgian actor, film director, dramatist, author and columnist. He was married to modern dance performer Fumio Ikeda for over thirty years.
Theatre
After graduating from the Royal Conservatory in ...
.
In 2003 Peter had met with jazz composer and pianist
Uri Caine
Uri Caine (born June 8, 1956, Philadelphia, United States) is an American classical and jazz pianist and composer.
Biography
Early years
The son of Burton Caine, a professor at Temple Law School, and poet Shulamith Wechter Caine, Caine began p ...
, and the two decided to work together. Old compositions were re-orchestrated and new pieces were written. FES toured with Uri Caine in 2004.
International success was now assured, and FES was able to sign distribution deals with Ipecac, who released the compilation ''FESisms'', and later with
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 375 albums and 275 ...
who released ''Psychoscout'' in 2006 and ''Cheer Me, Perverts!'' in 2009.
In May 2011 they toured the US for the first time in their career. Starting in Tampa, they went from Washington and Philadelphia to New York, where they performed at the Lincoln Center and the Museum of the Moving Image.
Members (update 2020)
* Benjamin Boutreur (alt saxophone)
*Peter Delannoye (trombone)
* Berlinde Deman (tuba)
*Pauline Leblond (trumpet)
*Frederik Leroux (guitar)
* Bart Maris (trumpet)
* Michel Mast (tenor saxophone)
* Marc Meeuwissen (trombone)
*Martí Melià Margañon (clarinette)
* Kristof Roseeuw (double bass)
*Wim Segers (vibraphone)
* Peter Vandenberghe (keyboards)
* Bruno Vansina (baritone sax)
* Teun Verbruggen (percussion)
*
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 ...
(clarinet)
Guests:
* Esther Lybeert (vocals)
* Ernst Reijseger (cello)
* John Watts
*
Jimi Tenor
Jimi Tenor (born Lassi O. T. Lehto, 1965) is a Finnish musician. His artist name is a combination of the first name of his youth idol Jimmy Osmond and the tenor saxophone. His band Jimi Tenor & His Shamans released its first album in 1988, whilst ...
* Uri Caine
Ex-members:
* David Bovée (guitar)
* Jan De Backer (trombone)
* Leonaar De Graeve (tuba)
* Anja Kowalski (vocals, keyboards)
* Pieter Lamotte (bass-trombone)
* Eric Morel (sax)
* Roel Poriau (percussion)
* Danny Van Hoeck (percussion)
*Stefaan Blancke (trombone)
*
Pierre Vervloesem (guitar)
* Wim Willaert (accordion)
* Tom Wouters (clarinet, percussion)
*Luc Van Lieshout (trumpet)
* Thomas Mayade (trumpet)
Discography
* ''Live at the Beursschouwburg 1999'' (1999)
* ''Bonk'' (2000)
* ''Larf'' (2001)
* ''Minoes'' (2002)
* ''Trap'' (2002)
* ''The Armstrong Mutations'' (2003)
* ''ISMS'' (2005)
* ''Psychoscout'' (2006)
*''The Oyster Princess'' (2006)
* ''Cheer me, Perverts!'' (2009)
* ''Answer Songs'' (2009)
* ''13'' (2013)
*''Call sheets, Riders & Chicken Mushroom'' (2014)
*''Boot en Berg'' (2014)
*''FES XL S'' (2014)
*''Terms of Embarrassment'' (2016)
*''SS De Belgenland'' (2016)
*''Boggamasta'' (2017)
*''Untitled #0'' (2018)
References
External links
Official siteSpotify
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flat Earth Society
Experimental big bands
Progressive big bands
Jazz fusion ensembles
Belgian jazz ensembles
Avant-garde jazz ensembles
Ipecac Recordings artists
Igloo Records artists