Benjamin Hermans // reeds

Stan Maris // accordion & compositions

Kobe Boon // double bass

 

Minimal trio on the brink of folk drone, lyrical jazz and film music.

Electronic Press Kit / EPK (click)
 

This is no trio of the shock and awe-technique, no unit that blows you away with technical tour de force or exaggerated ideas and emotions.

On the contrary, this is a band that slowly crawls under your skin, quietly entering to catch the listener and consequently submerge them with enough depth to stay away from woolly melancholy.
Kreis limits itself to the essence. Often lyrical, regularly mysterious, sometimes wringing. But always returning to the essence.

 

March 2019, the Belgian trio Kreis released their debut album ‘Askr’, a debut that was warmly welcomed by the Belgian press. In the same year, they make it to the finals of Jong Jazztalent Gent.

With Jazz Eats Borders, a cooperation between Stadtgarten Köln and Jazzlab Series, Kreis did a one-time cooperation with the german Jens Düppe Quartet.

September 2020 they released their 2nd album, ‘Embla’, on the innovative bwaa. records.
A tour organized by Jazzlab Series gave them the opportunity to present ‘Embla’ to different stages throughout Flandres (Handelsbeurs, Vrijstraat O./KAAP, Casino Sint-Niklaas, CC De Ververij Ronse, …).

Both albums refer to Nordic mythology, where Askr and Embla are the first man and woman on earth.
The sequel, Fimbul, is being released September 2023, also on bwaa. records.

​

_____________
Press

Knack Focus (01/10/2022)

(about Embla) "Compositie en improvisatie vloeien rimpelloos in elkaar heen, in een soms troostende, dan weer tegendraads strelende luisterervaring."  (link)

Bjorn Weynants, Enola (17/09/2020)
(about Embla) "Kreis beperkt zijn muziek tot de essentie. Vaak lyrisch, regelmatig mysterieus, soms wat wringend. Maar steeds terugkerend naar de essentie."  (link)
 

Jordi De Beule, Jazz&Mo (17/09/2019)

(concert at Ancienne Belgique) "Met een accordeon, een klarinet/sax en een contrabas brengen ze filmische muziek met vertakkingen in Europese folk, vaak met loops waar eigenzinnig op wordt gevarieerd en voortgeborduurd."  (link)

More press
https://focus.knack.be/muziek/9-tips-voor-bandcamp-friday/
https://www.enola.be/2020/09/17/kreis-embla/
https://www.dansendeberen.be/2020/09/14/kreis-embla-op-de-wip-tussen-lyrieke-kamerjazz-en-subtiele-cinema-noir/
https://www.jazzhalo.be/reviews/cdlp-reviews/k/kreis-embla/
https://damusic.be/cd/kreis-embla-7608.html
https://luminousdash.be/belgisch/kreis-embla-bwaa-records/
https://writteninmusic.com/albumrecensie/kreis-embla/
https://www.rootstime.be/index.html?https://www.rootstime.be/CD%20REVIEUW/2020/SEP1/CD83.html
https://www.musiczine.net/nl/cd-reviews/item/79763-embla.html
https://usercontent.one/wp/www.jazzlab.be/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Knack-Lievr-Live-2-converted.pdf?media=1667416310
https://luminousdash.be/singles/kreis-ve/
https://jazzandmo.be/de-crisis-bezworen

​

_____________

Concerts (past)

01/10/'22      Theresia - Gent
18/07/'22      Murmures festival - Gent
08/04/'22     Jazzzolder - Mechelen
24/04/'22     t Bruggenhuis - Geraardsbergen
27/03/'22     CC De Ververij - Ronse
26/03/'22     Un Peu - Brussels

21/11/'21         Baastival - Antwerpen

21/10/'21        De Casino - Sint-Niklaas
18/08/'21       Off The Record Festival - Gent

18/10/'20       Vrijstraat O. / KAAP - Oostende
09/10/'20      GC De Muze - Meise
07/10/'20      Muziekcentrum Track - Kortrijk
29/09/'20     Handelsbeurs - Gent

12/11/'19         Ancienne Belgique - Brussel
08/11/'19        Amokathon (KAAP) - Brugge
21/10/'19       Handelsbeurs - Gent
 

​

​