Le Monde Merveilleux de Pépito with Alexandra Grimal at Ham Sessions

Le Monde Merveilleux de Pépito together with Alexandra Grimal will perform at Ham Sessions in Ghent on 24 May as part of the festival’s second-day programme.

Presented by Ha Concerts, the performance is scheduled for 15:00 and will open a day that also features Panoply (O'Gallagher/Formanek/Williams) and Muze Jazz Orchestra.

The project began in Chalon-sur-Saône, Burgundy (France), and developed further in Brussels, particularly around the legendary Sounds Jazz Club. Bringing together musicians from the Belgian capital, the ensemble led by Pierre-Antoine Savoyat creates an organic and surprising music in which improvisation and reinterpretation become a way of telling stories, shaping atmospheres, and expressing human emotions.

Laurence Cousseau Quintet will perform at Werkplaats Walter in Brussels on 14 May 2026, as part of a double bill evening with Sam Comerford’s Thunderblender with Ultan O’Brien.

Laurence Cousseau Quintet has been selected by Werkplaats Walter in Brussels as part of Belgian Music Week 2026. The ensemble will present work from its debut project Les Groseilles de Novembre, an exploration of magical realism through composed and improvised music.

Led by composer and flautist Laurence Cousseau, the quintet features a distinctive instrumentation centered around alto flute and bass clarinet, together with piano, double bass, and drums. The project develops a sonic language that moves between jazz traditions, contemporary classical references, and free-improvisation.

Formed in 2024, the ensemble has developed through residencies and performances across Brussels and has been recognized through several institutional selections, including Jazz Station, CC Kultkom in Eupen, and MetX.

The project’s debut album released in May 2026 on Off Records.

soniqApart is proud to present:

The debut album of FOKKOP. UNPLUGGD (alter-ego of FOꓘKOP.EЯA) The Imposter Acousticwill be released on 19 May 2026 via Belgian Igloo Records. And the most exciting news is that as part of Lotto Brussels Jazz Weekend, FOKKOP. UNPLUGGD will take over the Bourse Stage in the center of Brussels on 21 May 2026 at 19:00 for their debut release concert.

Following their most recent album with FOꓘKOP.EЯA—an electronic punk-rap project—rapper Herb Cells, pianist Martin Daniel and Ben Tequi return with a stripped, re-grounded version of their music. Joined by Manolo Cabras on double bass (with Nicolas Thys on double bass in the album), a piano trio influenced yet groove-driven and soulful contemporary jazz-rap revisit of FOꓘKOP.EЯA’s universe, with clear nods to jazz history and beyond.

They’ve opened for Akua Naru at AB, for clipping at M4 Brussels, shared the stage with AUSGANG at Les Nuits 2021, and held an artist-in-residence position at VK in Brussels.

But FOꓘKOP.EЯA isn’t something you neatly summarize.

Driven by Nina Simone’s mantra — “It is the duty of an artist to reflect the times” — the band navigates a world bloated with spectacle and hollow authority. Herb Cells and his crew are not here to decorate the room. They’re looking for the emergency exit.

Orchestrated by a schizophrenic KORG MS20 bass, razor-sharp, neck-snapping live drums and immersive visuals, the lyrics unfold like an Escher staircase — disorienting, layered, slightly unsettling.

This is not a random outburst.
FOꓘKOP.EЯA points to an era ruled by failures and impostors.

Different BPMs. All live. Inspired by Afro-American rhythms. A stubborn, genre-bending UFO of a band.

Following their EP SPITCOINS, their debut full album WE.ARƎ.FOꓘd,OK ? has now been unleashed. Experience the unique live intensity during the official vinyl release at RITCS-café Brussels.

The concert takes place at RITCS-café, a joint initiative by AB and Erasmus University College Brussels, which hosts this special vinyl release night.

WE.ARƎ.FOꓘd,OK ?
Live. Loud. Unfiltered.
Join us at AB x RITCS-Café

On 20 February, Pierre-Antoine Savoyat & Le Monde Merveilleux de Pépito were featured on Au Coeur du Jazz, broadcast on France Musique, hosted by Nicolas Pommaret.

The programme highlights their latest album, Thousand Shades of a Clown, exploring the many nuances of sincerity behind the clown’s mask.

Pierre-Antoine Savoyat and Le Monde Merveilleux de Pépito present their latest album, Thousand Shades of a Clown, released on 23 January 2026 by Challenge Records.

Built around the evocative figure of the clown, the album explores themes of identity, vulnerability, and resilience through a refined and contemporary jazz language. Rather than theatrical excess, the music focuses on nuance — subtle shifts of tone, controlled tension, and emotional clarity.

Savoyat’s trumpet acts as the album’s narrative core, moving between introspective lyricism and understated intensity. The ensemble — Simon Groppe (piano), Fil Caporali (double bass), and Oscar Georges (drums) — demonstrates a finely balanced interplay shaped by precision and attentiveness. The ensemble is further enriched by an outstanding group of guest artists — Alexandra Grimal (saxophone), Lucia Pires (flute), and Lynn Cassiers (voice) — whose contributions expand the sonic spectrum and bring additional depth and textural contrast to the album.

Thousand Shades of a Clown stands as a carefully constructed recording that privileges atmosphere, space, and emotional focus — a release that further establishes Savoyat’s distinct artistic voice within today’s European jazz scene.

Italian pianist Stefano Battaglia and Turkish saxophonist Tamer Temel present Prayers for Palestine, an evocative album born from their collaborative works during the 2024–2025 Gümüşlük Music Festival artist residency. This album is a musical lament, reflecting on the Gaza genocide and the decades-long tragedy witnessed in Palestine, weaving emotional intensity with refined artistry.

But it does not stop there. The album also addresses the preceding and subsequent dramas that have profoundly shaped the region, spanning from Aleppo to Kurdistan, fearlessly navigating the complex history of these lands. Another remarkable aspect is the musical proficiency and nuanced, highly refined aesthetic approach from which the album derives its expressive power. Despite the weight of its themes, the music ultimately transforms into a prayer of hope, offering both reflection and solace.

The project was realized in collaboration with PÜR Recording Studio, where Arın Baykurt handled recording, mixing, and mastering, supported by assistant engineers M. Argon Bingöl and Baran Ünal. The album’s cover features photography by Caterina di Perri and design by Elçin Açıkbaş.

Legendary saxophonist Akira Sakata returns with Hyperentasis, out now on Defkaz Records! This double LP and digital release captures two electrifying live performances in Thessaloniki, featuring a three-drummer lineup: Aleksandar Škorić, Paul Nilssen-Love, and Tatsuhisa Yamamoto.

Joining Sakata are Giovanni Di Domenico on piano, Giotis Damianidis on electric guitar, and Petros Damianidis on double bass—an ensemble of improvisers at the peak of their powers. The result is 90 minutes of intense, unpredictable free jazz, full of energy, collaboration, and radical improvisation.

Released on June 13, 2025, “Les Moutons Noirs” brings together Pierre-Antoine Savoyat and Simon Groppe in a duo that thrives on improvisation. They navigate moments of stillness and intensity, textures and silences, crafting a listening experience that is both precise and adventurous.

Drawing on influences such as Olivier Messiaen, Max Roach, Axel Dörner, John Cage, Erik Satie, Duke Ellington, and Pierre Boulez, the album strikes a balance between formal rigor and instinctive play, showcasing the depth of musical interaction and thought between the two performers.