Jazz trio De Beren Gieren: ‘There is no format for what we do’

Eager for new adventures, De Beren Gieren recorded his seventh LP in Bergen, Norway. There too, the Ghent piano trio proved that with its playful, eclectic sound it remains a boisterous outsider in contemporary European jazz.

‘Welcome to our Bear Den,’ says drummer Simon Segers (39) as we enter the regular rehearsal site of De Beren Gieren in the city garden of his Ghent Bridge terraced house. Long ago, the beautifully renovated space was the laundry of a felt factory. There is a large water tank outside, which Segers wants to turn into a guest room one day.

But in the short term, all attention is focused on the somewhat atypical jazz company that he has run since 2009 with pianist Fulco Ottervanger (40) and bassist Lieven Van Pée (39), which has become a permanent fixture in the Belgian and European jazz scene. Each and every one of them is active in a handful of other jazz and pop bands, as is the case when you have to earn an income through music in Flanders.

The Bear Vultures remains the mother hen. In other configurations, Segers accompanies Nathan Daems, Mattias De Craene and Sylvie Kreusch, among others. ‘But De Beren Gieren has undoubtedly been the most important for my personal development as a drummer. Fulk’s compositions and playing have always challenged and inspired me.’

The run-up to their seventh album ‘What Eludes Us’ was different than usual, because the recordings literally had to cross some borders. “We usually work together with my brother Frederik and once we teamed up with Koen Gisen,” says Segers. ‘But this time we thought a change of scenery would do us good. In the end we recorded everything in five days, not even with our own instruments. We used what was available in our Norwegian producer Jørgen Træen’s studio in Bergen. That imposed limitations on us, but sometimes as a band you are better off with a short burst of creativity than by working everything out down to the last detail. Especially in these AI times, it is worth taking the risk. The mistakes indicate that music is human work.’

Just before the other musicians arrive, Segers quickly puts a plant aside. “It is moved so often that almost all the leaves are snapped off,” he sighs, almost apologetically. The breeding ground for the music of De Beren Gieren has not yet dried up. “I remember Jørgen exclaiming with delight at our first recording in Bergen: ‘This is real music, guys!'” says Ottervanger.

In addition to his role with De Beren Gieren, he has released solo albums, plays with BeraadGeslagen, a crazy sound lab with drummer Lander Gyselinck, and is in the krautrock combo Stadt with Van Pée. The bassist already knew Træen from his other band, John Ghost. ‘In terms of line-up, it is close to Jaga Jazzist, a leading Norwegian company with which the producer has worked before. I recommended him to the other Beren, because he also comes from an alternative circuit and is not a typical jazz producer, just as we are not a typical jazz band.’

Segers: ‘There is no format for what we do. Jørgen had to adapt to that, we noticed during the recording of the opening track of the new album.’ The playful single ‘Papir Freedom’ goes from minimalist keyboard and percussion work with plenty of space between the notes to a full-on intermediate section and ultimately ends up back at the minimalist start.

‘It wasn’t until we told Jørgen that we were inspired by a Japanese samurai film by Akira Kurosawa in which the workers became one with the percussion that he understood.’ According to Ottervanger, you often need such a spark of recognition to get started. ‘I sometimes have that problem with 20th-century classical music, which at first I think I can’t do anything with. But then I suddenly find an entrance or I hear a fragment of virtuosity and I still leave.’

“We have always tried to cultivate a kind of childlike simplicity,” says Segers. ‘Certainly in the melody. We are fans of Kraftwerk and Miles Davis. Underneath they are often intense, but their melodies sound sweet, fresh and small. The best fusion jazz leaves room for lightness in experimentation.’ According to Van Pée, mastery lies in those who can make something complex seem very simple. ‘I think that as a listener show. It shouldn’t feel too far-fetched.’

One of their greatest achievements is that after 15 years of career, no one can give De Beren Gieren a label. It does make it more difficult to sell their music, but the freedom that comes with it is priceless. From the start, the members realized that the dynamics were right. “There was a strong will and a great group feeling,” Ottervanger remembers. ‘During our first music competitions we already transcended the designation of ‘conservatory combo”, says Van Pée, referring to the very beginning, which included an award as a young jazz talent at Gent Jazz in 2009. Ottervanger: ‘The best thing is that we have always stayed after that. evolve.’

‘Of course sometimes we thought: we already have so much music, what’s next? We were really searching for a while,” says Segers honestly. ‘You can hear that on the live album ‘The Detour Fish’ from 2014 and on ‘One Mirrors Many’ from 2015. Our first records were acoustic, but when we added electronics, it initially became more stressful with all those extra buttons. . It wasn’t until ‘Dug Out Skyscrapers’ from 2017 that we felt that we had landed here.’

‘Many hybrid bands have emerged in the meantime.’ Ottervanger refers to the countless companies that now operate under the broad umbrella of jazz in the border area between genres, but sometimes also simply make instrumental pop music. ‘Even with a Dutch name,’ Segers adds, laughing.

During the conversation it becomes clear how much more relaxed the band members have become over the years. Segers: ‘In the past, one mistake could throw me off balance for half a concert. The next day I was sometimes still depressed. I won’t let that happen anymore. We are also less afraid of the ‘boring’ moments live.’

‘Adapting moments’ is what Ottervanger calls those periods when they don’t really know where to go. ‘Now we realize that there is nothing wrong with trying.’ According to Segers, it usually comes down to returning to something simple while searching, and from there growing something again. ‘We used to find it boring to collapse during a concert. We didn’t yet see it as a breeding ground to be creative again afterwards.’

‘What Eludes Us’ by De Beren Gieren is published today. First concerts on April 9 at the Handelsbeurs in Ghent, April 14 at the AB in Brussels and April 17 at Nona in Mechelen.