ERIC THIELEMANS 

Eric Thielemans (1969) is alumnus of the Antwerp Jazz Studio and studied music under jazz drummer Billy Hart. He is an avid conductor of experiments on drums and percussion and is part of a whole host of formations and bands, going from dance and improvisation to Indonesian music. Thielemans does not content himself with the label of ‘jazz drummer’. With his past at Mâäk’s Spirit and Ben Sluijs Quartet, his current activities as art of the trio of Jozef Dumoulin, with his own ensemble EARR, and as a solo artist, this self-willed percussionist breaks free of all labels and categorisations.

Now more than ever Thielemans is focusing on solo projects. The performance ‘A Snare is a Bell’, in particular, was a success. The acoustic trip is not only an auditory experience, but a true adventure that gradually grabs you by the throat. A continual rhythm starting very softly swells into a wall of sound.

Thielemans is currently attempting to create a cartography of the qualities and characteristics of so-called ‘neutral space’ - that perfectly empty, silent place. What is already present before the artists starts creating, performing or exhibiting in a space? Additionally, in 2018 Thielemans presented his project ‘Talking About The Weather’, a musical dialogue with Billy Hart.