An opportunity to showcase artists who are not often on the line-ups

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Raphael Aziza Van Cappellen

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Miguel Soll

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Good news for those who can't get enough: from next year, The Sound of the Belgian Underground will be held annually instead of every two years. For the inaugural edition at Botanique, we invited Bader Shashit from Yalla Worldwide and Montage’s Laura Conant as curators. Join them as we talk about their respective practices, the struggles of the music scene and what’s to be expected next year.

It’s still in its early days, but the first edition of SOBU at Botanique is edging closer. How did you get in touch with Different Class?

Laura: Herlinde contacted me some time ago; she liked my enthusiasm and since I'm more connected to the French-speaking community, we saw it as a nice opportunity.

Bader: About two years ago, Different Class contacted me for their yearbook, about Yalla Worldwide, the collective and the label, etc. They asked me again this year if I would be available to curate the upcoming SOBU at Botanique because we had plans to work together after the yearbook, which didn't work out. But this time it's going to work and it's going to be cool! (laughs)

Have you two ever worked together on another project?

Bader: No, actually.

Laura: We know each other's work a bit; I know about Yalla, for example, but we have never worked together before, so this will be a first.

How do you see Different Class’ place as an independent arts and culture community within the Belgian ‘underground’ scene? A term which maybe has become some sort of a cliché?

Bader: That's a tricky question. The term 'underground' has become overstated, not only in Belgium but worldwide, especially after the pandemic. I don't know Different Class from the inside, but what I see in terms of support for young people and students via the subscription formula, which allows you to see a wide variety of artists, is interesting. But you can't deny that the term 'underground' has also become a commercial label, just look at the ticket prices for nightlife. It's become really expensive. Everyone is trying to be a Berlin imitator, but maybe Berlin was the 'mistake' of the underground because the musical innovation of what can be called 'underground' existed for years before. I think the first saturation of all these things happened around the time of the Berlin syndrome, which then moved from city to city. (laughs) I have the impression that the youth in Belgium, and also in Ghent, where I live, are no longer aware of the rich underground history we have. I mean, so many crazy things happened in Ghent not so long ago. Nowadays it has become a marketing gimmick.

Laura: Yes, it's been used wildly as a term for everything and nothing these days. Experimental electronic music, for example, is not always underground, but the label gets slapped on it anyway. With Montage, our label, we are trying to present an alternative. We did an open budget so that everyone could see how an event works, how much it costs, what you put into it, how we try to make events accessible, and so on. A lot of events pretend to be underground but don't make any effort to make a difference. As far as Different Class is concerned, I want to focus on the youth, people who might be a bit new to the scene, mixed in with more established artists. It's a great opportunity to showcase artists who are not often on the line-ups. Especially in Brussels, I see a lot of the same names.

Is there anything you would like to see different in today's cultural landscape regarding the music scene? Are there any specific challenges that concern you?

Bader: As my projects have become more international in the last two years, it has been super inspiring to see how people think from different perspectives, in Belgium, Flanders or elsewhere. In Tunisia, for example, where there are real underground scenes, I mean illegal and stuff, it's crazy to see how the music there is not just made to 'please' people, but as a reflection of a certain situation you're in as an artist. In Belgium, things like the 'underground' or youth or other hot gimmicks are easily instrumentalised; hence the line-up loops. Nowadays everyone is a DJ or an artist, but to be an artist you have to reflect a story, you have to work hard. Bookings are no longer based on the music or someone's skills, but on their social media following, how they look and how you can bring people in as an influencer. Subsidised institutions like to put things in boxes and follow the hype, but that can be negative for certain communities whose identity is being used by a product.

For me, music is only 90% of what we do, and that's why we don't get booked very often (laughs) Lately we've started to use it in a more fun way, to get to know how the younger generation gets their inspiration, how they talk, what they like, and so on.

It's crazy to see how the music In Tunesia is not just made to 'please' people, but as a reflection of a certain situation you're in as an artist

Laura: Especially in terms of the queer community, I feel like institutions are looking at us more, and I hope it's really because they're concerned about diversity rather than their image. They often say they're very concerned, that it's part of their project, but they still fail to provide real diversity instead of using certain people as tokens. It's a call for change that we hear a lot, but I really hope it will be implemented in the future. At the moment it is more hype than real change. As Bader said, it's also about marketing.

I feel like institutions are looking at us more, and I hope it's really because they're concerned about diversity rather than their image

The Sound of the Belgian underground recently blew out ten candles. What was your experience with the previous editions?

Laura: I was involved as an artist last year and I really liked it.

Bader: I wasn’t involved in any way up till now, so that’s a new first. (laughs)

A little peek behind the scenes is always interesting: How do you go about selecting artists for collaborations and events? What is important to you?

Bader: I always think about the audience before the artist. They need to have fun. I've curated about 29 events in the last two years, and it always depends on the setting, the city, the vibe, and I try to make a mix between accessible music that gets people moving and artists who are playing newer, innovative music so that people can just listen for a moment and go: wow, that's something I've never heard before. I often choose international artists, but also local artists who have a real sense of curiosity and innovation in their work. For this edition, because it's the Sound of the Belgian Underground, I'm going to focus more on Belgium and Ghent and bring artists who have a unique style but don't get booked because they're new or just very OG and old-school. Sometimes when I go to a party, I hear playlists that I've heard a thousand times before and it's all about the DJ - people go out smoking and stay there because they don't care, it's not that cool. So for this, we want to spice it up.

I always think about the audience before the artist

Laura: With Montage, we like to challenge the crowd, I mean in the sense that we like to book DJ sets and live sets because it adds a lot and we also want to represent the producers and not just the DJs who play the music. Producers don't get booked enough and that's very sad. We've had some very good feedback in that respect; people like to be surprised by live sets. When it comes to selection, I do a lot of research and if I like something I just want to show it to other people. It can be as simple as that. (laughs) I also like to mix locals and internationals, to give local talent get more exposure.

Bader, in a previous interview you told us you hope to inspire others by ‘representing the unrepresentable’, how does this influence your practice and concerns?

The unrepresentable is us, even when we are represented by institutions. That's not representation, for example. When I look at people of the diaspora - whether it's the second or third generation or a new generation - we still don't have real representation, especially in the art and music scene. Misconceptions are easily represented, but we're not. With Yalla, we always wanted to organise the parties we wanted, to be inclusive, to book artists that nobody booked a few years ago. We created this free space where people from our community started to love and follow electronic music, and that's what wasn't represented before, you know? It was always about the gathering, a spiritual gathering if you like; clubs aren't just there to take drugs and go crazy.

With Yalla, we always wanted to organise the parties we wanted, to be inclusive, to book artists that nobody booked a few years ago

Laura, you describe yourself as a designer and developer ‘mingling with sound’. How do you see the symbiosis between music, art direction and design?

Oh, that's a tough one (laughs). I have a research practice and that's where it all comes together. I studied digital art at the ERG. I wrote my thesis about FINTA producers making their own tools for music production and how it can be emancipating to learn about the technologies you use. That's what I'm trying to do in my production practice; I'm just very interested in DIY technology and how it can inform new ways of making and sharing music.

Any upcoming and personal projects we should be looking forward to?

Bader: Yeah, I have an EP coming out at the end of the year called Gen Z Hippie!

Laura: We have a few things going on with Montage. We are going to start releasing new music again because it has been a bit quiet for a few months. On the 13th of December, we'll be doing a new Estafette for Palestine, so stay tuned!

<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> @badershashit / @lau_c_n_n_t <br/> Sound of the Belgian Underground 2025 <br/> 31.01.2025 - Brussels, Botanique <br/> Join us on the 11th edition of Sound of the Belgian Underground 2025 </div></div>

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Sound of the Belgian Underground 2025

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