BELGIAN NUGGETS 90S-00S VOL. 1 | VINYL RECORD (LP)

Double LP version. Gatefold sleeve. A few years ago the people behind Mayway Records purchased a huge collection of CDs at the Belgian public service broadcaster VRT. In one fell swoop, this batch of CDs gave an extensive overview of the Belgian music landscape between roughly 1990 and 2010. Mayway Records decided to launch the Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s compilation series, collecting obscure Belgian tracks of superior quality dating back to that specific period: forgotten singles, B-sides, album tracks, and demos. In the late '80s and early '90s, home-grown Belgian talent and quality was starting to make some serious waves on the international scene, turning Belgian music into a hallmark of quality. dEUS paved the way for many other Belgian bands so naturally they had to be included on Vol. 1 of Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s: B-side "My Wife Jan", with a killer riff, is a hidden gem. Other names that will ring a bell include Wizards Of Ooze (vocals by Zap Mama's Sabine Kabongo), Elisa Waut (previously unreleased track from 1999), and Daan and Herman Gillis (inventor of the Sherman Filterbank) with their electropop project Volt (1994). Still, these established artists are just the tip of the iceberg. Wonderful rock songs by Two Russian Cowboys (risen from the ashes of Ugly Papas), SeXmachines (with Danny Mommens from Vive La Fête and dEUS) and tracks by Walloon bands Monsoon and Starving. The more electronic contributions by Nid & Sancy (sounds like early Chemical Brothers), Airlock, and de portables' nine-minute synth-post-rock masterpiece "Haut Gay" also ooze international class. Squeaky clean Britpop is served up by The Beautiful Babies with producer Martin Rushent on backing vocals. Ethereal synthwave by Kolk, while Pop Machine calls to mind the very best of Françoise Hardy and Brigitte Bardot. Peeters & Angst (Aroma Di Amore) and The Same (with Anton Walgrave and Aram Van Ballaert) take more of an arty approach and they do an exemplary job of it. The two closing tracks, Maxon Blewitt's Americana gem "Mexicali" and the very atmospheric "Psychologica" by Gèsman, will rank among the best songs you've never heard. In addition to a careful track selection, no effort was spared in terms of visuals: the cover photo is courtesy of Magnum photographer Harry Gruyaert. Tim Broothaers (of Zeal Records) is responsible for the overall design. Also features Thou and Prediker. Includes detailed liner notes of each track.