Glass Museum (BE)
After two albums inspired by vast northern landscapes, the forces of nature, and an underlying sense of duality, Glass Museum expands its horizons. Formed in 2016 through the meeting of pianist Antoine Flipo and drummer Martin Grégoire, the duo now navigates the arteries of the city alongside bassist Issam Labbene, the official third member of a group constantly evolving in the urban jungle. A true turning point in Glass Museum’s career, 4N4LOG CITY twists the codes of electronic music, explores the depths of jazz, and asserts its eclecticism through a fresh and infectious groove.
Signed to the forward-thinking label Sdban Records (Black Flower, STUFF.), Glass Museum shapes its identity under the vaulted ceilings of Volta – a musical hub frequented by the vanguard of Belgium’s “new scene. ” This innovative and inclusive artistic collective is now making waves across the globe. Sharing space with acts like ECHT!, Lander & Adriaan, or Tukan, the trio pushes the boundaries of its sonic universe through collaborations and a renewed creative process.
Recorded between the Drôme, Volta, and a former industrial site in Brussels, 4N4LOG CITY features contributions from notable guests. First among them is Swiss drummer Arthur Hnatek. Praised by legends like Laurent Garnier and Gilles Peterson, and known for collaborations with Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan and trumpeter Erik Truffaz, Hnatek drives the album’s opener « GATE 1 » into a hypnotic, krautrock-inspired trance. Elsewhere, the voice of JDS steers the melancholic momentum of « Call Me Names » into the soulful elegance of vintage soul-jazz. Reminiscent of artists like Jordan Rakei or Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes, the track soothes a frantic world and warms hearts under a setting sun.
Without abandoning their mastery of melody or their foundational ideals, Glass Museum takes a bold leap into new territory. This fearless approach finds its most daring expression in « III » – a sonic lab that extends the piano beyond conventional structures, at the crossroads of ambient and breakbeat. Far from their comfort zone, the Belgian group reveals unexpected links between people and aesthetics, as illustrated by « VAN GLAS, » a hip-hop odyssey crafted with the incomparable Jazz Brak (STIKSTOF).
Inspired by the rhythm and pulse of city life, 4N4LOG CITY captures the mechanical ebb and flow that hums beneath concrete towers. Produced by Antoine Flipo and mixed by Elsa Grelot (Avalanche Kaito), this third album tells the story of anonymous lives moving across asphalt, and the fleeting yet meaningful connections formed within the walls of the metropolis. At the intersection of the human and the mineral, Glass Museum delivers a post-modern, inspired, and deeply cinematic work. A bold statement, without a doubt.
