Yôkaï

About the band

Created in Brussels in 2011, Yôkaï is currently boasting a line-up of 8 multi-instrumentalists out of jazz, rock & improvisation scenes. Initially heavily inspired by ethio-jazz, their psychedelic soup has since integrated heavier dosis of ‘afro-kraut’ distortions and layers of retro-future synths. Yôkaï’s live performances tend to give an ever larger space to improvisation and exploration, making each show unique; their organic music bringing cosmic vibes and itchy feet to their audience!

About the album

After self-releasing an EP exclusively on vinyl or on digital codes in 2015, Yôkaï is back on stage to present their first studio album. It is quite a kaleidoscopic trip where the band’s singular sound and aventurous spirit is caught on wax but doesn’t sound square for all that. Eight tracks of tight originals, hypnotic grooves and raw improvisations, crossing bridges and blurring boundaries between jazz, ethnic music and psychedelic rock.

From Plutonia, the bewitching opening track to the daunting Daphné, from the exhilarating Argo to Euonymus’s sustained tension, the record takes us upside down through its echoing soundscapes. Then voices appear out of blue on Petit Indien n°3, as would some yokais do in their Japanese evergreens. Sometimes, one doesn’t want to break free from certain spells…

Line-up

Frédéric Becker: baritone & alto saxophone

Jordi Grognard: clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, flute

Eric Bribosia: fender rhodes, keyboards

Yannick Dupont: drum, percussion

Louis Evrard: drum

Axel Gilain: electric bass, double bass, moog synth

Clément Nourry: electric guitar

Ivan Tirtiaux: electric guitar