Exploring the world with the toolkit of jazz, Belgian five-piece Black Flower crafts out a serpentine mélange from a wide range of genres and traditions. Rolling drums, shepherd’s flutes, psychedelic sequences, breathy melodies and blurred arrangements come together in a vibrant and exhilarating blend.
The band’s debut album, Abyssinia Afterlife (2014), quickly drew critical acclaim for its innovative blend of influences and solidified Black Flower's reputation for energetic live performances and inventive compositions. Their subsequent albums –Artifacts (2016), Ghost Radio (2016), Future Flora (2019), and Magma (2022)– have only deepened their reach, showcasing an evolution in a sound that grows increasingly trippy, mature, and danceable.
With their latest full album Kinetic (2025), Black Flower delved into the transformative power of rhythm and motion. The album embodied a philosophy of flowing with change rather than resisting it, offering a bold, dynamic statement on breaking free from life's limitations. A call to dance through life’s chaos and to harness the power of movement as a tool for liberation.
With upcoming EP Motions, the band extends the world of Kinetic through a unique EP offering a compact collection of musical organisms that simply insisted on coming into being. During the creation of Kinetic, an overflow of ideas surfaced, far more than could find a home on the album. Among these half-formed sketches were a handful of pieces so striking, so defined in character, that they had to be released.
Black Flower, hailed by tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, The Gaslamp Killer, and Lefto Early Bird, has performed live sessions on BBC Radio 3 and Worldwide FM. Their albums earned widespread acclaim, with glowing reviews from prestigious publications such as MOJO, Stereogum, Q Magazine, and Uncut Magazine. The band has toured extensively across Europe, building a strong fanbase.
Now at the peak of their creative powers, Black Flower continues to push boundaries and surprise audiences worldwide. With their intricate arrangements, masterful improvisations, and a vibrant, boundary-pushing approach, Black Flower is a band for fans of jazz, world music, and all lovers of adventurous soundscapes.
Nathan Daems – saxophone, ney, kaval
Jon Birdsong – cornet, conch shells
Simon Segers – drums
Filip Vandebril – bass, bass VI
Karel Cuelenaere – keys
