Dutch contemporary jazz and electronic project Imaginarium share their new single ‘Airloop’ (Jan 26th) and announce their hotly anticipated upcoming, self titled debut album (March 15th).
Led by producer, songwriter and instrumentalist Anton de Bruin (renowned for his work writing string arrangements for Disney+ series, playing, producing and writing for acclaimed bands including Dragonfruit and Peter Somuah Group), Imaginarium see’s Anton flex his creative muscles in a colourful whirlpool of explosive jazz instrumentation, electronic elements and high energy creativity. Explaining the project, Anton explains: “The Imaginarium is a place where reality and fiction fuse into one. That is the goal of ‘Imaginarium’, to intertwine the worlds of Jazz, Dub and club culture.”
The first single ‘Airloop’ sees the band lean into the more alternative R&B side of their sound. Built around tight drums surrounded by layers of percussion, the tracks deep sub bass, swelling synths and delay tinted flute (courtesy of renowned UK flutist Harry Trevillion, known for his work with London collective Steam Down and Charlotte Dos Santos) creates a haunting-yet-vibrant soundscape. Topped with the silky smooth lead tones of Brazilian-Belgian vocalist Helena Casella the track is given a melodic central pin for the instrumentation to dance around.
The track soon explodes into its euphoric chorus with the introduction of a rich wall of brass, displaying the infectious sense of energy which has seen the band quickly build a reputation for their live shows.
Speaking on the track, Helena and Anton explain: “Airloop is based on the image of a Castle in the Sky. Seeing yourself as a dominant force in the world and meeting situations head on with confidence. Floating above the physical world and tuning into a higher frequency. The track itself is based on a dark, mystical image of an unknown place floating between the mists.”
Having picked up a whole host of acclaim in other projects, touring Europe and gaining coverage across tastemaker press (Wonderland, Earmilk, Atwood Magazine, C-Heads, Sterofox and Kaltblut), international radio stations (Amazing Radio A-List, Sublime FM, NPO 3FM, NPO Soul n Jazz, Q Music) and a whole host of Spotify & Apple editorial playlists, Imaginarium are no strangers to success. Having already cut their teeth playing live shows across Holland through 2023, the band's debut single saw them establish themselves on the scene.
Band Line Up:
Peter Somuah - Trumpet
Jesse Schilderink - Tenor Sax
Milan Boone - Guitar
Joop de Graaf - Bass
Thijmen Molema - Drums
Anton de Bruin - Keys & Production
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