Ruis

8 Tracks 1 Disc

1. Night
06:53
2. Nr. 25
04:53
3. Spirit Walk
05:43
4. Hoorschelp
06:49
5. In the morning everything falls into its right place
04:35
6. Telephone
04:16
7. Voorzichtig de stilte
06:30
8. Raket
05:42

ruis [rœys], m. 1. (sound, general) noise; (radio, tv) static. 2. (signal breakdown) interference. 3. (soft sound) rustle, rustling.

Ruis is my debut album as a composer, singer and bandleader. It grew out of a fascination with listening: to one another, to the world around us, but also to silence and to what is left unsaid or unplayed.

The album features original compositions for jazz quintet, exploring different relationships between composition and improvisation. My musical influences span jazz and classical music, from counterpoint and contemporary compositional techniques to free improvisation. These approaches to material, form, time and interaction are not ends in themselves, but ways of finding expression and telling stories.

I write my own lyrics in both Dutch and English, with language, sound and rhythm forming an integral part of the compositional process. Rooted in personal experiences and observations, the texts touch on themes such as grief, letting go, distance, connection and listening. Hoorschelp, for instance, explores the sounds of the sea and sand on a beach through a personal lens.

The music moves between extremes: from delicate, intimate passages on the verge of silence to powerful, explosive moments. Tenor saxophonist Sylvain Debaisieux, pianist Joseph Nowell, double bassist Manolo Cabras and drummer Gaspard Sicx each bring their own musical language to the music, coming together in a continuous musical conversation.

Ruis was recorded by Manolo Cabras in December 2025 at the Old American Theatre in Laeken, Brussels.