Ventilateur op AfritDrongen muziekfestival

VENTILATEUR is an instrumental project that combines sounds from the vibrant worlds of contemporary jazz and post-punk. The three-piece band uses angular rhythms and flowing melodies to construct compositions that embody both contrast and coherence. Originally from Bruges, the band is currently based in Ghent.
The trio released their self-titled debut EP on March 22, 2019. That same year, VENTILATEUR won awards at Fresh Fish, Red Rock Rally, and Burgrock and was one of the laureates of the then-brand-new Sound Track. Thanks to Sound Track 2020, the band received a residency at Het Entrepot in Bruges and a year of professional coaching from VI.BE and other national players in the music scene.

In 2022, VENTILATEUR released their first full-length album on W.E.R.F. Records. Main album, the result of a lengthy purification process. VENTILATEUR presents the essence of their sound, stripped of all baggage. VENTILATEUR balances on the boundary between the niche world of instrumental jazz and the accessible world of pop-rock. From this vantage point, the band aims to bring instrumental music to a wider audience. Besides its purely artistic merits, the trio's ambition is to inspire a new audience to participate in culture, specifically the rich genre of jazz. By choosing accessibility within the experimental realm, the band aims to bridge the gap between a broader audience and a musical world that is too often labeled as niche. The musicians focus not only on the club and festival circuit, but have also written soundtracks for several short films and are also working in the theater world.

In February 2025, the band released their second full-length album, Rage De Vivre. To further enrich their sound and create a vibrant and vibrant sonic landscape, the band chose to collaborate with other musicians. Their focus is on energy and zest for life.

For Rage De Vivre, the band collaborated with Nathan Daems (Echoes of Zoo, Black Flower) on saxophone and Patricia Vanneste (Balthazar, Sohnarr) on violin as guest musicians. Three other tracks feature vocals. These voices are provided by Luca Missiaen (The Christian Club, Barno Koevoet & The Duijmschpijkers), Naomi Sijmons (Reena Riot), and actor Sebastien Dewaele.
For the first time, VENTILATEUR uses vocals to further flesh out the concepts that shaped the album, choosing a more direct approach than the often-considered abstract instrumental music. The result is an album full of uniquely sounding songs that straddle the line between jazz and post-punk. Two rebellious genres with a zest for life that, together, sound like Rage De Vivre.