The Ark of Joa - Joachim Saerens

Joachim Saerens is a Belgian keyboardist, songwriter and producer, known, amongst other things, for his collaboration with Selah Sue, with whom he has toured international venues. Joachim has also launched his own projects, HRNS (electronic-ambient) and Blackdive (jazzy lo-fi), and is a key figure in the renowned improvisation sessions at Antwerp’s Café Des Arts. Given his diverse collaborations and international tours, it comes as no surprise that the musician is interested in the cross-pollination of genres and musical backgrounds. Joachim’s current focus is on the interplay between the layered richness of the studio and the unpredictability of live performances.

Following a series of residencies, Joachim Saerens is presenting his new project, The Ark of Joa, for the first time at Rataplan. Through this project, Joachim explores how live sound processing can influence a performance. It is the result of an in-depth artistic investigation into ‘band intuition’: how can electronics breathe in unison with a group of musicians, rather than forcing them into the rigid straitjacket of metronomes and backing tracks?

Here, Joachim, together with Dré Pallemaerts, Dries Laheye, Fre Madou and Eric Thielemans, presents a universe in which live processing acts as an extra musician. The band and the technology blend seamlessly: Joachim himself controls the live electronics from behind his keyboards, whilst the bassists shape the effects and the drummers unleash sounds. In this way, the entire line-up collectively takes control of the technology. Sounds react in real time to what is happening on stage; they listen, respond and create a fluid landscape where jazz, IDM and alternative pop converge.

Expect a concert in which time stretches and contracts, where pulse and transparency take centre stage, and where the human core remains audible amidst an impressive wall of sound.

Photo, from left to right: © Gerhard Richter, Jules Desmet & Michiel Venmans, Koen Bauters, Rudy Verrijt and Shamrockraver Photography.