Toine Thys - Orlando

Saxophonist Toine Thys' Franco-Belgian quartet ORLANDO is back with a new album: Betterland. He is accompanied by Maxime Sanchez on piano, Florent Nisse on double bass and Teun Verbruggen on drums. 9 new tracks complete the 10 on the previous album, which won them the prestigious “Octave de la Musique” in 2021. Orlando is here in a new version with a new drummer. The music is even more focused on ensemble playing. Rather than cascades of notes and fireworks, sound and space are explored here. Some tracks are serious and solemn, while others are imbued with joy and hope. Toine Thys also uses electronics to sample his saxophone, layer it and process it over several tracks, a way of opening up the music to larger spaces. Betterlands: There are many ways to make the world a better place. Rethinking our priorities, reimagining our societies: we deeply need a fairer world, where education - accessible to all - is of the highest  quality, and where people stand together in suffering. It should be a world where consideration for others is paramount. A positive contribution to our environment, education, mutual understanding and collaboration would then become the cornerstones of this more equitable ideal city.