Inwane. Echt!.

Label: Sdban Ultra – SDBANULP21
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: Belgium
Released: 2021

ECHT! – an instrumental, futuristic four-piece inspired by the concepts absorbed in electronic music and musical production. Taking inspiration from artists including Jonwayne, DJ Rashad, Deantoni Parks, J Dilla, Dorian Concept and Aphex Twin, ECHT! combine electro, hip-hop, trap, funk and futuristic jazz, resulting in a distinct and unique sound.
Echt means ‘vrai de vrai’ - ‘true’ or ‘real’ in brusseleir (Brabantian dialect of Brussels). The name is a direct reference to the fact that their sound transmission is ‘real’, performed with conventional musical instruments as oppose to computer music which the production might suggest. It also relates to the fact that none of the members of the band are originally from Brussels – bassist Federico Pecoraro is from Italy, keyboardist Dorian Dumont is from France and drummer Martin Méreau and guitarist Florent Jeunieaux are both from the Mons region on Belgium.
From the abstract patterns of ‘Permanent’ and melodic atmospherics of ‘Dunes’ to the futuristic funk of ‘Charlier’, ECHT! look to emulate the producer’s off-beats, the compressor’s swell, the repeating samples or the DJ’s transitions. Elsewhere, the trap-heavy sounds of ‘500gr.’ and subby bass stylings of ‘Champi’ push things forward, before the scatter rhythms of ‘Kiekebiche’ and weighty rumblings of ‘Drache’ integrate the inhuman heritage of electronic music and 're-humanise' it.
Counting BBC Radio 6 Music’s Gilles Peterson as a fan, in 2020, ECHT! were voted the third best band at the RedBull Elektropedia Awards under the ‘Fresh On the Scene’ catergory with debut EP ‘DOUF’ also receiving a nomination for ‘Best EP’.