The Angels of Fire // burger service & Alex Deforce // Citruks // Harde Smart |

Music from the Flemish underground

If you don’t live near the border, you might easily miss what’s happening just beyond it. That’s why on June 6, 2025, the double LP Dreams Have Faded will be released — a collection of 24 Dutch-language tracks from the Flemish underground, recorded between 1980 and 1988. Together, they showcase the evolution of alternative music during the Belpop era, with artists like Aroma Di Amore, De Brassers, and Pas De Deux, as well as Mensen Blaffen, Vibø, and Peter Praet. The compilation was curated by Niek Hilkmann, who also compiled The Future Leaves Me Cold.

The record is rebellious and danceable, with music that often brushes against the shores of Belgian pop. The same musicians who denounce the madness of life with clenched fists can confidently take a step toward the dancefloor. For those who want to, it can be read as a strategy to face everyday troubles. On July 5, this will be showcased during the album’s release event, where a select group of musicians will pay tribute to the era, the music, and its atmosphere.

The Angels of Fire is a special ensemble that interprets the songs of Dreams Have Faded in their own way. Led by the compiler Niek Hilkmann, the group includes Arie van Vliet (Lewsberg), Dennis Vedder (Quartet Niek Hilkmann), Miriam Hochberg (Sterk Water), and Mart Boumans (Personal Trainer). Various guests will also take the stage. When dreams have faded, the angels will carry you through the night.

burger service & Alex Deforce join forces to fill the massive gap in pop history. Drum machines, synths, guitars, and field recordings lay the foundation for an entirely new collaborative body of work. Half-full glasses, fin-de-siècle settings, overworked baristas, and showy company on couches in Brussels, Antwerp, and beyond inspired — and frustrated — them. Welcome to the tip of the iceberg.

Citruks creates unsettling songs influenced by punk, discomfort, electronics, and sentimental ballads. Emotion comes first; meaning follows — or doesn’t. Their first EP "Dier" was released in October 2024 on the Brussels-based label Kontakt Group. It includes four songs often exploring the boundary between human and animal. Live, Citruks is a duo, joined by Winnie Conradi (The Klittens).

Harde Smart is a Belgian DJ collective that throws Dutch-language music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s into the mix. They stand for everything this musical legacy is not typically known for: stripped-down breaks, raw grooves, and deep basslines, sometimes with sharp commentary in the form of well-chosen one-liners. “The night is long and you are thirsty.”

Dreams Have Faded | Sampler