Nikitch & Kuna Maze (Be)

EN – The collaboration project between musician Nicolas Morant aka Nikitch and Brussels-based producer Edouard Gilbert aka Kuna Maze began when the duo met at the Chambery Jazz Conservatory in France. Before attending university to study jazz, both artists had trained in classical music. This early musical development from Nikitch & Kuna Maze laid the blueprint for their musicianship today, allowing the duo to gradually explore the new artistic languages of jazz, and later electronic music.

The duo perfectly syncretises their sound – with the vibrant colours of jazz, mixed with the frenetic beats of footwork & juke from Nikitch, combined with the granular synth-cosmic textures of Kuna Maze. This oscillation of jazz, downbeat, and hip-hop produces the duo’s signature sound, a crisp groove-laden output, that offers intimate and irresistible vivid textures to the listeners.

‘Débuts’ (out 3rd July) is France-via-Brussels duo, Nikitch & Kuna Maze’s aka Nicolas Morant & Edouard Gilbert first full length album. Building on their collaborative EP “Mush”, ‘Débuts’ continues to explore the melting point between jazz and club culture, interspersed with the signature sounds of broken beat, Chicago footwork, UK garage, Detroit house, and underpinned by their road-tested new live format. Nikitch & Kuna Maze channel their instrumental skills to create compositions using their common chemistry; blurring the lines between improvisation, production and the art of DJing. All these aspects become the creative DNA for the duo and become a catalyst in the music itself. ‘Débuts’ see’s the band push their musical and creative development even further, a result of touring extensively around Europe with a live drummer, from high-brow jazz festivals to sweaty basement clubs.

FR – Le projet de collaboration entre le musicien Nicolas Morant alias Nikitch et le producteur bruxellois Edouard Gilbert alias Kuna Maze a débuté lors de la rencontre du duo au Chambery Jazz Conservatory en France. Avant d’aller à l’université pour étudier le jazz, les deux artistes ont suivi une formation en musique classique. C’est développement musical qui permet aujourd’hui au duo d’explorer progressivement les nouveaux langages artistiques du jazz, puis de la musique électronique.

Le duo synchronise parfaitement leur son – avec les couleurs vibrantes du jazz, mélangées aux rythmes frénétiques du jeu de jambes et du juke de Nikitch, combinées aux textures granulaires synthétiques et cosmiques de Kuna Maze. Cette oscillation de jazz, de temps fort et de hip-hop produit le son signature du duo, une sortie croustillante chargée de grooves, qui offre aux auditeurs des textures vives intimes et irrésistibles.

KAU Trio 

KAU trio is an instrumental project based in Brussels. Representing various European backgrounds, their coming-together is in the spirit of the city they grew up in. Taking inspiration from jazz, they create a head-bobbing atmosphere using broken beats and catchy melodies while leaving space for improvisation. Influenced by artists like BADBADNOTGOOD & Christian Scott, their music is singular and audacious.

After falling into the ears of tastemaker Lefto, the band was invited on Kiosk Radio & aired on WORLDWIDE FM. In the context of “Week van de Belgische Muziek” , KAU was featured on television (BRUZZ). After releasing their first beat tape in October 2020, they have been described as a promising upcoming nu-jazz band in Belgium. KAU continues its journey with a second release by September 2021.