[porkmarras]

On a Saturday afternoon in May,steamhammer riffs pound the interior of the Kunstencentrum Belgie venue,and the low skronk of a tenor sax writhes snake-like through the din.Michigan free rock trio Hair Police are soundchecking for their show later tonight and the omens look good for another white knuckle ride into the darkest recesses of the Noise underworld.Meanwhile,outside,spring is shining on Hasselt:the sun beams down on the punters who have decamped to this small town in the east of Belgium for the annual Play festival,a counterpoint to the Dutch Eurosonic festival,wich showcases new music from all over Europe.
Kunstencentrum Belgie hosts Play's experimantal fringe,with a solid line up of drone-a -maniacs,noiseniks and free jazz mutants:Saturday's bill,for instance,includes some of the US underground's most wanted in the shape of Prurient,Hair Police and Zai mph;plus Han Bennink with Terrie Ex,and local noise teens Krokodillenland.On the Friday night,Dutch unit Julie Mittens delivered an overwhelming set of guitar-fuelled free rock.The trio's improvised power surges-now available on two albums March 5 2005 and Recorded June 20 2005-have been blowing fetid air throughout The Netherlands and Belgium for some time now;experienced live,their sound has the same hurricane-force intensity of Acid Mothers Temple and Fushitsusha.

[Jef Mertens]

Thanx!!!