Equal Idiots started catching people’s attention by the end of 2015 and convinced many music fans with a number of singles and crazy gigs full of energetic punky garage rock.
Full support from national radio station Studio Brussels may have created some pressure for Equal Idiots’ debut album but the noisy pair managed to live up to the expectations.
♪♫ Listen: “Hippie Man” + album stream
Equal Idiots on Soundcloud, Facebook, Instagram, www.
Monnik may be the biggest surprise in this list, as a guitar drone album with songs averaging about 14 minutes rarely or never reaches enormous audiences.
This title was released in October via Consouling, a Belgian label known for its adventurous and experimental taste.
♪♫ Listen: “Monnik” + album stream
While Dieter Sermeus has been releasing many records in the past, with acts like Orange Black and The Go Find, this is the debut album of his new band, released on Morr Records. Dieter Von Deurne and The Politics offer a modern version of 90s guitar pop.
♪♫ Listen: “I’m On Trial” + album stream
Dieter Von Deurne and The Politics on Bandcamp, Facebook, www.
It only took an ep and a whole series of great gigs to get Coely’s name on many a list of artists to watch, in Belgium and abroad.
In 2017 this Belgian hip hop queen finally released her debut album, “Different Waters”.
♪♫ Listen: “Celebrate” + album stream
Témé Tan got featured on beehype in October with his single “Coups de griffe“. Creating exotic and danceable tunes that can not perfectly be compared to anyone else’s music, this very talented artist has been paving the path for a beautiful career since 2009 or so, and is now picking the fruits of this hard work.
♪♫ Listen: “Ca va pas la tête?” + album stream
Témé Tan on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Here’s another debut album, and another different genre.
Mind Rays like to please their audiences with raw, punky garage rock, and judging from the lists of our feedback panel, they have convinced quite some daily followers of the Belgian music scene too.
♪♫ Listen: “Demuie” + album stream
We were very honoured to write about J. Bernardt’s single ‘Wicked Streets’ earlier in 2017 and we are equally pleased to have his album in this very beautiful top 20.
J. Bernardt is one of the wonderful solo projects of members from Balthazar and, little spoiler, it is not even the highest ranked one.
♪♫ Listen: “The Other Man” + album stream
J. Bernardt on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.
2017 was a very good year for the Belgian hip hop scene. We had Coely from Flanders, and also the French speaking part of Belgium is represented with the sophomore album by Damso.
And stay tuned, cause there is even more hip hop to come in this top 20.
♪♫ Listen: “Θ. Macarena” + album stream
BRNS is one of Belgium’s very best live acts. Their math pop featured on beehype in 2014 after the release of the band’s debut album.
And we are very happy to have the confirmation of their talent on ‘Sugar High’ in 2017.
♪♫ Listen: “Forest” + album stream
BRNS on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, www.
Are you ready for some jazz? Enter Nordmann, a band that hit the Belgian music scene with a bang in 2014 and proves with its second album that it’s here to stay.
If you’re into a 50-50 combination of jazz and rock, check out these guys.
♪♫ Listen: “Dover” + album stream
Nordmann on Soundcloud, Facebook, Instagram, www.
I never quite managed to describe STUFF.’s music in just a few words, but now I have to. Is it jazz funk? Is it electronic jazz? Is it experimental dance?
I know 1 thing for sure: this band is pretty irresistible, and that goes for their studio music as well as for their live shows.
♪♫ Listen: “strata” + album stream
STUFF. on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, www.
Soulwax seemed to have become a mere dj and remix act until the release of the ‘Belgica’ album last year, their first album in plus minus a decade.
Thank god we didn’t have to wait another 10 years for new music again, because 2017 gave us the excellent “From Deewee”, a perfect blend between rock, electro, new wave and many other genres.
♪♫ Listen: “Conditions Of A Shared Belief” + album stream
Soulwax on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, www.
Girls In Hawaii is one of those bands that always take their time to write, record and release new music. And every time it is worth the wait, as these guys have never made a disappointing album so far.
Therefore it doesn’t come as a surprise that “This Light” got some attention on beehype earlier in 2017, and that “Nocturne” scores well in this best of 2017 list.
♪♫ Listen: “Walk” + album stream
After a few years in the shadow, appearing on beehype together with Stikstof in 2015, Roméo Elvis and Le motel took the Belgian and French hip hop scenes by storm in 2016 with their album “Morale”.
Make hay while the sun shines, they must have thought, so they continued their way to the top this year with “Morale 2”.
♪♫ Listen: “J’ai vu” + album stream
Roméo Elvis on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter. Le motel on Soundcloud, Facebook.
4 years have passed since the release of Melanie De Biasio’s breakthrough album called “No Deal”.
If anyone doubted whether this lady was able to offer us another masterpiece, she convinced friend and foe alike with “Lilies”, full of irresistible jazzy pop.
♪♫ Listen: “Gold Junkies” + album stream
Melanie De Biasio on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.
As if one of the weirdest band names on earth wasn’t enough, Hypochristmutreefuzz chose an album title that’s even more bizarre.
What can we tell you about the music? Expect the unexpected, and check this out if the words noisy, experimental and dynamic happen to instigate your appetite.
♪♫ Listen: “The Spitter” + album stream
Hypochristmutreefuzz on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.
This album has been in coming for over ten years while Millionaire brain and founder Tim Vanhamel was enjoying himself in dEUS and quite a few other bands. He appeared on beehype when he contributed to “Puppy” by Magnus in 2014.
All we can say about “Sciencing” is that it was worth the wait. It adds many new elements and still offers the fans that genuine Millionaire sound they like so much at the same time.
♪♫ Listen: “I’m Not Who You Think You Are” + album stream
“Burst” is arguably one of the heaviest Belgian albums from 2017 and undoubtedly one of the very best.
Driven by the fantastic singing and screaming of drummer/singer Stefanie Mannaerts, this band from Leuven blows you away with a unique combination of elements from about every loud style of music you can think of, from shoegaze to death metal.
♪♫ Listen: “Horde II” + album stream
14 years after “Mass I” Amenra released the sixth album in the same series, titled “Mass VI”.
Through hard work, an excellent live reputation and side projects like CHVE the band managed to reach an ever growing audience with their combination of doom metal and other noisy genres.
♪♫ Listen: “Children Of The Eye” + album stream
Amenra on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, www.
Warhaus is a solo project by Maarten Devoldere from Balthazar, and a very fruitful one, apparently, with two albums in 13 months’ time.
“Warhaus” is an untitled gem full of jazzy dark pop, characterised by subtle and elegant dynamics, and it is bound to become a Belgian classic.
While we like Balthazar a lot, and are already looking forward to the new music that’s announced for late 2018 or early 2019, we will certainly not object to more releases by Warhaus in the future.
♪♫ Listen: “Love’s A Stranger” + album stream