Do you like cosmic hybrid jazz with the vanishing point set to infinity? Then you probably have something in common with the Belgian group Black Flower. With finesse and sky-high musicality, the five-member group blends dub, cosmic jazz, and afrobeat with influences from the great Ethio-jazz master Mulatu Astatke. The result is dark, deep, and funky hybrid jazz flowing smoother than lava. Feel free to lie down on the floor and gaze out into the galaxy when Black Flower take the stage at ALICE.

Black Flower is a band at the peak of their creative powers. Having received glowing praise for the 2019 album ‘Future Flora’ from Mojo, Songlines, BBC Radio 6 Music’s Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 3’s Music Planet, Worldwide FM and Jazz FM among others, forthcoming album ‘Magma’ sees Black Flower embrace new synth and organ sounds from the band’s most recent recruit, Karel Cuelenaere. His influence can be heard from the outset – his keys adding a swirling, mischievousness to album opener and title track ‘Magma’. Elsewhere, the shuffling drum patterns and flighty, flute-propelled ‘O Fogo’ are rich in texture and flow.

The group is centered around Nathan Daems on saxophone and flute. Fellow musicians and spiritual henchmen are Jon Birdsong (dEUS, Beck, Calexico) on cornet, Simon Segers (Absynthe Minded, De Beren Gieren, MDCIII) at the drums, Filip Vandebril (Lady Linn, The Valerie Solanas) at the bass and Karel Cuelenaere (John Ghost) on keys.