SUCHBEAUTIFUL FLOWERS after that, the meaning can change. Ultimately, it's much more interesting to look at what it means to the person listening to it. In essence, it will keep coming back to the existential questions we all ask ourselves. Who am I? What do I want? Why am I? It's about my past, present and our future. In 2019 you released your debut EP ‘Neon Gloom’ on the now much-lamented Wool-E Tapes label. What were the reactions to this release? I think the reactions were generally positive.The reviews seemed to reflect that. The tracks did receive some airplay on niche radio stations online. But you quickly realize that it can be difficult to get your music to the right people in a world of algorithms that prefer quantity over quality.Without a publishing machine, your creation will quickly be overwhelmed by everything else. The EP was also released just before the first wave of corona, so everything fell apart just when the ball started rolling and a number of performances were scheduled to promote the release. As a new act, you notice that the live circuit is very important to promote your music. The EPwas released on cassette,on Cassette Store Day. Do you have a special preference for the medium? We released the EP with the consent of Dimi fromWoolE Tapes. Vinyl was a too expensive gamble for a first release, so we opted for a CD and tape release. A CD is a fairly emotionless and not really sexy medium, so I was happy with the cassette. It was a nod to the days when I discovered music by buying tapes at the market, or sat for hours in front of the radio with my finger on the record button, hoping that my favourite track of the moment would come through. Tape also has a kind of natural saturation that also gives the whole thing more character when you listen to it. After the ‘Neon Gloom’ EP, you released a few more single songs. You stood out with covers of Slow Crush (‘Drift’) and The Stooges (‘Now I Wanna Be Your Dog’). Why did you choose to work on these songs? Slow Crush is a band with members I have known for years. I’ve followed them from their first appearance to where they deservedly are now. In a conversation with Jelle, the guitarist, the possibility of doing a remix was discussed. I saw it as a fun challenge and for them at that moment it might also be a way to break out of that typical box of ‘shoegaze’. It was also a good exercise to sharpen my skills as an engineer. The Stooges cover was a way to be creative in a different way.The Stooges were the cradle of so many things that I saw it as a kind of - 23 - tribute. It may also have been because Iggy had spoken very disparagingly about electronic music in the past. Your last release on bandcamp was in 2020. Are you planning to release anything new soon? What are your future plans? It has been (too) quiet around Such Beautiful Flowers for a while, which I fully realise. The advantage of a solo project is that you can do everything yourself but that also means that you have to do everything yourself. The EP was made completely 'in the box', and I wanted to avoid that on subsequent releases. Tim from MuchLuvStudio & AmenRa did a great job mixing those first songs but I also wanted to have more control in that process. A period followed of setting up a studio with hardware synths, compressors, EQs...which also have the necessary learning curve. Combine this with a busy job and a private life besides music and it is sometimes difficult to find enough time to work on something. I also moved last summer,which meant I had to tear down and redecorate my entire studio. But I'm in the final stages of finishing a full length that will hopefully be released late this year or early next year. If the world listens, that's great, but if I only reach a small group of people with this, that's okay too. I especially want to continue making music that I want to hear myself and possibly perform live. Everything else is secondary. Life has taught me that the less you want, the happier you will be. I really enjoyed watching your performances on Sinner's Day or in Het Groot Ongelijk. In December, you will be playing at BIMfest in Sint-Niklaas, and at the Dark Entries Nights in Ghent. What makes a Such Beautiful Flowers performance special? That is of course a question you should have asked yourself or the people around you. I just do what I do, without thinking about it for too long. It is not an act or a show that needs to be performed. It is an interplay of music, artist, audience and environment at that moment, and the interaction between those elements determines whether something is special or not. Maybe the energy I brought from the punk scene is something not everyone is used to. In the years that I have been on stage, I have seen people dance, fight, cry and leave disappointed. I just hope it doesn't leave anyone untouched. Xavier Kruth Such Beautiful Flowers performs @BIMFEST - St-Niklaas on Friday 1 December 2023 with D.A.F, SA42 &more!
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