the 'Waregems prodigy' Walter Hus
07/05/2020
Walter Hus has been well known in the Brussels music scene for years. Just ask Lefto or Teun Verbruggen. The 'Waregems prodigy' also wrote music for dance performances by Rosas, composed various film scores and even ventured into techno. In between, he also finds the time to teach.
As for those film compositions, were you still active recently if I am not mistaken? That's right. Indeed, I co-wrote the soundtrack of 'Transnistra', which appeared in the halls in 2019. The film was directed by the Swedish Anna Eborn, and won the 'Big Screen Award' at the Rotterdam film festival. Central to the print is the search for identity, and what it means to feel at home. It is a state that declared itself independent, but is not recognized in this way by any part of the international community. ” In 2014 you also worked on another pearl: 'N-the madness of reason', which won an Ensor for best film, but also for best music. “That is a Belgian documentary / fictional biopic by the filmmaker Peter Krüger. About the life of Raymond Borremans. By education, this man was a musician, but he became obsessed with the history of West Africa. He decided to write an encyclopedia about it, which never ended. A fascinating character, that man ... ”Providing films with the right atmosphere is only one of your many musical activities. What does your career look like in a nutshell? “In addition, of course, I just write my own music and teach at the academy in Sint-Agatha-Berchem. In the past I was also in close contact with the dance company 'Rosas'. There is Maximalist! formed, with which we had considerable success in Europe. I am no stranger to the musical accompaniment of fashion shows. ” Where does this love for music actually come from, which is expressed in so many facets and domains? “As a young boy, I was enrolled by my parents at the music academy in Waregem. I turned out to have a certain talent for piano. Although it helped that my then teacher, Dolly Degezelle, gave me butterflies in the stomach (laughs)! That provided extra motivation. Initially I was mainly inspired by classical composers. The fifth (symphony, ed.) By Beethoven was one of my favorites. But during the humanities I was also exposed to jazz by friends. During my studies at the Brussels conservatory, my love for musical freedom and improvisation has only grown. And there I came again with both feet on the ground, realizing that there were musicians walking around who were already a lot further than me in that area. It only prompted me to study jazz and all its facets even more. What youthful people now know as Café Central on Sint-Goriksplein was formerly called Bloomdido Jazz Café. Just to give you an idea: I saw Archie Shepp and Sun Ra at work there. I would be lying if I said they didn't contribute to my love of free jazz. What the men of STUFF. nowadays I also find it very punishing. I already worked with some of them. ” From classical to free jazz, to contemporary jazz variants. Can the evolution of your musical taste be summarized in this way? “I'm actually a fan of many more genres. To return to film music for a moment: in the late 1980s and during the 1990s, Belgium was notorious for its 'new beat' and later also 'acid house', a variant of techno. The documentary 'The Sound of Belgium' was made about the heyday of Belgian electronic music. I had the opportunity to provide music to the final generation. At the turn of the century my eye fell on Decaporgels, which are designed in Antwerp. The pioneering work of the Decap family mainly consisted of incorporating other instruments into the organ, so that you could serve an entire orchestra from behind the keys. Gradually they started to process electronics here. I created my composition for The Sound of Belgium with such an organ. The love for this instrument and electronic music have lingered ever since. Techno is actually very emotional music. The wave of love emanating from the audience is indescribable. ” Walter Hus gives piano lessons every Saturday at the Academy of Music and Word of Sint-Agatha-Berchem. Listen to his composition for The Sound of Belgium here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5pQTR-ZGM8 Mattias Verhelst