(K-RAA-K) 3
(K-RAA-K)3 is a non-profit organisation founded
in 1997 and based in Ghent, Belgium. (K-RAA-K)3 promotes quality
leftfield music through organising shows, releasing records and publishing a
small monthly magazine. The organisation is a bit comparable with the Dutch Subbacultcha!, perhaps
a bit more focused on avant-garde music outside the rock idiom.
I first had contact with them when we started Zoppo. We played a gig at one of their first
KRAAK Festivals in 1999. In 2008 I gave a presentation at their Pauze Festival.
From their site:
HOW TO DESCRIBE KRAAK?
KRAAK is a grass-roots organisation that offers
presentation and development possibilities in left field music. It's hard to
describe the functioning of KRAAK because the combination of our work
strategies differs from most other organisations. We see ourselves as a quality
platform, a promotor for young artists who are working within uncommon genres
as avant-rock, psych, experimental electronica, free-jazz, new folk,
improdrones... We organise small 'lab-evenings', bigger presentation moments
and creation possibilities. With a monthly mini-magazine we also try to support
the experimental scene with documentation and promotion. Therefor we could be
called a new style music organisation that tries to work within a variety of
niches and tries to support those niches and their artists as good as possible.
KRAAK and adventure are a synonymic. We want to surprise, present new stuff, or
approach music from alternative direction. The most important arguments for our
artistic choices are how captivating or innovative the bands are.
WHAT DOES KRAAK DO?
Three festivals a year:
-
KRAAK
festival, in Brussels
-
the
music programmation for shortfilm festival Courtisane festival at Vooruit in
Ghent
-
three-day
festival Pauze at Vooruit in Ghent
We organize twenty smaller concerts in smaller concerts
in Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp
We publish the free monthly magazine Ruis
We release about five records a year, mostly Belgian
artists
OUR HISTORY
KRAAK was founded from the ashes of the Flemish
underground tapelabel Toothpick. KRAAK wanted to be an eccentric international
label and, because of that, founded friendships with alike-minded
micro-organisations quite easily. Within a climate of sharing information and
experience, KRAAK started doing distribution and and promotion for other labels
in the Benelux. This double activity became financially too heavy and in the
spring of 2002 KRAAK continued as a label and concert organisation only. With a
minimal budget KRAAK gained an excellent reputation and popularity in our home
country and abroad. The Flemish gouvernement noticed this and agreed to support
the organisation. The support was more than welcome and led to a new boost.
After ten years of experience KRAAK tries -more than ever- to be a trademark
for an open, innovative music culture.
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