Lelijke Zomers by Azertyklavierwerke & Alex Deforce

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Lelijke Zomers, which translates to “Ugly Summers,”
bathes in a “hazy, swirling mist, with poetry deprived
of sunlight, shifting between cryptic nonsense
and raw concreteness.”

In “Lelijke Zomers”, Deforce wonders what
remains of all his ugly summers, scrutinizing
both himself and his beloved city of Brussels.
It certainly isn’t successful city marketing,
but it is brilliant lo-fi pop.

As he croons “Herbs in the gardens grew
alphabetically,” it feels as summer passes by
in three minutes: agonizingly slow or in the
blink of an eye, depending on one’s listening
mood.

The tender guitar that Azertyklavierwerke
weaves through the track sharpens the contrast
in a clever way: while the melody initially
threatens to drift by almost nonchalantly, it
eventually sinks in, like catching a cold that
lingers for days.
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Alex Deforce (°1984) made his debut as a poet in January 2019 with Nachtdichter, by Victor De Roo, on the Amsterdam-based label Knekelhuis. The same year he featured on Brihang’s Casco album, for which he recited poems by Georges Perec. September 2020 his first solo 7” vinyl was released by Lexi Disques.

alexdeforce.com