Scrap heap

Behind the tongue twister Schroothoop ("scrap") hides a joyful band of Brussels residents who transform one of these small urban nuisances into a source of creativity: making musical instruments from waste! The saxophonist Rik Staelens, the percussionist Margo Maex, and the bassist-clarinetist Timo Vantyghem were notably part of the La Clinique du Dr Poembak brass band. Within Schroothoop, however, they trade their usual instruments for creations tinkered from found materials. They draw a melody from a tin can and wire, a chair back and a baking dish become a cymbalum, and gas pipes serve as a vibraphone. This "junk jazz" trio makes the audience dance to the sound of its percussion, electronic textures, and oriental influences. And who knows, maybe they will even transform the waste scattered in the stadium grass into a brand-new instrument?