Kaboom Karavan is the moniker of Belgian sound artist-musician-luthier Bram Bosteels who plays on a mixture of homemade instruments, old acoustic string instruments, electronics and sings. He creates an undefinable sonic universe reminding of night-time carnival, strange vaudeville, or folk traditions from timeless, imaginary lands. Fiasko! Is the fifth album of Kaboom Karavan with guest musicians Bart Maris who plays trumpet, trombone and tuba, Raphaël De Cock on traditional folk instruments and violinist Stefaan Smagghe, in addition to the conglomerate of strange, mostly self-built instruments of Bosteels.

As the title of the album suggests, Fiasko! addresses a full-blown disaster, although one that might be the antidote to the sterilized and scattered world that increasingly surrounds us, and encapsulated by the album motto: «Oh damn I got fired suddenly, replaced by a hydraulic pump with life-long guarantee». Kaboom Karavan transforms this stressful and chaotic situation into an exotic and ecstatic, funny but deeply melancholic and immersive listening experience.

It is eclectic and eccentric yet touching, highly imaginative protest music towards the new normal. It was, created by a madman with too much time on his hands, who struggles with the modern-day kōan: How To Put Valium In a Madman’s Drink?, as the first piece of Fiasko! is titled. All the familiar sonic conventions are thrown out of the window and a surprising and unpredictable sense of joyful and delicious strange brew takes over. Kaboom Caravan offers subversive, Fellinian electro-acoustic music that touches all senses, full of arresting emotional, and cinematic scenes, and rebelling against the dullness of societal norms by connecting to their inner child. Bring your neighbor, let yourself loose and surrender to Kabbom Karavan.

Eyal Hareuveni

Bram Bosteels (acoustic instruments, guitars, electronics, voice), Bart Maris (trumpet, trombone, tuba), Raphaël De Cock (igil, jadagan, uillean pipes, voice), Stefaan Smagghe (violin)