Each spring, Brussels’ cultural institution Le Botanique opens the festival season with their inescapable Les Nuits Bota. This year again and before everyone, they bring exciting, emerging and established artists to Belgium, in human-sized venues. Even if some shows are already sold-out, there is still a lot of jewels to discover and we made a small selection to help you make your program.

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First of all, let’s focus on the boiling Belgian line-up and if you’re familiar with HighClouds, all these names should sound familiar. The amazing Blackwave. and YellowStraps will make you move with their chill and groovy vibes. If you prefer cinematic and emotional electronic music, then Haring and Rari are here for you. We take the bet that the two girls of Juicy will energise the crowd with their retro-futuristic R&B and hip-hop music. Ulysse, Pale Grey and Tessa Dixson are certainly the most exciting acts on the Belgian indie pop scene at the moment.

Amongst the international acts that we don’t need to introduce, we’d like to mention the -already sold-out- concert of Charlotte Gainsbourg whose last album “Rest” was particularly good. Impossible to miss the noise-pop os U.S. Girls, the synth-pop odyssey of Porches, the style of Eddy de Pretto and the groove of Jungle.

French acts Malik Djoudi, Royaume, Polo & Pan, Bagarre and L’Impératrice should undoubtedly make memorable sparks. Amen Dunes just released one of the best albums of 2018 so far and he’ll be playing it in Brussels. South African queer artist Nakhane will bewitch you with the songs of his new album “You Will Not Die”. Be ready to dance with pop princess Mabel and to swag with Little Simz. Finally, new alternative sensation Yellow Days will also join the party.

Check the 2018’s full line-up of Les Nuits on their website and via their Spotify playlist below.

Where there’s chaos and loud noises, “Jungle” is the type of song you listen to in a crowded atmosphere. It tunes out the sounds of mayhem and focuses your attention on the smooth electronic production.

Assisted by Canadian producer, Chase Ellestad, Makk Mikkael finds the right beat and feeling. They tapped into a futuristic R&B sound, where the music melts into you, where the music becomes you. The mellow atmosphere of the song can change any darkness into light while bringing a sense of hallucinated stability. He took some time to answer some our questions.

HighClouds: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background in music.

I feel like music in imbedded in the fabric of my being. It’s more than just my passion, it’s where I draw my energy from. Both my grandmothers were Opera singers and my mom used to sing in a band. When anything happens in my life I write about it, sing about it and dance it out. I started writing songs as soon as I was able to write sentences. I remember keeping notebooks with poems at first and it wasn’t too long after that I was morphing those poems into songs. I first learned to write music on guitar and later I felt the need to learn how to produce my own music, create my own sound. Everything I have written I hear and visualize the production before I go into the studio to record.

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Do you have any outside influences that helped morph your sound into what it is now?

I listen to everything that makes me feel something. I like sounds that are moody, spacey and have depth emotionally. Jessie Ware, Majid Jordan, The Japanese House are a few other sounds that have helped me morph my own into what it is now. All of these artist have such a unique vibe, each carving their own space in the industry.

If there was only one song that existed in the world, forcing you to play it on repeat, what would it be and why?

Still by The Japanese House. Nostalgia 101 love it.

Favorite music video?

Jessie Ware- Tough love… all the feels.

What inspires you to write? Where do you get your inspirations from?

The music inspires itself I find. When creativity strikes and I get an idea for something it’s just a matter of putting down a simple idea whether it be a phrase or a beat and develop in. My tracks always build from there and I feel inspired to see where the creativity takes me.

“I’ve come out of sessions with a completely different track then what I went in with and it’s so cool watching a song morph into something more.” – Makk Mikkael

What’s your production process like. Do you collaborate with any producers or is this a solo endeavor? i.e beats, synths etc.

I love collaborating with upcoming producers, hitting them up on insta and setting up sessions! There’s so much talent out there especially in Toronto, the energy of this city is amazing! Currently I’m using garageband which is great for just getting the basic idea down and then I bring my ideas to Chase or other producers I’m working with and we go from there! Collaborating is great for artists! I’ve come out of sessions with a completely different track then what I went in with and it’s so cool watching a song morph into something more.

Your track is very light, minimalistic and it possesses dreamy vibes. If you had to describe your genre what would it be?

Sultry dreamy pop.

Une publication partagée par Makk (@makkmikkael) le 2 Nov. 2017 à 21h18 PDT

This being your first single, why is this your first introduction to the world? Many artists have to choose between different tracks to release as singles, why did you choose this one?

I worked with an amazing producer named Chase Ellestad, music runs in his family as he happens to be the brother of Canadian star Kiesza. Out of the 15 tracks we had made this was one of the last ones but was the track that moved both of us the most. I remember when we played it back for the first time our heads turned to each other’s and we almost simultaneously said “this is the single”. That right then is when I knew it had to be the one.

What does this song mean to you and why did you decide to title it “Jungle”?

The Jungle is chaotic, it’s a place that I didn’t feel safe nor familiar with it. I was constantly around a toxic person that drained my energy yet I feel like they depended on me and vice versa. I often felt ungrounded and unsettled around them but I was in a new city and hadn’t made many friends so I felt like there was no escaping them.

“What I am creating right now gives me a deep sense of fulfillment and at the moment I will be sticking with whatever makes me feel good.” – Makk Mikkael

How does your music make you feel? Do you hope to convey that feeling to your listeners?

I feel like my music reflects what I was feeling at the time it was written. To me having that real life correlation is super satisfying when I listen back or perform. It feels as if a chapter in my life closed and I took from it what I wanted to say. My goal is to make people feel things good or bad from my music.

What can we expect from you in the future? Are you going to stick to this type of genre or are you going to surprise us with something?

I’m going to see where the music takes me, I would like to keep creating from my soul. Wherever that leads me it will reflect in the music I make. What I am creating right now gives me a deep sense of fulfillment and at the moment I will be sticking with whatever makes me feel good.

What are you working on now? Is there a potential EP coming?

I am currently working on an album and getting this single out there! Writing lots in the studio and collaborating with dope artists! I am working on a lot of songs that I’m very excited about with some artists that I truly admire. An album is in the works.

Follow Makk Mikkael over Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Dornik, who was a bit more mysterious about his identity some years ago, is signed to PMR/Island Records with who he released his self-titled debut LP in 2015. Since then, he was featured on SG Lewis‘ single ‘All Night’ and produced ‘Amazing’, a track from The Internet‘s member Syd.

Dornik has been retreating back and working in his studio and ‘God Knows’ is the first track of this new era. About his collaboration with the band Jungle, he detailed:

[su_quote]’God Knows’ is a track which was fun to make. Jungle, who I am a massive fan of, came to the studio and we literally just got into a vibe. The track is very loose and there is intentionally no real structure – You can kinda receive it how you want to.[/su_quote]

He also added:

[su_quote]I also have to give a big shout out to Anderson.Paak who has really inspired me and this track. I absolutely love his vibe and everything he is doing.[/su_quote]

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Connect with Dornik on Spotify, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.