Biography
Belgian big beat, blues, and funk outfit the Rhythm Junks came together in 2004, founded by singer-harmonica player Steven De bruyn and drummer Tony Gyselink. Already known locally in blues circles through his earlier work with El Fish, De bruyn had completed two albums with that group before departing to launch independent ventures. Eager to abandon the standard guitar-bass-drums-vocal lineup, he considered dispensing with guitar altogether or substituting a brass section instead. These experiments directly shaped the Rhythm Junks, a loose collective that billed itself as “an ideal band for Tom Waits’ golden wedding.” The project began life as VirusB23, a name drawn from a fictional funky virus engineered to compel dancing; De bruyn and Gyselink soon renamed the group the Rhythm Junks—using “junks” as a verb—and repurposed Virus B-23 as the title of their 2004 debut album. To translate the material to the stage, the pair recruited an expanded roster that included a double bassist and four horn players, all of whom later joined as permanent members. The seven-piece lineup that cut the band’s sophomore release, Pop Off, in 2007 comprised the two originators plus Jasper Hautekeit on double bass, electric bass, and backing vocals, Walter Baeken handling baritone, tenor, and soprano saxophones, Peter Verdonk on baritone and alto saxophones, Marie-Anne Standaert on trumpet and flügelhorn, and Yvez Fernandez-Solino on trumpet.
Albums
