iCE KiNG
Belgium's Bravest Bard
64th CONCERT: 27 MAY 2012, LIVE IN HASSELT (BE) @ DE WITTE NON, BONNEFANTENSTRAAT 26
DISCOGRAPHY
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BIOGRAPHY
iCE KiNG is the musical solo project of Bas L.G. Verdin, in the sense that all music is composed, performed, produced and managed by himself. Verdin was born in the Belgian town of Leuven on October the 28th 1980, but suffers remarkably little determination by either that time or place on the artistic level. The instrument being used is mainly electric six string guitar in B, combined with clean wide range vocals. The style is defenitely there, but the description of the style is definitely not... An act equivalent to iCE KiNG has simply not been found yet.
One might describe it as Celtic Acoustic Rock, though this doesn't go without any problems. Yes, the lyrics are mostly transcriptions of poems from the Romantic era in Scotland and its surroundings, and yes, the overall atmosphere sounds celtic and folkish. Yet, the music itself has no predecessor, and any expert on folk would deny it is an example of folk music. Yes, there is no band around iCE KiNG and there is mostly no distortion effect on the guitar, which makes it seem like an acoustic act. Yet, without electricity iCE KiNG would be something quite different. Yes, iCE KiNG has a strong rock and even metal influence and approach. Yet, one might perhaps even better describe it as rough classical music. Thus, why not just call the genre iCE KiNG?
Verdin had played various instruments in a handful of crossover, fusion and metal bands (Fuzzball, Excess Of Cruelty, Keltgar, Re:Creation, Pilotfish) quite renowned in the national underground, until he gradually pursued his very personal musical adventure/statement. He first called it "iCE KiNG" in the late 2003, on the occasion of a show he was to give on the local university festival, on behalf of the faculty he was studying at. The response to this was grand, and dozens and dozens of other concerts and press appearances followed in the years to come. So he did pass master courses in philosophy and political sciences in between, but never took any music classes after he was expelled from the music academy only at the age of 9, due to insubordinate - say artistic - behaviour.
In 2006, iCE KiNG released his first album KINGDOM OF FIFE. By doing so, his awakening reputation of an uncompromising and industrious musician guided by his vision of beauty and transcendence alone, came to anchor. Also, it made it easier to reach the particular cross-border audience that he saught. And that is how things went, 'cause in 2007 he had a slot across the North Sea on the Metieval Festival in East Riding of Yorkshire (UK). Knowing that "metieval" is a contraction of "medieval" and "metal" and knowing that the culture of bards is far more developed over there than in Belgium, it shouldn't surprise that the audience was the most promising he had witnessed so far. The performance must have been convincing too, since he was taken for a Scotsman by many an Englishman.
In 2008, the "iCE KiNGDOM" was born: a practise room by and for iCE KiNG (and for other bands in the area). Here he found more space and time to elaborate his ideas as it fits them best: in "splendid isolation". This resulted in the next album SECOND SAILING, released by the end of the very same year. The sound had become even more melodic, rhythmically diverse and technically challenging. With this album in his pocket, he was in for another series of shows in 2009. In his homeland, where the name of iCE KiNG was by now far better known than that the popular circuit was ready for it, but also in the United Kingdom again, where a loyal and extended fan clan was met ...second sailing indeed.
In 2010, the song WOWAYN from SECOND SAILING made it to the Celtic Dreams compilation in the USA. This way, both iCE KiNG and the old epic of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight were introduced to the "New World". Also by this time, iCE KiNG had another full-length record ready in his head. The whole process of materialising would last till the end of 2011 though. Not only because the production itself was to become yet another leap forward, but mainly because Verdin had little time as a commencing operator of his own record store (Metalzone Antwerp) - as with iCE KiNG: a rare and tough business, but at least an authentic and significant one. By the same time and in the same spirit, Verdin had even developed his own mead and regional product (Brabantse Mede), but currently refrains from the market due to more and more regulations by the European and national authorities killing good old winemaking.
In 2012, there it is: the long awaited third album, and iCE KiNG's own favourite, EPIC CENTRE. To be continued...
CONTACT
+32 486 177 901
bas.verdin@telenet.be
Schoolstraat 13, 3370 Vertrijk, Belgium
VIDEO'S
http://www.youtube.com/belgiumsbravestbard