Wim Merten returned to Spain with the cycle Les Arts és Altres Músiques, a collection that couples his iconic pieces with newly composed works. The Belgian musician, whose music circulated in clubs during the 1980s and 1990s, is set to share a selection of these timeless works reimagined for a live ensemble featuring winds, piano, and a rich sonic palette.
It had been fifteen years since he performed with a trumpet, a saxophone, a trombone, and a cornet on a single bill. The reason is simple: he never wanted his music to be confined to one instrument or one sound. When he began performing in Spain in 1986, wind instruments were a frequent choice, appealing because they stay close to the musician’s body, dissolving any barrier between performer and instrument.
Woodwind instruments remain popular across Spain, and many performers learn them in local bands from a young age. Merten agrees that the setting matters; he looks forward to how audiences will respond to the atmosphere he and his collaborators aim to create. He values musicians who are performers as well as composers, and he hopes the audience will connect with both the performance and the music itself.
The question of how a career can avoid repetition, given a catalog spanning more than sixty instruments and formats, invites a thoughtful reply. New compositions cannot emerge unless there is a spark of spontaneity that cannot be scheduled. When that moment arises, it drives decisions about instrumentation, orchestration, and arrangement in ways that surprise both the artist and the listeners.
Is the risk of boredom the real concern? In today’s scene, the need is to offer something unexpected and fresh that transcends conventional forms. Issuing work that feels ordinary is not an option; if the process grows stale, the path must shift, inviting new strategies and fresh collaborations so that the music and the musicians, as well as the audience, stay engaged with the journey. Making music means learning to live with the unpredictable.
The education of Merten began with musicology, but his path did not start there. He first studied Political Science to broaden his perspective away from music learned in youth, then circled back to music study over time, discovering how social change and musical evolution intertwine. He believes it is crucial for a musician to stay connected to one’s roots while remaining open to transformation.
Should music reflect its era? This is a driving impulse for him. If given decades more, his aim would be for his work to mirror the time while also charting new routes for traveling through sound. He wants his output to be tethered to the world around him, yet always venturing into new musical landscapes.
Masterpieces carry a double duty. They must be preserved and made accessible to younger generations, while new paths push beyond tradition. The West often preserves a canon that has benefits but can crowd out new directions. A productive balance is essential, combining reverence for the past with the urge to explore.
In terms of melody, his work blends a melodic impulse with a modern sensibility. The melody often aligns with a belief in a musical idea, a conviction that guides the choice between melody and harmony. While he may lean toward melodic clarity, he adapts to the needs of the present, acknowledging that even Mozart would write differently today.
Two songs with unusual early success in Valencia during the 1980s and 1990s, Maximize the Audience and Fight for Pleasure, illustrate how music can take root outside traditional venues. At that time, the public was introduced to sounds that crossed into alternative spaces, beyond conventional concert halls. The music also found a foothold in Belgium before reaching Spain, which underscored the value of expanding audiences beyond familiar settings. Some saw the blend of dance elements with his compositions as controversial, yet it helped spread the music to places where people dance with joy and freedom.
What does it take for a song to reach a broad audience? There is no simple formula. Time often reveals what resonates, and across his discography the music tends to reflect the era while weaving together threads of experimentation that keep it relevant.