Karen Willems

'THERE ARE THOSE WHO CONFORM AND THOSE WHO CONFRONT AND NEVER STOP TRANSFORMING'.

The Belgian drummer/percussionist Karen Willems (1979) is active in various fields. Started as a drummer in rock and pop bands. (Yuko, Zita Swoon Group, Pascal Deweze, Mauro..)

With a number of musicians she built up a tradition within improvised music and sound art. ( Jean DL, Zwerm, Elms Willdick, Fred Frith, Jürgen De Blonde, Benjamin Glorieux, Frederik Croene, Stijn Dickel, Eric Thielemans, Rodrigo Fuentealba Palavicino, Kaboom Karavan, Jürgen Augusteyns, Aidan Baker, Rutger Zuydervelt, Kreng ..)

Willems started a first project in 2012 under the moniker 'INWOLVES'.

Since 2020, with ‘TERRE SOL’ Willems is searching for personal modifications within her play of instruments and objects, with the focus on solo work and compositions.

The result is a kind of auditory play that moves back and forth between organic seeking and playful turmoil. Willems moves between collage art, shamanism and a kind of futuristic ritualism. Man, machine and nature keep on interacting in constantly transforming constellations. It is a mission of searching, feeling and letting go, the spontaneous game with adventure and connection as underlying key motifs.