Els Vandeweyer

Els Vandeweyer is a Belgian vibraphonist, percussionist, and composer currently living in Berlin. After studying classical percussion in Antwerp and jazz in Brussels and Oslo, Els co-founded the IMI Kollektief, whose critically acclaimed album, Snug as a Gun, was released on Clean Feed in 2006. Today, Els plays regularly in Berlin, including solo performance, group improvisation, children’s theater, and contemporary music (including a performance of Xenakis’s Rebonds bat Radialsystem in Berlin). 
Current projects include Quat (with Fred Van Hove, Paul Lovens, and Martin Blume); Mimosa (with Natalie Sandtorv and Rieko Okuda); Spin Track (with Olaf Rupp and DJ IllVibe), and participation in two orchestras (Pascal Niggenkemper´s Vision 7 and the Serenus Zeitblom Oktett).

Els Vandeweyer (* 1982) ist eine Vibraphonistin, Perkussionistin und Komponistin. Els ist aufgewachsen in Belgien, momentan lebt sie in Berlin. Nach dem Studium der klassischen Perkussion in Antwerpen, Jazz in Brüssel und Oslo, gehört Els zu den Gründern des IMI Kollektief. Das Album „Snug as a Gun“ ist auf Clean Feed 2006 veröffentlicht worden und wurde von der Kritik gefeiert. Heute spielt Els regelmäßig in Berlin, darunter Solo-Performance, Gruppenimprovisation, Kindertheater und zeitgenössische Musik. Eine ihrer Aufführungen Xenakis; Rebonds b, war im Radialsystem zu sehen.
Zu den aktuellen Projekten gehören das Quat Quartet mit Fred Van Hove, Paul Lovens und Martin Blume und dem Album Live at Hasselt, NoBusiness Rekords 2013, das Trio MIMOSA mit Rieko Okuda and Natalie Sandtorv, und die Zusammenarbeit mit zwei Orchestern: das Serenus Zeitblom Oktett und Pascal Niggenkemper‘s Vision 7 mit dem Album Lucky Prime, Clean Feed 2013.

“By far the most interesting player on the set, Vandeweyer also emerges as the most interesting composer, with the oddly melancholy “Fucked Up” and the genre-shuffling “Hole in My Sole.” [****] Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (IMI Kollektief, “Snug as a Gun”)

“Belgian vibraphonist, Els Vandeweyer, began her musical career on the classical path, focusing on contemporary pieces while studying at a performing arts school in Antwerp. The IMI Kollektief’s sole recording, “Snug as a Gun” (Clean Feed, 2006), offers the only extended evidence of Vandeweyer's work; while the songs are spiky and agular, her harmonically rich, jagged lines recall the golden era of Blue Note Records, when Bobby Hutcherson was a fixture.” - Peter Margasak, “Chicago Reader.”

"In particular, my ears keep finding Els Vandeweyer and her vibes; there's something I can't put my finger on that keeps her from sounding like other jazz vibists I've heard. And her tune “Fucked Up” is my favorite track." - KFJC Online

"Unafraid of tradition, the IMI Kollektief mines rich territory with Vandeweyer's vibes evoking the experimental zeal of the more adventurous 1960's Prestige and Blue Note sessions." – All About Jazz

(quotes from http://www.myspace.com/elsvandeweyer)