De Mond is the brainchild of Stijn Wybouw (voice, percussion, synth) and Arno De Bock (drums, samples), two musicians from Brussels.

Together, they craft an electrifying mix of raw vocalizations, tape loops, hypnotic synth sounds, and deep drum beats. It’s like an amplified joyride full of turbulence on an endless freeway.

“A significant part of the project focuses on collecting and recording sounds”

How did both of you get to know each other?

We have been friends for a long time… We studied in the same city, and that’s where we met. Since we both live in Brussels, we started to spend more time together.

Why did you decide to make music together? Did you have a certain idea of what kind of music you wanted to create?

After several projects where percussion and drums played a prominent role, we became interested in starting a new band with a drummer. That’s how our two worlds started merging into De Mond. The project began to take shape while recording and playing together. From there, the samples and tape loops running through our record ‘Glow’ started to develop organically.

Is there any other music that inspired you while making this album?

Probably a lot. We both listen to a wide variety of music and come from different backgrounds in terms of how we work with sound and music. I started listening to the records of The Jesus Lizard again during the recording period. The drums on ‘GOAT’ sound amazing to me. During mixing, Roman took breaks by listening to Asmus Tietchens.

What does the band name De Mond refer to?

The first samples came from basic loops of voice recordings. I think De Mond refers to a focus on using the voice to sing, scream, moan… as a universal language. Words are secondary. With drums and amplified vocals, it really helps to clear away the mental fog.

Is De Mond a real band or more of a project?

We need more bands! After struggling with rehearsal spaces and playing in apartments, we’re lucky to have Arno’s house as our headquarters. It’s an old farmhouse a bit outside Brussels, with few neighbors, allowing us to work and play as loudly and as late as we want, which feels fantastic. We’d like to get together as much as possible and play consistently. I guess that’s what bands do.

Byron Coley compares your music to early Sonic Youth and PIL.

I think we don’t necessarily have to agree with that, but it’s a funny, honest reaction from Byron Coley in his review. He listened to our record with his wife, which makes it even more interesting.

Your music reminded me of Yellow Swans, Radian in a more rock than post-rock version, and Break (Geoff Barrow).

Interesting, Yellow Swans are great. When you mention Yellow Swans, it also reminds me of Mouthus. I was listening to those records around the same time. The album ‘LOAM’ is so good. It’s fascinating how people make really diverse associations with our project.

De Mond is primarily a combination of synth and drums. Why did you think this combination would work?

It actually started from loop tapes generated with my mouth/voice, which I made for my solo project “KRAMP.” We began experimenting with those, sending them to synths and samplers. A significant part of the project focuses on collecting and recording sounds, then working on samples. From there, things developed in a freeform way by playing together. By running everything through loud amplifiers, everything starts to slowly morph into a seamless wall of sound, with layers of drums and samples coming in and out of the mix.

How do you remember the making of the album?

After a few self-recordings, we both thought the drums should have more definition and be more prominent, combined with my sounds. That’s where Kasper De Sutter came in. We recorded for a few days with him in a sort of live setting. It started from loose live sketches, which slowly morphed into tracks. Most of the instruments I use are sent to one mixer and then to a bass amp, providing a good constraint to work with. After recording, Papa Hiele was really enthusiastic about taking this material further. It turned into an intense period of work and mixing. His fresh perspective definitely opened up new possibilities during the mixing process. During this time, we also recorded some improvised basslines with friends, which were used in ‘Voor de Wind’ and ‘Demond Spreekt Vies.’

We were delighted when Futura Resistenza suggested releasing the record. It was a fun ride bringing all the elements together.

I think ‘Glow’ turned out to be an energetic and honest live translation, which is great for a first record. Our recent material is pushing us to work differently and opens up new possibilities for recording.

All credit goes to the wonderful Asmus Hiele and Caroline, who joined the mixing process.

Joeri Bruyninckx

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