adminFan Club Orchestra, the brainchild of Laurent Baudoux, dropped a remastered and expanded reissue of their 2013 gem An Insane Portrait on June 27, 2025, through their longtime label Sonig. Following a triumphant 2024 return with a new lineup and album on 12th Isle, the Brussels-based experimental collective continues to carve its niche. Formed in the late ’90s, FCO emerged from the city’s vibrant DIY scene, known for chaotic live sets blending cracked electronics and psychedelic drones, often featuring guests like Mike Kelley. This limited cassette and digital release, complete with a previously unreleased bonus track, cements their legacy as torchbearers of experimental music rooted in krautrock and early electronics.
The album, originally crafted in 2009 for Fabrizio Terranova’s film about Josée Andrei—a blind painter, witch, and scholar—showcases FCO at their most restrained yet captivating. Baudoux, alongside founding member Ann Appermans on bass guitar, weaves delicate, melodic instrumentals that feel intimate yet unpredictable. The tracks, born from the film’s introspective narrative, trade the group’s usual intensity for a dreamlike quality, balancing minimalism with their signature spontaneity.
This reissue of An Insane Portrait captures a pivotal moment in Fan Club Orchestra’s evolution, blending constraint with improvisation. It’s a testament to their ability to channel the experimental spirit of the Rhineland—think Kraftwerk’s precision or early krautrock’s raw edge—into something deeply personal. This release not only revisits a lesser-known chapter of their story but also reaffirms their place in the avant-garde, inviting listeners to rediscover their unpredictable magic.
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