Frederik Sioen

Sioen 2007

Frederic Sioen (born July 14, 1979 in Gent , Belgium ; also spelled Frederik ) is a Flemish- Belgian singer-songwriter who is known by his surname Sioen (this is also the name of his band with the violinist Jeroen Baert, the bassist Matthias Debusschere, the drummer Laurens Smagghe and the guitarist David Bratzlavsky).

Life

Frederic Sioen grew up in the heart of the city of Ghent, where he was taught at Sint-Lievenscollege until the sixth year of school. Then he switched to Don Boscocollege in Zwijnaarde . After joining a youth club, he also began taking lessons at a music school in his spare time ; first with the flute , later with the piano . He still has both hobbies today. After attending middle school , Sioen considered going to the music college , but then decided to choose a more general degree (management marketing). As he writes in his autobiography , he liked the course “completely”, but had intended “never to take part in the increasing and sometimes negative commercialization”, but he seemed “in the role of singer-songwriter” because of his “personal Interests ”to find his“ ideal job ”.

Musical career

2000–2002: How it began

Sioen started as a soloist (piano / vocals ) with the recording of a demo called S, which he recorded on September 30, 2000 and of which more than 2000 copies were sold. He then appeared in several rock competitions - including Debuutrock (winner), Oost-Vlaams Rock Concours (second place) and Demopoll Studio Brussel (winner). Sioen invited the violinist Renaud Ghilbert (today with Absynthe Minded ) to accompany him at the concerts that followed. In the first three years of his live musical performances, Sioen gave 120 shows, mainly in Belgium and the Netherlands , but also in New York ( CBGB ’s) and Toronto (North by Northeast Festival).

2003–2004: Debut album, first hit single and international success

• Release of the debut album See You Naked on May 7th in Belgium, then in the Netherlands, Germany , Austria , Switzerland and South Korea
• Zamu Award as the best newcomer
• Release of the hit single Cruisin ' with a longer concert in a moving tram full of passengers
• Cruisin ' was nominated for Best Song of the Year and reached 3rd place
• Sioen became a Breaking New Artist on MTV Korea
• Cruisin ' reached number 8 on the South Korean charts
• Sioen wrote the soundtrack for the Belgian movie Team Spirit II , for which he for Best Composer of the Joseph Plateau Awards nomination
• Release of the soundtrack on Sioen's own label Keremos Records
• Sioen was a guest singer at the World Soundtrack Awards during the Ghent International Film Festival
• Sioen says Boom! at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels , a gig with guest appearances by Marie Daulne ( Zap Mama ), Flip Kowlier and Gabriël Rios
• In two years Sioen has performed more than 200 concerts in clubs and festivals - in Texas (South by Southwest Festival), in Germany ( Haldern Pop , Popkomm in Berlin ), in the Netherlands (Werfpop, Crossingborder, Eurosonic, Paradiso in Amsterdam ) and in Belgium (Rock Werchter, Francofolies in Spa , Dranouter Festival with guest appearance by Toots Thielemans , Lokerse Feesten, Marktrock in Leuven , Gentse Feesten, Dour Festival)

2005: Gold record, second album and a concert film

• Sioen received a gold record for See You Naked (more than 25,000 copies sold in Belgium)
• Release of Ease Your Mind (second album, a mixture of pop-rock - indie , songwriter and folk ) on March 5th in Gent
• The release of Ease Your Mind included a lavish, international event under the name Ceci n'est pas un film : The show in a theater in Ghent was broadcast by a national TV station via satellite in 22 European cinemas to several thousand fans in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany (Berlin, Munich), France ( Paris ) and Spain ( Barcelona ) broadcast live
• Release of Ceci n'est pas un film as the first Belgian concert film (DVD and CD) at the International Film Festival in Ghent, as well as in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland
• The animated music video for the single At A Glance was selected for Refest (a prestigious international festival of digital films) and nominated as Best Music Video for the Leuven Short Film Festival
• Supporting act for the band Girls In Hawii in France
• Sioen had a second appearance at Rock Werchter , went on a promotional tour of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands for the second album and played at over 120 concerts that year.

2006: Second gold record, jump to China

• Sioen received a gold record for Ease Your Mind
• Release of Ceci n'est pas un film (DVD) in China in June 2006
• Ceci n'est pas un film was as Best Music DVD for the Zamu Awards 2006 nominations
• Support act for the US band Live in Munich and Berlin
• Sioen plays Björk only with three saxophones and his voice in the Stuk in Leuven (Belgium)
• The video for the single At A Glance was selected for the international One Dot Zero Festival (a festival that showcases the best new digital films and animations)
• Sioen performed at the Meet in Beijing Festival (China) and at the Belgian Blue Note Festival (here as support from Dr. John & Randy Newman)

2007: Third album

• Release of A Potion , meanwhile the third album

Published phonograms

The following recordings have been released by Sioen so far:

year	title	Release	Label
Albums	See You Naked	05.2003	Keremos
	Ease your mind	03.2005	Keremos
	A potion	04.2007	Universal
	Calling Up Soweto	04.2009	Kabron / MMS / Supermusic
Film music (soundtracks)	Team Spirit II '	2003	Sony
Singles	Too Good To Be True	2003
	Cruisin '	2003
	Another ballad	2003
	Boom!	2003
	Ease your mind	02.2005
	At A Glance '	2005
	No Conspiracy At All	2007	Universal
	Ready for your love	2007
	Automatic	02.2009
Video albums	Ceci N'est Pas Un film	2005

Web links

• Autobiographical short description on Sioen's homepage
• Interview with Sioen on Soundmag.de (German)
• Sioen The Band on myspace.com
• Photos from Sioen on flickr.com
• Fan forum (Flemish, French, English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Homepage of the Sint-Lievenscollege in Ghent
2. ^ Homepage of the Don Boscocollege in Zwijnaarde
3. ↑ http://www.sioen.net/DE/biography/sioen  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS-6mCnO0M8
5. ↑ ^{a b c} Table information on "Release" and "Label" partly from Charts Vlaanderen. Discography Sioen. In: ultratop.be. Ultratop, accessed September 14, 2008 (Flemish, Flemish Hit Parade).