Latest album EXTINCT BIRDS !
A collection of brand new songs, recorded on different times and places throughout the cursed year of 2020 and mixed by Mark Howard. Released in January 2023.
Early days
As a young lad Pieter-Jan got hooked on rock-’n-roll. At thirteen he started his first band, Route 66. His second band, The Lionhearts, conquered a place in Humo’s Rock Rally’s finale in 1988.
Pieter-Jan De Smet recorded his first solo album in 1993. Antidote was produced by Roland Van Campenhout. The singles Baby’s in the World and – especially – Fire got a lot of airplay. The band, eponymously named Pieter-Jan De Smet, with members Geoffrey Burton, Serge Bakker en Piet Jorens toured intensively throughout 1994 and 1995. PJ did a few solo shows in Beijing, Shanghai and Moscow.
August
Pieter-Jan De Smet’s second album August (august 1993) was recorded in an old chapel (Schipperskapel) in Ghent. This time Mike Butcher was hired as producer.
After recording this album the band becomesa duo, PJ and Geoffrey Burton. They play concerts in Belgium as well as France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada and the US.
Title song August becomes a radio hit and is now considered a ‘Belpop classic’.
PJDS – Beuzak Records
As of 2001 the band is simply called PJDS. Geoffrey Burton is still a member, and Mirko Banovic and Frederik Van Den Berghe join the band. PJ starts his own record label called BEUZAK Records. Light Sleeper (2002) and Suits You (2003), their next two albums, receive rave reviews. According to Belgian newspaper De Morgen Light Sleeper should be considered a masterpiece.
Beuzak
While his children were sound asleep, Pieter-Jan De Smet recorded the album Homebrew (2011). For the first time he takes control of the whole process: writing, playing, recording, record cover design… His pseudonym is now BEUZAK and Belgian magazine Humo proclaims the record to be a successful comeback.
Siren
Siren is released on 16th March 2018, recorded and produced by Frederik Segers and mixed by Joe Talia. This time the band consists of PJ, Mirko Banovic, Frederik Segers, Teun Verbruggen and the mighty Roland Van Campenhout.
With Roland the band also record an album called Folksongs from a non-existing land which was released by Meyer Records in Germany.
Current line-up: Jan Duthoy-Frederik Segers-PJ-Mirko Banovic-Teun Verbruggen
