“Their brand of up-tempo motoric psych is immensely enjoyable.” - The Quietus
Why the Eye? is a masked prehistoric techno quartet from Brussels. Their performances are built around live physical energy, trance-like rhythm, and a raw, instinctive approach to sound and movement. All instruments are handcrafted by the band and played in real time without loops, sequencers, or backing tracks, creating music that feels immediate, tactile, and deeply connected to the body.
The project was born in 2013 within Brussels’ alternative carnival culture, where masks, recycled materials, and collective celebration shaped its identity. Performing in masks opened a new kind of freedom on stage, allowing the musicians to lose themselves in the intensity of the music and to create a shared ritual with the audience.
After the release of their self-titled debut album in 2017, Why the Eye? appeared across a wide range of underground and experimental stages in Europe, from independent venues to adventurous festivals, always developing their sound in close relationship with live performance.
The album Inspirex explores how the power of their concerts can be transformed into a recorded work. Producer Damien Magnette approached the studio as a space for layering, texture, and contrast, using density and accumulation to capture the chaotic and animal energy that defines the group on stage.
At the center of the music are the unique instruments created by JP Domb. Some of them are inspired by traditional plucked idiophones such as sanzas and are built from repurposed materials, then connected to effects pedals and amplifiers. These instruments form the rhythmic and percussive core of the project and give Why the Eye? its distinctive sonic identity.
Why the Eye? is formed by Damien Magnette, Nico Gitto, JP Domb, and, since 2024, Jean-Philippe De Gheest, who joined the group following the departure of Thomas Giry.
Lineup
Group size: 4 artists + 1 sound technician, sometimes 1 tour manager
Damien Magnette
Nico Gitto
JP Domb
Jean-Philippe De Gheest
Why the Eye? plays self-made instruments: drum kit, lamellos, papillon, hurgy, and castabignettes. Jean-Paul also plays radiocaphone.
Prehistoric Techno from Brussels
“Their brand of up-tempo motoric psych is immensely enjoyable.” - The Quietus
Why the Eye? is a masked prehistoric techno quartet from Brussels. Their performances are built around live physical energy, trance-like rhythm, and a raw, instinctive approach to sound and movement. All instruments are handcrafted by the band and played in real time without loops, sequencers, or backing tracks, creating music that feels immediate, tactile, and deeply connected to the body.
The project was born in 2013 within Brussels’ alternative carnival culture, where masks, recycled materials, and collective celebration shaped its identity. Performing in masks opened a new kind of freedom on stage, allowing the musicians to lose themselves in the intensity of the music and to create a shared ritual with the audience.
After the release of their self-titled debut album in 2017, Why the Eye? appeared across a wide range of underground and experimental stages in Europe, from independent venues to adventurous festivals, always developing their sound in close relationship with live performance.
The album Inspirex explores how the power of their concerts can be transformed into a recorded work. Producer Damien Magnette approached the studio as a space for layering, texture, and contrast, using density and accumulation to capture the chaotic and animal energy that defines the group on stage.
At the center of the music are the unique instruments created by JP Domb. Some of them are inspired by traditional plucked idiophones such as sanzas and are built from repurposed materials, then connected to effects pedals and amplifiers. These instruments form the rhythmic and percussive core of the project and give Why the Eye? its distinctive sonic identity.
Why the Eye? is formed by Damien Magnette, Nico Gitto, JP Domb, and, since 2024, Jean-Philippe De Gheest, who joined the group following the departure of Thomas Giry.
Lineup