The Wire

Gonzo Circus ( BE/NL )
” …the most imaginative music in our region and far beyond…the music is abstract , dark and playful at the same time… 
Yet another planet for Kaboom’s wondreous sound universe…”

( full review in Gonzo #182 )

Cutting Edge ( BE/NL)
” **** The delightful, often brash and boisterous “Fiasko!” is a mad, crazy and eminently adventurous record.
 Wonderful album. Buy ‘Fiasko!’ and discover dwarf, tantalising ear dust…”
full review here

Anxious Music Magazine (POL)
” It’s a tough nut to describe, but what a tasty reward it is to listen to it… the very first ‘notes’ that begin Fiasko! are like an awakening in a distant, forgotten town at the end of the world or beyond. We become witnesses to a spectacle, staged by Bram Bosteels, Bart Maris, Raphael De Cock & Stefaan Smagghe.
Despite the surreal overtones of the whole, there is room here for moments infused with the scent of melancholy, surrounded by exoticism and passages straight out of flamenco or rebetiko.
In such a Molotov cocktail, the musicians find themselves at their best, playing as if submerged up to their waist in a forest maelstrom emitting signals of rebellion against the absurd surrounding reality. Multidimensional and layered, this work seems charged and saturated, but at the same time fluid – despite the division into individual pieces, there is a sense of unity – one flow. Fiasco! is also an example of an off beat record, where the percussions are a tiny fraction of the whole, and yet we feel a constant pulse, a drive that drives us forward in search of the new. “
Full review here

Sun13 ( UK )
“…. Kaboom Karavan goes to great lengths to frazzle the mind on his latest dispatch, Fiasko!
Perhaps there’s no better title in 2024 that best sums up an album (exclaimed marked included). So too the artwork which is among the year’s best to these eyes. Sonically, think Charles Mingus whilst being led through a haunted house and you may be in the ballpark..” Full review here

MusiqueMachine
” On the surface, Fiasko! seems to be an imaginative interweaving of styles, instruments, and influences, but upon further and deeper playthroughs, the beauty and coherence becomes more evident.
Underlying all of this well crafted combination of sounds, tones, textures, and vibes is an almost cinematic score that transcends classification but still brings about an extremely evocative experience.
it is highly encouraged to revisit and respin the album when possible. There is a fantastic reward within and the more one traverses this work, the easier it becomes for all the beautiful pieces to access and enjoy. “ full review here

Solénopole ( FR )

“Fiasko!” is a call to give, dare and discover. An ode to the unpredictability and the joy of the surprising. A unique experience that transcends the boundaries of the ordinary.
The album takes us on a journey, where each song is a surprise.
Ecstatic moments suddenly explode into deep melancholy, creating a captivating emotional dynamic that draws us in completely. It is a sound film in which each song tells a story, often without words but with undeniable emotional power.

Fiasko! is a radical sound experience. It is also a mad genius the studio has lost components and unbridled creativity.Bram Bosteels, the brains behind the project, juggles guitars, electronics and a variety of sensitive instruments,while Bart Maris handles the compositions with his trumpets, tubas and trombones.Stefaan Smagghe adds an essential mystery with his violin and sarangi, while Raphaël De Cock brings a unique dimension with ‘exotic’ instruments such as the jadagan, igil and the Irish uillean bagpipe.

Kaboom Karavan challenges conventions with every new album. Their music is a bold blend of styles and traditions, providing an immersive and engaging experience with every listen. Immerse yourself in the daring and unusual universe of Kaboom Karavan.
“Fiasko!” waiting for you, ready to help you discover a world where music becomes freedom.”
( Solénopole FR )

RadioHoerer (DE)
“…If this music is everything, then it’s certainly not a fiasco! In places it sounds like Captain Beefheart who has strayed into a western film. In general, these crazy soundscapes transport you into a surreal world. In any case, Bram Bosteels knows how to work with the most diverse colours and moods with this ensemble. The whole thing is an acoustic delight and a radical sound experience!”
full review here

Blow Up Magazine ( IT )

” Belgian Bram Bosteels returns with the fifth album of his personal project Kaboom Karavan: sparse, but always precious appearances.
This time he is accompanied by Bart Maris, Stefaan Smagghe and Raphael de Cock, probably the line-up that best wears and interprets his elusive songs.
Like his previous releases, ‘Fiasko!’ also mixes very different influences (free folk, antique blues, jazz, electro-acoustics), while reducing the electronic presence to a minimum and presenting many self-made acoustic instruments with truly alien and lunar sounds.
It’s all very cinematic: adorable overdone Fellini-esque marchettes alternate with Lynchian noir nocturnes, rebetiko-scented yearnings and Balkan nostalgia are the backdrop to spastic circus folk songs, dense and mellow improvisations slip into loose, swampy onomatopoeias and ambient delicacies. A band/musician who handles himself with a hundred percent is always to be appreciated, especially when the results are of this level: give it a thought who organises concerts because Kaboom Karavan should be an authentic live experience.” ( Stefano I Bianchi / Blow Up Magazine IT )

Tomens
” …It’s fantastic, terrifying, funny, charming, mysterious…and very much worth a visit…
the recreation of a New Orleans voodoo ritual by dancing skeletons and a Charles Mingus impersonator doing a table dance whilst cutting up Free Jazz records on three decks.
Voices from the dead played at half-speed are piped through speakers all around the ground…” full review here