The Belgian
alternative rock outfit Absynthe Minded is heavily influenced by thirties
jazz,
soul, Merseyside
pop,
balkan and
gypsy music. Absynthe Minded originally formed in 1999 as a one man band. Singer/guitarist Bert Ostyn recorded the first demos solo in his bedroom in Ghent. In 2002 Ostyn recruited Renaud Ghilbert (violin, trumpet, percussion), Sergej Van Bouwel (bass, contrabass) and Jan Duthoy (Hammond, piano) to form the Absynthe Minded Quartet, shortly Absynthe Minded. The
History makes Science Fiction EP (2003) was their first release on the independent
Keremos label.