Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Wim Mertens
Person · male · Belgium · Neerpelt · born 1953 · recording since 1982
Flemish Belgian composer, countertenor vocalist, pianist, guitarist, and musicologist
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Also known as 维姆·梅尔滕斯
Timeline
61 events▣ Album 59◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1
1950s
1980s
· Debut release
Debut release: For Amusement Only
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Biography
English biography774 words · 3 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1377406073
Biography
Wim Mertens (Dutch pronunciation: [ʋɪˈmɛrtəns]) is a Flemish-Belgian composer, countertenor vocalist, pianist, guitarist, and musicologist.
Life and work
Mertens was born in Neerpelt, Belgium. He studied social and political science at the University of Leuven (graduating in 1975) and musicology at Ghent University; he also studied music theory and piano at the Ghent Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.
In 1978, he became a producer at the BRT (Belgian Radio and Television, now called Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep). For Radio 2 (Radio Brabant) he produced concerts by Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Meredith Monk, Urban Sax and others, and hosted a program called Funky Town together with Gust De Meyer (with whom he recorded the experimental album For Amusement Only
For Amusement OnlySpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Insert Coin0:412Deluxe1:4638 Ball1:474Mystik11:245Fireball5:436Invader3:237Dog - In4:588Gorf0:44).
Known primarily as a composer since the early 1980s, Mertens began developing a reputation after releasing "Struggle for Pleasure
Struggle for PleasureSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Tourtour2:352Struggle for Pleasure3:593Salernes3:054Close Cover3:215Bresque2:376Gentleman of Leisure4:35", under the name of his early ensemble Soft Verdict, and for "Maximizing the Audience
Maximizing the AudienceSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Circles18:342Lir18:183Maximizing the Audience11:514The Fosse4:395Whisper Me18:58", which was composed for Jan Fabre's play The Power of Theatrical Madness, which premiered in 1984 in Venice, Italy.
Mertens' style has continually evolved during the course of his prolific career, starting from experimental and avant-garde, always gravitating around minimalism, usually, however, preserving a melodic foundation to the forays that he makes into the worlds that he is exploring. His compositional quality has often overweighted the "labelling issue" and reached wider audiences although stemming from a far-from-mainstream musical context (see section In popular culture). One can follow three separate threads of musical styles throughout his work:
Compositions for ensemble, perhaps his most accessible and "commercial" material;
Solo piano and voice compositions, which features haunting keyboard melodies accompanied by Mertens' unique high-pitched tenor voice singing in an invented, personal language; and
Experimental minimalist "cycles" for single, dual, and sometimes more instruments.
Mertens has released more than 60 albums to date, the majority of which were issued by Les Disques du Crépuscule from 1980 until 2004. Mertens also produced a number of Crépuscule releases and consulted with the label on its choice of works by contemporary composers such as Michael Nyman, Gavin Bryars, and Glenn Branca. Mertens also curated a series of releases for a Crépuscle imprint, Lome Armé, that featured works from the classical era as well as contemporary jazz.
In August 2007 Mertens signed a contract with EMI Classics (now Warner Classics) for his entire catalogue. The label re-released his entire back-catalogue beginning in January 2008. EMI Music Belgium also released Mertens' new work, beginning with the 9-track album Receptacle
ReceptacleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Evenhandedly6:332Retranchement10:113As Ifs9:334Passend4:175The Paths Not Taken7:366Gist9:317Rival Sameness7:108Send13:169Passend (reprise)4:10 on 24 September 2007. For this album Mertens decided to work with an orchestra consisting of only women, 17 in total. It is not the first time that Mertens worked with EMI. Already in 1999, Mertens released the soundtrack to the Paul Cox film Molokai: The Story of Father Damien via EMI Classics.
Mertens is the author of American Minimal Music, which looks at the school of American repetitive music and the work of La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass.
In popular culture
With that same title, the collection of electronic music Café del Mar features in its 5th volume "Close Cover
Close CoverSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Close Cover3:152Tourtour2:303Circular Breathing3:474Struggle for Pleasure3:525Gentleman of Leisure4:336Lir18:10", one of the most melodic and, in a way, classical pieces of the author.
"Struggle for PleasureStruggle for PleasureSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Tourtour2:352Struggle for Pleasure3:593Salernes3:054Close Cover3:215Bresque2:376Gentleman of Leisure4:35" was directly covered by Belgian dance music project Minimalistix in 2000 and reached the Top 40 in the charts in many European countries including the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands. The group also did a successful cover of, again, "Close Cover".
A cover appeared in 2001 on Gatecrasher Digital. Elastica presents Jesus Elices 'Maximizing the AudienceMaximizing the AudienceSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Circles18:342Lir18:183Maximizing the Audience11:514The Fosse4:395Whisper Me18:58'.
The James Bond novel High Time to Kill (Raymond Benson, 1999) contains a passing reference to the music of Wim Mertens, in which characters in the novel comment on the music playing in a cafe. Benson, the fourth official James Bond novelist, is a fan of Mertens' music. The reference is somewhat ironic given the interest in James Bond culture shown by Michel Duval, the founder of Les Disques du Crépuscule.
"Struggle for Pleasure" also inspired one of the most influential electronic dance music tracks – Energy 52's trance music project called "Café Del Mar", first released on Eye Q Records in 1993. It became a successful hit in 1997 with Three 'n One remix, and Nalin & Kane remixes in 1998. In April 2011, the song was voted number one in Pete Tong's Top 20 Dance Tracks of the last 20 years.
"Struggle for Pleasure" is often used in advertisements of Belgian telecommunications provider Proximus.
His song "Iris" was used as the soundtrack for the Swedish Armed Forces’ commercial campaign "Vi lämnar Sverige ifred" (”We leave Sweden at peace") during the autumn-winter of 2017.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 22 | 83.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 87 | 97.4th |
| Studio albums | 59 | 99.5th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 61 | 99.3th |
| Recording span (years) | 43 | 83.8th |
| Genres | 19 | 99.5th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (87 release groups · 59 studio albums)
Albums · 59
1982 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 30:26
1Insert Coin0:412Deluxe1:4638 Ball1:474Mystik11:245Fireball5:436Invader3:237Dog - In4:588Gorf0:441985 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 40:31
A1Tourtour2:27A2Struggle For Pleasure3:52A3Salerais2:57A4Close Cover3:08A5Bresque2:31A6Gentleman Of Leisure4:43B1Inergys3:06B2Mildly Skeeming8:05B34 Mains3:07B4Multiple 126:35A Man of No Fortune, and With a Name to Come
1986 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 46:50
A1Casting No Shadow11:45A2A Tiels Leis8:20A3Hirose2:40B1You See14:58B2Multiple 125:10B3Naviamente3:571986 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 36:06
1Mimicry4:582Exitium6:043Confutatio3:084Pernicies3:575Condemnatio7:306Non Datur6:077Pranzo4:221987 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 44:28
A1A Visiting Card6:47A2The Fosse7:54A3No Plans No Projects5:20B1When the Line Grows Thick5:05B2Usura2:40B3Educes Me16:421988 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 20:12
1Tourtour2:352Struggle for Pleasure3:593Salernes3:054Close Cover3:215Bresque2:376Gentleman of Leisure4:351988 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 1:12:20
1Circles18:342Lir18:183Maximizing the Audience11:514The Fosse4:395Whisper Me18:581988 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 39:51
1Justice7:362Prudence2:533Temperance3:574Courage3:205Humility3:016Faith8:347Hope7:348Charity2:561989 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 39:58
1Watch!1:422The Personell Changes7:033Paying for Love10:564No Testament3:565Words on the Page13:046The Whole3:171991 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 48:29
1Darpa10:232Wia3:403Jaat4:444Houfnice4:515Hufhuf3:296Iris9:587Humvee3:108Kanaries6:259Awol1:491991 · studio album
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Tracklist · 21 tracks · 1:28:56
Disc 11Mein Leib ist muede: 1. Geschuifel2:462Mein Leib ist muede: 2. Lenige Spieren2:453Mein Leib ist muede: 3. Katachtig Op Hun Gemak2:424Mein Leib ist muede: 4. Kronkelen De Armen2:445Mein Leib ist muede: 5. Kruislings2:436Mein Leib ist muede: 6. Gerekt Geding2:507Venerandam: 1. Fore-Hatch3:518Venerandam: 2. Feline-Leisure3:519Venerandam: 3. Pad-Foot3:0510Venerandam: 4. Lithe Sinews3:0411Venerandam: 5. Twisted Arms3:0512Venerandam: 6. Cross-Hold3:5113Venerandam: 7. Seafoam3:47Disc 21Sub Rosa: 1. So That3:312Sub Rosa: 2. Limes7:063Sub Rosa: 3. The Ship6:054Sub Rosa: 4. Tiresias3:125Le Bref: 1. Verses7:436Le Bref: 2. To Be Done10:377Le Bref: 3. Later Life4:078Le Bref: 4. Song and Story5:311991 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:49:53
Disc 11Part I14:142Part II9:503Part III3:384Part IV21:305Part V3:27Disc 21Part VI31:462Part VII25:281991 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 2:38:55
Disc 11Zo11:272Of3:513Ook7:104Al3:525Et18:49Disc 21Tot20:482En21:183Met13:32Disc 31De30:262Te27:421992 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 1:01:36
1Their Duet3:312His Own Thing4:353Watch Over Me6:224One Who Matters6:435Silver Lining10:106Shot One5:047We’ll Find Out8:038Let Him Go7:209Wandering Eyes9:481993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 47:45
1In a Void2:372Swallow It8:043M.O.U.T.8:064D.C.O.L.3:265Fellow Travellers13:086The S-Song3:197Sleepers9:05Shot and Echo / A Sense of Place
1993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 16 tracks · 1:49:59
Disc 11Their Duet3:352His Own Thing4:403Watch Over Me6:274One Who Matters6:485Silver Lining10:146Shot One5:097We’ll Find Out8:088Let Him Go7:249Wandering Eyes9:49Disc 21In a Void2:372Swallow It8:043M.O.U.T.8:064D.C.O.L.3:265Fellow Travellers13:086The S-Song3:197Sleepers9:05Gave Van Niets, Part IV: Reculer pour mieux sauter
1994 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 2:34:51
Disc 11Plus Grandes les Parts de Mort25:312Plus Grandes les Parts de Vie20:56Disc 21Trouver le repos23:082Ce qui arrive5:293Ce qui se produit7:094Ce qui a lieu12:02Disc 31Le souffle du destin: Le vrai11:262Le souffle du destin: Le héros7:173Le souffle du destin: Le cas11:044Le souffle du destin: Le propos11:505Le souffle du destin: La mesure18:59Gave van niets, Part II: Divided Loyalties
1994 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:22:20
Disc 11It Serves You Right5:072What’s Mine Is Yours9:393Letter of Intent13:244Quotable Lines3:42Disc 21How About It?15:142How About What?8:243Now You See It, Now You Don’t26:50Gave van niets, Part III: Gave van niets
1994 · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 2:50:04
Disc 11De blik omhoog11:052Ofwel daar, ofwel hier10:403Van wie je alles verwacht10:304De komst van een ander18:115Buiten het oog6:53Disc 21Zie niet14:002Hoor niet15:373Wees niet6:074Altijd haast21:03Disc 31Waar ik heers8:422Schillen15:443Schorsen4:474Alles gisteren7:365Het lied12:246Retorica6:45Gave Van Niets, Part I: You'll Never Be Me
1994 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 2:05:47
Disc 11No-men27:132Wo-men20:503Chasms24:11Disc 21Leaps26:132Laidback27:201995 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 59:09
1Kaf22:082Kof8:463Mem7:304Alef4:535Gimel14:086Jod1:441996 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 50:44
1As Hay in the Sun3:512Often a Bird3:493Wound to Wound7:224Out of the Dust2:535A Secret Burning5:376Hedgehog's Skin8:057Pierced Heart9:578Not Me9:101997 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 42:32
1The Line2:032The Ruler7:173The Rhythm9:174The Way3:005The Same4:086The Date9:257The Sense3:198The Scene1:559The Child2:081998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 48:31
1La Fin de la Visite5:272A Delà du Fleuve5:223In 3 or 4 Days6:164Comme en Dormant4:475And Bring You Back5:086Tout es Visible5:537Yes, I Never Did5:368Sideman10:021999 · studio album
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Tracklist · 13 tracks · 1:51:35
Disc 11As a Rule13:412Blank Verses12:203Leap in the Dark10:474Relatively Spoken6:205In Line With6:246Desert Love8:03Disc 21Under the Trees4:442In Terms Of4:303White Boats17:124To Stand For7:465No Darkness5:126Their Writings7:337As a Golden Eye7:031999 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 46:53
1So That:3:232Limes6:583The Ship5:574Tiresias3:025Stretti6:386For Soothsay12:447To Keep Them From Falling8:111999 · studio album
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Tracklist · 24 tracks · 2:47:22
Disc 11To Obey7:002Leverage4:153Positively Imperative3:164Yes, I Never Did5:385Neither Do I Too8:466Collateral Damage10:557Sidemen10:118To Obey (reprise)6:53Disc 21Tout est visible5:542Au-delà du fleuve5:223Tout est illuminé9:484Tout ça, c’est fini4:005La fin de la visite6:036Comme en dormant4:477Au fond, la mer6:518Si loin du centre5:209Hors-nature3:31Disc 31The Way Down6:412A Feet Maniac6:403And Bring you Back5:104In 3 or 4 Days6:195Song 67:426For Quietness16:227The Way Up9:58Kere Weerom, Part III: Decorum
1999 · studio album
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Tracklist · 17 tracks · 1:29:51
Disc 11Anéantir4:082Bienvenir6:273Cadastrer5:174Dépasser4:245Empêcher6:076Fatiguer5:187Galoper5:528Honorer5:019In Situ4:48Disc 21Jubiler6:262Kss! Kss!5:163Laudes4:244Monter4:095Nier4:496Orémus5:527Posséder6:098Questionner5:24Kere Weerom, Part II: Kere Weerom
1999 · studio album
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Tracklist · 53 tracks · 2:51:37
Disc 11't Is Tijd2:472O Weerzien !5:013Van Hot Naar Haar12:144Dat Scheiden2:135Wederom Verdwenen2:126Zij Zingt En Wenkt3:107Overal, Altijd2:588Waar Wij Niet Zijn5:579Een Eigen Dagindeling2:5410Amper Beschut1:43Disc 21Zoet Licht5:002Wat Zegt Het ?2:293De Enige Troost2:124Elke Belofte2:145De Afmatting2:146Achter Me Niets2:147Wak Ik Doe2:148Het Oude Deuntje5:049De Dwarreling5:5910Onderlinge Onmin5:5911Tenslotte ...6:5712Wat Ik Zeg6:5713Voor Me Niets3:0014Waarheen ?2:5815De Krater6:5616Nooit Genoeg3:1017In U3:10Disc 31Tijd Winnen2:332Dit Zegt Alles Mij3:023Van Eeeee2:594Olie Op Het Vuur1:075Zo Was Het3:036Een Hoger Doel5:037Tel Je Polsslagen !2:148Met Natte Schoenen3:109Men Schommelt6:5710Een Stomme Streek3:0211Later Het Vervolg1:4112Als Muze1:4113Gretig Vuur1:4214Nieuwe Dwalingen1:4015Zo Gaat Het Voort1:4216Het Kortstondige1:4217En Aaaaa1:4218Dronkemansliedjes1:4219De Wil Van Een1:4120Weinig Meeleven1:4221Heimelijke Bijeenkomsten1:4322Maak Dat De Kat Wijs1:4223Egels1:4224Een Sierlijk Zakdoekje1:4225Een Veilige Plek1:4226Je Hebt Van Die Uren !3:052000 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 49:27
1Von Ganz Unten2:582Eine Kugelrunde Null4:403Geräusch6:584Das Unstatthafte3:385Weiter Und Weiter9:236Sich Polieren4:357Zutzig7:098Rest Meines Ichs4:479Sänger Ohne Stimme5:192001 · studio album
2001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 52:25
1At Home7:552That Strange Attractor8:123Dense Points8:004Not at Home7:345Coloured by Turning7:266That M8:057Not at Home (reprise)5:132001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 41 tracks · 1:38:38
Disc 11Next Nearest1:392Various Alphabets1:373For the Ausführbarkeit1:344At Every Instant1:335Method of Intuition1:346Sine Missione1:247Benen Bol1:418Alongside and Successfully1:419Arranged, Simplified3:0810You Northerners2:4811Fewer Refrains1:3612Most Untamed5:5213In Fits and Starts5:4814Luxta et post4:1115As a Fabulated Giant4:1116Bodies Into Planes3:4217Periods of Fasting3:4118Far Enough3:1319Within a Wider Cartography1:4420Most Secure Bastion1:2621Into a Bundle1:35Disc 21Eerste Aanzet3:092Den Enkelte0:503Your Northern Mists0:254All Desirability0:475In Fluvia0:346Begerige Deel2:207In the Caesura1:268What You See Is What You Hear1:269Membrane States2:2010Connections of Possibility2:1711Silent Echoes2:1712Featherless Biped2:0213The Gorged Tick3:1114Of Hands and Fingers3:0615Clinamen3:1216In Close Embrace2:1317Of Niet2:1318Third Kinds2:1219Essences of Modes3:0820Then and Only Then3:522001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 52 tracks · 4:21:01
Disc 11Of Animal Habit6:092What It Can Grasp3:323Xerophyte4:054School of Thought4:155Perpetuum Quietum3:526And Holding a Sheaf8:457Weight of the Heights12:298Whole Bundles3:119Wandelende Pijnen5:0810In the Swarm4:0211Reaped in Silence4:2012Greath Health3:2113Een Last Over de Grond Trekken3:21Disc 21As Expansive Fluidium5:552Taille de La Vie3:233Seafaring4:034Interweaving4:035Angular Momentum3:346Happy Harvest8:377Useful to Us12:208The Goose for the Fox3:069Irrational Rhythms5:0110At First Glance3:5811As in Wooden Wedges4:1612As in a Mould3:1513Over Het Water Glijden3:15Disc 31Water Into Vapor5:552Selective Pressure3:243Within a Larger Ring4:024Truth on Its Side4:045Artifical Instruments3:346Returned to Its Giver8:357Like Inner Commands12:188The Stag and the Wolf3:059Working Backwards5:0110As Sole Begetter3:5711This Undoing4:1512In Packs3:1613Absolute Heteron3:13Disc 41Primordial Fire6:002Called Caloric3:253As Place Holder4:034Phenomenae of Heat4:025Motor-Habits3:386Quite the Reverse8:387Rapid Impact12:108Quivering Timpani3:129In the Midst5:0110Always Already3:5911Ideals of Quietism4:2112As a Lack3:1713Gensters Slaan3:202001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 35 tracks · 2:47:01
Disc 11As Inmixing6:072First Things3:323At All Costs4:094Monstrous Couplings4:165Chains of Phenomena3:586Ongoing, Within Us8:517Theory of Everything12:308But Must Be Made3:169The Grane of the Membrane5:1210Pure Whimsicality4:0311Undulating Wheat4:2112Canons of Taste and Habit3:2413Its Media Infantilism3:23Disc 21Initial Enthusiasm4:552Nature as Music3:263Qualitas Occultas3:064Aether Proofs3:335By Penetrating It3:136Originaire Expansiva4:047Room for Faith3:578Per Spontaneitatem3:229Innocent Enough3:13Disc 31Its Maschinewesen5:042Its Long Sought Principle6:013As Instrumentum2:524Cumbrous Notations3:165Random Groping4:136The Whole of the Past4:017Such a Transition3:398Par chance, sans effort8:379Apatride12:2310The Necessary Willkür3:0811Without Example5:0012Unless the Hand Obeys3:5913Stolen Legacy4:572002 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 1:10:56
1Tout Est Visible6:092La Fin de la visite6:213In 3 or 4 Days5:374Au-delà du fleuve5:465And Bring You Back5:066Yes, I Never Did6:057Comme en dormant6:038Sidemen6:289Inergys7:2610Maximizing the Audience9:19114 Mains3:1212Close Cover3:242002 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 21:02
1So That:2:312Limes2:123The Ship2:114Tiresias1:375C·ntentu Melodiae2:2962 and 3 = 12:117’t Klopt1:388Gleaner1:379Tsjueh2:1110Wording2:252002 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 1:09:26
1Alef16:032Not at Home5:153Tout est visible2:384À la fin de la visite5:225Multiple 127:056Circular Breathing5:007Wandering Eyes4:258Silver Lining6:059Kof5:3410Voo (outro)11:592003 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 59:28
1It’s Long Sought Principle6:312As Instrumentum3:213Cumbrous Notations3:074Random Groping4:225The Whole of the Past4:396Such a Transition3:367Par chance, sans effect9:028Apatride7:219This Necessary Willkür3:1010Without Example5:2211Unless the Hand Obeys3:4212It’s Machinewesen5:152003 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 54:00
1And Growth Can Be Heard8:072Swirling Backwards3:433From Out of Which5:404Bold Forgetting3:525Songes1:136Venturing Into Colony6:117Further Hunting6:128Working the Ploughs6:049What That One Does9:1410Bewildering Din3:442005 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 43:28
1Essence Of The (K)not2:252Warm By One Another9:013From Lure To Lure6:324Many A One6:035Fitting Destiny2:246Fernglänzend4:507Workable Resonance1:488Who Put Such A Thing To Work4:529Gleaming From Afar2:0010Un Respiro3:332006 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 52:45
1In and for Itself2:142Often a Bird4:173Yes, I Never Did6:424Birds for the Mind4:555Al4:306With All Its Might6:117Multiple 127:408Struggle for Pleasure5:369To Obey7:2410Close Cover3:162006 · studio album
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Tracklist · 16 tracks · 1:45:39
1In and for Itself3:002Not at Home6:353Wandering Eyes10:264A Secret Burning6:545Usura3:096When the Line Grows Thick6:437The Fosse7:438We Are the Thieves9:299Wound to Wound8:3410Their Duet3:4711Hedgehog's Skin8:3512Maximizing the Audience10:55134 Mains3:4314Struggle for Pleasure7:4615Watch!4:0716Close Cover4:132007 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 1:12:17
1Evenhandedly6:332Retranchement10:113As Ifs9:334Passend4:175The Paths Not Taken7:366Gist9:317Rival Sameness7:108Send13:169Passend (reprise)4:102008 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 51:52
1Pas de chiffres5:432Hors-nature3:253Mal vu5:444Mal dit5:265Le mal8:486Pas de lutte3:247Même terre3:498La honte2:429Le regret2:2710Plus de mots2:1111Pas d'âge8:132008 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 36:09
1Mimicry4:582Exitium6:043Confutatio3:094Pernicies3:585Condemnatio7:316Non Datur6:077Pranzo4:222008 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 47:51
1So That :3:332Limes7:063The Ship6:064Tiresias3:125Stretti6:476For Soothsay12:537To Keep Them From Falling8:142009 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 1:02:48
1Its Long Sought Principl6:002As Instrumentum3:263Cumbrous Notations3:184Random Groping4:145The Whole Of The Past4:036Such A Transition3:407Par Chance, Sans Effort8:408Apatride12:249This Necessary Willkür3:1010Without Example5:0111Unless The Hand Obeys4:0012Its Maschinewesen4:522010 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 1:01:00
1According to the Real3:092Compass Strokes4:383Zing'Up6:004Zoet'Kemiesch5:335Finding a People6:526Mienneté8:187Fair Warnings9:318Pitched in Pairs6:279Z's Rival6:1410Zusammensetzen4:18Series of Ands / Immediate Givens
2011 · studio album
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Tracklist · 19 tracks · 1:52:44
Disc 11The Great Outdoors7:422Sonsings7:183Voilet5:444Face À Main7:265Navigare Necesse Est3:186Der Des Ders6:547Indexed by the Arche-Fossil8:368Man-In-Person7:39Disc 21Kerf Width7:262The Biggest Fable of All3:033In.Zones13:264The Determinant of the Last Instance3:155What It Is Like to Be From Belgium5:296Remaining So and as Such3:107Oeuvrer8:058Unwitnessed Ancestral Phenomena3:239Tactility2:5610The Fossil Argument3:2011The Real of the Cut4:342015 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 56:11
1Wegzuwünschen3:362Unwillen-Nichtwollen5:413Wie Mich Dünckt6:184Earmarked5:465Reihengewebe7:106Überhandnehmend8:307Post and Postures3:568The Place of a Gap7:149According to the One8:002016 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 45:34
1Loosening the Ropes5:162In the Knapsack3:503And Hit the Bitter Water4:034Those Willing to Tell a Story3:595Oxyrhynchus5:596But the Archer Himself Feeling the Arrow's Point From Another Bow2:347Burned on Non Fruit-Bearing Wood7:168Mixed With Hellebore5:179Many Tens of Thousands of Things3:4210Shining Hands3:382016 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 59:24
1Tunneling4:382Kyrielle4:353Set Metres5:014A Travelogue4:215Nuanced5:046Moss You Are8:207Transbordered5:088The Tonality4:529Old Katarakt5:3610More Real6:4011Eigenstates5:092018 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 56:37
1The Remainder6:192Bassin d'attraction5:073En chair et en os7:114Its Alien Status6:555Freeze on Volume7:116Affording More7:357Nested Cuts9:538What Holds For All6:262019 · studio album
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Tracklist · 25 tracks · 1:59:56
1Apatride5:312Zing’up6:213The Custom of Amok4:544The Weight of the Height3:405La Fin De La Visite5:526Indexed by the Arche-Fossil7:557Sonsigns5:438Fort van Varens2:089The Scene of Two9:4010Archivcharakter3:3811Tactility4:4212Not at Home6:4113Salernes3:2614Adequate Glueings1:0715The Whole of the Past4:4916Iris5:4717Prudence2:5418Houfnice5:1119Watch!1:4820The Grasp of Letting Go5:3821The Belly4:2622Far4:0923Close Cover3:4824He cried no Cry4:1125Struggle for Pleasure5:572020 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 58:28
1In Lieu Of2:322Helm7:303Compactified3:334Sketch of Proof6:215Victims Over Victors5:146Prédire n’est pas expliquer6:477Scattering Time6:008Force de laisse5:519European Grasses9:2010Charged Impurities5:202022 · studio album
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Tracklist · 22 tracks · 1:57:12
Disc 11Phaedra3:152Dido5:303Medea11:544Phyllis6:375Hero5:066Hermione3:247Canace4:428Ariadne3:429Cydippe3:3110Sappho2:3111Briseis8:24Disc 21Phaedra3:152Dido5:303Medea11:544Phyllis6:375Hero5:066Hermione3:247Canace4:428Ariadne3:429Cydippe3:3110Sappho2:3111Briseis8:242024 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 50:38
1Betont4:502Matching Markers6:373The Tinter1:164Polytics5:585Earth's Pores5:056Drenches in Zink7:477Signs of Lines6:028Marina's Music7:219Modally Robust5:422025 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 56:17
1Want het was me het weekje weer wel4:572Bon gré, mal gré8:193Une fois chaque fois5:374Effet‐tunnel4:095Error‐tolerant3:056Archivcharakter4:577Amorce5:318Mutual Overwriting2:419Catch‐All Procedures5:4910Weakening It4:5411Brachliegend6:18
Album · 17
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Close CoverSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 6 tracks · 36:071Close Cover3:15 2Tourtour2:30 3Circular Breathing3:47 4Struggle for Pleasure3:52 5Gentleman of Leisure4:33 6Lir18:10 | Compilation | 1986 | |
| 1986 | The Belly of an ArchitectSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 34:061Augustus1:34 2Birds for the Mind4:45 3The Aural Trick2:40 4Struggle for Pleasure3:54 54 Mains3:11 6Close Cover3:16 7Time Passing1:36 8Tourtour2:30 9And With Them1:31 10Andrea Doria1:02 11Galba1:39 12Caracalla1:56 13Hadrian3:01 14Augustus1:31 | Soundtrack | 1986 | |
| 1990 | Play For Me Vol. 1Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 15 tracks · 1:06:511Insert Coin0:48 2Deluxe1:49 38 Ball1:47 4Mystik11:25 5Fireball5:44 6Invader3:26 7Dog-In4:58 8Gorf0:55 9Mimicry4:56 10Exitium6:02 11Confutatio3:06 12Pernicies3:57 13Condemnatio7:30 14Non Datur6:06 15Pranzo4:22 | Compilation | October 1990 | |
| 1990 | Play For MeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 11 tracks · 1:07:401A Visiting Card6:57 2The Fosse7:58 3No Plans No Projects5:11 4When the Line Grows Thick5:12 5Usura2:23 6Watch!1:42 7The Personnel Changes7:04 8Paying For Love10:57 9No Testament3:54 10Words On The Page13:05 11The Whole3:17 | Compilation | October 1990 | |
| 1990 | Play for MeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube Music | Compilation | October 1990 | |
| 1993 | Epic That Never WasSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks · 1:08:231Circular Breathing5:20 2Multiple 124:41 3The Land Beyond the Sunset10:57 4Voo Outro12:10 5Humility4:25 6La femme de nulle part7:37 7Iris7:20 8Kanaries / Night Creature9:37 9The Belly of an Architect3:15 10Close Cover3:01 | Live | 1993 | |
| 1994 | Catalogue 1980-1995 + Gave Van Niets SamplerSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 6 tracks · 1:01:311Wo-men21:06 2It Serves You Right5:07 3How About What?8:24 4Alles Gisteren7:35 5Ce Qui A Lieu12:11 6Le Héros7:08 | Compilation | 1994 | |
| 1997 | Best of Wim MertensSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks · 56:541Struggle for Pleasure4:02 2Birds for the Mind4:51 3Close Cover3:23 4Their Duet3:36 5Humility3:02 6Often a Bird3:49 74 Mains3:18 8No Testament3:58 9Iris9:55 10Hors-Nature3:22 11Maximizing the Audience11:50 12The Scene1:48 | Compilation | 1997 | |
| 1999 | Father Damien (Music from the Original Soundtrack)Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 53:211Newcomers3:24 2A Sandy Shore6:49 3The Good News3:36 4A Fragile Peace3:30 5My Confession4:31 6Inhale Deeply2:44 7I Saw You Come3:23 8A Wood Stove2:30 9As Music in the Trees3:32 10A Permit to Return0:50 11I Come as I Am5:14 12My Rosary3:18 13I’ve Been Dreaming7:04 14No More2:56 | Soundtrack | 1999 | |
| 2002 | Years Without History, Volume 1: Moins de mètre, assez de rythmeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 8 tracks · 1:11:561Gentleman of Leisure4:08 2Watch Me Over16:29 3Lir16:17 4Salernes4:06 5La mesure5:14 6Wandering Eyes9:47 7Shot One9:47 8We'll Find Out6:08 | Live | 2002 | |
| 2002 | MomentSearch SpotifySearch YouTube Music | Compilation | 2 November 2002 | |
| 2008 | Years Without History Volume 7: Nosotros. Live in Gaasbeek 14.7.2002Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 13 tracks · 1:04:491And Growth Can Be Heard3:11 2Swirling Backwards4:49 3From Out of Which5:57 4Bold Forgetting3:56 5Songes2:23 6Venturing Into Colony3:19 7Further Hunting6:22 8Working the Ploughs6:03 9What That One Does9:48 10Fantasmatic Certainty5:38 11Bewildering Din4:33 12Wound to Wound3:03 13Often a Bird5:47 | Live | 2008 | |
| 2009 | Music And FilmSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 50 tracksDisc 1 1The Way Down 2Common To All 3A Tiels Leis 4Second Self 5Shot One 6The Scene 7Where It Withdraws 8Shared Out 9Houfnice 10Phrase Ordering 11The Paths Not Taken 12More Acute 13Le Vide 14Often A Bird 15Le Noir 16Now You See, Now You Don't (Closing) 17Handgriff Disc 21As Hay In The Sun 2Ce Bruit 3Eine Kugelrunde Null 4Coltan 5No Plans, No Projects 6The Weight Of The Height 7The Land Beyond The Sunset 8Kept In Grip 9Close Cover 10At Risk 11Tout Est Visible 12La Brume 13In A Frank Manner 14In 3 Or 4 Ways 15Doubly Distanced 16The Grasp Of Letting Go Disc 31Ta Tête 2Birds For The Mind 3It's Halting 4Glue Of Words 5Tourtour 6La Femme De Nulle Part 7Spanne 84 Mains 9In Effigy 10Perfectly Uncovered 11Et Pourtant 12Years Without History 13Acted Out 14Naviamente 15Effaced Horizons 16Struggle For Pleasure 17The Way Up | Compilation,Soundtrack | 2009 | |
| 2009 | QuaSearch SpotifySearch YouTube Music | Compilation | June 2009 | |
| 2017 | Natures’ LargessSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 22 tracks · 2:12:43Disc 1 1Tunneling5:20 2Kyrielle4:41 3Set Metres5:10 4A Travelogue4:33 5Nuanced5:31 6Moss You Are9:26 7The Tonality5:13 8Transbordered4:47 9Old Katarakt6:49 10More Real7:00 11Eigenstates7:41 Disc 21Earmarked5:56 2Often a Bird5:00 3Birds for the Mind5:18 4Maximizing the Audience10:42 5Wound to Wound11:36 6Sidemen7:19 7Watch!2:00 8Sorry for the Visual Noise1:53 94 Mains5:15 10Struggle for Pleasure6:10 11Close Cover5:23 | Live | 29 September 2017 | |
| — | Retrospectives, Volume 1Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks · 57:411Struggle for Pleasure4:00 2A Visiting Card6:59 3Humility2:57 4Birds for the Mind4:50 5No Testament3:59 6Maximizing the Audience11:48 7Close Cover3:26 84 Mains3:11 9A Tiels Leis8:14 10To Keep Them From Falling8:17 | Compilation | — | |
| — | Platinum CollectionSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 36 tracks · 3:14:16Disc 1 1Close Cover3:23 24 Mains3:19 3Their Duet3:40 4Hufhuf3:28 5No Testament3:59 6Naviamente4:01 7Maximizing the Audience11:50 8Multiple 126:45 9To Keep Them From Falling8:21 10A Sandy Shore6:49 112 and 3 = 12:12 12In 3 or 4 Days6:17 Disc 21Wound to Wound7:25 2The Paths Not Taken7:36 3With All Its Might6:11 4Un Respiro3:41 5The Personell Changes7:09 6The Scene1:55 7Often a Bird3:52 8The Fosse4:38 9What That One Does9:14 10Not at Home7:34 11Gorf0:42 12Song 67:40 Disc 31Struggle for Pleasure4:03 2Alef5:01 3Birds for the Mind4:50 4Humility3:01 5Yes, I Never Did5:36 6Passend (reprise)4:19 7Hors-Nature3:40 8Zutzig7:09 9Al3:54 10La fin de la visite6:03 11Iris9:55 12MP45:04 | Compilation | — |
Other · 7
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Whisper MeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 4 tracks · 39:081A Visiting Card6:57 2The Fosse8:02 3No Plans, No Projects5:12 4Whisper Me18:57 | Compilation | 1988 | |
| 1998 | And Bring You BackSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 4 tracks · 24:381And Bring You Back5:08 2Si Loin du Centre5:20 3A Feet Maniac6:38 4Song 67:32 | 1998 | ||
| 2004 | Years Without History, Volume 5: With No Need for SeedsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 5 tracks · 41:521Apart From the One3:59 2Zweierlei7:31 3Whisper Me18:20 4The Fosse7:01 5Close Cover5:01 | Live | July 2004 | |
| 2008 | ClairièreSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 24 tracks · 1:39:14Disc 1 1So That (TWI 154 Close Cover Single Mix)2:32 2Limes2:12 3The Ship (TWI 154 Close Cover Single Mix)2:12 4Tiresias (TWI 154 Close Cover Single Mix)1:37 5Contendu Melodiae2:30 62 And 3 Is 12:12 7t Klopt1:38 8Gleaner1:38 9Tsjueh2:12 10Wording2:34 11Insert Coin0:49 12Deluxe1:50 138 Ball1:50 14Mystik11:26 15Fireball5:44 16Invader3:26 17Dog-in4:59 18Gorf0:41 Disc 21Coloured By Turning7:26 2That Strange Attractor8:12 3Dense Points8:00 4That M8:05 5At Home7:55 6Not At Home7:34 | Compilation | 2008 | |
| 2012 | A Starry WisdomSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 8 tracks · 56:251From a Nethermost Point of View6:28 2More Than a Genre3:30 3Contemporaneousness4:39 4The Custom of Amok5:07 5Given Without Givenness7:20 6At the Edge of the Void11:56 7Ausgedehnt8:36 8The Scene of Two8:49 | 23 November 2012 | ||
| 2019 | InescapableSearch SpotifySearch YouTube Music | Compilation | 2019 | |
| — | Cran aux OeufsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 30 tracks · 2:42:27Disc 1 1Wegzuwünschen3:36 2Unwillen-nichtwollen5:41 3Wie mich dünckt6:18 4Earmarked5:46 5Reihengewebe7:10 6Überhandnehmend8:30 7Post and postures3:56 8The place of a gap7:14 9According to the one8:00 Disc 21Loosening the ropes5:24 2In the knapsack3:59 3And hit the bitter water4:12 4Those willing to tell a story4:07 5Oxyrhynchus6:07 6But the archer himself feeling the arrow’s point from another bow2:43 7Burned on non fruit-bearing wood7:24 8Mixed with hellebore5:26 9Many tens of thousands of things3:51 10Shining hands3:39 Disc 31Tunneling4:38 2Kyrielle4:35 3Set Metres5:01 4A Travelogue4:21 5Nuanced5:04 6Moss you are8:20 7Transbordered5:08 8The tonality4:52 9Old katarakt5:36 10More real6:40 11Eigenstates5:09 | — |
EP · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | LisaSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 6 tracks · 21:111Le noir4:51 2Le vide3:59 3Ce bruit4:40 4La brume3:48 5Ta tête1:32 6Et pourtant2:21 | 1996 |
Single · 3
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | European GrassesSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 16:501European Grasses9:20 2Helm7:30 | 1 May 2020 | ||
| 2023 | On the Zephyrous PeakSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 7:441On the Zephyrous Peak7:44 | 24 February 2023 | ||
| 2025 | Weakening ItSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track · 4:541Weakening It4:54 | 3 October 2025 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Wim Mertens head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 22 | 83.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 87 | 97.4th |
| Studio albums | 59 | 99.5th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 61 | 99.3th |
| Recording span (years) | 43 | 83.8th |
| Genres | 19 | 99.5th |
Awards & honours
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Verdict(band) | — | present | original |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WimMertens1990.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/bc2fd8bc-91ea-4b7e-a52e-d67bea5c0313discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/bc2fd8bc-91ea-4b7e-a52e-d67bea5c0313core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q526885seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Mertensbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Mertens
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: de Singel · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q526885 · MusicBrainz: bc2fd8bc-91ea-4b7e-a52e-d67bea5c0313
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