A music scene is not just about bands and record labels. Around it exists a whole network of people who form the backbone behind the scenes, making sure the scene can thrive and grow. They organize concerts, produce radio and podcast shows, run magazines, and create merchandise or exclusive limited editions.
One of these people is Tom Saenen: a devoted music enthusiast who doesn’t just nurture his passion but brings it to life in creative, tangible ways. Through his dedication and originality, he contributes to the experience and preservation of the scene, proving that music culture is about far more than the artists on stage.
Who is Tom and how would you describe yourself?
I am a 45-year-old teenager with the mindset of an eighty-year-old who yells at small children that everything was better in the old days. I despise 99% of the world’s population but would go through fire for those who are dear to me. And although I dislike people so much, I have always worked in the “service sector” and have always set up things privately from which other people could enjoy themselves. Concerts, festivals, art, and clothing with SinFlower… I guess there’s a masochist hidden in me.
I know you as a true music lover. Where did it all begin for you and with which bands or styles?
My love for music has always been there for as long as I can remember. Even though my parents were not into music, the radio was always on at home. I was 12 or 13 when we got our first TV at home, so that probably played a role as well.
The heavier stuff started with a Motörhead tape or CD I got from a cousin for my birthday, followed by Guns ’n’ Roses, Metallica, and the typical metal bands of that time. Slowly We Rot by Obituary was the first form of extreme metal I discovered. I was always searching for everything strange, heavy, and different. All my pocket money went into buying CDs, demos, and vinyl. That could be any genre—metal, punk, goth, electronic music… I also tried to attend as many concerts as possible, as far as I could.
At 15 I went to see The Ramones… often hitchhiking with a tent on my back. That’s how I saw Emperor in 1997 in Denderhoutem. I had no driver’s license, I was 17, Denderhoutem was on the other side of the country and there was no train station… Glorious times!
How did the idea for SinFlower Apparel cross your path?
SinFlower started many years ago with the idea of a clothing line. I always found clothing and alternative fashion interesting, but I could never find cool shirts, hoodies, or anything like that for myself without a band logo or big brand name. So, I thought… I know a bunch of tattoo artists, I’ll ask them to make some designs and we’ll print them on quality shirts to start with. It never got off the ground!
Fast forward a few years to the first COVID lockdown. My wife and I had the idea to buy and build a 3D printer. Once we got the hang of it, I started playing with “occult” designs, and there seemed to be interest. The name SinFlower resurfaced, and since we still had that old Facebook page… why not?! I started designing again and that’s how the clothing line came back into the picture, and now it does sell.
Besides the “normal” items you make, you have also created things for various bands. How did these contacts come about and what have you made?
The first thing I ever made for a band was a very limited batch of shirts for the Belgian psychedelic rockers Hidden Trails, for their show at Roadburn Festival in 2018. After that, things stayed quiet on the band front for a while. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t take on overly complicated projects.
As a vinyl snob, I had already printed some slipmats for myself, and I thought about offering this to bands. That’s how I ended up surprising H of Oerheks with a slipmat featuring his logo as a gift. Just like that… But of course, I couldn’t resist offering to make some more that he could sell. He agreed, and so I ended up making 20 slipmats with that incredibly complex logo—which I printed mirrored 17 times before I realized it… We laughed a lot about it afterward, didn’t earn a thing of course!
I also made 30 slipmats for one of my absolute favorite bands, and that’s something I’ll always treasure: Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, the Swedish dark ambient, neofolk, apocalyptic pop band. I’ve been following them since the mid-’90s and never lost sight of them, even when I was deeply into other genres. I first made one for myself and posted it on social media. I tagged Tomas from the band, and he contacted me asking if I could make some for them. They were sold exclusively at two of their shows and sold out immediately.
Last year, I also made the cover for the 8” single-sided release of the track Behind My Semblance by the Belgian band Splendidula. I’ve never met the band; all communication went through Benjamin of Saturni Records. I must say, it turned out to be a beautiful release.
Working with and for bands is always special, especially since you’re usually also a fan of the bands you’re creating for. I consider it an honor to be able to do this.
You’ve been present with your work at the Duystere Markt. How did you get involved with this organization?
I’ve been part of the Duystere Markt since the very beginning—the very first edition in Houthalen. I seem to remember seeing a call for vendors and sent in my application. And so it happened! It was an absolutely insane day. We (my wife often helps out) had no experience whatsoever with this kind of thing and no idea what to expect. We sold pretty much everything we brought that day.
The Duystere Markt is truly an amazing event. I know some people think it’s grown too big, but I wholeheartedly wish Wes and his wife all the best. They managed to turn an amateurish one-day event into a large, internationally visited, and respected multi-day festival in two countries in just a few years. Nothing but respect!
The Belgian Black Metal scene seems to be going through a growth spurt again. How do you see this?
I believe there has always been quality when it comes to Belgian Black Metal. That the international recognition wasn’t always there, well… who’s to blame? Bands like Enthroned and Ancient Rites always did well internationally. Looking at what has been released by Belgian bands in recent years, we can conclude that we are not inferior to any scene.
I already mentioned Oerheks, but I must also highlight bands like Forbidden Temple, Apovrasma, Moenen of Xezbeth, Ihloosuhree, LVTHN, and Matavitatau. And if we go a bit broader, I shouldn’t forget the Blackened Death of Verwilderd.
You have many friends and contacts in the scene, have you ever had the ambition to join a band yourself? And do you play an instrument?
Plenty of ambition, but unfortunately I have no musical talent at all. I have thousands of ideas about how a song should sound, which vocals should go where, I even have the visuals in my head. But let’s keep it a fantasy.
I did once make digital music. Dark Ambient, Industrial, Power Electronics—all under the name Still Searching For Humans. I recently listened back to the recordings I still have. It lacks the quality or input of someone with real musical talent, but the idea is clear, and without blowing my own horn… the concept was good, and the foundation too. About that name—it’s more relevant now than it ever was.
You work with a 3D printer, among other things. What other methods do you use to realize your vision?
At home, I have a 3D printer, an embroidery machine, an arsenal of sewing machines, a cutting plotter, and several heat presses. But I also enjoy working with recycled materials such as old furniture, skate decks, and old religious art. I scour flea markets looking for objects that speak to me. Once, I bought an antique triptych that had hung in the abbey of Dendermonde. I got it for next to nothing and transformed it into the centerpiece for a satanic altar.
You are connected with The Church of Satan. What drew you to their vision of Satanism?
I hold the title of Warlock in the Church of Satan, and I carry it with pride. I don’t care much about recognition from others, but I must admit that receiving this title genuinely meant a lot to me.
First of all, I want to make clear that there is only one form of Satanism. The religion of Satanism was developed by Anton Szandor LaVey. Before LaVey, there was no organized religion with that name. The term “Satanist” was often used as an accusation or insult, but not as something people used to describe themselves—until LaVey. A Satanist recognizes themselves in what is written in The Satanic Bible and applies these principles (consciously or unconsciously) to their life.
What we often see in the scene with bands is “devil worship”—that’s something completely different, and that’s perfectly fine. There’s an entire world of occultism, but that’s not the same as Satanism. I don’t mind losing myself in that occult world during a concert or while listening to an album, but I’m always aware it’s a fantasy. Every divine being, good or evil, is created by humans and can be destroyed by humans.
What attracts me to the religion—or philosophy, as some call it—is that it stands for harsh reality, taking responsibility, living in the here and now, love for life but also no fear of death, self-deification but without arrogance… And I’m not averse to a good dose of theater or drama. Because let’s be honest—religion is theater. At least we admit it!
Any final words?
Thank you very much for the interview.
Interested people can find us on Instagram and Facebook. No, there’s no website—if I make something, I throw it on our socials, and once it’s sold… it’s gone!
If you are a band/artist who wants to collaborate, if you want extremely limited merch, or something extra for your new release—get in touch, and who knows…
Hail Satan!
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