Meet the Founders
Behind MABEL
Three people with a shared passion for preserving Belgium's extraordinary musical heritage — and decades of experience in publishing, research, archives, design, photography and cultural projects.
Their vision is to build not only a digital archive, but a living cultural institution that inspires future generations.
Portrait — TBC
Founder & Archive Director
Ronny Wynants
Founder of MABEL and co-founder of Les Iles Publishers.
Ronny has spent decades researching, collecting and preserving Belgian music history, with a particular focus on early Belgian rock'n'roll, rock, punk, new wave, EBM and underground culture. As the driving force behind the internationally acclaimed Bloody Belgium book and numerous archival initiatives, he has built one of the most important private collections dedicated to Belgian popular music.
His vision for MABEL is to transform this passion into a permanent cultural institution where archives, exhibitions, publications and education come together to preserve Belgium's musical legacy.
Founder's pick
A 1977 gig poster rescued from a demolished Antwerp club wall.
Portrait — TBC
Co-founder & Project Development
Kathleen Bruyland
Co-founder of MABEL and Les Iles Publishers.
Kathleen oversees project development, publishing, communication and organisational management. She plays a key role in transforming ideas into sustainable cultural initiatives and building partnerships that will help MABEL grow into an internationally recognised centre for Belgian music heritage.
Founder's pick
A box of handwritten fan letters sent to a band that never made a second single.
Portrait — TBC
Co-founder & Creative Director
Gunter Segers
Co-founder of MABEL and Les Iles Publishers.
Gunter is responsible for the creative vision of MABEL. As designer, visual storyteller and publisher, he shapes the visual identity of the archive, publications, exhibitions and digital platform. His work ensures that Belgium's music history is presented in a contemporary, engaging and internationally appealing way.
Founder's pick
The screenprinted sleeve design of a self-released 1979 seven-inch.
The Story
From publishing to preservation
Years of publishing, documenting and researching Belgian music naturally evolved into something larger. Projects such as Bloody Belgium, the publications of Les Iles Publishers, extensive archive research and collaborations with musicians, photographers and collectors made one thing painfully clear: the material exists, but it is scattered, fragile and largely undocumented.
That realisation laid the foundation for a much bigger ambition — creating Belgium's first dedicated archive and future museum for popular music and underground culture. Not an institution imposed from above, but one built out of the scene itself, together with the people who lived it.
2011
Les Iles Publishers
An independent publishing house is born.
2022
Bloody Belgium
Years of research become an internationally acclaimed book on Belgian punk.
2024
The Documentary
Bloody Belgium goes into production as a feature documentary.
2026
MABEL
The digital archive launches as an independent non-profit initiative.
Future
The Museum
A physical museum, exhibition space and research centre for Belgian music heritage.
"We believe Belgium's music history deserves to be preserved, shared and celebrated. MABEL exists to safeguard that heritage — not only for today's music lovers, but for future generations."