Le Guess Who? 2018 Program Guide

Le Guess Who? Program Guide 2018

index 2 Festival map 4 Venue addresses 5 Ticket & wristband info 6 Le Guess Who? x Bant Mag 12 Artist Biographies Thursday 24 Artist Biographies Friday 54 Artist Biographies Saturday

40 Le Bazarre 38 Le Feast 25 Le Mini Who? 13 Lombok Festival 1 Le Guess Who? Untitled

index

111 Partners

42 Educational projects & Le Gig Poster

110 Behind the scenes at Le Guess Who?

44 Utrecht Treasure Guide

84 Artist Biographies Sunday

There’s something about Le Guess Who? happening in November that evokes both a snapshot of the year as it passes, and a preview of what’s to come. Looking back we see the patterns that shaped our immediate reality most. And yet, what fits inside the frame is never the whole story.

This year, we honor the complex and multifaceted nature of the Artist.

Amongst performance artists turned professors, musicians taking up carpentry and poetry-writing filmmakers, these renaissance personas house a multitude of talents that adapt with ease across a variety of disciplines. And often completely unobserved. As today’s thinkers venture into other art forms and the world of academia, we zoom out to illustrate the fluid conditions in which true creativity flows, regardless of how it is packaged. Collaboration looms large: from festival curators unbound by genre to the art, science and educational organizations with whom we have partnered to bring this program to fruition.

This year’s hidden gem is undoubtedly LGW’s daytime lineup, ‘Untitled’, a celebration of silence and introspection to counterbalance the sonic heights of the night. Featuring thought-provoking live discussions and commissioned interactive pieces both audio and visual, this program reiterates that the question is always the starting point of the conversation.

With over 7 billion people on the planet, the music we hear is only a fraction of what’s out there.

This is the instinct that keeps us digging.

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Vlampijpstraat

Tractieweg

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Venue addresses 1. TivoliVredenburg

12. Casco Art Institute

Vredenburgkade 11

2. Kapitaal (Festival Hangout)

13. Kytopia

Paardenveld

3. EKKO ★

14. Centraal Museum

Bemuurde Weerd Westzijde 3

Oudegracht 245

Agnietenstraat 1

4. Poema

15. Nicolaïkerk

Drieharingstraat 22

5. BASIS ★

Oudegracht aan de Werf 97

6. BAK

Pauwstraat 13A

7. Filmtheater ’t Hoogt

Hoogt 4

8. Theater Kikker

Ganzenmarkt 14

9. Janskerk

Janskerkhof 26

10. Stadsschouwburg

Lucasbolwerk 24

11. Domkerk

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Lange Nieuwstraat 7

Achter de Dom 1

Nicolaaskerkhof 8

16. Rotsoord 17. De Helling

Helling 7

18. LE:EN

Heuveloord 140

19. De Pastoe Fabriek

Rotsoord 7b

20. Lombok 21. dB’s

CAB-Rondom 100

22. WAS.

Tractieweg 41

★ Please note: these venues are pin only.

TICKET & INFO AREA + WRISTBAND PICKuP Our Ticket & Info Area is located in TivoliVredenburg, Vredenburgkade 11 (right next to Utrecht central station). To ensure entrance to festival venues, you need to exchange your ticket for a wristband here.

Please note: you cannot pick up your wristband at other festival venues.

Please keep in mind that all venues have limited capacity. Make sure to be on time if you want to be assured of entrance.

Some performances may be loud. Please provide your own earplugs or get them at venues like TivoliVredenburg, De Helling or EKKO.

TIMETABLES AND PROGRAM GuIDE Printed timetables are available at the Ticket & Info Area in TivoliVredenburg. Please keep in mind that every festival visitor receives one program guide upon arrival at the festival, but for a new or additional copy, â‚Ź 2,50 will be charged.

Although we try to offer you the most up-to-date information, info on all printed matter is subject to change. For the latest updates please visit leguesswho.com, subscribe to our WhatsApp (see leguesswho.com/whatsapp), or keep an eye on our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook channels.

SATELLITE EVENTS Every year during LGW, we host several satellite events, showcasing other art disciplines, local performers, products and artworks that are related to the festival. For more information on our satellite events and the best spots to visit in Utrecht, turn this guide around and upside down!

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Le Guess Who? x Bant Mag This year’s program guide is enriched with six illustrated stories on Le Guess Who? artists

by Bant Mag. Over the years, we’ve built a strong connection with Bant, who are some of the most creative minds around. This year, the magazine is one of the media partners of the festival again. The independent magazine, based in Istanbul, has been bringing together new and exciting tendencies about music, film, arts and culture since 2004.

Starting from the first day of its existence, it has been aiming to present alternative movements and subcultures both in its hometown and around the world, and chasing after young talented artists to take them along the way, and together, destroy the geo­ graphical boundaries in the world of art and culture.

You will come across the illustrated stories while browsing through the program guide.

Texts by Cem Kayıran Illustrations by: Sadi Güran (Art Ensemble of Chicago), Berkay Dağlar (Rodrigo Amarante), Gizem Gündüz (Anoushka Shankar), Ethem Onur Bilgiç (Saul Williams) and Rajab Eryiğit (Beverly GlennCopeland)

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Car Seat Headrest

14 NOV

Vaudou Game

16 NOV

Vrije Geluiden Live

21 NOV

23 JAN

Niklas Paschburg

Amadou & Mariam

22 NOV

27 JAN

Phronesis

Lambert & Dekker

23 NOV

27 JAN

Colin Benders & Metropole Orkest

Lubomyr Melnyk

25 NOV

3 FEB

Esben and the Witch

My Brightest Diamond

26 NOV

5 FEB

Death Cab For Cutie

Rauelsson + Tatu Rönnkö

2 DEC

6 FEB

Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba

ICP Orchestra

8 DEC

15 MRT

MEDfest: Hindi Zahra

Wolf Alice

11 DEC

17 MRT

Brandford Marsalis Quartet

Mauro Pawlowski & Braaknoot Ensemble

16 DEC

20 MRT

Mammal Hands

Guy van Nueten

29 DEC

29 MRT

Colin Stetson

11 JAN

29 MRT

Nightports

10 MEI

Brad Mehldau Trio

The Como Mamas

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THURSDAY 8 NOVEMBER AMMAR 808 Together with three powerful Maghreb voices, the ultra-low TR-808 bass and potent beats, Tunisian producer Sofyann Ben Youssef (a.k.a AMMAR 808) takes you into the dark realms of North African futurism. With a propelling blend between Tunisian “Targ” music and tense electronic beats, AMMAR 808 reinvents this homegrown style. This is music that criticizes borders and separatism set by colonial forces, while simultaneously making the audience move to a futuristic, forceful sound.

Art Ensemble of Chicago Curated by Moor Mother In the mid-1960s, Art Ensemble of Chicago sprung from the Association for the Advan­ cement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Ever since, they have been celebrated as one of the most remarkable free jazz movements to arise from Chicago’s already rich jazz heritage. Moving far beyond jazz, avant-garde and performance art, the ensemble has created a realm that is entirely original. On the eve of the Art Ensemble’s 50th Anniversary, we celebrate their legacy and welcome them back in style, after a 25-year absence in The Netherlands.

BCUC

Art Ensemble of Chicago

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Photo: Enid Farber

Curated by Shabaka Hutchings The sensational Afro-psychedelic collective BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Con­scious­ ness) started out as a social gathering in their native township of Soweto, South Africa.

BCUC is an alliance of guitarists, djembe players, flute artists, and spoken word assassins, all geared towards “solution-driven” politics and fervent appetite for collaboration. Led by soul preacher Jovi’s intense swagger, BCUC are proof that activism and fun aren’t mutually exclusive. In their own words: “for the people, by the people, and with the people.”

Black Midi Having formed only a year ago, London four piece Black Midi is storming UK’s under­ ground scene with tremendous and terrifying force. Following a notorious live session at NTS radio – during which all the songs were so new, they didn’t have any titles yet -, they recently released their first single ‘bmbmbm’: a frightening piece of math-noise, featuring screams from an unknown singer, harsh vocals and dark, dominant guitar riffs.

Colin Stetson

Photo: Sallaz Marie Magnin

Driven by trance-like repetition and adventurous spirit, Colin Stetson’s performan­ ces are an unworldly display of sonic inventiveness and emotional release. Exploring the full scope of his instrument – the mightily impressive bass sax -, this powerhouse creates roaring sounds unlike anything you’d expect a single human to generate. With such a craft, it comes as no surprise that the likes of Bon Iver, Arcade Fire and Tom Waits have all tapped into Stetson’s special talents.

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Delia Gonzalez Based in both New York City and Berlin, Delia Gonzalez is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work spreads over a wide variety of disciplines, including composing, choreography, sculpting/painting and performance art. Last year, Gonzalez released her second fulllength ‘Horse Follows Darkness’ via DFA Records: a synth-charged record inspired by American Western movies, something she was hooked up to by her eight-year-old son.

DRINKS Curated by Devendra Banhart Carefree’ doesn’t even begin to describe the music of DRINKS. Untroubled by anything resembling internal logic, White Fence’s Tim Presley and Cate Le Bon indulge in deliciously obtuse avant-rock vignettes. In this thrilling musical tête-à-tête, no stone is left unturned: The Raincoats’ feisty post-punk, Faust’s rampant experimentalism, Syd Barrett’s cryptic absurdity, Nico’s Teutonic charm… you name it, and DRINKS will serve it.

Emel Mathlouthi Curated by Moor Mother Singer-songwriter and producer Emel Mathlouthi combines the vibrant sounds of psychedelic folk with heavy electronics and atmospheric melodies. She gained global recognition when her recording ‘Kelmti Horra (My Word Is Free)’ went viral, which led to a memorable performance at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

Through her music, however, Mathlouthi travels beyond political subtext, to – in her own words – “create music that’s on the frontline, not only of what it’s standing for, but also the quality of what people are listening to.”

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FAKA Curated by Moor Mother Fela Gucci and Desire Marea are on a mission. As performance art duo, FAKA could just as easily be labeled as a cultural movement. With a combination of sound, live performance, literature, video and photography, FAKA are defenders of black queer culture. At the same time, they endeavor to re-shape South African contemporary culture and identity. The duo’s latest EP ‘Amaqhawe’ features a idiosyncratic, upbeat approach of ‘gqom’ – a raw, minimal version of African house music – and explores the intricacies of black queer love.

Jerusalem In My Heart Orchestra presents ‘Don’t Say The Moon Has Set’

Photo: Juri Hiensch

The audio-visual happening of Jerusalem In My Heart has roots in both Montréal and Beirut, also combining the best of both worlds. Figurehead Radwan Ghazi Moumneh has been nursing the craft of contemporary Middle Eastern music for the past 12 years.

Now, he adds a new chapter to the JIHM project: a collaboration with an oriental orchestra from Beirut. Together, they’ll premiere a performance that will include an adaptation of classical Egyptian work ‘Ya Garat Al Wadi’ (1928).

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Photo: Timothy Duffy

Lonnie Holley

Kaja Draksler & Terrie Ex Renowned Slovenia-born, Netherlands-based pianist Kaja Draksler brings a wondrous revisionist stamp on homegrown folk, classical modernism, improv and pop. Draksler will perform with none other than Terrie ‘Ex’ Hessels, the high-spirited guitarist and founder of tireless Dutch improv-punks The Ex.

Lonnie Holley feat. Nelson Patton With his self-taught piano improvisations and stream-of-consciousness lyrical approach, Lonnie Holley is a storyteller of the highest order. Apart from being an acclaimed visual artist, Holley also creates experimental music which is as radical, deeply honest and finely detailed as his sculptures. Unlike his previous musical output, Lonnie Holley’s new album ‘MITH’ tackles public matters and contemporary American politics. Holley’s performance will feature expressive trombone and drums duo Nelson Patton, who also contributed on his latest album.

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Lydia Lunch’s Big Sexy Noise In the late 70’s, as member of the notorious Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Lydia Lunch was a leading figure in the rise of New York City’s no-wave scene. Grounded in a dissonant and atonal sound, Lydia’s work typically features provocative and confrontational noise music, combined with a strong anti-commercial ethos. Big Sexy Noise’s performances are a raw and fearless display of works by Lydia’s acclaimed groups and projects, including Teenage Jesus, 13.13 and Shotgun Wedding.

LYZZA Curated by Moor Mother Born and raised in Brazil, DJ/producer/vocalist LYZZA is becoming a familiar face during radical, underground club nights all over the world, from Amsterdam all the way to Shanghai. LYZZA recently released her first EP ‘Powerplay’, prominently featuring her own distinctive voice, hardstyle kicks and splashing trance melodies, unraveling in a devastating climax.

Michael Rault Montreal-based singer-songwriter and producer Michael Rault executes his fine-polished rock and roll perfectly, shining with swooning guitars, gorgeous vocal harmonies and a steady groove. Despite Rault’s latest album ‘It’s a New Day Tonight’ being an escape from frustrating and dissatisfying conditions in his day-to-day life, Rault’s songs feel like a cleansing breeze while you drive down a sunlit coastline.

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ONCEIM & Éliane Radigue present ‘Occam Océan’ In cooperation with Gaudeamus Muziekweek The ‘Orchestre de Nouvelles Créations, Expérimentations et Improvisations Musicales’ (ONCEIM) is an orchestra of 34 musicians dedicated to the art of creation and experimentation; often in the form of long-stretched, complex pieces. ‘Occam Océan’ is the result of a two-year collaboration with Éliane Radigue, a leading figure in French contemporary music; a daring piece situated at the crossroads of the minimalist, electronic and spectral music worlds.

ONCEIM & Stephen O’Malley present ‘Gruides’ In cooperation with Gaudeamus Muziekweek The ‘Orchestre de Nouvelles Créations, Expérimentations et Improvisations Musicales’ (ONCEIM) is an orchestra of 34 musicians dedicated to the art of creation and experimentation; often in the form of long-stretched, complex pieces. ONCEIM will present their collaboration with Sunn O)))-founder Stephen O’Malley, entitled ‘Gruides’: a thrilling collision of drone doom and ONCEIM’s approach to sound as a layered art form.

ONCEIM

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Richard Fearless ‘What’s in a name?’, they say. In Richard Fearless’ case, a lot. He’s the mastermind behind Death In Vegas, not to mention an accomplished producer and DJ whose scope extends beyond the fringes of rock, techno, drones, kraut and pop. Fearless has this special knack for placing iconic voices like Iggy Pop, Liam Gallagher, Bobby Gillespie and Jim Reid into bold, unorthodox contexts. A true polymath whose interests extend beyond just music; fashion design, cinema and photography are just as much part of his – indeed – fearless artistic regimen.

Seefeel performing ‘Quique’ British collective Seefeel straddled that chasm between experimental rock and ambient techno long before artists like Radiohead and Broadcast – and even later, Dirty Beaches and Caribou – made it the norm. The group’s vital 1993 debut album ‘Quique’ incited indie rock fans to listen to electronic music and ravers to pick up the guitar. This record hasn’t aged a lick within today’s cross-bred playing field, further authenticating Seefeel’s vital place within the canon of modern alternative pop.

SASAMI Curated by Devendra Banhart Gaining reputation as an ‘all-round musical badass’ and self-proclaimed Synth Queen, SASAMI (Ashworth) is a prolific contributor to the L.A. music scene. On top of that, she’s a music teacher and composes numerous orchestral arrangements for films, commercials and studio albums.

Having recently left indie rockers Cherry Glazerr in pursuit of a solo career, her synth-dripping single ‘Callous’ is a deeply personal and fiery sounding piece of music, leading up to her long anticipated solo album.

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Senyawa Hailing from Jogjakarta, Senyawa pushes traditional Indonesian music and experimental music far, far beyond their accustomed boundaries, resulting in a thrilling blend of their cultural heritage, avant-garde influences, and doomy elements. To accompany Rully Shabara’s kaleidoscopic, punctuating vocal techniques, Wukir Suryadi uses a single-handedly built bamboo instrument which features a whole new sonic dimension: it can be rhythmically percussive while at the same time being melodically bowed and plucked.

Shannon Lay Curated by Devendra Banhart With her wistful, feathery voice as your guide, Shannon Lay channels the turmoil and fears of seeking out an unconventional life. Her 2017 album ‘Living Water’ was produced by The Cairo Gang’s Emmett Kelly and released on Kevin Morby’s imprint Mare Records. The latter described Shannon Lay’s work best: “Like ‘Pink Moon’ (Nick Drake) or ‘Just Another Diamond Day’ (Vashti Bunyan) before it, this is music so potent, it exists outside the realms of time.”

Senyawa

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Sun Foot Curated by Devendra Banhart Despite Sun Foot being a three piece, they could easily be defined as the exact opposite of a power trio. Labeled as surf noise and anti-beach pop, the members of Sun Foot play at a low volume, frisky tunes through small amps, plus a percussive throb that simply consists of a hand drum, cymbal, pan lids and electronic drum pad. Within these economic means, the band create a sound they described as follows: “Good to listen to if you are interested in the sun and tired of negativity.�

Vera Sola Vera Sola is a New York-based vocalist, poet and multi-instrumentalist.

In recent years, she has worked on numerous projects, including performing with folk-rock artist Elvis Perkins and writing several film and theater scores. These cinematic sensations resonate in her solo work, best described as a theatrical and orchestral version of Americana, featuring Vera Sola’s dark, visceral lyrics and haunting vocals.

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Yonatan Gat & The Eastern Medicine Singers Yonatan Gat became known as a member of revolutionary Israeli punk band Monotonix, as well as an acclaimed recording artist. After powwow drum group the Eastern Medicine Singers initially turned down Gat’s invitation to join him on stage at SXSW, they were hauling their drums in by the second song. Now, the Native American drum group will join Gat on stage once again to interpret his latest album ‘Universalists’; a collage of mesmerizing sounds including tribal chants, psychedelic punk rock and Gat’s iconic guitar playing.

Yves Tumor Before our very eyes, the mysterious Yves Tumor suspends set expectations of music and performance into a vortex of sheer disbelief. His unforgettable show at last year’s Le Guess Who? was a breakneck display of ritualistic catharsis, haunting a pitch black EKKO like a wraith. Tumor’s new album ‘Safe in the Hands Of Love’ captures pop at its utmost breaking point: deeply claustrophobic yet hellbent on breaking free from its prevailing trappings.

Yves Tumor

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FRIDAY 9 NOVEMBER Art Feynman Art Feynman is a musician and recording artist based in California. Rooted in the world’s oldest religion ‘Animism’, which asserts that all things living and inert are endowed with spiritual qualities, Feynman questions what it means to be alive. While this reflection is packed with paranoid humor, steady krautrock and pulsating afrobeat influences provide a driving force to Feynman’s peculiar, infectious tunes.

Blanck Mass Since the release of its self-titled debut album in 2011, Benjamin John Power, aka Blanck Mass, has been demonstrating his versatility as an experimental drone and ambient musician and producer. Apart from the several records he released, his work ranges from collaborations with The London Symphony Orchestra and Zola Jesus to touring with Sigur Rós and Slowdive. Accompanied by impressive visuals, a Blanck Mass live show is always an otherworldly experience, rich in both melodic composition and textural exploration.

Bliss Signal Digging into the ground that is somewhere in between shoegaze, post-rock, noise and black metal, Bliss Signal unleashes a claustrophobic blast of furious energy. The project marks the collaboration between two experimental artists, grime producer Jack Adams (Mumdance), and black metal and electronic musician James Kelly (WIFE), who released their debut album in September 2018. Despite having different backgrounds, the duo succeeds in keepings its extremes in constant balance.

Blanck Mass

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Bo Ningen Curated by Shabaka Hutchings Even though the four members of Bo Ningen originate from various regions in Japan, the band was originally formed in London. With their fiery stir of psychedelic experimentation, vigorous noise and searing punk, they create an overwhelming wall of sonic madness, which has led them to being praised as the best live band around. Look past this sonic boom, however, and you’ll find Bo Ningen’s music highly mesmerizing, bewilderingly complex and surprisingly melodic.

Boogarins Singing in their native language of Portuguese, Boogarins’ music will let you reevaluate the turbulent life of today. On their latest EP ‘Lá Vem a Morte’, the Brazilian psych rockers sound dark, sometimes even chaotic. But their songs are always filled with gorgeous, hazy melodies, light-feathered vocals and life-affirming beats. Filtering their country’s rich musical history through a very modern lens, they are a true Brazilian treasure.

Boogarins

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The Breeders Originally formed by Pixies’ Kim Deal and Throwing Muses’ Tanya Donelly, The Breeders are back in rumbling, restless style. Gaining worldwide recognition with their smashing, gummy hit single ‘Cannonball’, the band was a leading figure in the 90s grunge scene, becoming one of the most playful and wayward acts to emerge from it. With the iconic ‘Last Splash’ line-up brought back together, new album ‘All Nerve’ is once again filled with that distinctive and delicious The Breeders-magic.

Escape-Ism

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Photo: Marisa Gesualdi

Rock ‘n Roll revolutionary and punk veteran Ian Svenonius is back in town. The mythical performer, author, and filmmaker is currently taking the world by storm with his solo project Escape-Ism. Carrying only a guitar, microphone, an analogue-sounding drum machine and tape deck, Escape-Ism reinvents rock ’n’ roll the same way the jet engine reinvented travel; ripping up the stage to tiny, little bits.

Future Feminism presents ‘The Girls of Karen Black’ and ‘Singing The Tenants’

Pfahler, who has spawned fearlessly political music and performance art pieces that have both shocked and thrilled audiences since the 1980s, describes the live performance as “trying to puzzle together the pieces of a sustainable future. This is why Future Feminism was created, and this is what we’ll be singing about for the first event of this festival.”

The Girls of Karen Black is the continuation of Pfahler’s notorious group The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, and displays why she is one of the foremost feminist artists active today. As a dance artist and DJ, Johanna Constantine infiltrates both the art world and New York club scene with transformative performances.

Photo: Walter Wlodarczyk.

Founded by New York-based artists Kembra Pfahler, Johanna Constantine and Anohni, Future Feminism calls for the emergence of a feminine collective consciousness to save what remains of our world. Since the project’s inception in 2014, the principles of the Future Feminism Manifesto have been widely recognized and appropriated in popular culture, most notably Tenet #13: “The Future is Female”. The group presents a film program, a Future Feminism discussion, and a special theatrical performance based around the 13 Tenets of Future Feminism, featuring Kembra Pfahler, Johanna Constantine, and The Girls of Karen Black.

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Gigi Masin Curated by Devendra Banhart Oft-sampled though never imitated, Italian composer Gigi Masin’s deft ambient collages first entered our consciousness in the 1970s.

Masin finally earned recognition with his 1986 LP ‘Wind’, reflecting the melancholic backdrifts and rustic majesty of Venice. After losing all of his archives in 2007 in a flood, Masin joined forces with Dutch label Music From Memory for ‘Talk To The Sea’, a compilation of his past work. This year, Masin continued his artistic quest in headstrong fashion with new album ‘Kite’.

Hello Skinny Curated by Shabaka Hutchings One oath sworn by Hello Skinny – founded by Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – is to create improv music that doesn’t sound improvisational. Inspired by New York’s late ‘70s disco boom, and its mingling with hip hop, R&B, punk and the avant-garde, this ensemble represents an equally open-minded approach. It’s as if uK jazz, Jersey house, R&B, hip-hop, footwork and Arthur Russellminimalism all go skinny-dipping together.

Hilary Woods Despite its apparent frigid exterior, Hilary Woods’ debut LP ‘Colt’ is ultimately an inviting listening experience. Woods’ minimalist ambient pop compositions come to life with just a scarce set-up of drum computers, synths and piano. However, the album’s musical depth delves further than just its sum of parts; in the far distance through the thick haze, the rustic warmth of folk beckons like a flickering fireplace behind a windowpane.

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Howie Lee Composer Howie Lee’s greatest triumph isn’t even his immediately satisfying jumbling up of the traditional and futuristic. It’s how he channels such giddy enthusiasm into each one of his compositions, whether he opts to fuse traditional Chinese folk with the boisterous, polymorphic hysteria of footwork and trap. Lee works through stylistics and moods like one would scroll the web during intermissions between work shifts; a blazing sequence of thrill-seeking underpinned by an abstruse restlessness, escapism and anxiety.

Ill Considered Curated by Shabaka Hutchings Here’s a first impression of London four piece ensemble Ill Considered to spark your curiosity: their self-titled LP sounds like free-wheeling jams left on the cutting room floor for Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Curtis’. Upon further inspection, this album captures a band bewildered by its own immediate, outrageously energetic chemistry. Consider Ill Considered a tryst in rollicking percussion, smooth sax flourishes and nimble bass grooves, fingerlicking good in its execution.

Jacco Gardner’s Somnium Dutch multi-instrumentalist and psych pop traveler Jacco Gardner will be heading back to LGW. In collaboration with new media artist Thijs Biersteker, who created a kinetic VR installation entitled Volverium (aka Our realities), Gardner will premiere the ‘Somnium’ experience; the live debut of Gardner’s new instrumental album. This planetarium-like installation opens up a world of new perspectives, with its kinetic motion and colour changes in sync with the rhythmic and mystic feel of the musical performance.

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29-31 March, 2019 ¡ The Hague Festival passes now available at rewirefestival.nl 37

Jessica Pratt Curated by Devendra Banhart Jessica Pratt’s peculiar brand of astral folk has a way of stopping you dead in your tracks. The LA-based songsmith’s captivating, wistful coo evokes a mirage-like warmth, seducing the listener into a state between dream and real time. Pratt’s breakthrough album ‘On Your Own Love Again’ recalls the spirits of Nick Drake, Karen Dalton and Linda Perhacs: calm, affecting and meandering into the foggy distance.

Joe Coleman Joseph Coleman Jr. is a performance artist and illustrator whose hyper-detailed portraits depict celebrities, historical figures and artists with the same graceful iconography as the Gods and prophets of centuries’ past. Coleman’s curious work is often compared to Hieronymous Bosch in terms of its individualism. His canvas spans the full gamut of humankind’s tragedies, triumphs, sins and madness. At Le Guess Who?, Coleman will combine visuals of his art with his unique brand of incendiary poetry.

Joe Cardamone L.A. based experimental musician, producer, auteur and artist Joe Cardamone, formerly of The Icarus Line, stated ‘he doesn’t care about bands anymore’, so he began his own solo project: ‘Holy War Collection’. During late nights, to keep his mind occupied, Cardamone started making beats overlaid with vocals. Cardamone’s new approach on creating music sparked a powerful comeback, forging a contemporary fusion of R&B, crushing electronics and the combative spirit of his formative punk years.

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JPEGMAFIA Experimental rapper and producer JPEGMAFIA vouches for a stunning and destructive performance, delivering a thorough reminder that in a dangerous world, sometimes nowhere is safe. Earlier this year, the former servant of the U.S. Air Force released his fourth solo record, appropriately named ‘Veteran’. Through his work, JPEGMAFIA pushes lo-fi rap and trap music to the next level, creating a dark and hectic mayhem that reaches a confrontational level that urges sound into physical realms.

Judith Clijsters presents ‘Bored To Death’ In cooperation with Stadsschouwburg Utrecht; please note: doors will remain closed after start Belgian dancer and choreographer Judith Clijsters isn’t just someone who constructs and performs a dance movement. She observes. More specifically, she observes our bodies, and how we use them. Clijsters looked at people’s lifestyles and realized that we live, work and search for relaxation without really challenging our body. While at the same time, we are overtly fixed on excessive fitness and health culture. Inspired to keep growing through movement, Clijsters focuses on our connections to our bodies in her recent work ‘Bored to Death’.

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Photo: Aubrey Edwards

Katey Red Curated by Devendra Banhart As a transgender, Katey Red was one of the first openly gay artists within the masculine bounce hip hop-scene. Red became known for her rapid, machine gun-like beats and her explicit, gender fluid lyricism, earning great respect within the New Orleans bounce scene and far beyond.

Throughout the years, she’s grown to become an example for other queer rappers. As the New York Times stated: “A lot of things wouldn’t be going on in this town without her.”

Katey Red

Kelman Duran Dominican producer and multimedia artist Kelman Duran creates a club-situated, tense merger of Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Despite being rooted in the thriving L.A. club circuit, his music doesn’t lack a higher, political message. Duran explores the legacy of the black rebellion during Haitian Revolution and today’s unbalanced racial climate, reinterpreting and propelling the parameters of Afro- rhythms like reggaeton and dancehall.

King Champion Sounds Fronted by Kenya-born musician Ajay Saggar, King Champion Sounds are an impetuous, eight-headed band from The Netherlands and England. Fronted by the inimitable G.W. Sok (former singer of the iconic Dutch group The Ex) and his politically charged lyrics, King Champion Sounds’ music is a highly energetic and irresistible brew taking in elements from psychedelic post-punk, dub, free jazz, folk and electronica. Their new album ‘For A Lark’ is set to be released on the exact same day as their festival performance.

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Kojey Radical Curated by Shabaka Hutchings The multitalented British-Ghanaian Kojey Radical is an ever-evolving artist. Performing a sensational balancing act between UK grime, hip hop and alternative rap, this 25 year old poet-turned-rapper is already being hailed as UK’s answer to Kendrick Lamar. With irresistible charisma and an all-encompassing, gritty voice, Kojey Radical delivers a hybrid flow of rap and spoken word containing impassioned messages relating to themes like race, class and identity.

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Martin Bisi plays ‘BC35’ New York-based musician Martin Bisi is hailed as iconic producer who defined the sound of New York noise. This year’s release ‘BC35’ celebrates the 35-year Anniversary his of BC Studio – the legendary recording studio started by Bisi and Brian Eno – and honors the prolific producer’s work. Now, Bisi will be performing ‘BC35’ live: the result of a two-day recording session with BC Studio-affiliated musicians hailing from New York’s experimental underground.

Meridian Brothers Triggered by various Latin American rhythms and tremendous joy, a Meridian Brothers concert always results in one big dance party. Led by composer and multi-instrumentalist Eblis Álvarez, this Bogotá-based sextet has a very distinctive and playful take on Latin music. Exploring tropical sounds like salsa, cumbia and reggaeton in an electronic context, Meridian Brothers create an ecstatic sound filled with humor, subtlety and unprecedented drive to party.

Maria Chavez

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Photo: Chris Buck

Curated by Moor Mother Maria Chavez approaches the turntables as an instrument of transmission. This Peruvian artist doesn’t opt for just its function of mixing different types of music. Her approach is more primordial, also exploring the turntables’ soundgenerating abilities. She could even be considered a necromancer of sorts, giving broken records new life as part of her noise incursions. Like her mentor, the late Pauline Oliveros, Chavez is a unique case study in the practice of focussed listening.

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Negro Leo Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Leonardo Campelo Gonçalves, stage name Negro Leo, stands out from Brazil’s flourishing experimental music scene, without a doubt. By adding elements of free jazz, no-wave, African-noise tropicalia, and floating psychedelia, he gives Brazilian pop music a whole new and surreal dimension. With lyrics addressing delirious images of everyday life, Negro Leo’s quirky sambas are a bold representation of Brazil’s bustling society of nowadays.

Paddy Steer

Photo: Stuart Blackburn

Curated by Shabaka Hutchings Sonic tinkerer Paddy Steer dives into the realms of lo-fi pop, new age, acid jazz and cosmic funk like a kid with a new box of crayons. With a multitude of instruments at his disposal, this Manchester-based artist is able to create almost orchestral music as a one-man band. From modified synths to a wacky wardrobe of costumes, this truly is reality-bending madness; everything Paddy Steer conjures on stage is rooted in his distinctively outlandish vocabulary.

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Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Once, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs’ guitarist Adam Ian Sykes said: “on stage is where the slaughter takes place.” This is probably the best way to describe a performance of this mortal Newcastle-based five piece. Channeling the spirits of likes as Ozzy Osbourne and the late Lemmy Kilmister, Pigs will raise hell on earth with their deadly dose of riffage, raw power and rancour.

Psychic Ills Although Psychic Ills started as a bedroom recording project fifteen years ago, this New York-based band has been in constant evolution ever since. Never one to shy away from experiment, their music is grounded in deeply hypnotic, psychedelic grooves.

Psychic Ills evolved their sound by taking pilgrimages into country, blues, gospel, and jazz. Driven by krautrock grooves and thick synthesizers textures, Psychic Ills’ music is filled with soul-scorching melodies and gracious melancholia.

Rodrigo Amarante

Photo: Eliot Lee Hazel

Curated by Devendra Banhart Brazilian singer-songwriter Rodrigo Amarante is most famous for writing and performing ‘Tuyo’, the theme song for the Netflix hit series ‘Narcos’. Just don’t pin his work down on that little fact alone.

Amarante forges a wonderful mixture of idyllic folk songs and slow-tempo Bolero; songs that stop you dead in your tracks, sung dreamily in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.

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Roger Eno Roger Eno is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer from Suffolk, England.

Known for his minimal approach, Eno crafts an ambient sound rooted in classical music. Together with his original piano work, he incorporates elements from chamber music, folk, jazz and traditional British Music. Besides his solo albums and collaborations (including John Cale and his brother Brian), Eno has been featured on several film scores, including ‘Trainspotting’, Dario Argento’s ‘Opera’ and David Lynch’s ‘Dune’.

Sarah Hennies & Jessica Sligter In cooperation with Gaudeamus Muziekweek So what do inventive New York-based sound wizard Sarah Hennies and Belgium-born avant-folk/electronic artist Jessica Sligter have in common? Well, they’re both realityaugmenters: Hennies can use any space to carefully alter instrumentation beyond its physical capabilities. Sligter, meanwhile, lurks within that elusive area between sound and song, with a commanding voice that strikes like a lightning bolt. With their combined forces in tow, this is bound to be an earth-shattering experience.

Schnellertollermeier Operating on a crossroad between genres like rock, jazz and avant-garde, Schnellertollermeier execute with great precision, skill and clarity. With instrumental power at the heart of their music, they develop melodies and musical ideas into mind-dazzling, highly complex compositions. At the same time though, their music contains as much explosive force as beauty and depth.

Shintaro Sakamoto

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Shintaro Sakamoto As a former member of legendary Tokyo-based psychedelic band Yura Yura Teikoku, Shintaro Sakamoto became a cult star in his motherland of Japan. In his solo work, Sakamoto creates post-apocalyptic exotica; a playful and fluent synthesis of earcatching Hawaiian lap steel guitar, groovy disco dub and airy jazz. Sakamoto’s ambient disco nurtures your soaring soul and forces you to switch off your mind in ecstatic bliss.

Serpentwithfeet As former choir-boy suppressing his queer feelings, New York producer and songwriter Josiah White unleashes his true nature in the boundary-breaking project Serpentwithfeet. Creating an elaborating, eclectic blend of experimental R&B, neo-soul, and classical and electronic music, Serpentwithfeet bridges the gap between the sensual and the spiritual.

White’s heart-piercing, feathery voice hasn’t gone unnoticed, having recently collaborated with Björk and acclaimed producer Haxan Cloak.

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STUFF. Curated by Shabaka Hutchings Belgium’s STUFF. is much more than your typical jazz quintet. Adding dazzling layers of hip-hop, funk and electronic sounds to their jazz foundation, the group forges an energetic storm of instrumental masterpieces. Focussed on crossing genres and unifying grooves, STUFF. overwhelms with compelling, futuristic jazz-electronica, creating a vivid live-performance that has now also grabbed the attention of jazz mastermind Shabaka Hutchings.

Sibusile Xaba Curated by Shabaka Hutchings Equal parts acoustic guitar visionary and urban mythologist, South-Africa’s Sibusile Xaba creates a wonderful blend of African folk, flamenco and jazz. Supported by expressive fingerpicking and hushed jazz chords, Xaba sings in Zulu with full commitment: mimicking his twangy acoustic guitar tone, laughing, declaiming and weeping over the tracks. With a playful and spiritual sound that rises above natural life, it sounds like Xaba’s soulful voice is channeling to another universe.

Sibusile Xaba

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Takuro Kikuchi Curated by Devendra Banhart Takuro Kikuchi’s subdued piano compositions move adrift between tranquility and contemplation. The 35-year-old musician hailing from Sendai, Japan, has been playing since the age of nine, drawing from the root of classical music to nurture a highly personal lexicon with his instrument of choice. Kikuchi’s pieces are often accompanied by the imagery of nature flourishing and prospering, untainted by rigid human-made structures.

Tim Koh In the past, Tim Koh made his mark as steady collaborator with oddball pop outfits such as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Prince Rama and Gang Gang Dance. In his solo work, the Amsterdam-based Koh anchors his penchant for absurdist pop with more traditional influences from music and literature; spinning out hazy tunes that obscure the line between autobiographical narratives and beautiful, batshit crazy fiction.

Vashti Bunyan Curated by Devendra Banhart After a hiatus lasting over thirty years, the musical career of singersongwriter Vashti Bunyan finally got back on track at beginning of this century. Her 1970 debut album ‘Just Another Diamond Day’ became a cult classic during the rise of the New Weird America-movement. Her latest release, 2014s ‘Heartleap’, is a hushed and serene gem of an album.

With her soft spoken, superbly crafted pop-poems, Bunyan influenced a new generation of artists such as Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective and Joanna Newsom.

Vashti Bunyan

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SATuRDAY 10 NOVEMBER Alabaster Deplume Angus Fairbairn (aka Alabaster DePlume) has a knack for turning the everyday into the absurd. On the opening track of his recent LP ‘The Corner of a Sphere’, he wails: “I’m making an album / I’m putting my heart and soul into my album / Is it enough?” Based in London’s underground, saxophonist and spoken word artist DePlume has a ruthlessly creative and witty approach to experimental pop music; creating eastern-influenced anthems stuffed with richly evocative poetry and odd yet fun-loving melodies.

700 Bliss Curated by Moor Mother The Philadelphia-based, noise-infested 700 Bliss is a collaboration between spoken word artist & sonic time-traveler Moor Mother and Discwoman-affiliated producer DJ Haram. Originated during Philly parties and underground club nights, this compelling project is saturated with hard hitting club beats, dissonant Middle Eastern melodies and Moor Mother’s everlasting, raging voice; delivering a heartfelt message on black American history and powerful Afrofuturistic perspectives.

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Anoushka Shankar & Manu Delago with Metropole Strings

Photo: Yuval Hen

Continuing the legacy of her father, the legendary Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar is considered to be one of the world’s most renowned sitar players. Her music reflects her Indian background as well as her life in London and California, blending classic Indian sounds with contemporary influences. Anoushka Shankar’s eclectic music will be presented with Austrian Hang-player and Björk collaborator Manu Delago and 27-member string section of the Metropole Orchestra.

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The Bug vs. Miss Red Do you know what total destruction sounds like? It’s sounds like MC/singer Miss Red, aka Sharon Stern, and producer The Bug, alias Kevin Martin, hitting the stage. The Bug’s monstrous, all-devouring dub-noise beats, topped off with Miss Red’s razor sharp, spitting verses, will turn every venue into a post-apocalyptic scenery.

Cindy Lee Cindy Lee is the 60s girl group persona of Pat Flegel, once the voice of now-defunct indie pop outfit Women. Though his former band flirted with sounds of the past, Flegel now follows through, bending the root of pop nostalgia to more amorphous realms in similarly brilliant fashion as Suicide or Robert Wyatt. Coined as “confrontational pop”, Cindy Lee distills ingenuous and saccharine sounds into a more eerie, unsettling fog.

Cass McCombs Once labeled as one of the greatest songwriter of his time, California-based artist Cass McCombs has made quite a name for himself. On his ninth studio album ‘Mangy Love’, the songwriter shows his true capabilities as a creator of sublime, hazy pop songs and witty lyricist. With youthful voice and frisky tunes, Cass McCombs takes you deep down into realms of experimental soul, twisted psychedelia, and mesmerizing rock.

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Cüneyt Sepetçi

Cüneyt Sepetçi Clarinet master Cüneyt Sepetçi and his Orchestra Dolapdere are among the greatest musicians Turkey has ever produced. Not just adept at blasting out Turkish gypsy music with firecracker fervor, but equally versed in kindred sounds from South-East Europe.

Just as content being the spearhead as a hired collaborator, Sepetçi’s playing style is rooted in rousing wedding music, so there’s always a fun loving celebratory spirit permeating through.

Deep Fried Grandeur with Ryley Walker & Kikagaku Moyo This year, Le Guess Who? will host a special collaboration between Chicago-based songwriter and accomplished fingerstyle guitarist Ryley Walker and Japanese psych-rockers Kikagaku Moyo. With both artists taking a freewheeling approach to their music, they have dubbed their first-ever live collaboration ‘Deep Fried Grandeur’; an hour of deeply hypnotic jams and a hair-raising fusion folk jazz, acid rock, and psychedelia in heavy-improv setting.

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Dekmantel Soundsystem WAS. presents Besides running a festival, label, and events series, Thomas Martojo and Casper Tielrooij somehow still manage to find time to dig in to through every inch of record stores to build their music collection. But isn’t that just what typifies well-bred music aficionados? Luckily for us, they share their treasure troves as Dekmantel Soundsystem, ranging from rare soul and Brazilian records, to their own house and techno favorites.

Devendra Banhart Once dubbed the ‘High Priest of L.A. Freak Folk’, Devendra Banhart leaves a swirling trail of mystic folk, raga spirituals and Latin-American rock in his wake. With his weird and wonderful artistry, Banhart has the unique ability to find that sweet spot between absurdity and sentiment. Such eclecticism might be traced back to his growing up in both Venezuela and L.A. With new work on the way, Banhart’s curatorship reveals a fresh and diverse range of inspirations.

Devendra Banhart

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DJ Haram Curated by Moor Mother Haram is an Arabic term for ‘forbidden’, which might give you an idea of what Zubeyda Muzeyyen’s work is all about. This Philadelphia-based artist, DJ and producer throws down club and booty bounce sets while at the same time honoring her roots with Middle Eastern dance music and DIY noise. Her live sets are all-inclusive, dazzling affairs where sheer fun is unified with profound expressions of identity, culture, religion and demographic.

DJ Noss Curated by Shabaka Hutchings Hailing from the idyllic Caribbean island of Martinique, DJ Noss’ music is deeply rooted in his Martiniquan heritage. Armed with both turntables and a traditional Bèlè drum, his eclectic electronic music bridges the gap between Caribbean sounds and the Western-influenced rhythms of soul, trap and hip-hop; creating an tempting confluence between Noss’ cultural roots and his global encounters.

Eli Keszler In cooperation with Gaudeamus Muziekweek With his nimble improv playing, composer Eli Keszler can make an average drum kit sound like electronic textures. It’s not much of a surprise that sonic contortionists such as Oneohtrix Point Never and Laurel Halo regularly enlist Keszler to contribute for their own projects. After all, Keszler is the type of sound whisperer who can make a water tower chime like a piano, and that’s not even the slightest bit of an exaggeration.

FACS In early 2017, modern art rock outfit FACS rose from the ashes of Chicago band Disappears. Joined by Cat Power’s Alianna Kalaba, FACS use minimalism and space to constitute a darker and more brutalist take on postpunk. Through open, mechanical drum patterns, indistinctive guitar parts and pounding basslines, FACS sound unnervingly confrontational, industrial and ready to attack. Or, from a review of their recently released LP ‘Negative Houses’: “It leaves a real sense of claustrophobia that resonates for days”.

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Fhloston Paradigm (DJ) As one of the many groundbreaking brainchilds of renowned Philly producer and musician King Britt, Fhloston Paradigm will return to Utrecht to host a DJ set featuring impulsive experimentation, cosmic ambience and Britt’s more structured techno leanings of his past. With Fhloston Paradigm, Britt has set his eyes on embodying afro-futurist ideals to transmit the omniversal message of divine abstractions into aural pleasure.

FRKWYS: Ian William Craig & Daniel Lentz RVNG Intl. presents FRKWYS is a series initiated by Brooklyn-based independent record label RVNG Intl.; aimed at an ambitious and unique pairing of modern artists and their musical predecessors for the creation of a collaborative album. FRKWYS’s upcoming album release, a collaboration between classically-trained vocalist/composer Ian William Craig and electronic music composer Daniel Lentz, will be premiered live at Le Guess Who? as part of RVNG’s 15th Anniversary.

Ian William Craig & Daniel Lentz

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Graindelavoix performs Carlo Gesualdo – ‘Tenebrae Responsoria’ (The Complete Cycle) In cooperation with Utrecht Early Music Festival The Graindelavoix ensemble from Antwerp is notorious for their daring and alienating performances that embrace the imperfections of what it means to be human. Now, they presents the four-hour piece ‘Tenebrae Responsoria’ by Carlo Gesualdo: a 17th-century progressive composer from Italy who explored harmonies and dissonant intervals that were unprecedented in his time. Later, he became an influence on groundbreaking composers like Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schönberg. ‘Tenebrae Responsoria’ is an overwhelming and intriguing musical work seemingly composed specifically for a nocturnal concert.

GAIKA Curated by Moor Mother Hailing from Brixton, vocalist and producer GAIKA developed his own take on the numerous currents of London’s contemporary music scene. With Jamaican and Grenadian roots, GAIKA creates a sonic blend of grime, dancehall, garage, hip hop and R&B. With harsh and urgent vocal flows roaring, he explores ideas on contemporary black British music and reinterprets the sounds of South London in fearless and futuristic manner.

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BRDCST 2019

03 – 07 APRIL

INDOOR FESTIVAL ANCIENNE BELGIQUE – BRUSSELS

“The ideal antidote for paranoia, hysteria and bubbles.”

James Holden

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Islaja

Hailu Mergia Before Hailu Mergia fled to America in 1981, his group Walias Band was a guiding light in Ethiopia’s thriving nightclub scene. In America, Mergia ended up driving cabs for almost 30 years, but he never stopped playing. When business was slow, Mergia grabbed his keyboard out of the trunk and jammed out in his car. This year, Hailu Mergia released his new and acclaimed album ‘Lala Belu’; his first in 15 years.

Marking a triumphant return, the album is filled with Ethio-jazz, funk grooves, and touching accordion and organ solos.

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Photo: Piotr Gruchala

Islaja is the moniker of Finland-born, Berlin-based sound artist Merja Kokkonen.

The ever inventive musician often furnishes her malformed pop with surprising influences and bold instrumentation. Islaja’s sixth album ‘Tarrantulla’ was recorded live with percussionist Tatu Rönkkö (Liima, Efterklang). On top of that, she’s a highly charismatic stage presence, whose wry humor and impulsive left turns tend to shake up performances and recordings.

Islam Chipsy & EEK Curated by Moor Mother Islam Chipsy’s hyperactive keyboard mashing and drum duo EEK’s chaotic bliss rev up crowds into utter frenzy. This mighty Egyptian alliance is without question one of the most rowdy live acts in the world. Though rooted in tradition, their music is very forward-thinking in execution. The group’s ‘Live At Cairo High Cinema Institute’ LP was named one of the best live recordings ever by The Quietus.

Experiencing this in the flesh, however, is a million times better.

Joan of Arc Curated by Devendra Banhart Chicago stalwart Tim Kinsella initially made his mark with emocore trailblazers Cap ’n Jazz. Over the past twenty years, Joan Of Arc has been the primary instrument of his limitless imagination. With a constantly revolving cast of musicians orbiting around Kinsella, Joan Of Arc’s art-rock whims remain delightfully confounding. An inability to be pinned down may have put critics and fans alike into maddening tailspins, marching to its own wayward beat makes Joan Of Arc a truly singular entity.

Jozef van Wissem Enter the dark, mythical world of minimalist composer and praised lute-player Jozef van Wissem. Accompanied by his twin-necked, 24-stringed baroque instrument, Van Wissem creates strange, sonic soundscapes by blending avant-garde with baroque music compositions. Creating an elementary and intense sound – often surrounded with a Christian-mystical appeal -, Dutch-born Van Wissem pushes the lute’s agenda out of the academy and into more accessible circles.

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Kate NV RVNG Intl. presents Experimental electronic music doesn’t always have to be dark and twisted, such proves Moscow-based producer Kate NV. Normally, she’s a guitarwielding post-punker and performer within Moscow Scratch Orchestra. But as her solo persona, Kate NV forges an otherworldly, minimal electronic abstraction of familiar sounds. On latest solo LP ‘для FOR’, NV reflects on daily life in her native Moscow; creating an atmospheric soundscape filled with surreal, playful arrangements.

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Kelsey Lu

Kelsey Lu Raised in North Carolina as the daughter of two devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, Kelsey Lu moved to New York at the age of 18 to study cello. Her debut EP ‘Church’ – which gained acclaim from Solange, amongst many others – was recorded live at the Holy Family Roman Church in Brooklyn where she performed with just cello, loop pedals and her voice. With delicate, soulful musical arrangements, Lu’s songs can best be described as classical and R&Binfused folk music.

Kikagaku Moyo Tokyo-based group Kikagaku Moyo forges heavy-improv psychedelia, including elements of German Krautrock, classic Indian raga and acid folk. Kikagaku Moyo – Japanese for “geometric patterns” – finds a perfect balance between tense, crushing jams and delicate, tender moments. Through their impromptu, unstructured approach, Kikagaku Moyo lose themselves in seemingly infinite and drifting jams, delving deep into uncharted, psychedelic terrain.

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Luke Cohlen WAS. presents Deeply embedded in the Utrecht music scene, Luke Cohlen tries to celebrate all things that spring from his city via his involvement in Stranded FM and with his own Cultfarm events. A DJ himself as well, Cohlen is most notorious for his fast-paced mixing skills and lively, genre-defying blends ranging from soothing jams and wave tracks to dusty club cuts.

The Mauskovic Dance Band Hailing from Amsterdam, The Mauskovic Dance Band is a brainchild of producer and multi-instrumentalist Nic Niggebrugge, a.k.a Nicola Mauskovic. After years of playing drums for bands like Jacco Gardner, Eerie Wanda and the Zambian legends of W.I.T.C.H., Nicola started experimenting in his studio; delivering a handful of 7” singles. Accompanied by mythical Cumbia producer Juan Hundred, they create an ecstatic fusion of Colombian rhythms, 70’s afro-beat and hypnotic space disco.

King Ayisoba

King Ayisoba

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Photo: Jacob Crawfurd

Curated by Shabaka Hutchings In recent years, Ghanaian star King Ayisoba ascended the West African pop charts with his futuristic approach of traditional styles. A master of the ancient kologo instrument – a two-stringed lute -, King Ayisoba creates a vibrant mix of local highlife music, urban sounds like hip hop, and tribal music. Characterized by his distinctive, gritty voice, King Ayisoba’s performances are raw and energetic, merging the spirit world with the painful origins of Kologo music.

Miho Hatori Co-founder of celebrated poly pop duo Cibo Matto and collaborative partner of influential acts as Gorillaz and The Beastie Boys, Miho Hatori is a rare and inimitable talent from New York City. As prolific and creative as ever, she released her ‘New Optimism’ EP this year; a strange and wonderful collage of Hatori’s eclectic pop sound, grooving bass lines, twisted hip-hop and strains of Caribbean/Brasilo-beat.

Midori Takada When her 1983 album ‘Through The Looking Glass’ was reissued last year by WRWTFWW/Palto Flats, Japanese composer Midori Takada received a new surge of recognition. Takada has remained very productive throughout her decade-spanning career, immersing in African tribe spirituals, classical music and minimalist greats like Steve Reich and Terry Riley.

In her hands, any percussive object or piece of recording equipment becomes a totem of fine art, architecture, nature and minimal dance.

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Neneh Cherry Across decades, Neneh Cherry traversed and transcended every known faction of the music world; from bona fide pop stardom to the peripheries of punk rock, club music and jazz. Even more recently, Cherry’s work seems to diversify and cover new ground, with collaborators ranging from The Thing, Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden to fellow Swedish pop icon Robyn. It all dovetails into her headstrong viewpoints on ancestry, sex, politics and social change, a sensibility that laid the foundation for pop music in today’s malignant political climate.

Neneh Cherry

Nicole Mitchell Curated by Moor Mother Nicole Mitchell, the former first female president of Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), is an award-winning flutist, composer, poet and educator. Invoked by an Afrofuturist vision and contemporary African American culture, Mitchell works to raise respect and integrity for the improvised flute, delivering an eclectic and cutting edge contribution to the jazz legacy and redefining the possibilities of her beloved instrument.

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www.paradiso.nl

November

January

Mon 12 Wed 14 Thu 15

Thu 3 Thu 10

Sat 17 Sun 18 Mon 19 Tue 20 Sat 24

HALEY Parquet Courts Blanco White Vaudou Game The Slackers Imarhan FRIGS Vera Sola Sevdaliza Rat Boy King Champion Sounds Julia Holter Saint Sister Gruff Rhys

Tue 22 Fri 25 Mon 28

February

Mon 26 Tue 27 Wed 28 Thu 29 & Fri 30 Patrick Watson

Tue 5 Wed 6 Fri 15

December

March

Sat 1 Sun 2

Fri 15 Wed 20 Fri 29

Mon 3 Thu 6 Fri 7 Sat 8 Sun 9 Tue 11 Fri 14 Thu 20

George FitzGerald Sophie Winterson In the Round at Noon Skeggs Shht Shame Fata Boom Baloji Kikagaku Moyo a.o. @ Indiestad Feng Suave Ryan Porter ft. the West Coast Get Down Tshegue Allan Rayman Tamino No Party For Cao Dong

Birth of Joy & Death Alley Canshaker Pi, Scram C Baby, Pip Blom, Afterpartees a.o.

Adrianne Lenker (of Big Thief) Zoot Woman Air Waves

Mon 25

The Limiñanas Cloud Nothings Nils Frahm Night Beats Lala Lala

Spiritualized Mashrou' Leila Sharon Van Etten

Super-Sonic Jazz 13 – 18 Nov 2018 With STUFF., Son Swagga, Shigeto, Alfa Mist, Yussef Dayes, Jameszoo, Dorian Concept, Joey Dosik (Vulfpeck), Makaya McCraven, Bill Laurance Solo, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Tenzers, Nabihah Iqbal, Skinny Pelembe, James Brandon Lewis Trio + 1 and many more

Oliver Coates RVNG Intl. presents Oliver Coates is an exceptional cellist, composer and producer from London.

Guided by his atypical music tastes, Coates transcends the traditions of classical composition and finds a new definition for his beloved instrument, blending the digitally processed cello with avant-pop and disco experiments.

Following collaborations with artists like Terry Riley and Thom Yorke, Coates released his debut LP ‘Upstepping’, filled with contrarian, minimalistic dance tunes, as well as ‘Remain Calm’: an improvisational record with Mica Levi.

Ora Cogan Oft-compared to Karen Dalton and Hope Sandoval, Ora Cogan’s mystic folk is dark, beautiful and poignant. On latest album ‘Crickets’, the Vancouver-based composer and filmmaker abandoned these folk foundations for more synthbased experimental pop. Beneath this album’s stunningly detailed, majestic backdrops simmer strong admonishments against the exploitation and devastation of the native Heiltstuk landscapes in British Columbia.

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Orchestra of Spheres

Orchestra of Spheres Curated by Shabaka Hutchings “Ceramic popcorn exploding in craniums.” This is just one of many lyrics that encapsulates Orchestra Of Spheres’ strange but infectious experimental pop, sounding like a Moebius sci-fi story converted directly into sound. Fans of Talking Heads, Tortoise and Stereolab can rejoice with Orchestra Of Spheres’ whimsical forays into glossed up afro-funk, psychedelic disco and sprawling electronics.

Ras_G & The Afrikan Space Program Curated by Moor Mother Gregory Shorter Jr., also known as Ras_G, is an instrumental hip-hop producer, DJ and afrofuturist. Active in L.A.’s avant-garde beats scene since the early 2000’s and associated with the Brainfeeder label, Ras_G’s work involves unfiltered experimentation through alienated sound snippets, wobbly R&B loops and sci-fi funk. Latest LP ‘Stargate Music’ is an astral ode to women and a spiritual reflection on earthly life.

Rizan Said The King of Keyboard himself, Rizan Said, remains one of the most famous and influential musicians from Syria. He’s made a name for himself as composer for all kinds of Syrian artists, as well as films and TV series. Over the past two decades, Said collaborated extensively with Omar Souleyman and in the process, his distinctively rowdy keyboard sound and on-stage force was received with as much glee overseas.

Saul Williams & King Britt present ‘Unanonimous Goldmine’ Curated by Moor Mother In one corner, the shamanistic Saul Williams, actor, screenwriter and renowned harbinger of noise poetry and hip hop futurism. In the other corner, cleric of eclecticism King Britt, accomplished Philly-based musician, DJ, author and producer. Forging their collective work, insights, experiences and curiosity – on the explicit invitation of Moor Mother – is bound to result into something fearless and groundbreaking. One thing’s abundantly clear: it will be unanimously gold.

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Soichi Terada WAS. presents With a career that dates back to the 80s, Soichi Terada has long been a bastion of soothing house music in Japan. Thanks in part to Hunee, who provided a showcase of Terada’s work via the Rush Hour label, his sound is finally carried over here. Described as “pleasingly naive yet emotionally resonant”, Siochi Terada takes subtle cues from 80s and 90s New York, backed by stirring melodies, soulful character and filled with life-affirming humor.

Sons of Kemet XL

Sons of Kemet XL

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Photo: Pierrick Guidou

Curated by Shabaka Hutchings With Sons of Kemet, sax wizard Shabaka Hutchings takes cues from Afro-Caribbean carnival to contemporary UK grime and hip hop. This is music played with punk drive, the immediacy of club music and riddled with jazz, dub and afrobeat. New LP ‘Your Queen Is A Reptile’ is a sacred totem for black female icons, released on the prestigious Impulse! label (which has hosted greats like Coltrane, Mingus, Sanders). We’ll present the band’s ‘XL-version’, an extravaganza featuring four drummers.

Vive La Void As Vive la Void, Sanae Yamada emerges from Moon Duo’s copious fuzz-drenched blastoffs like a floating space capsule. Inspired by the constant going and froing of tour life, Yamada’s glassy atmospherics and synth-based dreamscapes evoke a captivating numbness. Teetering right on the tipping point between creation and destruction, Vive la Void offers a cosmic tapestry of sheer wonder and meditation.

Valley Maker

Photo: Kyle Johnson

Seattle-based singersongwriter Austin Crane (aka Valley Maker) has one of the most remarkable voices in contemporary pop music. Accompanied by heartfelt, wistful acoustic guitar arrangements, Valley Maker sings about the concept of movement on his latest album ‘Rhododendron’. As a musician and a PhD student in Human Geography, he reflects both the rootedness and rootlessness that shapes Valley Maker’s songwriting on the precipice of his third decade; resulting in trail of mystical folk songs.

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SUNDAY 11 NOVEMBER Ancient Shapes Although best known for his work evoking the sounds of classic country music, Daniel Romano has always been a free and restless spirit, as well as a gifted and masterful musician. His new brainchild is Ancient Shapes; born out of a twenty-minute session of banging on drums, they sound fast, rebellious and solid like concrete. Adding existing poems to fiercely rocking tunes, Ancient Shapes could best be described as punk poetry.

The Avonden The Avonden is the brainchild of prolific Dutch musician and visual artist Marc van der Holst (ex-Hospital Bombers and Spilt Milk). Debut LP ‘Nachtschade’, issued on Subroutine Records, tallies seventeen folk vignettes that playfully amble between poignant, cutting and wry reflections. Though Van der Holst’s vivid wordplay is cryptic in nature, his disarming wit and heartfelt delivery permeate through with a whispered assurance.

Chihei Hatakeyama Curated by Devendra Banhart Step into the boundless and ambient-overlaid world of Chihei Hatakeyama; a sound artist, mastering engineer and record label founder from Tokyo, Japan. By processing acoustic instruments such as guitars, vibraphone and piano, Hatakeyama is a master in creating atmospheric, memory-evoking soundscapes. In an everlasting quest for progression, the master composer continues to evolve his sound by incorporating synthesizers and electric guitar drones.

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Beverly Glenn-Copeland Curated by Devendra Banhart and Moor Mother Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s 1970 album, reissued by Super-Sonic Jazz this year, is a lush folk-jazz album in the vein of peers such as Tim Buckley and Joni Mitchell.

After a twenty year absence, the Canadian trans artist has returned to the stage with a rich path of life in hindsight: he wrote for Sesame Street and released the 1986 New Age synth masterpiece ‘Keyboard Fantasies’. At Le Guess Who?, Glenn-Copeland will perform with five-piece ensemble Indigo Rising, breathing new life into his past works.

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Cinema Perdu Moving Furniture presents Cinema Perdu is the moniker of Utrecht-based Martijn Pieck, who has also been involved in woodbender and the [law rah] collective. Fascinated by urban found sounds, he works with manipulated samples and contact-microphone recordings, striving to musically (re)create the feeling of a place at a certain time. Live performances are always overwhelmingly surprising, for Pieck mostly improvises with sounds and structures from past and upcoming releases.

Circuit des Yeux: ‘Reaching for Indigo: Gaia Infinitus’

Photo: Michael Vallera

Haley Fohr’s Circuit des Yeux creates an unprecedented deep and rich sound. On Fohr’s latest, acclaimed album Reaching for Indigo, she combines 50s & 60s avant-garde with drone, experimental folk and soul-baring arrangements. For the first time, Fohr enlists an eight-piece ensemble featuring members of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. This one-time performance further expands the captivating compositions of Reaching For Indigo and will include the first live rendition of previously unreleased music from the album’s sessions.

Circuit des Yeux

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The Comet is Coming Curated by Shabaka Hutchings Invoking the cosmic spirits of Sun Ra, futuristic three-piece The Comet Is Coming creates an impetuous blend of jazz, afrobeat and electronica. The group turn their intergalactic jazz into a mythological microcosm, carrying a message of ‘resilience, unity and love’. When The Comet indeed impacts planet earth, take note of the band’s manifesto: “a space is created where all notions of political, social and economic hierarchy will be at once obliterated and transcended.”

Crack Cloud Crack Cloud is a rather peculiar project: a multimedia collective that includes members from different cities, ethnicities and origins. Their debut release ‘Anchoring Point’ is based around seven key members who contribute to the sound and visual aesthetic. Driven by the political ethos from thinkers like Malcolm X and Lydia Lunch, and sonic influences from artists like Fela Kuti and Talking Heads, Crack Cloud express themselves through quirky, pungent songs filled with adventurous spirit and dipped in ‘90s gloss.

DNMF Moving Furniture presents DNMF is a Lovecraftian abomination comprised of death jazz zealots Dead Neanderthals and prolific experimental musician Machinefabriek. Two formidable elements – the latter’s shrewd on-the-fly compositions and the former’s knee-jerk method of live playing – ensnare the ears like a catastrophic plague, both chaotic and methodical in its execution.

Eartheater Curated by Moor Mother Queens based artist Alexandra Drewchin, a.k.a. Eartheater, throws you back and forth with her unconventional, tumultuous sound. Featuring bizarre clashes of acoustic and digital music, Eartheater’s music explores the way women’s voices are used in contemporary music. Latest album ‘IRISIRI’ is based around sudden structural upheavals and sonic collisions and, just like her live performance, fiercely grips the listener’s attention with a shifting network of abstract sonics.

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Eleanor Friedberger In the early 00s, Eleanor Friedberger became known as one-half of indie sibling duo The Fiery Furnaces. Since their hiatus in 2011, Eleanor Friedberger unleashed her true songwriter capabilities and has created an acclaimed collection of quirky pop songs. Her latest addition is the 80s Goth disco-inspired ‘Rebound’ LP, on which Friedberger creates a cinematic and eccentric dimension by adding layers of repetitive drums, sweltering synths, muted rhythm guitars and her own beautiful, comforting voice.

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Endless Boogie

Endless Boogie Formed in 1997, Endless Boogie is an American rock band who are living up to their own band name. They’re well known for their seemingly infinite, minimalist jams, onstage as well as on record. According to their guitarist – nicknamed ‘The Governor’ – they don’t quite master the boogie yet. But despite that, Endless Boogie always vouch for a heavy dose of riffage, earning them the title of “the best-kept secret in New York’s rock scene.”

Fornet Hidden in the rural area of Limburg until recently, this Belgian post-punk gem is ready to take the world head-on. With their latest release ‘Winter / Milk,’ Fornet displays their nonconformist and compelling voice in a clever and progressive manner; a surging, yet tight balance between twisting, guitar-infected sounds and fearless rhythms.

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FRKWYS: Pekka Airaksinen & Ka Baird RVNG Intl. presents FRKWYS is a series initiated by Brooklyn-based independent record label RVNG Intl.; aimed at an ambitious and unique pairing of modern artists and their musical predecessors for the creation of a collaborative album. During Le Guess Who?, a new addition to the FRKWYS series will be recorded in utrecht. This time, it involves a live-collaboration between Finnish electronic music composer Pekka Airaksinen (known for his work with ultra-radical, proto-noise group The Sperm) and NYCbased multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Ka Baird.

Georgia Anne Muldrow & The Righteous

Photo: Rob Seher

As the daughter of instrument inventor Eddie Harris and Pharoah Sanders Ensemblevocalist Rickie Byars, Georgia Anne Muldrow was surrounded by creative spirits from the moment she first drew breath. The LA-based producer, musician and vocalist communicates through classic soul, jazz, pre-programmed electronics and hip hop to help overcome institutionalized notions of race, class and colonialism. Music with a true spiritual essence, rekindling humankind’s connection to the natural world.

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Greg Fox Quadrinity RVNG Intl. presents Using the drums as his main outlet, Greg Fox is a multi-instrumentalist, interdisciplinary artist, and teacher based in New York. Attaching sensors to his acoustic drum kit, Fox triggers sequenced synth lines to add melodic textures to his expressive percussion style. Combined with polyrhythmic virtuosity, this new method allow Fox to articulate himself within the post-free jazz manner. The results are audible on his exhilarating full-length ‘The Gradual Progression’.

Hot Snakes In the early 2000s, Hot Snakes rose to combine Rocket From The Crypt’s walloping garage rock anthems and Drive Like Jehu’s feverish post-hardcore stabs. With afore­ mentioned bands reuniting at some point, John Reis and fellow guitar firebrand Rick Froberg remained close-knit throughout Hot Snakes’ absence. As a result, new album ‘Jericho Sirens’ is a decade-spanning return that sounds as vital as ever. In fact, Hot Snakes’ ability to party and rage on equal terms feels more cathartic than ever in these polarizing times.

Irreversible Entanglements feat. Pat Thomas Curated by Moor Mother In early 2015, free jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements first came together to per­form at the Musicians Against Police Brutality event in New York. Drawn from the instrumentalists’ individual studies of free jazz, the group delivers a gripping set of liberation-oriented compositions, fronted by Moor Mother’s fierce poetic narrations of black trauma, survival and power. Irreversible Entanglements’ performance will be a special collaboration with improv-pianist Pat Thomas.

Irreversible Entanglements

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Kadri Gopalnath Curated by Shabaka Hutchings We welcome 69-year-old Kadri Gopalnath, saxophone maestro and pioneer from India.

Gopalnath’s life’s work is to incorporate the woodwind instrument into the classic South Indian Carnatic music. To do so, he singlehandedly modified his alto sax and developed inventive playing techniques, recreating the microtones and vocal-like arrangements of orthodox Indian music. It took Gopalnath over twenty years to successfully integrate his instrument into Carnatic music, but the results are stunning; an ecstatic and majestic sound combining the best of both worlds.

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LICE Emerging from Bristol’s thriving artistic community, the four lads of LICE create a rather peculiar and inventive crossing of rockabilly and post-punk, featuring in-your-face lyricism covering subjects like xenophobia and misogyny. While that might sound like an odd pairing, this uproarious four-piece nails it perfectly. Under the guidance of Idles’ Joe Talbot, they released their first 12” earlier this year: a double EP released in two volumes, entitled ‘It All Worked Out Great’.

Photo: Regina de Miguel

Lucrecia Dalt RVNG Intl. presents Colombian experimental producer Lucrecia Dalt creates multilayered and surreal dimensions through sound. Whip smart electronic compositions are shaped into atmospheric sounds, complemented with traditional South American rhythms and Dalt’s own distinctive and sober voice. Each body of work concerns a specific and conceptualized theme; with her latest release ‘Anticlines’, Dalt uses her background as a geotechnical engineer to reflect on bodily and geological layers.

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Lucy Railton In cooperation with Gaudeamus Muziekweek Lucy Railton’s voice has bloomed from the root of more than 25 years of classical instrumentalism. The cellist and electronic composer’s acclaimed 2018 solo debut ‘Paradise 94’ marks a new chapter in her wide-ranging musical interests. Released on Boomkat’s Modern Love imprint, this record stands out in its distinctly modern-sounding and expressive musique concrète. Field recordings and found sounds blend in with gripping cello explorations, church organs and 80s synthesizers.

Madeline Kenney Painting, dancing, baking, and a degree in neuroscience for good measure; Madeline Kenney is good at a lot of things. One of those things also happens to be music; more specifically, writing and producing charming pop tunes defined by mellow vocals, crafty harmonies and sly lyricism. Following her debut LP ‘Night Night At First Landing’ in 2017, another album is already released, entitled ‘Perfect Shapes’ and helmed by none other than Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner.

Maja S.K. Ratkje Curated by Moor Mother Renowned for her extraordinary vocal range, The Chicago Reader described Maja S. K. Ratkje as “one of the most astonishing singers on the planet.”

Even more of an accomplishment when you think about the fact that the Norwegian musician is also a talented composer, performer and engineer.

Visual art or text material often play a huge part in her artistry, with her music having been performed throughout the world by acclaimed performers such as Oslo Sinfonietta and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Mark Wynn Writing to us, Mark Wynn mentioned that he “leaves the UK to dance for money when the money is acceptable.” With remarkable British accent and lyrics dipped in parody, Wynn creates noise-rambling lo-fi music that exists on the crossroads between spoken word and punk. Wynn however, working as a cleaner, will most likely say he sounds like he’s dancing with a mop.

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Mudhoney

Mudhoney Seattle icons Mudhoney are widely regarded as trailblazers of the grunge movement.

With shock and awe, they stormed onto the scene with ‘Touch Me I’m Sick’, a song that riffs on acerbic noise punk and feral 60s garage. That sickness would spread like wildfire across the world, and Mudhoney became a pivotal band; as loud and giddy as during their inception, and still making great records without compromise, solely focussed on what they want to hear themselves.

Olan Mill Shimmering Moods presents As Olan Mill, UK sound artist Alex Smalley’s work holds a sublime measure between the realms of modern neo-classical composition and ambience, with tender and elegant clusters of sound. His latest album ‘Curves’ was built upon field recordings from his home and various work environments. Layers of processed guitar, synthesisers and voice were added to create a time-capsule of locations and experiences. Around his live performance at Le Guess Who?, he will release his new album on Shimmering Moods.

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Pan Daijing presents ‘Fist Piece’ Curated by Moor Mother Born and raised in China and currently residing in Berlin, Pan Daijing is a groundbreaking artist, composer and storyteller who creates a raw and rare mixture of noise music, performance art, dance and installation. Daijing defies the notion of an album as a fixed work: her latest performance ‘Fist Piece’ is an expansion of her praised debut album ‘Lack’. A breathtaking celebration of feminine being, ‘Fist Piece’ is a mesmerizing rabbit hole featuring film, choreography, soprano, visuals and sound, resulting in an extremely physical live show.

Philipp Bückle Moving Furniture presents As Teamforest, German musician and filmmaker Philip Bückle already released recor­dings via internationally renowned labels like Morr Music, Aesthetics and Eglantine Records. In 2014, Bückle rigorously dropped all project titles and decided to move forward under his own name, saying goodbye to poppy electronic music, it resulted in eerie soundscapes, moving between instruments and noise, between natural and electronic sounds.

Please The Trees

Please The Trees

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Photo: Bet Orten

Originally from the forests of a mountainous region in East Bohemia in Czech Republic, Please The Trees is grounded in the psychedelic riffs and motorik beats of krautrock, striking out with mesmerizing, tripped out rock. Their latest LP ‘Infinite Dance’ will be released in September and features guest appearances by John Grant and Thor Harris (ex Swans, Thor & Friends). Here, the band delves deeper in their noise-infested, propulsive groove than ever.

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The Scorpios Having fled from the fundamentalists in their home country of Sudan, the original members of psychedelic group The Scorpios established themselves in London during the 80s. Once there, they built a growing friendship with guitarist and community worker Adam Bulewski, who quickly became a permanent member of the band.

Inspired by traditional Sudanese music and 60s and 70s pop, The Scorpios create an elated mix of Arabic rhythms, raw Eastern funk and vintage psychedelia.

Sourakata Koite Armed with a twenty-two stringed Kora (a West African cross between lute, bridge and Overzicht november harp), troubadour Sourakata Koite uses this traditional instrument to interpret his Senegalese roots. Moving to Paris in the late 1970s, Koite made his way to The Netherlands to record his debut album “En Hollande” in 1984. Leading up to the reissue of this modern kora classic, which is set to be released in early 2019, Le Guess Who? is excited to present one of Koite’s first international appearances in years.

RP Boo Curated by Moor Mother Besides being one of Chicago’s finest producers, Kavain Space a.k.a. RP Boo is also known as the originator of footwork music. Emerging from Chicago house in the late 90’s, the genre includes high BPM-beats with wacky, vocal-oriented samples and distinctive high-hats and claps. With dance crews being an essential part of the scene, RP Boo’s music is of a propulsive and repetitive nature: rapid, bouncy beats have a weightless feel, floating free between abstraction and precision.

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Swamp Dogg In 1970, soul artist Jerry Williams, Jr. radically reinvented himself as Swamp Dogg: an anti-hero who smashes the conventions of commercial R&B music, and whose subversive lyrics earned him a spot on Richard Nixon’s infamous enemies list. Consequently, Swamp Dogg became one of the quintessential outsider figures in American music.

Photo: David McMurry

Anno 2018, the 76-year old Southern soul maverick did it again. On his latest album ‘Love, Loss, and Auto-tune’, produced by Poliça’s Ryan Olson and Justin Vernon, Swamp Dogg transforms himself into a master of auto-tune, leaving the music business topsy-turvy. On an album filled with songs about being lonely, Swamp Dogg enriches his soulful sonic palette with inventive, crying synth tones and drum machines.

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Thet Liturgiske Owäsendet Shimmering Moods presents While some records appeal to the brain’s immediate pleasure zones, other music trickles down the subconsciousness like a warm and alleviating light. Swedish duo Thet Liturgiske Owäsendet’s ‘Catalina’ applies deft embers of synths and guitars to dissolve whatever stumbling blocks trigger human stress and concern. Like slow winds revealing long-dormant geological secrets across the spells of time, this music unravels the substantial through its organic trajectory and contours.

Tirzah With ‘Devotion’, UK-based producer and songwriter Tirzah has created one of the most critically-acclaimed and downright magnetic debut records of 2018. A childhood friend of Mica ‘Micachu’ Levi, Tirzah shares a similar gift for conjuring offbeat, intimate pop.

Though she cunningly scrambles and reconfigures customary notions of beautiful and ugly, there’s a palpable sense of sweetness and romanticism adrift that you can’t help but swoon over.

Urochromes They’re fast, they’re fearless, and they’re amazing. Meet screaming vocalist Jackie Jackieboy, shredding guitarist Dick Riddick, and their super tight friend: the drum machine. Together, they form a punk band called Urochromes – named after the pigment that determines the color of piss. Urochromes’ songs are blistering fast, mindblowing chaotic, and filled with an endless source of frustration.

Virginia Wing Manchester-based synth pop duo Virginia Wing fully embrace the perfect counterbalance of the considered and the superficial.

Wrapped in catchy, playful synth tunes and upbeat drum loops, their latest full length ‘Ecstatic Arrow’ contains a heartfelt and urgent message: “END RAPE CULTURE.” With this weighty feminist underline, their clear, warm sound arrives at the evergreen intersection of pop music and conceptual art.

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Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier de FACTOR, du gouvernement du Canada, et des radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

We acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR, the government of Canada, and Canada’s private radio broadcasters.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country.

“Dutch city Groningen under the magic curation of Eurosonic Noorderslag is such an essential place to discover new music” Cai Trefor, Gigwise

“From the bizarre to the delightful Eurosonic is always a treat, even if the sun does sometimes forget to shine” Clash Magazine

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Behind the scenes at Le Guess Who? General & Creative Directors Johan Gijsen, Bob van Heur

Team Jacob Hagelaars (Program & Satellite Events), Rinke Vreeke (Satellite Events), Barry Spooren (Marketing), Jessica Clark (Marketing), Iris van Korven (Marketing), Sander Zwart (Marketing), Jasper Willems (Copywriting), Gijs Cals (Artist Production), Nienke Bodewes (Production), Noortje Koster (Production), Wendy Vreeken (Production), Justine Haantjens (Volunteers), Margriet Colenbrander (Business Coordination), Hanan de Sain (Satellite Events), Iris Vos (Satellite Events), Sanne Wiltink (Le Feast) & Nick Helderman (Video Production).

Board Members Franc Faaij, Matthijs Timmer, Tanja de Jonge, Marlies Timmermans & Sjoerd Wennekes

Design & Decoration Triomf

Artwork Nick Liefhebber, Loudmouth, Lyanne Tonk (Le Mini Who?), Samira Charroud & Jimme Bakker (Lombok Festival)

Website Ramdath Mos

Family Members Jean Paul Bartels, H. van den Brink, Brendan Deal, Albert Faber, Edwin Haast, Arthur Herrman, Frank Janssen, Andre Klerk, Roelof Klijnsma, Daniel Ladd, Wim Litjens, Stan Roncken, Willem Savoie, Arjan de Vet, Frans Vreeke, Jasper Willems.

Venue Partners dB’s, Theater Kikker, LE:EN, De Zagerij Utrecht, Kytopia, Club Poema, BASIS, WAS., Domkerk, Janskerk, Nicolaïkerk, Klein Berlijn, Camping Ganspoort, Taplokaal Gist, Koffie Leute, Café Brutal, Tafelboom, Kinderboerderij Nieuw Rotsoord, BROEI, Jongerencentrum Utrecht, Ulu Moskee, Levantine, Antoniuskerk, Wishing Well West, Kopi Susu, Molen de Ster, Ubuntuhuis en Buurthuis Rosa.

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Funders

Media Partners

Creative Partners

Casco Art Institute, BAK, ‘t Hoogt, Chasing Reels, De Voorkamer, De Kromme Haring, Leiden International Film Festival, WORM, 3voor12 utrecht, Lyanne Tonk, Het Wilde Westen, Dreaming of Syria, Culture Connection, Samira Charroud, Jimme Bakker, Distorted Channel, Pastoe Fabriek and Het Productiekantoor

Social Partners Corderius College

X11

Parkschool

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Le Guess Who? Program Guide 2018

index 2 Festival map 4 Venue addresses 5 Ticket & wristband info 6 Le Guess Who? x Bant Mag 12 Artist Biographies Thursday 24 Artist Biographies Friday 54 Artist Biographies Saturday 84 Artist Biographies Sunday 110 Behind the scenes at Le Guess Who? 111 Partners

44 Utrecht Treasure Guide 42 Educational projects & Le Gig Poster 40 Le Bazarre 38 Le Feast 25 Le Mini Who? 13 Lombok Festival 1 Le Guess Who? Untitled

index

LE GUESS WHO? UNTITLED Untitled is our newest satellite program, in which we explore the many artistic expressions and perspectives of our artists, as well as the carefully curated art and design exhibitions by fellow partner organizations happening in Utrecht during Le Guess Who?.

We believe that art is much more than a predefined, stand-alone product. It’s a human and essential form of expression that is able to mutually connect our souls. ‘Untitled’ is therefore an investigation of the soul behind a work of art. The program explores the various ways to experience art and offers new, and hopefully surprising perspectives or viewpoints on art and the world around us.

‘Untitled’ is an invitation to listen, view, think and contextualize without a predetermined context, meaning or need to interpret. We encourage you to explore what Untitled­­­ and the city has to offer, in collaboration with many inspiring partners, completely on your own terms.

This program is accessible for LGW visitors with any festival wristband.

Saâdane Afif: Black Chords

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The Man is The Music (A Portrait of Lonnie Holley)

Lonnie Holley

Through The Eyes of Lonnie Holley 9 November, 14:00-15:30 Please note: limited capacity, sign up (between 5-7 November) via bit.ly/lgwlonnie Since 1979, Lonnie Holley has devoted his life to the practice of improvisational creativity through drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, and sound. His artistic expressions directly reflect the environmental and political state of our cities and earth today. This guided tour, led by Lonnie Holley himself, shows the many unique ways of how Holley experiences his direct living environment.

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Photo: Timothy Duffy

Dir. Maris Curran 9 November, 13:00-13:20 | Filmtheater ‘t Hoogt, room 2 (Hoogt 4) As a prolific artist, musician and lover of Mother Earth, Lonnie Holley treasures the discarded. Nurturing the neglected, he finds healing in the transformative power of art. This short documentary is a reflection on art as a way of life, shown prior to the city tour guided by Holley himself. It is through his unique perspective and the process of creating beauty that Holley draws us into an imaginative and captivating world.

Icon Eye RVNG Intl. presents; dir. Tony Lowe 9 November, 15:00-16:00 | Filmtheater ‘t Hoogt, room 3 (Hoogt 4) ‘Icon Eye’ is RVNG Intl.’s first film production, about the making of the FRKWYS recording ‘Icon Give Thanks’. The film evokes a feeling of magical, rhythmic synchronicity and shares dubbed-out editing techniques inherent in the reggae subgenre, rendering a visual version of the album. Secret moments from the studio, fishing villages, late night dances, abandoned hotels and The Congos’ yard are blended into a strange tapestry.

Icon Eye

Sunshine Soup RVNG Intl. presents; dir. Misha Hollenbach & Johann Rashid 9 November, 16:15-17:20 | Filmtheater ‘t Hoogt, room 3 (Hoogt 4) ‘Sunshine Soup’ is a documentary about the making of the FRKWYS recording ‘We Know Each Other Somehow’ by Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe and Ariel Kalma. With its responsive, meditative perspectives and refracted, sun-bleached compositions, ‘Sunshine Soup’ becomes the visual companion to the transformative musical principles explored throughout the collaborative album.

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Kelman Duran

To The North II Kelman Duran presents 9-11 November, 10:00-18:00 | Kapitaal (Paardenveld) ‘To The North II’ is an experimental documentary by Dominican producer, multimedia artist and filmmaker Kelman Duran. It is the follow-up to ‘To The North I’, challenging heavy political-historical topics such as Wounded Knee and women activists at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. In his work as a filmmaker, Duran focuses on the way disenfranchised communities respond to civic architecture.

(The) Night Flight Cate Le Bon, Tim Presley & H. Hawkline present 9-11 November, 10:00-18:00 | Kapitaal (Paardenveld) Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley form the musical duo DRINKS, but also practice other arts and crafts as a means to enter a different headspace. Together with H. Hawkline they form the art collective (The) Night Flight. In this exhibition they will display art works of various mediums, described by Presley as “very free-spirited, but with a technical side as well”.

Escape-Ism Ian Svenonius & Alexandra Cabral present 9-11 November, 10:00-18:00 | Kapitaal (Paardenveld) The mythical performer, author, and filmmaker Ian Svenonius, who performs as Escape-Ism, shows a selection of experimental short films he made with filmmaker Alexandra Cabral. The films include genres like documentary, agitprop, sci-fi and exploitation film – sometimes all at once – centered around themes of mind control, rock ‘n roll and reeducation camps.

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Record Wall ROTIBABI & Kapitaal present 9-11 November, 10:00-18:00 | Kapitaal (Paardenveld) Record Wall is an art exhibition that consists of 12” record sleeves, including some LGW artists. According to RoTIBABI and Kapitaal, the simple 12”x 12” canvas of records plays an underestimated role, but nevertheless gives an interesting insight in artistic approaches and the reflection of a record’s visual language.

The Library Music Film 10 November, 13:30-15:25 | Filmtheater ‘t Hoogt, room 1 (Hoogt 4) Chasing Reels presents; dir. Paul Elliott & Sean Lamberth ‘The Library Music Film’ is a quest for some of the most original, but largely unnoticed music ever recorded. In the documentary, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Shawn Lee tells the story of the mysterious world of Library Music, that has played an important role in lots of films, TV and radio shows. Currently, it inspires various musicians, producers and avant-garde experimentalists, as well as journalists and vinyl enthusiasts all around the world.

Blaze Chasing Reels presents; in collaboration with Leiden International Film Festival; dir. Ethan Hawke 10 November, 16:00-18:10 | Filmtheater ‘t Hoogt, room 1 (Hoogt 4) The film ‘Blaze’ is about the unsung songwriting legend Blaze Foley, a relatively obscure country singer who died in 1989. Foley was one of the pioneers of the Texas outlaw country music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Townes van Zandt. The film was directed, co-written and co-produced by Ethan Hawke and premiered at the 2018 Sundance Festival.

Blaze

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A Future Feminist Discussion with Kembra Pfahler and Johanna constantine In collaboration with Future Feminism 10 November, 14:00-16:00 | Kytopia (Oudegracht 245) New york-based performance artists Kembra Pfahler and Johanna Constantine call for the emergence of a feminine collective consciousness with their project Future Feminism. Since the start of the project in 2014, ideas from their tenets manifesto have been widely appropriated in popular culture. Pfahler and Constantine will discuss their thoughts on the subjugation of women and the earth and the redefinition of societal roles of women and men.

Hodan Warsame & Beverly Glenn-copeland: A conversation

Beverly Glenn-Copeland

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Photo: Maria Jose Govea

In collaboration with Casco Art Institute: Working for the Commons 11 November, 12:00-13:00 | casco Art Institute (Lange Nieuwstraat 7) Throughout Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s extraordinary 74 years on this planet, he has consciously and constantly dealt with his process of becoming and being a transgender artist. Hodan Warsame (a decolonial feminist educator and activist) and copeland talk about a young generation of changemakers, compassionate action and encouraging a ‘one world family’ perspective. Imagining a post-capitalist society, Casco Art Institute creates a perfect setting for this conversation, as they cultivate and present art practices based on the commons of art, education and activism communities

The festive 50th Mega Vinyl & CD Fair November 17 & 18 Jaarbeurs, Utrecht

special guests: Jon Savage, Johan Kugelberg, Peter Hook, Nigel Waymouth a.m.o.

pre sale | dealers list | plan of the fair etc.

RECORDPLANET.NL

Public Poetry 11 November, 14:00-15:00 | Pandhof Domkerk (entrance at Domplein) Public Poetry takes the written word into our shared communal life in public space; it brings people together for the sake of the most intimate of verbal arts. In this session, LGW artists are invited to read their spiritual words in the corridors of Utrecht’s most beautiful and iconic courtyard. Who exactly will make an appearance here, remains a secret.

SLAM

Saul Williams

Curated by Shabaka Hutchings 11 November, 13:30-15:10 Filmtheater ‘t Hoogt, room 1 (Hoogt 4) ‘SLAM’ is an 1998 independent film starring actor, screenwriter, noise poet and hip hop futurist Saul Williams. The film tells the story of Ray Joshua, a young African-American MC living in a Washington DC district dominated by gang wars known as Dodge City. ‘SLAM’ was Williams’ breakthrough film, now celebrating its 20th anniversary. At the time, it won the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.

Future Feminism Performance Archives In collaboration with Future Feminism 11 November, 16:00-17:00 | Filmtheater ‘t Hoogt, room 1 (Hoogt 4) This screening event dives into the performance archives of Future Feminism, giving an insight in the project’s history of creating explicit and extreme performance art.

Future Feminism was founded in 2014 and calls for the emergence of a feminine collective consciousness to save what remains of our world. Films with live performances by a.o.

Laurie Anderson, Johanna Constantine, Lorraine Ogrady and Lydia Lunch will be shown.

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De Line Up In collaboration with Centraal Museum 8-10 November, 11:00-17:00 | Centraal Museum (Agnietenstraat 1) The Colombian ambient producer Lucrecia Dalt composed a commissioned piece for the exhibition De Line Up, which displays a rich overview of the power of drawing from the 1950s to the present. She was inspired by the different works of, among others, Marlene Dumas, Philip Akkerman and Armando as well as the exhibition’s layout. The soundtrack can be heard exclusively during the festival weekend in a special audio tour.

Saâdane Afif: Black Chords Centraal Museum presents 8-10 November, 11:00-17:00 | Nicolaïkerk (Nicolaaskerkhof 8) Black Chords is an installation by the French ‘post-conceptual’ artist Saâdane Afif, which consists of thirteen electric guitars and the same number of amplifiers that mechanically play a chord progression. In the installation, all of Afif’s focal points are represented: popular culture and pop music, the legacy of avant-garde and the position of the audience in relation to the art work. This way, with Black Chords, he brings about a moment of shared creativity.

Saâdane Afif: Black Chords

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Robbie Cornelissen: animated films Centraal Museum presents 8-11 November, Thu: 18:00-03:00 / Fri: 18:30-04:00 / Sat: 18:00-04:00 / Sun: 17:00-01:00 TivoliVredenburg, Plein 5 (Vredenburgkade 11) Utrecht artist Robbie Cornelissen creates films, drawings and installations and was one of the main curators of the Centraal Museum exhibition De Line Up. Cornelissen is known for his large format drawings in which he allows the viewer to wander through complex architectural spaces. On the fifth floor of TivoliVredenburg, we show his animated films ‘The Black Room’, which he made together with Kees Went, and ‘The Number 9 Sessions’.

Alma Heikkilä: Evolved in shared relationships Casco Art Institute presents 8-11 November, 12:00-18:00 | Casco Art Institute (Lange Nieuwstraat 7) ‘Evolved in shared relationships’ is a solo-exhibition by Finnish artist Alma Heikkilä.

Feeling the urge to understand our ecological atmosphere and consciously analyze our behaviour towards it, Heikkilä presents a series of painterly sculptures and mixed-media installations. This way, she brings about an opportunity to sense and imagine the mostly invisible micro-organisms that are within and around us, representing the key organisms in our ecosystems that are otherwise underrepresented.

Alma Heikkilä

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Forensic Justice BAK presents 8-11 November, 13:00-19:00 | BAK (Pauwstraat 13A) London research agency Forensic Architecture is known for its unconventional research methods in order to investigate the violation of human and nature rights.

As a Turner Prize 2018 nominee, the research agency of artists, journalists, lawyers, and architects reconstruct situations to provide critical evidence for international courts.

They also show their innovative esthetic work in art institutions around the world, as they will do so at BAK during LGW.

Forensic Justice

How To Be Together Otherwise BAK presents 11 November, 13:00-13:45 | BAK (Pauwstraat 13A) Maria Hlavajova, general and artistic director of BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, has been interested in exploring what she calls “the art in the otherwise�. Committed to art in the public space and political sphere, she wonders how art can help us envision and enact ways of being together. In this talk, she will speak about how art is not only about making things, but mainly about making things happen.

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Dieter Rams’ stellingen en NU verder Foundation De Pastoe Fabriek presents 9-11 November, 12:00-17:00 | De Pastoe Fabriek (Rotsoord 7B) De Pastoe Fabriek promotes the objective of good design from an aesthetical and corporate social responsibility perspective, stimulating designers to appreciate the diversity in cultural manifestations. This exhibition presents the work of Dieter Rams, an influential German industrial designer, known for his timeless and long lasting product design for Braun, as well as his ten commandments of good design: principles that today are still very relevant.

A New International Counter-Culture Foundation De Pastoe Fabriek presents 11 November, 14:00-16:00 | De Pastoe Fabriek, De Zagerij (Rotsoord 7A) De Pastoe Fabriek favours a new international counter-culture to break the hegemony of the global financial institutions and to reverse the tide of narrow-minded patriotism and identity politics. Jos Oberdorf, Alison Clarke, Nynke Tromp, Stefano Marzano and Tabo Goudswaard discuss an avant-garde that collaborates and unites through design, to contribute to a ‘good society’ that is fair and just.

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ZO 18 11

U.S. GIRLS

WO 21 11

NATALIE PRASS

WO 28 11

LOCATIE: ACU

ZA 08 12

+ H.C. MCENTIRE

PLOEGENDIENST + RICHIE DAGGER

LOCATIE: DOOPSGEZINDE KERK

STEF KAMIL CARLENS (SOLO)

ZA 08 12

FENG SUAVE

VR 14 12

COSMOSIS:

WO 19 12

LOCATIE: ACU

WO 06 02

COSMOSIS:

THE MAUSKOVIC DANCE BAND

IT IT ANITA

BASSEKOU KOYATÉ

LOCATIE: TIVOLIVREDENBURG

FOOD DURING #LGW18: WE SERVE 3 ADVENTUROUS DISHES (VEGGIE/FISH/MEAT) FOR €12,50.

CHOOSE YOUR FAV AND WE’LL DO THE REST. THU-SUN, 18H - 20H.

EDUcATIONAL PROJEcTS This year, Le Guess Who? collaborates with Corderius College (Amersfoort) and X11 school for media and design (Utrecht) in an educational project. Pupils were asked to choose one of the artists from this year’s line-up, and explore their background and inspiration. Based on this, they created a new visual image or product for the artist.

The results are shown in an exhibition that can be seen daily during the festival in TivoliVredenburg. The works are exhibited on the fourth floor.

Ahead of the festival, we also collaborated with a primary school in Utrecht for Lombok Festival: de Parkschool. Those pupils dove into music from the Middle-East and NorthAfrica and discussed the differences they recognized in the music they listened to. The pupils translated those conversations into self-made lanterns, that will be used to decorate the food market of Lombok Festival.

LE GIG POSTER For the sixth year during Le Guess Who?, we host an exhibition in TivoliVredenburg with silkscreen posters that are designed especially for the festival. Utrecht poster hero Joris Diks (Handprinted Stuff ) organizes Le Gig Poster? with posters of the festival artists by dozens of national and international artists.

All these posters are original contemporary pieces of art, created in collaboration with the musicians and venues they depict. Most of them are for sale, so grab this unique chance to get a signed limited edition silkscreen of your favorite band or artist.

Le Gig Poster? is open daily throughout the festival on the fifth floor of TivoliVredenburg.

For more info, visit legigposter.com.

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F O R A L L RS ITO LGW? VIS

R URGGE TILTE!F B EG IE V R O BE BREW & HOMEFOR BEER 5!

ONLY €1

THE BAR FOR YOUR DAILY DOSE OF LIQUOR, FOOD AND MUSIC Lange Jufferstraat 62 • Utrecht • www.cafetilt.nl •

cafe tilt

TILT045-01 Advertentie LeGuessWho?_180926.indd 1

26-09-18 16:2

“Le Mini Who Away Day” 10.11.2018 “Nonstop mild abandon, religious observance, and belly dancing in the Pastoe Fabriek.”

at Le Guess Who

FEATURING Requiem for the Avant-Gardistic State!

(Michiel Klein) Jacco Weener Difficult MorethanbassX feat. Sinem Afework Nigussie Radio WORM “Narrowcast Marathon” Filmwerkplaats 16mm projections

UTRECHT TREASURE GUIDE Welcome to the charming and lively city of Utrecht. With her many idyllic channels, medieval city centre, vibrant nightlife, and an overload of cultural activities, this picturesque city can offer some incredible discoveries. We’re honored to host the 12th edition of Le Guess Who? in such a spectacular scenery.

To find out more about Utrecht, and to find an interactive map with all the local events & offers, head over to → leguesswho.com/utrecht 44

Photo: Juri Hiensch

This Utrecht Treasure Guide offers a handpicked selection of exciting (non-LGW) events and locations in our city. Every store, restaurant or event we highlight is deeply embedded in the daily life of many Utrechters, and each and everyone of them is a city gem worth discovering.

Just to name of few: experience a new standalone festival organised by the local shopkeepers of the Voorstraat; discover the city’s murals and graffiti with a Street Art tour; and enjoy numerous of Le Guess Who? offers, ranging from a fine selection of beers to several LGW-inspired dishes. In short, it should be a good way to start your journey exploring the exhilarating city of Utrecht.

EVENTS Swordfish & Friend Oudkerkhof 43 9 November, from 10:00 Art and record store Swordfish & Friend curates a selection of electronic and indie vinyl you won’t be able to scoop anywhere else in town. You can drop by during the whole festival weekend, but on Friday they’ll start extra early to wake you up properly, serving you an exquisite morning till evening matinée of local deejays spinning ambient, library music and subtle electronic records.

LE VOORSTRAAT! presents another Who? Voorstraat area 11 November, from 10:00 While this year’s edition of Le Mini Who? moves over to a new area, its former festival ground – the lively, creative area of the Voorstraat – still has Le Guess Who? written all over it. This time, local shopkeepers take matters into their own hands, presenting a whole new, standalone festival: LE VOORSTRAAT! Presents another Who?

On top of this, Le Voorstraat! will treat you with instore music, all day long cinema (by Opgedoekt), beer tastings, DJs, presentations (hosted by Pecha Kucha), a fizzing afterparty and a lot more to be announced.

In other words, the Voorstraat won’t let you down.

Photo: Tom van Huisstede

Kick off your Le Guess Who? Sunday with a hearty Village breakfast at Voorstraat 44 from 10:00 in the morning, including an awesome breakfast beer brought to you by MiniBrew.

When finished, you’ll be right on time to stroll around the Voorstraat from store to store, which open at 12:00. You can shop for records at Plato & Dig it!, find some wonderful vintage at Sussies, get caffeinated at The Village Coffee, discover the latest Dutch design at Puha, get dressed at Revenge or dive into a bottle of Cava at Los Amigos.

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Greetings From Utrecht Neude 11 November, 13:00 Sign-up via: info@greetingsfromutrecht.nl This year, Greetings From Utrecht will organize a Street Art tour on Sunday 11 November.

This tour will take you on a two-hour journey down the many exquisite murals and graffiti hotspots in Utrecht. This tour starts at 13:00 at Neude (the main square of Utrecht) and will cost € 10,- per person (cash only).

Kapitaal Hangout ft. Stranded FM Paardenveld Thu: closed/Fri-Sun: 11:00-18:00 This year, Le Guess Who? will have its very own, official festival hangout, hosted by Kapitaal: a Utrecht-based -open- studio for screen-, etch- and risoprint. A meeting place with a proper program, filled with exhibitions, lectures and music, owners Carlien and Ramon create a social place where craftsmanship, design and pop-culture meet.

Photo: Dylan Jake Vermaas

Bring down your own t-shirt, denim jacket or any piece of clothing you like, to get an exclusive screen print from designer Nick Liefhebber - who created this year’s exquisite artwork -; have a tattoo set; get a massage; or make an appointment at mens hairdresser Kapper Lars. With the Utrecht-based Stranded FM taking care of the music, your stay at this year’s hangout will be provided with a top-notch, suitable musical frame. All weekend long, this unconventional online radio station will broadcast live from Kapitaal.

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OFFERS 30ml Coffee Roasters Vredenburg 23 Thu & Fri: 08:00-18:00/Sat: 09:00-18:00/ Sun: 11:00-18:00 Want to start the day with a perfect brew?

30ml Coffee Roasters offers you a variety of the most beautiful coffees, lunches and homemade. Specially for Le Guess Who?, they have made The Botanical Brew: a cocktail of gin, elderflower liqueur, coldbrew coffee, lavender-lemon syrup and a bit of tonic.

LGW offer: special cocktail ‘The Botanical Brew’ for € 4,50.

Kafé België Oudegracht 196 Thu-Sun: 11:00-04:00 Kafé België might be the most famous pub of Utrecht, and according to a lot of locals, the best beer pub in town. België is selling over two hundred different beers, including their very own Dutch Pale Ale by local brewery Maximus called Kamikaze.

LGW offer: Kamikaze beer for € 3,00.

Boekhandel Aleph Vismarkt 9 Thu: 11:00-18:00 & 19:00-21:00/Fri: 11:0018:00/Sat 11:00-17:00/Sun: 13:00-17:00 Do you love to get lost in a store full of old books and vinyl? If so, get down to Aleph and browse through the enormous bookcases, filled with everything ranging from ancient manuscripts to modern classics.

LGW offer: 10% discount for all festival visitors.

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Ana’s Kuzin

Ana’s Kuzin Voorstraat 62 Thu-Sat: 12.00-21.00/Sun: closed Ana’s Kuzin is a small foodstore that pursues an ancient tradition: Turkish women cooking authentic meals from their home country. From small bites to complete dishes, it all showcases their love for food and Turkish cuisine.

LGW offer: a free baklava (sweet dessert pastry) when you order a lunch or meal.

De Bakkerswinkel Wittevrouwenstraat 2 Thu-Sat: 08:00-22:00/Sun: 09:00-22:00 Down for some breakfast, lunch or high tea? In that case, De Bakkerswinkel is a must-visit. This is a place where food is prepared with passion and love for traditionally made, biological and regional products.

LGW offer: ‘Who wants Cake!’ special for € 12,50, with sweet and savoury treats and a fresh pot of tea.

Bananas – Asian Food Shop

DADO

Twijnstraat 39 Thu-Sat: 10:00-20:00/Sun: closed If you’re into homemade kimchi, dumplings, bao buns, poké bowls or Vietnamese spring rolls, this is your go-to store in Utrecht. Visit Bananas Asian Food Shop in the lovely ‘Museum Quarter’ for fresh, organic and eclectic Asian food.

LGW offer: 10% discount for all festival visitors.

Nachtegaalstraat 38 Thu-Sun: 12:00 - 21:00 Just a two-minute walk from Stadsschouw­ burg lies DADO. This foodstore serves a selection of sustainable meals prepared with biological ingredients. To lower their footprint, they only use seasonal fruit and vegetables in their weekly rotating menu.

LGW offer: a special take-away dish with local ingredients for just € 8,50.

Coffee Company Vismarkt Vismarkt 4 Thu: 08:00-21:00/Fri: 08:00-19:00/ Sat-Sun: 09:00-19:00 Located in the ancient city centre of Utrecht, Coffee Company Vismarkt resides in a historical building with a long cultural history. Besides serving delicious coffee, they regularly host expositions and gigs.

LGW offer: a variety of specials, ranging from hot beverages to sweet treats.

Danel Vredenburgkade 11 Thu & Sun: 11:30-01:00/ Fri & Sat: 11:30-02:00 At Danel, they love the exuberant French lifestyle and that’s exactly what their restaurant reflects. Surrounded by bulb lamps, mirrored walls and a black-and-white tiled floor, you’ll think you’ve just stepped into a Parisian establishment. Danel, however, is located right next to TivoliVredenburg.

LGW offer: 10% discount on their three-course ‘Menu du Marché’ and receive a free aperitif.

Coffee Company Vismarkt

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Dapp Frietwinkel

Dapp Frietwinkel

Dogma Hotdogbar

Vinkenburgstraat 10 Thu: 11.30-22.00/Fri & Sat: 11.30-21.00/ Sun: 11.30-20.00 There’s no place in Utrecht, and maybe even in the rest of the world, where they love potatoes like they do here. Grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers, Dapp Frietwinkel serves fresh, biological fries in their purest form. Their store is located just a block away from TivoliVredenburg.

LGW offer: get your second small portion of fries for free.

Voorstraat 17 Thu-Sun: 11:30-22:00/Sun: 11:30-21:00 Dogma serves culinary, mouth-watering hotdogs. Do you want a meat, vegetarian or a vegan version? Here, they’ve got it all.

Accompanied by fresh-cut, homemade fries and some matching craft beers, a fine meal at Dogma will keep you going for a night full of musical adventure.

LGW offer: LGW? beer, drafted by local brewery Kromme Haring, will be available.

Café DeRat

Jansveld 49 Thu-Fri: 11:00-18:00/Sat: 11:00-17:00/ Sun: closed As a fashion designer, The Domestic Botanist designs and displays her collections, as well as hand-picked items from other independent designers, at her local store in Utrecht. From November 9th, this store transforms into a walhalla for people who’d like to score a special gift for the upcoming holidays.

LGW offer: 10% discount for all festival visitors.

Lange Smeestraat 37 Thu-Sun: 14:00-late Café DeRat is one of the most intimate cafes of Utrecht. Their tiny cafe is situated in a living room, where they serve some of the most surprising beers in our city.

Above all, they are specialized in sour beers, of which they have the largest assortment in the Netherlands.

LGW offer: 25% discount on their fine selection of sour beers from draft.

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The Domestic Botanist

Café Flater

Karibu

Oudegracht 140 Thu-Sun: 12:00-03:30 For over 25 years, Café Flater has been a meeting place situated along Utrecht’s life line: the Oudegracht. In November, Flater will serve an autumn beer special: ‘vandeStreek BlackBock’. This locally brewed beer is a black bock beer, brewed with German malts and hops.

LGW offer: 20% discount on Flater’s autumn beer special.

Oudenoord 330 Thu: 09:00-16:00/Fri: 09:00-18:00/ Sat & Sun: 09:30-18:00 As a true gem hidden in the concrete jungle of Utrecht, the Africa inspired Karibu Café is the go-to place in Utrecht to get your all-day breakfast, also known as brekkie. Surrounded by green bushes and quirky restaurant interior, Karibu serves you simple, healthy soul and comfort food.

LGW offer: a special LGW?-hangover brekkie.

Hutspot Vinkenburgstraat 19 Thu: 10:00-21:00/Fri-Sat: 10:00-19:00/ Sun: 12:00-18:00 Situated in a former historic coach house in the heart of Utrecht, Hutspot offers a refreshing mix of fashion, lifestyle and interior brands. Besides new and innovative brands, the store has its own hair salon.

LGW offer: Hutspot will host their own specialized record fair.

JEU DE BOULES BAR Paardenveld 3 Thu: 15:00-00:00/Fri: 15:00-02:00/ Sat: 12:00-02:00/Sun: 12:00-00:00 Craving for a game of Boules? Located below this year’s festival hang-out, JEU is the first bar in Utrecht fully dedicated to the sport in which the objective is to throw a heavy ball as close as possible to a small ball. Accompanied with beer, bites and beats, JEU is set to reinvent this ancient ball game.

LGW offer: a section of the bar will be made available to freely play a game of Boules and lounge.

‘t Koffieboontje

‘t Koffieboontje Gruttersdijk 42 & Oudegracht 92 Thu-Sun: 08:00-17:30 Business owners Mustapha, Brahim and Aziz are all born and raised in Utrecht.

They had often talked about their own business, which they did in 2014, when they opened their coffee bar ’t Koffieboontje in a monumental building at the Oudegracht.

LGW offer: 10% discount for all festival visitors.

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Café Lijn 4 Twijnstraat 3 Thu & Fri: 16:00-late/ Sat & Sun: 14:00-late Named after the historic tram line that used to drive through the city center of Utrecht, Café Lijn 4 serves some nice beers and bites. During the festival weekend they will immerse fully in the Le Guess Who? program, playing music from line-up through the whole weekend. Also, this is one of the spots where the LGW offer: Le Guess Who? beer, drafted by local brewery Kromme Haring, will be available.

Café-atelier Lucas Wittevrouwenstraat 23 Thu & Fri: 08:00-18:00/Sat: 09:00-17:00/ Sun: 10:00-17:00 Café and atelier studio Lucas offers a special breakfast consisting of a croissant, cottage cheese with homemade granola, fresh orange juice and coffee or tea. Not been able to get up early? You can also go for a lovely lunch special with freshly prepared sourdough bread, coffee or tea and homemade cake.

LGW offer: breakfast deal for € 8,95 & lunch deal for € 12,95.

ent ‘mescalation’ and invite DJs who play groovy funk and Latin American beats.

LGW offer: two good-sized Frozen or Classic Margarita’s for the price of one.

Café De Morgenster Oudegracht 323 Thu-Sat: 15:00-01:30/Sun: 15:00-00:00 This 100-year-old café at the Oudegracht has created a special beer selection. How about Smooth Louis, a swinging amber beer with touches of citrus fruits and caramel, inspired by the jazz legend?

Or would you prefer a vanilla milk stout called Comfortably Numb, Brewdog’s grapefruit IPA called Elvis Juice or Oedipus’ Swinging Gose Beer?

LGW offer: special music inspired beers from all over the world on the menu during LGW.

Lucy Lou – Tacos & Tequila Vredenburg 30 Thu & Sun: 17:00-00:00/ Fri & Sat: 17:00-02:00 Lucy Lou offers South American street food and fine cocktails. The menu includes authentic Mexican tacos and more than fifty types of tequila and mescal. Every Friday and Saturday night, they pres52

Café De Morgenster

Het Muzieklokaal

Puha Shop

Bemuurde Weerd Oostzijde 13 Thu-Sat: 11:00-00:00/Sun: 11:00-22:00 Het Muzieklokaal is all about classical music. It is the perfect hangout for people who fancy some Bach, Brahms or Chopin during their lunch or dinner, or while having a drink with friends. Every Thursday night and Sunday afternoon, they presents free live concerts, ranging from solo pianists to chamber music.

LGW offer: main dish (fish, meat or vegetarian) + one drink for € 15,80.

Voorstraat 48 Thu: 11:00-20:00/Fri: 11:00-18:00/ Sat: 10:00-17:00/Sun: 13:00-17:00 Puha Shop is a local concept store offering products for men and women made by over fifty different young designers and startup labels. The products vary from clothes to accessories, books, bags, homeware and jewellery.

LGW offer: 10% discount for all festival visitors.

De Ontdekking Voorstraat 110 Thu & Fri: 08:00-18:00/ Sat-Sun: 09:00-18:00 Before coffee bar De Ontdekking was established, their location was home to a travel agency for over 60 years. Inspired by their predecessors, De Ontdekking (which translates to “The Discovery”) serves breakfast, lunch and coffee, influenced by places all around the globe.

LGW offer: a special LGW?-inspired smoothie & coffee.

Puschkin

Puschkin Ridderschapstraat 1 Thu: 09:00-17:00/Fri: 09:00-22:00/ Sat & Sun: 10:00-17:00 Located in a former garage at the end of the Voorstraat, Puschkin serves breakfast and lunch in German style. Even without busting the bank, you’ll kickstart your day at Puschkin with a basket full of German kaiser rolls, a hard boiled egg and some lovely sandwich fillings.

LGW offer: 10% discount for all festival visitors.

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Sanju Ramen

Café Tilt!

Voorstraat 29 Thu: 17:00-22:00/ Fri, Sat & Sun: 12:00-22:00 Sanju Ramen is the place to be when you’re looking for some homemade authentic ramen served in a low-key and relaxed environment. Located in the lively neighborhood of the Voorstraat, the restaurant’s interior is created by local artists and combines classical Asian elements with modern art.

LGW offer: a special LGW?-inspired vegetarian ramen dish.

Lange Jufferstraat 62 Thu & Sun: 11:00-02:00/ Fri & Sat: 11:00-04:00 Just a stone’s throw away from Stads­ schouw­burg lies Café Tilt!. The bar for your daily dose of liquor, tasty food and good music. For many years, they hosted numerous performances for Le Mini Who?.

LGW offer: Tilt! Burger (beef or veggie) and a Tilt! homebrew beer for just € 15,00.

Saowapa Bemuurde Weerd OZ 45 Thu-Sun: 12:00-21:00 Do you fancy some original thai cooking?

In that case, you should visit the small restaurant of Saowapa. Just a minute away from EKKO, Saowapa has a brand new menu everyday, with which your taste buds will be overloaded with the delicious flavors of Northern Thailand.

LGW offer: a special LGW?-inspired dish: the Krapauw Kauw Dauw.

SNCKBR IV Vredenburg 28 Thu-Sun: 12:00-23:00 Across the street of TivoliVredenburg, you’ll find SNCKBR IV. This place makes healthy comfort food with organic ingredients that are finger licking good. They offer a 100% plant-based menu, which is served in their warm, sustainably designed restaurant.

LGW offer: a LGW?-inspired day special.

SNCKBR IV

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De Utrechtse Boekenbar

Café De Vingerhoed

Westerkade 2 Fri-Sat: 10:00-18:00/Sun: 12:00-17:00 A bookstore, specializing in literature, art, photo and cookery books. It is also a cozy bar, where collaborative events with publishers, writers and local artists take place. This way the Utrechtse Boekenbar has already grown into a cultural hotspot since its opening just one year ago.

LGW offer: a selection of special music books, recommended by the Utrechtse Boekenbar and LGW.

Donkere Gaard 11 Thu: 10:00-01:30/Fri & Sat: 10:00-02:30/ Sun: 12:00-19:00 Café De Vingerhoed is located at one of the most beautiful places in Utrecht, between the Wed and the Oudegracht just around the corner of Domplein. It has been known for years for the nice atmosphere and the generously filled plates. Also, De Vingerhoed is a great place to play board games.

LGW offer: a special local autumn beer for € 3,30 instead of € 4,20.

The Village Coffee & Music Voorstraat 46 Thu & Fri: 08:00-18:00/Sat: 09:00-18:00/ Sun: 10:00-18:00 The guys from The Village Coffee & Music have really left a signature at the Voorstraat over the last years. There is always a great and energetic vibe in their coffee bar. Now that Le Mini Who? has moved to the Rotsoord area, The Village and fellow neighboring entrepreneurs will present Le Voorstraat.

LGW offer: 10% discount for all festival visitors.

Café Willem Slok Korte Koestraat 2 Thu: 16:00-01:00/Fri & Sat: 16:00-02:00/ Sun: 16:00-00:00 Willem Slok might be one of the favourite pubs of locals. Located in an alley that is overgrown with plants just across the road from TivoliVredenburg, Willem Slok could be a great spot to take a short break to save some energy for a long and intense festival night.

LGW offer: LGW? beer, drafted by local brewery Kromme Haring, will be available.

Café Willem Slok

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mel k w e g

FR 16 NOV

UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA MO 19 NOV

MANSIONAIR MO 26 NOV

SEASICK STEVE MO 03 DEC

JAIN

mo 26 nov Seasick Steve

WE 05 DEC

RUFUS DU SOL SA 15 DEC

SAD LOVERS & GIANTS / ADULT A.O.

WE 23 JAN

ANNA CALVI

FR 22 MAR

MARIBOU STATE

FR 15 FEB

MATT CORBY

ULTRASOUND SPECIAL

tickets: melkweg.nl

PRINSEGRACHT 12

THE HAGUE PAARD.NL

23 december

1 december

HINK FESTIVAL

Great Lake Swimmers (CA) indie folk Cocaine Piss (BE) trashpunk Lera Lynn (US) America popnoir Red Snapper (UK) dark funk / afrojazz The Sore Losers (BE) rock Saintseneca (US) alt-folk Micah P Hinson (US) Americana Miho Hatori (JP) Japanese avant-pop Duds (UK) postpunk noise and more to announce!

CHRISTINE OTT

Intens Classic piano compositions mixt with electronics. collaborations with Yann Tiersen, Radiohead and Tindersticks.

9 Februari

GRAUZONE FESTIVAL

mesmerizing songs full of sweet, dreamy vocals and 80’s synths.

Shellac (US) noise rock Blixa Bargeld (DE) industrial band Lebanon Hanover (DE) darkwave post-punk Rendez – vous (FR) post-punk Ancient Methods (DE) dark, eclectic techno Snapped Ankles (UK) post-punk & krautrock Maggot Heart (DE) hardrock wave Tempers (US) dreamy wave & performance art Fatamorgana (SP) synthpop & new wave and more to announce!

13 dECEMBER

13 februari

TurkISH folk Mixt with funkY psychedelic ROCK

Everyday sounds (birds, waterdrops, trains) sampled into orkestral folky popsongs

7 DECEMBER

still corners ALTIN GÜN

COSMO SHELDRAKE