Bastille confirmed for Jersey Live Festival
Jersey Live Festival returns this summer, supported for the 8th year by headline sponsors JT, for its 10th anniversary event. This year celebrates a decade of events that has seen the likes of Noel Gallagher, Kasabian, Plan B, Paul Weller, Dizzee Rascaland many more grace the shores of Jersey for the 10,000 capacity festival, and following the recent announcements of legendary dance producer Fatboy Slim and Example as the festival’s Main Stage headliners, we are delighted to announce that anthemic indie sensations Bastille will join the festival bill, performing on Sunday 1st September.

The London band may have only formed under three years ago, but their recent rise to fame has been a steep one, with their February single ‘Pompeii’ released to huge demand, peaking at number two in the singles charts and their debut album Bad Blood rocketing straight to top of the UK album charts upon its release in March. Comprised of singer and songwriter Dan Smith, keyboardist Kyle Simmons, bassist Will Farquarson and drummer Chris Wood, Bastille formed in 2010 and have since toured with Emeli Sande and Two Door Cinema Club, and performed at festivals including Reading and Glastonbury. Their richly textured, blissfully melancholic and electronic-tinged rock is at once rapturously anthemic – drawing comparisons the likes of Coldplay – whilst straying away from being anything like formulaic. Their rise seems set to continue throughout 2013, with them joining Muse as support on their “2nd Law” stadium tour this summer, and their own recently announced autumn tour selling out instantly – including two dates at the 5,000 capacity Brixton o2 Academy that sold out in just EIGHT minutes.
BASTILLE / THE CRIBS / TOM ODELL / PETE TONG
NETSKY & MC DYNAMITE / JOHN COOPER CLARKE
NEVILLE STAPLE BAND / HOWARD MARKS / SHLOMO / ZEDS DEAD
DOCTOR P / DUSKY / HOT SINCE 82 / WAZE & ODYSSEY
LEWIS WATSON / RUSS CHIMES / KANKA / CRAIG CHARLES
COUNT SIZZLE / FUZZBOX INC / WARREN LE SUEUR / WARREN HOLT MANY MORE TBA
Gottwood announce full lineup
Gottwood Festival announce the final additions to a lineup that brings together a whole host of underground talent for an unforgettable experience. Among the latest additions are Manchester club brand Drop the Mustard, who host hot property Ejeca and Urulu, plus find Pedestrian, Zero 7 vocalist Sophie Barker and Bournemouth’s Zoo Look, among others. And outside the music, Gottwood has announced some of the installations that will help transform the picturesque Welsh woods in June into a fairytale land for the weekend.
Returning for its fourth year, Gottwood Festival kicks off the summer solstice on June 20-23. If you’re looking for something a little off centre, something to make you move, and something that you wont forget in a rush, this is it.
Drop The Mustard – well known for pulling together some of the most cutting-edge acts for their Manchester parties – are the final hosts to be added to the impressive Gottwood roll call. They bring Ejeca, who has seen his profile rise at an enormous pace with releases 2020 Vision, Lokee and Last Night on Earth this year alone. He is joined by ’90s revival comrade Urulu plus Alex Blaxx and more.
A.Z & T.O.R.’s soulful, bass-driven house and two-step beats complete the Bristol brigade and the Eton Messy stage, alongside Pedestrian and Luvian. Gottwood also welcomes Sophie Barker one of the vocalists on Zero 7’s ‘Simple Things’ who plays live, and expect a blissed-out, hypnotic live set from Brighton-based producer Little Thoughts, and dub goodness from eight-piece reggae collective Kalichakra.
Futureboogie announce an unmissable B2B session with the whole boogie crew. While, Apogee get excited with the addition of house heads Zoo Look, Louche gear up with Bruno Schmidt, and The Sound Of C go electronic with Werkha. Four-piece electronic outfit Let The Machines Do The Work whisk you away from the digital age with their strictly analogue live set-up, and BEHR step up with the minimal techno touch.
Techno powerhouse Traum and Nottingham label and Stealth regular Wigflex host headliners Extrawelt, Newcastle promoter and podcast supremos Jaunt bring Ben UFO, and celebrated Bristol house and techno connoisseurs Hypercolour return with Luke Vibert and Tom Demac. Leeds club brand Louche return to Gottwood with Move D playing a HUGE four-hour set, while London’s underground house heads Tief go deep, with Bicep, Wolf Music and KRL. Internationally renowned London club brand Futureboogie bring Crazy P, Eton Messy take Gottwood along a bass trip with Maribou State, and Manchester’s Hit&Run flex with Marcus Intalex and 2 Bad Mice, the early ’90s jungle pioneers.
With parties in London, Leeds and Nottingham, Apogee bring up the underground with Amsterdam’s Detroit Swindle (live) and Cera Alba. ETA & Real Nice present Waze & Odyssey, and strictly vinyl UK house and bass label Nixwax host Joonipah. Plus catch hip hop-tinted band The Scribes, and deep-rooted reggae crew General Roots and many more. Expect a bumpy, vibrant and genre-bending ride as Gottwood Festival provides its take on an electronic music education!
Gottwood received an unprecedented number of entries to its DJ Competition this year, and the final 10 fought a fierce battle for the top spot in the Facebook poll. Congratulations to Zade & Kayne Cross for winning the contest, to second-place Nick Assheton, and third-place VII. Y. P. Here is the winning mix by Zade & Kanye Cross: soundcloud.com/gottwood/gottwood-dj-competition-zade – and you can see all three acts play at Gottwood.
Gottwood Festival comes to you from a location like no other place you will have been. It’s like something out of a fairytale, or your most lucid dream – the area has even been described by Lonely Planet as the ’Greatest Region On The Earth 2012’. That’s how special it is.
The theme for Gottwood Festival 2013 has been chosen – and it’s ‘The Wild Things’. So, what does that mean? “You are ‘The Wild Things’,” say the Gottwood organisers. “This theme is a reinvigoration, a celebration and most importantly an exploration of your imagination. We want everyone to pause, take a step back from their everyday life, leap off the edge, and wander into an unrestrained, untamed, wild and wonderful parallel mindset celebrating everything in your life that is not actually there, but is locked up top, and in most cases is rarely given a chance to flourish! We will be building an a magical backdrop of colour and vibrance, and we can’t wait for you to show us ‘The Wild Things‘.”
There have been some changes at Gottwood Festival this year, but one of the most exciting announcements is that there will be two open-air stages running until 4am – in a similar fashion to the first ever Gottwood. This time around the Boxford Caravan, as well as a new woodland stage will run until the twilight hours, with surround sound four-point Funktion One systems helping to bring the noise! Dancing in the trees all night long is back!
RFID, the pioneers in fully immersive projection, are returning for their third year and will be providing the unique 360 degree visual experience for everyone who ventures into the dome. Last year saw Dinky play an amazing set to hundreds of confused but amazed people who appeared to be struggling to grasp where they were or what time it was when the visuals really sprang into life.
Gottwood strives to help and provide a promotional platform for artists. This year look out for The Bestiary building bringing larger-than-life interactive animal installations made from salvaged wood; Mr Kobo returns to paint a modern-day mural. Venture out to see the oversized live oil painting and graffiti from the uber-talented and Gottwood Caravan creator Technicolour Moon, as well as interactive tree painting, which is set to be an amazing sight to see.
This small, boutique and wholly independent electronic music festival – set within the deepest darkest depths of the Welsh woodland, and next to the sandy beaches of the Irish Sea – provides the ultimate alternative festival experience. Working with some of the most innovative and interesting names in electronic music, Gottwood Festival strives to ensure its lineup ticks all the boxes for even the most discerning club heads
Gottwood is going to be a very colourful place this year with more treats and surprises than ever before!
Stop Making Sense announces full lineup
Stop Making Sense announces the final roll-call of acts for 2013, with the addition of Sebo K and Session Victim – as well as two new crews – ensuring this lineup is the biggest yet! Bringing some of the most sought-after acts to the beautiful Tisno coast, with the likes of Steve Bug, T.Williams, Midland and Âme & Dixon, SMS is a celebration of electronic music, a sun-drenched holiday and a thrilling mini-break all rolled into one.
Danza Macabra from Slovenia and Pluspluslus from Russia join the SMS family; hosting an evening on the Wood stage, they introduce Sebo K to the mix. Trouble Vision finally flips the lid on their boat party guest, presenting heavyweight Session Victim, while John Talabot holds his own on land. CRACK Magazine welcome Radio Slave to the fold, FACT flex with Steve Bug, T.Williams and Braiden and Lindstrøm is in attendance with Orlando Boom, alongside Kiwi.
Electric minds host Mano Le Tough, while the AUS collective is represented by Will Saul, Midland and Appleblim. Warm presents Innervisions’ Âme & Dixon, Sub Club brings Prins Thomas, and San Soda is brought along by Love Fever. Zagreb club collective Croatia Calling is a collaboration between some of the Croatian capital’s top club crews. They take over proceedings on Thursday, with the freshest homegrown music talent. Stop Making Sense is one of Croatia’s most discerning and respected parties.
Innervisions: Âme & Dixon | Steve Bug | Lindstrøm | John Talabot | Radio Slave
T.Williams | Sebo K | Prins Thomas | Will Saul | Midland | Mano Le Tough | Session Victim
San Soda | Appleblim | Braiden | Harri & Domenic
A&A / Ali Tillett / Brighton / Danza Macabra / Dolan Bergin / Examine / Jan Kincl Zero / Kito Jempere, Kiwi, Labud, Luka K, Madera Verde, Mimi, Moa Pillar, Mr Solid Gold, Nikola, Pardon My French, Park Ranger, Rob Summerhayes, Your Name
TROUBLE VISION / WARM / ELECTRIC MINDS / AUS / SUB CLUB / ORLANDO BOOM / LOVE FEVER / CRACK / FACT / CROATIA CALLING / ANOMALOUS VISUALS / PLUSPLUSPLUS / DANZA MACABRA
A music event without pretension, full of warmth and a strong sense of community, Stop Making Sense is all about the sunshine, the people, the music, the escape. The music runs from 12 noon until 1am at the main site with its private beach, water-side dancefloor, boat parties, wine and cocktail bars and food stalls.
This year the Stop making Sense boat parties are bigger than ever, grab your ticket now. With two trips per day, tickets for these four-hour sunshine sojourns are £15 per session and will sell out in advance. Full lineups:
Thursday
Day: Croatia Calling presents Brighton, Jan Kinčl Zero, Labud, Luka K | Your Name – special £10 boat party!
Night: FACT presents T.Williams, Braiden
Friday
Day: Trouble Vision presents Session Victim
Night: Love Fever presents San Soda
Saturday
Day: AUS presents Will Saul, Midland, Appleblim
Night: Orlando Boom presents Lindstrøm, Kiwi
Sunday
Day: CRACK Magazine presents Radio Slave
Night: Warm presents Âme & Dixon
From 12am to 6am Stop Making Sense goes late-night at Barbarella’s, a truly stunning state-of-the-art beach-side open-air club. An essential part of the Stop Making Sense experience, it rivals anything Ibiza has to offer, with lineups coming from the SMS crews. Thursday belongs to Love Fever, Session Victim and San Soda. Friday brings FACT with Steve Bug, T.Williams and Braiden. Saturday is Orlando Boom’s chance to shine, with Lindstrøm and Kiwi. And on Sunday it goes off with Warm closing with Âme & Dixon.
Bestival Friday night headliner announced!
Featuring 10 fields of wonderment and 20 stages filled with amazing music, insane sideshows and magical happenings,Bestival’s spectacular 10th birthday bash this September 5th-8th is set to be nothing short of EPIC.
Celebrating those 10 years for all they’re worth, we’ve already got a musical line-up that’s second to none, with headline appearances from Elton John and Snoop Dogg, sets from M.I.A, Franz Ferdinand, The Flaming Lips, The Knife, Wu-Tang Clan, Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox, Annie Mac Presents, and so many more. Plus we’ve got jaw-dropping attractions like our amazing new arena The Port, Films in the Forest, World Music Day on the Bandstand, The Wishing Tree, Swamp Shack and The Grand Palace of Entertainment, and now we are mind-blowingly excited to announce our crowd slaying Friday night headliner!
Rob da Bank says: “I still can't believe Bestival is gonna be ten… but it is and that’s great cos it means we get to go even more mental with our onsite creations and general madness. We wanted to have a big moment for all our amazing crew and the beautiful Bestivalites whether they've been with us for the last decade or even just this year so we went back to one of our headliners from the first year and someone who's supported us since our early days in clubland. Yes ladies and gents, boys and girls roll up roll up for what will be the biggest spectacle in UK festival land as we unveil Fatboy Slim’s Bestival Birthday Bash.”
Fatboy Slim says: “It was at Glastonbury 2003 where I closed the Sunday Best stage for Rob da Bank that I first saw the glint in his eye to create his own festival. 12 months later I was headlining Bestival and TEN years on, here I am again, throwing them the biggest birthday bash possible and sharing the main stage alongside Elton John and Snoop Dogg. It’s an absolute honour to return for this momentous occasion – staying creative and independent in these times. You've come a long way, baby!"

YES! Our much anticipated Friday night headliner will be the one and only Fatboy Slim AKA Norman Cook. Norman was one of the very first headliners at the inaugural Bestival in 2004, so it's a real coup to have him aboard HMS Bestival in his rightful place once again, helping to celebrate our spectacular tenth anniversary. Playing an exclusive set just for us, which he's dubbed 'Fatboy Slim's Bestival Birthday Bash', it’s guaranteed to be a monumental appearance, with outrageous onstage birthday party antics galore and some very special surprises which will be revealed on the night. Armed with an almost endless abundance of mega-hits from Everybody Needs A 303 to Star 69 (What The F*ck) and way beyond, you can expect the mother of all celebrations as the master of good-time party music throws down a large helping of epic goodness, like only he can.
You don’t want to miss this one it’s going to be a legendary 10th birthday. And what a 10 years it’s been, from just a few thousand people rocking out in 2004 to becoming the Best Major Festival winner in 2012, we certainly have come a long way baby! Staying true to our independent, boutique roots we’re playing with the big boys now and we promise a spectacle that’s not to be missed, it’s going to be the party of the year, so don’t miss out!
Isle of Man Festival launch with Paloma Faith, Primal Scream and more!
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH presents: The Isle of Man Festival in association with MTV, a brand new festival for 2013! An exciting line up of artists will travel North to invade the little Island floating in The North Sea, between Belfast and The Lake District, best known for it’s beautiful landscapes and the wild annual Motorbike TT Championships. Easy to get to and with the same Island holiday feel, the festival looks to be the new Isle of Wight Festival or Bestival for those living in The North, Ireland and The Midlands. Perfect for a weekend retreat The Isle Of Man has an exciting line-up of artists taking to the stage, including; Primal Scream, Paloma Faith, Johnny Marr and Wretch 32, with many more new and exciting acts supporting! Dance fans can also enjoy the largest ever dance arena on the Island and the cream of the UK’s club scene in the Ministry of Sound tent.

15,000 people are expected to attend this one-day festival on Saturday 6 July 2013 from midday til late. There are overnight camping and glamping facilities for the party people and plenty of on island accommodation options for the gentle folk!
The island’s first true music festival will take place in Noble’s Park in Douglas, set against a beautiful backdrop of the Irish Sea coastline and the world-famous Motorcycle TT Grandstand. It’s a great addition to the UK festival scene, sponsored by ALCATEL ONE TOUCH who have always been an advocate for new music talent in the UK and are pleased to support music on a bigger scale in association with iconic music and events brand MTV. ALCATEL ONE TOUCH will also host a ‘Chill and Charge’ tent featuring a digital graffiti wall and a unique and exciting program of entertainment. The festival is also supporting the Gandy’s Flip Flops ‘Orphans for Orphans’ campaign. Gandy’s will be creating a colourful ‘Holi Festival’ paint extravaganza experience on site during the afternoon.
Festival-goers can choose from a range of tickets to suit all budgets with prices starting from just £55.
SUPER VIP tickets provide exclusive access to private acoustic sets from artists and surprise guests, free food and drink, and those all important luxury private restrooms.
Tickets are on sale now at www.theisleofmanfestival.com
FESTIVAL LINE UP
Main Stage
Primal Scream
Paloma Faith
Johnny Marr
Wretch 32
Laura Mvula
Loveable Rogues
Davy Knowles
Kassidy
Toseland
Ebony Day
The UK and Ireland Battle of the Band winners
The Isle of Man Battle of the Band winners
And more acts to be announced.
The Prodigy join Croatia’s Terraneo Festival lineup
Terraneo is proud to announce The Prodigy will join the line up to shake the whole of Sibenik and make everyone dance with their signature high energy show.
Being one of the leading names in the history of electronic dance music The Prodigy have continued to reinvent themselves and have sold over 25 million albums throughout their career and won numerous awards; including two Brit Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards, two Kerrang! Awards and two Grammy nominations. Nineteen released singles, many of which have stormed up the world music charts and club podiums, including "Charly", "Out of Space", "Smack My Bitch Up", "Voodoo People", "No Good (Start the Dance)", "Breathe", "Firestarter" etc. They have also released a total of five studio albums and two compilations. Their live shows never disappoint, jam packed with all your favourite tracks and bursting with energy.

"We are very excited that The Prodigy are finally coming to Terraneo. We're looking forward to this legendary band’s performance, as yet unseen in Sibenik", said festival spokesman Luka Pavic.
The Red Bull Music Academy Project will also be joining the festival again and moving to the open air Aero Stage. The programming will be under the artistic direction of renowned DJ and promoters Eddy Ramich, and artists will be revealed in the next announcement in June.
Besides The Prodigy and The Red Bull Music Academy, Terraneo welcome the the 2013 line up; American indie rock band from Cleveland, Cloud Nothings, regional star Dubioza Kolektiv, who will make their comeback at Terraneo, Serbian underground cult band Darkwood Dub and Croatian rap punk duoKranksvester, as well as the excellent local Americana band My Buddy Moose.
All announced names for Terraneo 2013 are: The Prodigy, My Bloody Valentine, Azealia Banks, Calexico, Dubioza Kolektiv, The Bots, Cloud Nothings, Darkwood Dub, Kawasaki 3p, Postolar Tripper, My Buddy Moose, Kranksvester, Svi na Pod and Icarus Down. Many more being announced in June.
Stereosonic celebrates its 5th year with 2 day event
Totem Onelove Group, Hardware and Onelove are thrilled to announce that Stereosonic Music Festival will be expanding to a two-day festival showcase across the country, to celebrate the festival’s fifth anniversary as a national event.
Cementing Stereosonic’s position as one of the best festivals in the world, the change in experience follows a growing trend across the globe for dance music festivals.
The expanded format has enabled Stereosonic to deliver the biggest EDM lineup Australia has ever seen. Patrons will witness headline acts that have never before shared the stage and experience a festival environment like no other.
Stereosonic Promoter and a Director of Totem Onelove, Richie McNeill, is thrilled with the announcement: “We wanted to reward our patrons for their support, feedback and loyalty. What better way to do this than expand our festival and cement Stereosonic, and Australia as a leader in dance music. We are pushing the envelope. Stereosonic fans will experience the greatest EDM lineup Australia has ever seen.”

The most passionate dance music fans in Australia attend Stereosonic. The festival marks the start of summer with patrons celebrating finishing exams, assignments and the end of another year.
Patrons will buy a two-day ticket, which will allow them access to Stereosonic on both days in their allocated city. No camping is permitted.
The value of the ticket will increase slightly, commencing at $199.95, to ensure that patrons enjoy an additional day of entertainment for less than half a ticket more.
Held annually in November and December in five major capital cities, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, Stereosonic is an over 18s electronic music festival that delivers a diverse lineup that spans all genres of dance music.
Introducing Undercover Festival with Dreadzone and more
Holroyd Events and "THE TEAM" present to you "The Undercover Festival” on 20th & 21st September 2013 at The Bisley Pavilion (and surrounding area), Brookwood Nr Woking.
Speaking at the launch Mick from “THE TEAM” said “If anyone who attended Guilfest in 2011 & 2012 liked The Vive Le Rock Stage @ GuilFest they will LOVE "The Undercover Festival”.
“Unfortunately GuilFest is no longer with us and we thought it would be a shame to let the unique atmosphere / buzz that was created in the Vive Le Rock Stage @ Guilfest in 2011 & 2012 go to waste”.
We created this festival to roll out and build on the unique atmosphere that was created in 2011 & 2012” on the Vive Le Rock stage; we have lined up a jam packed event at a bargain price of £45 for both days”.

Dreadzone, The Cockney Rejects, The Skints, The Glitter Band, 999, Stone Foundation, Chelsea, TV Smith, avondale45 + many many more on the lineup.
40 plus bands and “Vive Le Classique Dance floor" with DJs playing vinyl only Northern Soul, Indie Retro and Ska
All for a bargain price of £45 for the whole event.
Full details from www.undercoverfest.com
Solange, Fucked Up and more added to Off Festival lineup
Dreamlike singers, hardcore emissions, electronic trances, psychedelic wipeouts, and… the one and only Zbigniew Wodecki. Everything is possible at OFF. Here's the next batch of artists that will perform at this year's festival – hold on tight!
Solange
It's no wonder that she's often compared to her older sister, some even call her – without a hint of malice ? the "Beyoncé of indie music", but you just need to open your eyes and ears to understand the Solange is a mature and independent artist. After two good LPs released by Interscope, she dazzled both critics and audiences with her EP called True, produced by Dev Hynes (who co-authored multiple songs with the likes of Florence and the Machine and The Chemical Brothers) and released under Terrible Records, a record label established by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor. It's pop music, with clear references to the sounds of the 80s, but with its own distinct personality and quality. Join us in dancing to the beat!

Zbigniew Wodecki with Mitch & Mitch Orchestra and Choir
At this year's OFF Festival, the one, the only, the legendary Zbigniew Wodecki himself will perform his iconic 1976 debut album – called Zbigniew Wodecki, of course. The titan of local venues scattered along the Vistula will be joined on stage by Mitch&Mitch, the most foreign band to ever form in Poland, whose members are hard at work making the music sound exactly as it did on the album, but better. For this special occasion an organist, a string quartet, and a two-person choir will be added to the Mitch&Mitch roster which already boasts nine members. That already tells you that they will be performing at the festival's biggest stage, as no other venue would accommodate that kind of ensemble.
Fucked Up
Whoever saw the band at the 2009 festival must surely remember the limitless energy, the bear-like posture, and the falling pants of Damien Abraham, the lead vocalist of the Canadian band Fucked Up. The hardcore fete of unfettered expression was one of the best shows of the 2009 festivals. This year's performance might even surpass the last one, as Fucked Up have been touring extensively for the past four years and will bring with them a host of new songs coming from their recent album, David Comes to Life. Don't come too close, unless you're willing to get down and dirty.
Julia Holter
Recording her material primarily in her bedroom and drawing inspiration from ancient Greek tragedies, this Nite Jewel collaborator has been compared by both fans and critics to Laurie Anderson, Joanna Newsom, and Kate Bush. Gigi, the third album of the LA-based artist, will be released probably before the festival and will feature a plethora of surprises.
Guardian Alien
Guardian Alien is headed by drummer Greg Fox, known for his exploits with Zs, Liturgy, and his collaboration with Dan Deacon, but this polyrhythmic mixture of psychedelia, African music, and extreme metal was probably cooked up with a little help from alien forces. The band sounds like turbocharged Hawkwind – well, we can't say that it sounds like Hawkwind on speed, now can we? Listen to See the World Given to a One Love Entity, the 40-minute-long album released by Thrill Jockey and containing just a single song and you'll quickly be convinced that Guardian Alien's performance just might be one of the festival's most amazing shows.
Buke And Gase
"Absolutely thrilling" – this Pitchfork claim is dead-on correct. The Brooklyn-based duo behind Buke and Gase serve an original mixture of folk sensitivity and avant-garde bravado. It's deliberate, but with more than just a touch of improvisation. Amazing, is what it is. They play unique, one-of-a-kind instruments, including a modified baritone ukulele, a gase, and foot-powered percussion instruments – and they sing beautifully, too. Get ready for their show by listening to their most recent offering, called General Dome.
John Talabot – Live
Media-shy producer and DJ from Barcelona – he's not keen on interviews and in most photographs, his face is hidden under a tinfoil mask. His debut album was released by the small German record label, Permanent Vacation. As it turned out, the material on fin was so good that the hippest clubs in London and New York tried to book his appearance, while The xx invited him to tour with them. His live performances seem to completely justify the hype surrounding the secretive musician.
Shackleton
One of the most original and intriguing figures of the British drum and bass scene, co-founder of the legendary, now-defunct Skull Disco label. Recorded the groundbreaking album Music of the Quiet Hour, which explored the no-man's land between minimal techno and dubstep. It's kind of hard to believe that dance music could be this dark? But we should expect nothing less from a musician who counts Can and Throbbing Gristle among his inspirations and who started his musical journey by playing in a punk band.
UL/KR
The most powerful and surprising debut since Niwei. The strangest mixture of uncomfortable, dark electronics and sing-song catchiness typical of the Land of Gentleness series. The LP released last year by the duo from Gorzów was widely – and deservedly ? considered to be one of the most important releases of 2012, while the band's most recent effort – Ament – is also garnering praise from critics and fans alike. We're happy to welcome UL/KR to OFF Festival: we're sure that they're going to feel right at home.
Hera
The band was founded by clarinetist and composer Waclaw Zampel, who is known for his collaborations with pre-eminent musical improvisers, including Ken Vandermark, Joe McPhee, and Miko?aj Trzaska. Although they're putting out records – like the incredible Where My Complete Beloved Is for example – live performances are their greatest strength. As the band itself stated, their "primary goal is to enter a sort of musical trance that would break down barriers between the stage and the audience and would enable spontaneous exchange."
Gowno
Please, don't be discouraged by the band's name (which translates into "Shit"). Gowno is not in the nicely smelling flower business, it's in the angry, insolent punk business. The band was founded in 2009 and has since released two official LPs – To nie jest kurwa Pink Floyd (This Ain't Fucking Pink Floyd) and Black Rodeo (2012).
Hokei
The band's roots can be traced to both Warsaw and Bydgoszcz. It comprises musicians from groups such as Ed Wood, Stara Rzeka, Alameda Trio, and Pictorial Candi. Hokei pays homage to kraut – and post-rock but it's also looking for its own place in the borderlands of guitar-percussion experiments. Their performance at OFF will coincide with the official release of their debut album, Zodiak.
Frozen Bird
Terry's Tale, the debut album of Warsaw-based Frozen Bird quartet released last year, was a very surprising mixture filled with dreamlike electronica, infused with subtle acoustics, and wrapped in fable-like lyrics performed in three