Rising Icelandic pop star Hildur set for London gig
Don't miss your chance to see Icelandic artist Hildur, playing in London on Tuesday 15th Jan at the Paper dress vintage (in Hackney).
Hildur is a multi-talented rising pop star from Iceland. Her ambitious nature drove her from competitive sports through to band life and to an exciting solo career. She is a singer, a songwriter and a lyricist. She has a degree in Japanese and is a classically trained cellist. However, don’t expect sweet-as-sugar pop. She is not only an obvious musical talent but a women's rights and gender equality activist, who projects her message a powerful and colorful way.
Website: http://www.hihildur.com/
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czL80l2X-L0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU0gaFuLgNo
There is also a new single coming soon and her recent track 'Picture Perfect' has hit over 530 thousand streams on Spotify.
For interviews and guestlist get in touch.
Nikki x
Iceland at ESNS 2019: From bondage pop to occultist synth punk and feminist hip hop
From Björk to Sigur Rós, múm, Kaleo and Of Monsters and Men, Iceland’s wealth of contemporary artists in a myriad of genres has had an indelible impact on the globe, with creative significance far greater than expected of a remote island country with a population of only 330,000 people. Living up to its reputation for musical innovation and radical thinking, the ESNS 2019 Iceland Music roster is sure to inspire, challenge and provoke.
“A perfect wedding of aesthetic, message and music” is how The Line of Best Fit described Hatari’s brutal nihilistic darkness that made them the most talked about band of Iceland Airwaves 2018 . And if darkness is your theme, then Une Misère’s atmospheric post hardcore will provide an intense introduction to the Icelandic blossoming underground metal scene.
Formed in 2013 after winning a poetry slam held by the city library, synth-punk Kælan Mikla create a compelling collage of 80s coldwave, goth and the occult. From darkness onto the light, where Hugar’s ethereally ambient music has already amassed a serious following with over 30 million Spotify streams and a busy European touring schedule.
Starting her music career as one half of a jazz duo, Bríet found overnight fame following the release of her debut 2018 single “In Too Deep” that brought together mainstream pop, R&B and electronic influences in a fresh and unmistakably authentic way. Another rising pop star and winner of the Icelandic Music Award for Pop Song 2017, Hildur, is also a classically trained cellist, lyricist and a gender equality activist.
Alongside these 6 emerging acts, Icelandic music will be represented at this year’s Music Moves Europe Talent Awards by one of the most powerful and politically charged voices from the land of fire and ice. Reykjavíkurdætur are champions of female empowerment. They rap in their native tongue but their radical feminist message transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries winning them fans and critical acclaim across Europe and North America.
Iceland Music showcases at ESNS 2019
Wednesday January 16
Reykjavíkurdætur: MMETA De Oosterport
Time TBC
Une Misère : Huize Maas (main)
22:15 - 23:00
Thursday January 17
Bríet : Simplon (UP)
21:30-22:15
Kælan Mikla : Der Aa Theater
23:00 - 23:45
Reykjavíkurdætur: Eurosonic Air
23:15 - 00:00
Hildur : Praedinius Gymnasium
23:35 - 00:15
Hatari : Stadsschouwburg
00:15 - 01:00
Friday, January 18
Hugar : Nieuwe Kerk
23:00 - 23:40
More about The Artists
Bríet
19-years-old, Bríet Elfar, aka BRÍET, burst onto the national pop scene in early 2018. Her self-released single “In Too Deep” racked up hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams and the follow up EP 22.03.99 ensured her inclusion on many ones-to-watch lists. Her songs are perfect little R&B-infused pop gems about love and relationships.
Website: https://palmi666.wixsite.com/brietepk
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjKRYiM1vWg
Hatari
Exciting, unnerving and thought-provoking: HATARI treads a thin line between politically charged performance art, politics and music. The Icelandic multimedia performance project 'unveils the relentless scam that is everyday life'. The band was perfectly described by Consequence of Sound as “part David Lynch nightmare, part goth dress-up party and part industrial love letter". And HATARI has the music to match its explosive performances in the form of a powerful blast of bondage-pop, techno-punk and industrial-goth.
Website: https://hatari.is/
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsTl6K7VCsE
Hildur
Hildur is a multi-talented rising pop star from Iceland. Her ambitious nature drove her from competitive sports through to band life and to an exciting solo career. She is a singer, a songwriter and a lyricist. She has a degree in Japanese and is a classically trained cellist. However, don’t expect sweet-as-sugar pop. She is not only an obvious musical talent but a women's rights and gender equality activist, who projects her message a powerful and colourful way.
Website: http://www.hihildur.com/
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czL80l2X-L0
Hugar
Bergur Þórisson and Pétur Jónsson are two friends from the sleepy township of Seltjarnarnes. Pétur pursued a degree in Architecture. Bergur’s trombone-playing won him a place at the prestigious Julliard School, which he turned down to form Hugar. Alongside Hugar, Bergur lends his many talents to other local musical luminaries, working on projects for the likes of Ólafur Arnalds, Björk and Sigur Rós.
Website: https://hugar.is/
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_59PUqHkLsY
Kælan Mikla
Kælan Mikla is an Icelandic synth-punk trio from Reykjavik, who’s music an eccentric concoction of avant-punk poetry and drifting, dreamy dark wave. Their debut album came out on Fabrika Records in July 2016, followed up with second record Mánadans in 2018. In the autumn of 2018 Toronto-based Artoffact Records released their third album “Nótt Eftir Nótt”
Website: http://kaelanmikla.wixsite.com/kaelanmikla
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Tl2dtvw30
Reykjavikurdætur
Reykjavíkurdætur (Icelandic word meaning "daughters of Reykjavík") is an all-feminist all-female hip hop clan started by Blær Jóhannsdóttir and Kolfinna Nikulásdóttir. After connecting with other women interested in rapping, they began participating in recurring public female rap nights in Reykjavik. Since their formation in 2013, they’ve been rapping about everything from politics to anal sex and even told the Icelandic Prime Minister to "suck my pussy" live on TV.
Website: http://www.rvkdtr.is/
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGz2p92Qvl8&feature=youtu.be
Une Misère
A group of artists from various hardcore bands, inspired by Iceland’s darkest and most bleak aspects, joined forces to create Une Misère, a collective with a sound that pushes boundaries and cuts deep. The band has been rapidly gaining momentum since their came together in 2017 and released mixtape 070717 with remixes from prominent Icelandic electronic artists. Playing Roadburn marked a critical point: they totally destroyed the prestigious festival with three fierce shows called ‘Witness the misery.’
Website: https://www.unemisere.com/
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bpXdhJXNN8
More information about Iceland Music here: https://icelandmusic.is/
Download more info on the artists and photos here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1etj5xv0tq46oiy/AADop_mAdx0ycNJ0xgs9C6xka?dl=0
Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
Nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk
The Return of the King: Carl Cox is Coming Back to EXIT with a Special 3 hour Set!
One of the greatest DJs of all time, and for many the very symbol of this profession, the great Carl Cox, has answered the call of fans and confirmed his return to the legendary Dance Arena at EXIT Festival next summer! Thanks to him, the energy will start high from the opening day on July 4, which he will close with a special three-hour set, lasting until the early morning hours!
This will also mark the ten-year anniversary of his famous closing set in 2009, easily one of the greatest parties in the history of electronic music. “One of the best experiences for sure is when I played at EXIT festival”, Carl confirmed and added: “You have to play you, your soul, you have to play who you are, and that's what's really special about EXIT!”
Although his connection to EXIT is strong and lasting, he hasn't played at the EXIT's Dance Arena in years, due to his decision to reduce the number of shows as much as possible. This makes each of his appearances in front of the audience an exclusive and one of the experiences that should not be missed: “Everyone in the EXIT Team are very excited to have Carl next year!”, stated the festival founder Dušan Kovačević and added: “Ever since he decided to reduce the number of his shows and perform only on special occasions, the question was whether he would ever return. The emotional invitation we sent out together with the fans has confirmed that Carl also wants to be back at EXIT to write down some of the best pages in the history books of our beloved Dance Arena.”
The return of this true DJ legend to EXIT came about after a joint effort between the festival organizers and the numerous fans. Soon after he won the annual poll where the fans voted him their no.1 wish for the Dance Arena lineup, EXIT published a video in which they invite “King Carl” to return to the fortress. The fans joined right in, sharing the video with the #CarlCoxEXIT hashtag, inviting the living legend to return in front of the “most hard-core audience”, as he called them in one of his numerous interviews about EXIT Festival. The popular DJ answered right away that he will indeed perform at officially the Best Major European Festival. In one of the interviews, Carl Cox said that EXIT is bound to get “two or three more of those in the future” after the first title won in 2013. and the prophecy indeed came true earlier this year.
Carl, come back: https://youtu.be/44Y2Gl5wdgE
Carl Cox has been one of the most wanted DJs in the world for decades and after 15 seasons of his legendary “Revolution” parties on Ibiza, he left the Space club in 2016 as the person who made it into one of the greatest clubs in the world, after which he was crowned the unofficial king of this unique island. Apart from this, until 2017 he had his Global Radio Show which had up to 17 million listeners a week in 35 countries, after 16 years on the air.
With each EXIT ticket fans get the beach festivals as a gift!
With the holidays inbound, EXIT announced the holiday offer, where purchasing the EXIT Festival ticket also gets you the tickets for two more beach festivals in the Adriatic, as a gift! Sea Star Festival is the first one that opens the summer season at the beautiful Croatian coast on the weekend of May 24-25, as well as Sea Dance Festival to close it at the end of August in Montenegro! You only need to confirm your arrival to Sea Star and/or Sea Dance by registering for complimentary tickets from 1st to 28th February at Exitfest.org. The offer is also valid for all who have already bought the tickets for EXIT 2019.
Tickets
EXIT tickets can be found at exitfest.org, and for those who wish to bundle them with accomodation and local transfer, there are also packages from €135. Default accommodation is the festival camp that is also on the sand beach, but in Novi Sad, next to river Danube, while hotels can be booked through EXIT's official tourist agency at exittrip.org.
EXIT Festival will be held 4-7 July 2019 at Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia and the first acts have already been announced, including The Cure, Carl Cox, Greta Van Fleet, Dimitri Vegas&Like Mike, Phil Anselmo&The Illegals, Sofi Tukker, Tarja, The Selecter, Peter and the Test Tube Babies and many more yet to be announced early next year.
Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk
Festival PR | Music PR | Event PR
ESNS announces schedules for 2019 edition
Music Moves Europe Talent Award winners Albin Lee Meldau, AVEC, Bishop Briggs, Lxandra and Reykjavíkurdætur added to ESNS line-up.
ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) has published the schedules for its 2019 edition. Next to the previously announced Music Moves Europe Talent Award winners blackwave. (be) and Pip Blom (nl) more winners will join the Eurosonic line-up; Albin Lee Meldau (se), AVEC (at), Bishop Briggs (gb), Lxandra (fi) and Reykjavíkurdætur (is) have also been added to the Eurosonic schedules. All stage times are available at the ESNS website, esns.nl and the apps for iOS and Android.
Media partners of ESNS have sent their recommendations for the upcoming festival, which includes EUT (nl) and Mavi Phoenix (at) as the most listed artists. All media recommendations are available via esns.nl/recommended.
In the meantime, the ESNS 2019 conference is taking shape, with the final confirmations expected soon. At the ESNS website you can also find the conference programme with all confirmed keynote speakers and panels, as well as the delegate database.
The ESNS conference with around 150 panels will be held in and around de Oosterpoort. The festival, with showcases by around 350 acts from Europe, takes place in the city of Groningen, the Netherlands, from January 16 - 19, 2019.
Tickets & registrations
Tickets for the festival and registrations for the ESNS conference are currently available via esns.nl.
About ESNS
ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) is the key exchange for emerging European music talent, with a proven track record of helping to break new acts on the international music scene. With its first ever dual-country focus on the Czech Republic and Slovakia, ESNS stages more than 350 showcases alongside offering a full conference programme of around 150 panels and keynotes, alongside multiple networking opportunities and award ceremonies. The event attracts more than 4,000 conference delegates from all sections of the entertainment industry, including representatives of over 400 festivals.
Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk
7 reasons to go to Eurosonic!
For four days every January, the small Dutch city of Groningen becomes the centre of the European music scene with Eurosonic – the festival that has its 33rd edition in 2019.
Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) is like Europe’s version of SXSW, while still retaining the discovery vibe of the early days of the Austin festival. ESNS is Europe’s biggest showcase of rising acts – with festival bookers, labels, media and other industry figures bingeing on new bands by night and networking by day.
There is a heavy industry presence, but Eurosonic is by no means a chin-stroking music executive love-in – some 40,000 ‘real’ punters attend the festival every year, running between dozens of venues trying to catch the next big thing.
Here are seven reasons to visit Groningen for Eurosonic
Discover your new favourite band...
Each country featured at Eurosonic sends its most promising acts to the showcase every January, so even if much of the programme is a mystery, you’re a dead cert to find a future favourite act. Also, Eurosonic gets the head start on all other festivals through the year, with many veterans saying half the summer line-ups start to take shape in Groningen in January – with bookers, managers and artists meeting up and hammering out deals. But even if you’re not an industry head, Eurosonic is a chance to see the festival headliners of the future in a club in the Netherlands, before they take it out to the fields. Hundreds of acts have used Eurosonic as a springboard to way bigger things, but a few standouts include The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, Robyn, The xx, Calvin Harris, Stormzy and Dua Lipa.
The conference means it’s more than a series of gigs
As Europe’s most prestigious showcase festival, Eurosonic attracts the biggest industry names, from labels heads and agents to managers, festival bookers, media companies, marketing executives and PR firms. Over the four days at the Oosterport hub, delegates can attend talks, panel discussions, songwriting workshops and lectures on a huge range of topics. Topics up for discussion in 2019 include innovation in ticket technology, conservation in the culture industry, festival innovation, the future of social media and music magazines, game soundtracks and many more.
Key speakers this year include veteran manager Richard Jones, who has worked with Bjork, PJ Harvey, Spice Girls and Pixies, while the BBC’s Ben Chapman will present the UK broadcaster’s new integrated BBC Sounds media platform.
And even outside the official events, during the festival, every side room, table or edge of a couch has some hook-up going on between delegates.
The conference programme also includes the European Festival Awards — a chance to look back on the innovators who have helped shape the year in live music.
The range of venues is staggering...
With hundreds of bands playing hundreds of gigs over four days, expect performances in a wide range of places, from historic venues to pop-up spaces. As well as iconic rock and pop venues like Vera, there’s been a chance in the past to watch intimate performances in tiny pubs, basement clubs, radio studios, grand theatres, pool halls, an outdoor market, conference halls and a 17th century church.
Groningen is a party city all year round – it just doubles down at Eurosonic...
Groningen is a student town, and over a quarter of its 200,000 citizens go to college. The average age for the whole city is 35, and you’re never more than a few steps away from a pub, venue or coffee shop, and there’s no official closing time. The Dutch will also party no matter the weather – On the second day of Eurosonic 2018, Dutch authorities issued a code red storm warning, with hundreds of flights cancelled and all public transport suspended. Still, venues were packed, and it was comically reassuring to see punters sprinting around in the hail, snow and wind trying to find underground venues on Google Maps.
The Noorderslag Dutch takeover...
Groningen’s huge conference centre De Oosterport acts as the festival hub, and for the first three days it’s a hive of networking, panel discussions, lectures, debates and industry meetings. However, on the Saturday, organisers decide there’s been enough talking and the industry heads are cleared out to make way for the festival-within-a-festival Noorderslag – an all-Dutch music showcase.
The spectacular event runs from the evening to the early hours, with a huge atrium stage and gigs happenings in 10 conference halls where deals have been sealed in the previous few days.
Explore a vibrant graphic art culture...
One of the main festival hubs is Vera – Groningen’s most famous club, that has hosted iconic acts on the rise, such as Joy Division, Slayer, Nick Cave, the Cure and even U2. Vera also functions as a graphic design and art collective, with striking one-off gig posters in the windows and limited edition collector’s item posters hanging in the halls as a permanent exhibition. You can also marvel at thousands of flyers, stickers and comic book art plastered to the walls.
If this whets your visual art appetite, the GRID Grafisch museum is an amazing place for a time-out from the festival. GRID is a museum devoted to the history of graphic design, printing and bookbinding. It runs regular exhibitions, but as an added bonus the resident craftsman and historian Peter Meijer will give you a guided tour of the permanent collection of vintage printing machines.
Go crate-digging...
As a city with such a rich musical legacy, Groningen has an amazing selection of record shops to visit during some festival down-time. The White Stripes got their big break when John Peel heard their album De Stijl in the cult record shop Platenworm, then brought it home and rinsed it on the radio. Platenworm is sadly now closed (but trading on discogs), but plenty of other vinyl emporiums will be supporting ESNS bands as well as showcasing their impeccably-curated collections. Standout record shops include Plato, with its historic shop-front, Magic Buzz for psychedelia, punk and garage rock, De Jongens van Hemmes for all your electronic music needs and the rare collectors’ items at Headline. Just a few to get you started...
For more info check the website: https://esns.nl/
Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk
ESNS completes line-up with final confirmations
After previously announcing 290 emerging acts ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) adds another eight acts for Eurosonic and twelve acts for Noorderslag completing the line-up for ESNS 2019.
The following acts are set to play a showcase in Groningen; Douwe Bob (nl), Inge van Calkar (nl), Jebroer 4 Life (nl), Jett Rebel (nl), Juicy (be), Jungle By Night (nl), Michelle David & The Gospel Sessions (nl) and Æ Mak (ie) will play Eurosonic. In addition to yesterday’s confirmations of Jason Waterfalls (nl) and Benjamin Herman's Bughouse (nl) through radio stations NPO 3FM and NPO Soul & Jazz for Noorderslag, Amy Root (nl), Ares (nl), Dave Budha (nl), FATA BOOM (nl), For I Am King (nl), Idaly (nl), Jacin Trill (nl), Judy Blank (nl), Kubilay Kaya (nl), Quessswho (nl), Sam Feldt Live (nl) and Ten Times A Million (nl) will also be showcasing at de Oosterpoort for Noorderslag in January.
This year ESNS will also host its first ever dual-country focus on the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with confirmed acts from Czech Republic: Bohemian Cristal Instrument, Circus Brothers, Floex & Tom Hodge, Lazer Viking, Lenny, Manon Meurt, Mydy Rabycad, Pipes And Pints, Thom Artway and Zabelov Group. Slovakia brings the following acts to Groningen: Autumnist, B-complex, Katarína Máliková & Ensemble, Möbius, Nvmeri, Our Stories, The Ills, Thisnis and Tittingur.
The festival, with showcases by around 350 acts from Europe, takes place in the city of Groningen, the Netherlands, from January 16 - 19, 2019.
See the full line up here: https://esns.nl/line-up/
TICKETS AND REGISTRATIONS
Tickets for the festival and registrations for the ESNS conference are currently available via esns.nl. The deadline to register for the late rate is on December 7.
ESNS
ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) is the key exchange for emerging European music talent, with a proven track record of helping to break new acts on the international music scene. With its first ever dual-country focus on the Czech Republic and Slovakia, ESNS stages more than 350 showcases alongside offering a full conference programme of around 150 panels and keynotes, alongside multiple networking opportunities and award ceremonies. The event attracts more than 4,000 conference delegates from all sections of the entertainment industry, including representatives of over 400 festivals.
Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk
OFF Festival Katowice 2019 There’s romance, noise, dancing, and outer space — Let the countdown to August begin!
With a name like the OFF Festival, we know we’ve got a high bar to clear. So we’re pleased to announce the first batch of artists heading our way next year. They’ll charm you, shock you and enthral you with their uncanny and unpopular music. Please welcome Daughters, The Gaslamp Killer, Perfect Son, Boogarins, Lebanon Hanover, and Bamba Pana & Makaveli.
Daughters
H.P. Lovecraft himself couldn’t have envisioned this monster in his most terrifying nightmares. Hailing from the author’s hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, Daughters emerged from the ashes of a grindcore band, and thought they’ve slackened their pace a bit, they haven’t given up their intense, incalculable way of playing music as if the world were about to end. The album You Won’t Get What You Want—already hailed as one of the most noteworthy releases of 2018—combines that passion with noise rock, industrial, post punk and metal. How does that blend fare on stage? Let’s just say there’s a reason why The Dillinger Escape Plan took Daughters along on their goodbye tour. The king is dead, long live the king?
The Gaslamp Killer
California’s William Bensussen launched his music career early, holding dance parties for family and friends when he was still a kid. He’s all grown up now, and throws parties that draw a worldwide audience. Bensussen is a producer who combines rock with underground hip hop, dousing it all in a psychedelic sauce or launching it into outer space. To find out what you can expect from The Gaslamp Killer, be sure to check out his debut LP Breakthrough or Gonjasufi’s A Sufi and a Killer, which he co-produced with Flying Lotus.
The Comet Is Coming
This comet is coming straight out of London. It might kill us, but only to bring us back to life. “The Comet Is Coming, signalling an end to life as we know it, heralding the dawn of a new age. In the inevitable physical destruction of the planet, a space is created where all notions of political, social and economic hierarchy will be at once obliterated and transcended,” reads the band’s manifesto. Sound familiar? This music is clearly influenced by Sun Ra, as The Comet Is Coming’s frontman and sax player Shabaka Hutchings (who also heads of Sons of Kemet and Shabaka and the Ancestors) proudly admits. Hutchings has actually collaborated with Sun Ra Arkestra, but he’s devised a new motor for cosmic jazz, and, with the help of his pals, the electro-funk duo Soccer96, he’s sending it into ever distant reaches of the galaxy.
Perfect Son
We’re always thrilled to welcome new and intriguing musical projects from Poland, and often feature artists from our friends at Sub Pop in Seattle, but we’ve never had the opportunity to combine both aspects—until now. Tobiasz Biliński, who performs under the moniker Perfect Son, is the first Pole to join the ranks of this legendary label, and though he first caught their attention as Coldair, he recorded his upcoming record, Cast (due in February) under a new name and with a new sound. His latest incarnation is just as good, but more distinctive, massive, and catchy. Congratulations to our friends at Sub Pop on making an excellent choice!
Boogarins
In 2018 Boogarins released an excellent live album titled Desvio Onírico, which couldn’t have had a better title: the band’s music truly combines dreams and flights. They start with psychedelic rock rooted in the Tropicalismo era and give it an original, modern twist. Things like this only happen in Brazil. But they’ve earned a following all over the world, touring with tUnE-yArDs, recording a session with KEXP, and performing at Coachella. There’s hardly a better setting for this sort of music than a warm summer night, so get ready: Boogarins’ show just might be one of the most intense experiences at next year’s OFF Festival.
Lebanon Hanover
Larissa Iceglass and William Maybelline make music that’s cold and raw, and yet endlessly romantic. It’s rooted in the post-punk and goth aesthetics of the 1980s, with nods to Joy Division, Krafwerk, and Siouxsie and the Banshees, but soaked in the absinthe and opium of turn-of-the-century artists. The duo released their latest album in March 2018: titled Let Them Be Alien, the LP is sad, dark, riveting and refreshingly different from everything else delivered by the main trends in European alternative music.
Bamba Pana & Makaveli
In the search for new sensations, the world of Western music has long been eating its own tail. Luckily, sources of fresh sounds still flow beyond the borders of Europe and North America. One noteworthy label is the recently established Ugandan outfit Nyege Nyege Tapes, which offers a portal into the crazy underground world of east Africa. One of the scene’s crown jewels is the producer duo Bamba Pana, virtuosos of the ultrafast genre known as singeli, the party soundtrack of Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam. These beats make footwork sound like music for hopeless romantics. Bamba Pana will be accompanied by the rapper Makaveli.
As we announced earlier, the OFF Festival Katowice 2019 will take place August 2–4 at its usual location, Three Pond Valley. Three-day passes are now available at the OFF Shop for 290 PLN. This price lasts until 24 February or until the first batch of tickets is sold out! Campground tickets are also available for 80 PLN.
About OFF
A truly unique boutique music festival, OFF Festival takes place in ‘Three Lake Valley’, Katowice – a beautiful green oasis in the heart of industrial Silesia. OFF Festival is a way of life, one that flies in the face of current trends and stays true to itself, and the ethos of organiser Artur Rojek is firmly aimed at supporting art and music with the festival bringing many acts to Poland for the first time. OFF Festival is growing in prominence year on year driven by the festivals forward–thinking, eclectic music policy. From the greatest alternative music stars from around the world to the increasingly strong Polish scene, OFF festival has inspiring music in abundance.
Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk
8 Italian artists to see at Eurosonic
Italy’s fashion sense, cultural monuments, the beauty of its landscapes and art already have a global reputation. Now it’s time to get to know its contemporary music scene. In January 2019, the recently launched Italia Music Export (powered by SIAE) is heading to Eurosonic, bringing some of the most exciting new Italian talents to one of the world’s most important new music platforms.
The first thing you notice about the Italian 8-strong Eurosonic team is not only its diversity but also its unorthodox makeup that includes an electronic/jazz trombone experimental collaboration, a Mediterranean take on folk and Americana, LGBT + activist X Factor pop sensations and an energetic math/post rock trio. This is not a roster that bows to trends and conventions but proudly declares its special identity.
Already making waves is Any Other, whose recent LP and international shows have been gathering praise from the likes of The 405, The Line of Best Fit, Eclat Magazine, ByteFM and RadioEins. Italian Rolling Stone proclaimed that her brand of emotive introspective rock would ignite the Italian scene and boldly called her “Best Italian female musician”. Her Skin’s 2018 debut release of bright minimalist folk ballads won her many press fans and culminated in a support tour with Cat Power. Variously compared to Norah Jones, Lana Del Rey and Katie Melua, Violetta Zironi’s sound and her new EP 'Half Moon Lane' was described by Clash as “a gentle, easy-on-the-ear selection that continually surprises.“
Having already played Reeperbahn and Waves Vienna, The Pier are no strangers to international showcases. Back home in the south of Italy, their special brand of punk-infused math rock has catapulted them to the main festival stages and secured excited critical reception.
But it’s not all about the younger generation. Davide Tomat is a Turin-based sound designer, multi-instrumentalist and band leader with over 2 decades of experience. Hailing from Southern Italy, Gianluca Petrella is one of the most celebrated jazz trombone players in Europe. Their collaboration, with a debut release via prestigious electronic label !K7, Tomat Petrella creates a world of intricate textures, intuitions, and complexities, where beats and noise join the melodies of the trombone, that are then processed and reworked by the synths and the computers.
Machweo is the name of another Italian electronic project. Started in 2012 by Giorgio Spedicato, Machweo released 2 critically acclaimed LPs. Following a period of extensive touring, he took a year out and returned with a redefined idea of music rooted in human bonds and rituals. His new LP Primitive Music released via Oregon’s Lefse (Anna Meredith, Ulrika Spacek, Beechwood) is described as “an intuitive score of improvised music painted on a sheet.” and has the seal of approval from James Holden https://twitter.com/mrjamesholden/status/1025701202586157056
Sicilian Alessio Bondì started writing songs as a teenager. During his time studying to be an actor in Rome, he became drawn back to his Sicilian heritage and began working on songs that would makeup his debut album “Sfardo” that was released in 10 countries, translated into 6 languages and received radio play across Europe, incl. BBC Radio3 and BBC Radio Ulster.
Completing this multifaceted roster are Sem&Sténn who captured the nation’s imagination as X Factor contestants. Although the flamboyant duo have known each other since 2011, it wasn’t until 2016 that they released their first single. In the summer of 2017 they became contestants on the Italian X Factor, thrilling the audiences and scoring glowing critical reviews. Following their premature departure from the show, the pair released an LP and set off on a nationwide tour. In May 2018 Sem&Sténn accepted the Diversity Media Award won by X Factor Italia for “Best TV Show” and contribution to the messages of diversity and LGBT+ values in Italian society.
Italia Music Export showcases at ESNS 2019
Wednesday January 16
20:00 - Her Skin at Lutherse Kerk Kerkzaal
22:15 - The Pier at All Round Poolcentrum
23:35 - Sem&Sténn at News Café
Thursday January 17
20:45 - Any Other at Vera
22:40 - Violetta Zironi at Lutherse Kerk Kerkzaal
00:55 - Machweo at News Café
Friday, January 18
22:00 - Alessio Bondì at USVA
23:00 - Tomat Petrella at Simplon (Up)
More about The Artists
Any Other
Following the release of her latest LP “Two, Geography”’, Milan-based artist Adele Nigro is ready to take her emotive leftfield project Any Other to the next level. Adele writes, sings, plays, produces and arranges all of her songs, which bear the traces of several different influences, from the American indie-folk of Phil Elvrum (The Microphones, Mount Eerie) to the guitar work of Jim O’Rourke and David Grubbs, spiritual free jazz and orchestral arrangements as well as classic songwriting by Carole King and Joni Mitchell, all filtered through a thoroughly contemporary sensibility. Any Other also played Reeperbahn 2018.
Website:https://anyotherband.bandcamp.com/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5RECxqPUWytzhwKabZ1lWx
Alessio Bondì
Alessio Bondì is an Italian singer/songwriter based in Palermo, Sicily. Singing in his native Sicilian dialect, Alessio brings his culture heritage to life with poetic and intimate folk music and primordial blues. His debut album Sfardo has been released through a partnership between Italian labels Malintenti Dischi and 800A Records in Europe and Brazil. Bondì released his second studio album, Nivuru in November 2018.
Website: http://alessiobondi.com/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7wxtjKgJEIEs7ty2lZiEdZ
Her Skin
Her Skin (aka Sara Ammendolia) is an Italian folk singer and songwriter, with a natural, heartfelt voice and guitar-style all of her own. Born and raised in Modena, she started writing songs and performing acoustic shows in 2013. In 2016 she co-founded Italian independent label Tempura Dischi and released 2 self-published EPs. In 2017 Sara toured extensively and began landing support gigs with acts like Kele Okereke, ex of Bloc Party and Cat Power. In February 2018, Her Skin released her debut album “Find a Place to Sleep” via We Were Never Being Boring Collective. Her Skin is also confirmed for SXSW 2019.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/herskinmusic/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zdyc0Juu2p2uVVISAhOJe?si=QjSjyHRLT3a4CTIsL8jfqw
Machweo
Machweo started life as a solo project of composer Giorgio Spedicato. Over the past 6 years his electronic venture has given life to 2 LPs that lead to an extended national tour and wide critical acclaim. In the summer of 2016 Giorgio decided to dedicate his time to the investigations of human connections and rituals. The main idea was to keep a circular and obsessive, yet melodic-driven rhythm for a prolonged period of time. The underlying purpose was a total immersion in and improvisation on a slowly drifting reiterative pattern. The result was “Primitive Music”, an album composed by Giorgio Spedicato and played by the musicians Dario Martorana, Marco Vecchio and Antonio Rapa.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Machweo/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Mr3g9Iu3I1jnGYi2ATlH3#_=_
Sem&Sténn
In 2017 Sem&Sténn introduced themselves in the Italian X Factor with ‘The Fair’, an overwhelming darkwave song and self-produced tribute to the world of clubbing. After their premature departure from the show, they were on the cover of Pride Italia, which was followed by a release their first LP “OFFBEAT”. Between deconstructing gender stereotypes, winning awards and paying tribute to the pop culture of the 1990s, Sem&Sténn enjoy breaking the rules with the sound at maximum volume.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/semstenn/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4urS4ezvKDRW6o0XQeRve5?autoplay=true&v=A
The Pier
Formed by Gabriele Terlizzi, Davide Pasculli and Danilo De Candia, the power trio comes from the south of Italy. Their repertoire includes both instrumentals and songs with English vocals. Often described as ‘indie math rock’, The Pier’s more accurate description involves a furious mixture of math, post-rock and post punk, with influences that include Don Caballero, Radiohead, Foals, This Town Needs Guns and Joy Division. Their New Album “Dead Reckoning” is released on December 7th via Kallax Records
Website: https://www.facebook.com/thepier314/
Music :https://open.spotify.com/artist/3zS3w4G232J242rCI9xmIh?si=R9oDVwx3RoW9JX2HwBK04g
Tomat Petrella
Tomat Petrella is the collaborative project between Davide Tomat ( aka Tomat ) and Gianluca Petrella. “Kepler”, their collaborative debut release on !K7 Records, is a musical beast that defies simple descriptions and neat labels.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/tomatpetrella/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4PJBvk2Y2ZDNoGUxATE9Jl?autoplay=true&v=A
Violetta Zironi
Take folk, Americana and a mesmerizing voice, combine it with Mediterranean sensibilities, and you’ll get Violetta Zironi. Violetta started writing her first songs at the age of 16. After gigging with a country/blues trio in bars and festivals around the North of Italy, she decided to focus on creating her own music. Despite only being in her early twenties, Violetta’s CV already includes a stage duo with the legendary Ben E King and a European tour with Jack Savoretti. Violetta also performed at SXSW 2018.
Website: http://www.violettazironi.com/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/400WhVfB3ENcUBPUOkz0Qn?autoplay=true&v=A
About the Italia Music Export - SIAE
Italia Music Export is Italy’s first music export office, founded by SIAE in November 2017. Its aim is to promote Italian music worldwide, boost music export revenues and to support Italian music companies going global. While supporting the Italian music business, Italia Music Export also advises and assists international professionals interested in working with Italian artists and companies.
More info here: http://www.italiamusicexport.com/
ESNS 2019 CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Keynotes with Tom Windish, Richard Jones, Ben Chapman, Scott Cohen and more!
As well as all the amazing new artists performing at ESNS the conference program also includes many of the major players in the Live Music Industry.
Agent Tom Windish has been confirmed as keynote speaker during ESNS 2019. The US based founder of The Windish Agency and now senior executive at Paradigm Talent Agency, saw his agency grow from two to eighty employees before Paradigm acquired the independent agency in 2015. In Tom’s philosophy being an agent involves booking of course, but also involves a really important role in developing artists. He is known for developing the touring careers of such artists as Lorde, alt-J, The xx, Hot Chip and Billie Eilish. Working with these musicians from the early days of their careers, Windish has seen clients grow from playing small local venues to dominating stages at major festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza and Electric Daisy Carnival. Many have earned Grammy nominations and wins.
Panels will cover topics a diverse range of topics including The Agents Panel – The Big Four with Clementine Bunel (Coda Agency, GB) Jules de Lattre (United Talent Agency, GB), Ben Coles (CAA) and Carlos Abreu (WME, GB). The four well known UK based agents from US owned Agencies talk about the present exciting and variable state of their business, The Festival Panel - Big, Bold and Beautiful, with a series of video presentations, and insight into their programming and philosophy, featuring Michal Kascak (Pohoda Festival, SK), Mikolaj Ziolkowski (Open'er Festival, PL), Cindy Castillo (Mad Cool Festival, ES), Herman Schueremans (Rock Werchter, BE) and many more.
ESNS also celebrates its 20th anniversary partnership with the European Broadcast Union (EBU). Therefore the EBU will be more present than ever at ESNS. In addition to a BBC Keynote by Ben Chapman, Head of Digital for BBC Radio & Music, various EBU meetings and panels will take place at ESNS.
Movers and shakers also tell their personal stories and respond to questions you've always wanted to ask, over a relaxing bottle of beer or two in the Beercrate Sessions, with Adam Ryan on behalf The Great Escape (GB), Julia Gudzent from Melt Festival & Lolapalooza Berlin (DE) and Login Kochishki – Password Production (MK).
ESNS Tech
ESNS Tech brings some of the world’s most exciting music tech companies together, with contributions from artists, managers, marketers, investors, and many more at the intersection of the music business and tech. More news soon, check our website for updates.
Scott Cohen the founder of The Orchard, the worlds first digital music distribution company will present a keynote on the future of digital and what’s next after streaming.
Richard Jones manager Pixies & Agnes Obel, will also give a keynote on the importance of ‘direct to fan’ and digital sales management. Richard has worked in the music business for over 30 years as an artist, tour manager and artist manager. Starting as a musician, Richard recorded and toured with various bands before moving on to Polygram Records. Richard then went on to manage worldwide tours from the likes of The Spice Girls, The Beautiful South, Björk, PJ Harvey and many more. Richard currently runs the worldwide artist management company Key Music Management representing various clients including the Pixies, Agnes Obel, Dead Can Dance, Teenage Fanclub, The Fratellis, Mew, Jane Weaver, 808 State and The Slow Show.
EPIC
European Production & Innovation Conference (EPIC) will also take place during ESNS, with festival analytics being one of the hot topics during the sixth edition. All issues associated with restrictions as far as privacy ruling and laws are concerned as well as accessibility of festivals and events and the great need for recruitment within the sector will be discussed. EPIC is entirely dedicated to production and innovation at festivals and venues and offers the latest technological developments in areas such as ticketing, logistics, communication and mobility. You will receive advice on the state of affairs regarding health, safety and sustainability. You can meet the most experienced international production managers, suppliers, trade associations, event technicians, start-ups, venues and festivals, who share insights, developments and novelties about the present and the future.
More information on the conference program here: https://esns.nl/conference/
Don't forget to register!
If you do not want to miss out on all the action, don't forget to register! Registrations go up with €45,- on December 7th, so register now and save.
About ESNS
ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) is the key exchange for emerging European music talent, with a proven track record of helping to break new acts on the international music scene. With its first ever dual-country focus on the Czech Republic and Slovakia, ESNS stages more than 350 showcases alongside offering a full conference programme of around 150 panels and keynotes, alongside multiple networking opportunities and award ceremonies. The event attracts more than 4,000 conference delegates from all sections of the entertainment industry, including representatives of over 400 festivals.
Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk
ESNS adds fourteen emerging artists to Eurosonic line-up
ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) previously announced 243 emerging acts already. Today, another 14 acts are confirmed to play Eurosonic in Groningen. Amilli (de), Annelie (nl), Belle Mt (gb), De Sluwe Vos (nl), Dorian Concept (at), Jacco Gardner’s Somnium (nl), Jarreau Vandal Live (nl), Klangstof (nl), Konni Kass (fo), La Fraicheur (fr), Mahalia (gb), Marc Melià (es), Pieter De Graaf (nl) and Remy (nl) will play a showcase in January.
The festival, with showcases by around 350 acts from Europe, takes place in the city of Groningen, the Netherlands, from January 16 - 19, 2019.
TICKETS AND REGISTRATIONS
Tickets for the festival and registrations for the ESNS conference are currently available via esns.nl. The deadline to register for the late rate is on December 7.
ESNS
ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) is the key exchange for emerging European music talent, with a proven track record of helping to break new acts on the international music scene. With its first ever, dual-country focus on the Czech Republic and Slovakia, ESNS stages more than 350 showcases alongside offering a full conference programme of around 150 panels and keynotes, alongside multiple networking opportunities and award ceremonies. The event attracts more than 4,000 conference delegates from all sections of the entertainment industry, including representatives of over 400 festivals.
Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk