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17
Apr

Dutch Acts coming to The Great Escape

Posted by: Nikki in: Artists , Dutch Impact , Events

The Dutch Impact Party will once again return to The Great Escape Festival, taking place on Friday May 10th in Komedia (Main). The Dutch Music Export is a longstanding partner at The Great Escape festival, since year one the Dutch Impact party has been a highlight in the convention programme and Dutch artists have provided festival goers with many incredible and memorable performances from artists such as, Amber Arcades, Dope D.O.D, Jacco Gardner, Klangstof. and Pip Blom. This year, four of the most promising new up and coming Dutch artists from the Dutch underground music scene will take the stage.

Hailing from the port city of Rotterdam, Lewsberg’s nihilistic rock poetry is reminiscent of college rock tradition in the manner of Modern Lovers, Talking Heads and Velvet Underground. Their recent self-titled LP triumphed across the UK media, with top reviews from tastemakers like Gigwise and The Line of Best Fit. Last Januari Dutch EUT were most recommended by the media  at ESNS 2019. This year, EUT are taking their youthful 90s flavoured post pop to Brighton. Describing themselves as “trippy electro hiphop lovebaby”, FATA BOOM is a collaborative project of two Dutch artists whose recent debut LP and flamboyant shows prompted comparisons to the likes of M.I.A., Die Antwoord and Gnucci. Capturing hearts with their impressive live shows The Visual’s sound moves between dark romantic balladry and sweeping experimentalism. With a recent album release mixed by Grammy Award winning Darrell Thorp and acclaim from the likes of Noisey, Clash and BBC Radio 6 Music this is a band to watch in 2019.

This partnership is made possible by the coming together of Dutch Music Export, powered by Eurosonic Noorderslag, Dutch Performing Arts and Buma Cultuur, with the kind support by the embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands.

Dutch Impact Website: https://dutch-impact.nl/festival/586b80bb4a151f90cbf8786b

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2016422621803362/

The Dutch Impact Party will take place on Friday, May 10th from 12:00 – 16:00 in Komedia (Main).

Set times
12:15 The Visual
13:15 Lewsberg
14:15 EUT
15:15 FATA BOOM

Other Dutch artists you can see during the Great Escape are Pip Blom a recent addition to the Heavenly Recordings roster and a 6 Music regular,,  BEA1991  who has has already attracted critical attention from the likes of The Fader, Gorilla vs Bear and The Guardian with her special brand of louche sonic experimentalism and emotional raw vocals. Jarreau Vandal is part of independent music collective Soulection, known for his eclectic DJ sets and bangin’ edits of Rihanna’s “Work”, Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up.” and more recently sampling Kanye West’s “Sunday Service” on a new track with Denzel Curry.    Another artist releasing new material is London-based, Dutch-Zimbabwean pop innovator Rina Mushonga, who has already received praise from Independent, The Times, Pitchfork, The Line Of Best Fit for her recent album “In A Galaxy”.  Finally but by no means least is the Mauskovic Dance Band,  who effortlessly mix synthesisers Afro-Latin rhythms and slice guitar riffs to create a contemporary sound rich with cultural influence with praise from  the likes of NTS, Worldwide FM and The Quietus.

Thursday
20:30 The Mauskovic Dance Band Komedia
22:15 Lewsberg Horatios

Friday
16:45 Pip Blom Hideout
19:00 Rina Mushonga Hideout
19:30 BEA1991 Shooshh
20:15 Pip Blom Coalition

Saturday
20:15 EUT Horatios
22:00 The Visual The Walrus
01:15 FATA BOOM Komedia Studio Bar
02:00 Jarreau Vandal (live) Komedia

02
Apr

WESTWAY LAB 2019 – Artist Residencies

Posted by: Nikki in: B2B , Events

Westway LAB, now in its sixth year, invites eight musicians from different parts of the world for a week-long artistic residency. The festival puts together the artists in pairs and each duo presents the result of their work at the end of the week, in a showcase at the Café Concerto of the Centro Cultural Vila Flor. This year Westway LAB is excited to host the Portuguese musicians Beatriz Nunes, João Pascoal, of The Happy Mess, Sofia Ribeiro (Lince), Pedro Ribeiro (Captain Boy); the Venezuelan singer, Yosune, who lives in Porto; Italian singer-songwriter, Violetta Zironi; Slovakian indie-pop creator, Mickey, duo based in Austria; and the Canadian pop-rock band, the Tribe Royal.

At the end of the week in the Candoso Creation Centre, the eight musicians will present the results of their collaboration during Westway LAB. This 40-minute showcase is the only requirement placed on the participating artists and of the 20 musical collaborations that the festival has fostered since 2014, several have given rise to new musical projects, for example when We Bless This Mess (PT) got together with Ivan & the Parasol (HU) the side-project Melonas was born. The 2-day showcase therefore offers a unique first-hand opportunity to listen to new music that may make its mark in the future.

Artist Residency Showcases
QUARTA 10 APRIL, 22H30
Yosune (PT) + Tribe Royal (CA)
Captain Boy (PT) + Violetta Zironi (IT)

QUINTA 11 APRIL, 22H30
João Pascoal (PT) + Lince (PT)
Beatriz Nunes (PT) + Mickey (AT)

As well as the artist residencies Westway LAB combines in an innovative way the realization of an event based with three dimensions: Process (artist residencies), Thought (PRO Conferences) and Product (showcases and headline concerts) across 4 days from 10th to 13th of April in Guimarães.   Founded in 2014 with a clear mission: to operate a cultural, social and economic transformation through music, crossing borders enabling the construction of sustainable internationalization of artists and professionals from Portugal.

Since its inception, Westway LAB has always had a strong sense of collaborating internationally and this year the event will realise this by presenting Canada as the spotlight country.  On April 12th, the Canadian representation at the Westway LAB 2019 will be fueled by folk territory, which intersects with pop in compositions for female voices by singer-songwriters Sarah MacDougall and Megan Nash and the trio of boys The East Pointers. The music of the duo Les Deuxluxes will be more electrified and will make rock its strength, whereas the band Tribe Royal bases its music in the pop-rock.

On the same night, and similarly to last year, Westway LAB once again hosts the WHY Portugal Event, organized by the Portuguese music export office. From the pop built between guitars and synthesizers by Neev, to the traditional Fado Portuguese guitar of Marta Pereira da Costa, passing by the delicate indie sounds of Vaarwell.

Similarly, the European networks (ETEP and INES) in which the festival is integrated contribute decisively to the important architecture of relationships that are propagated by bringing cultural and economic value to this particular ecosystem. This is the case of the Dutch musician Jacco Gardner who brings to Westway LAB his latest album, “Somnium”, in what will be the opening concert of the festival (10 April), as well as the Italian singer-songwriter Violetta Zironi, who promises a performance where the guitar will need little more company than its powerful voice (April 11).

With the Vila Flor Cultural Centre as a base of operations, the 6th edition of the event will once again be spread to various places in the city, through the city showcases that will transform Guimarães into a great stage, taken by artists and the public, who intertwine with magic from music. During the afternoon of Saturday, April 13, it will be possible to listen to the indie-pop of Mickey, a Slovak based in Austria, the American pop of Swedish influences Elin Namnieks or the indie-rock of Izzy and the Black Trees, of Poland, three projects that are part of the selection of the INES network for 2019. From Greece comes the multi-instrumentalist and composer Theodore. The national performance is well delivered to Holy Nothing, one of the most promising national bands, creating the frontier between electronic and post-rock, as well as guitarist Francisco Sales, singer Beatriz Nunes and rock-dirty quartet Smartini.

On the last night of the festival, the music spread by the CCVF in a great celebration. Through a general pass, for the value of 20 euros, it will be possible to attend the concerts of The Black Mamba, Tashi Wada Group feat. Julia Holter, Batida apresenta: The Almost Perfect DJ, Captain Boy, Mister Roland, Paraguaii and Whales. The first 150 passes also give exclusive access to the opening concert with Jacco Gardner.

Artist Line Up (A-Z)
Beatriz Nunes (PT), Captain Boy (PT), Elin Namnieks (SE), Francisco Sales (PT),Holy Nothing (PT),  Izzy and the Black Trees (PL), Jacco Gardner (NL), João Pascoal, Happy Mess (PT), Julia Holter (US),  Les Deuxluxes (CA), Marta Pereira da Costa (PT), Megan Nash (CA), Mickey (AT),  Mister Roland (PT), Neev (PT), Paraguaii (PT),  Sarah MacDougall (CA), Smartini (PT),  Tashi Wada Group feat. Batida apresenta: The Almost Perfect DJ (PT), The Black Mamba (PT),  The East Pointers (CA), Theodore (GR), Tribe Royal (CA), Vaarwell (PT), Violetta Zironi (IT),  Whales (PT), Yosune (VE)

More info and tickets here: https://westwaylabfestival.com/

WESTWAY LAB – PRO Conference 2019
For the upcoming 6th edition of Westway LAB, Portugal’s first showcase festival & conference expands its three main conference streams, Westway PRO, INES Sessions and the WHY Portugal Event through the addition of a central Westway LAB Lounge, a permanent networking lounge open throughout the event, offering registered delegates a space dedicated to their formal & informal networking, besides the conferences, roundtables and panels. An environment that constitutes another step forward, as the LAB monicker does not apply exclusively to the Artist Residencies: Westway is also a LABoratory for new projects, new ideas, new partnerships and new horizons. From Westway LAB’s first edition, back in 2014, to the present, this has always been an intrinsic part of the Westway DNA.

As such, in addition to the above-mentioned three conference streams, the Westway PRO, INES PRO and WHY Portugal Event, the on-going partnership with AMAEI, the Portuguese Independent Music Trade Association brings to Guimarães a new European project, Europe in Synch: a Music Moves Europe preparatory action of “Training of Young Professionals”.  It is also fitting in that the idea for the project was born at Westway LAB, precisely two years ago.

Furthermore, the partnership with the GDA Foundation also affirms, this year, the dedication of the GDA Foundation in utilizing technologies as tools for music circulation. The GDA panel will thus present us with two Portuguese home-grown platforms seeking new solutions to this age-old challenge: how to tour more. Finally, through a new partnership with Audiogest, the phonogram producers society, we are happy to feature a Portuguese Keynote speaker and “State of the Art of the Portuguese Industry” roundtable, as well as host not just the second edition of the WHY Portugal Event, run by Portugal’s export office for music, but also a meeting of EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange, bringing 28 European Export Offices to Portugal.

Full conference programme and registrations here: https://www.eventbrite.pt/e/bilhetes-westway-lab-pro-music-conference-2019-50355372274

Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk

27
Mar

Dutch Acts coming to The Great Escape – Pip Blom, BEA1991, EUT, FATA BOOM, Lewsberg, Mauskovic Dance Band, Jarreau Vandal and Rina Mushonga

Posted by: Nikki in: Artists , Dutch Impact , Events

The Netherlands have been part of the Great Escape since the very start, and this year this Northwestern corner of Europe returns to Brighton with the latest crop of the country’s most prominent rising stars representing a variety of genres, from hip hop to 90s infused indie pop and art rock existentialism.

Recent addition to the Heavenly Recordings roster,  Pip Blom leads the Dutch charge following their success on the BBC Music stage at last year’s Great Escape and recent performances at SXSW in Austin. Also part of the Dutch Impact SXSW selections, BEA1991 has already attracted critical attention from the likes of The Fader, Gorilla vs Bear and The Guardian with her special brand of louche sonic experimentalism and emotional raw vocals.

Last Januari Dutch EUT were most recommended by the media at ESNS 2019. This year, EUT are taking their youthful 90s flavoured post pop to Brighton. Describing themselves as “trippy electro hiphop lovebaby”, FATA BOOM is a collaborative project of two Dutch artists whose recent debut LP and flamboyant shows prompted comparisons to the likes of M.I.A., Die Antwoord and Gnucci.

Hailing from the port city of Rotterdam, Lewsberg’s nihilistic rock poetry is reminiscent of college rock tradition in the manner of Modern Lovers, Talking Heads and Velvet Underground. Their recent self-titled LP triumphed across the UK media, with top reviews from tastemakers like Gigwise and The Line of Best Fit. Finally but by no means least is the Mauskovic Dance Band,  who effortlessly mix synthesisers Afro-Latin rhythms and slice guitar riffs to create a contemporary sound rich with cultural influence. The band have been gaining momentum with the launch of an EP coinciding with their performance at ESNS and have received praise from  NTS, Worldwide FM and The Quietus.

Amsterdam-based producer Jarreau Vandal is part of independent music collective Soulection, known for his eclectic DJ sets and bangin’ edits of Rihanna’s “Work”, Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up.” and more recently sampling Kanye West’s “Sunday Service” on a new track with Denzel Curry.  Jarreau has also featured in the likes of Noisey, Dummy, Clash, Highsnobiety, NTS and BBC 1 Xtra and has been confirmed to play at Sonar in Barcelona. Another artist releasing new material is London-based, Dutch-Zimbabwean pop innovator Rina Mushonga. Her recent album “In A Galaxy” has already received praise from Independent, The Times, Pitchfork, The Line Of Best Fit and weaves  a glittering constellation of warped synths, Afropop rhythms and addictive, soul-lifting vocal harmonies.

The Dutch Impact Party will take place on Friday, May 10th from 12:00 – 16:00 in Komedia (Main). More info and set times coming soon.

Find out more about the bands below and if you’d like an interview or guestlist to the showcase please let us know.

The Dutch Music Export is a longstanding partner at The Great Escape festival, since year one the Dutch Impact party has been a highlight in the convention programme and Dutch artists have provided festival goers with many incredible and memorable performances from artists such as, Amber Arcades, Dope D.O.D, Jacco Gardner, Jameszoo and Klangstof,

This partnership is made possible by the coming together of Dutch Music Export, powered by Eurosonic Noorderslag, Dutch Performing Arts and Buma Cultuur, with the kind support by the embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands.

Dutch Impact Website: https://dutch-impact.nl/festival/586b80bb4a151f90cbf8786b

About the artists

BEA1991
Independent artist and musical polymath BEA1991 has split her time between Amsterdam, London and NYC, experimenting with a variety of disciplines that have led to the release of two critically lauded EP’s as well as tours and close relationships with musical allies Blood Orange, Porches, Kirin J Callinan and Sega Bodega. She garnered a reputation for a powerful and emotive live experience, where she has additionally received attention for her experimental art exhibitions, all whilst recording her debut album.

Website: http://bea1991archive.tumblr.com/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6F93aFbWjhUtjRKXYmtr1Z

EUT
Bursting onto the independent music scene with a bold new attitude, Amsterdam’s EUT bring a fresh dose of energy to 1990s nostalgia. Drawing on influences from bands such as the Pixies, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blur, Weezer, Hole, Wilco and Beck, EUT met at art college in 2016 and haven’t looked back since. Fronted by charismatic whirlwind front woman Megan de Klerk, the band crafts beautifully written songs with captivating melodies, catchy pop hooks and immediate lyrics about youthfulness and growing up. The band started to make waves internationally after playing packed shows at the last editions of Reeperbahn Festival in Germany and Les Transmusicales in France. Their sparkling new indie-pop single ‘Supplies’ was picked up by BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunder’s as a ‘Next Wave’ track.

Website: https://www.thewordiseut.com/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/41doMenKZkgW8DUwH3WwV5

FATA BOOM
FATA BOOM is the unborn hip hop love-baby of two dutch artists who found each other during the 3FM-awards of 2016. They secretly met up for some writing-sessions and thought their tracks would never leave their underground studio. It’s not until someone discovered their music and got real enthusiastic about them that they decided to release them…The act played their first show at Melkweg Amsterdam and their second at the prestigious Eurosonic Noorderslag Festival At the Oosterpoort. In 2017 & 2018 Fata Boom played over a 100 shows, including Down The Rabbit Hole (twice), Wildeburg Festival, Milkshake, Amsterdam Dance Event and supported acts like Little Big. In October 2018 Fata Boom released their debut album ‘Constricted’ and played their first headline show at a sold out Paradiso Amsterdam.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/fataboom/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4GioeqLGgBkn9rRB12bor4

Jarreau Vandal (Live)
Jarreau Vandal is somewhat of a household name for those that have been binging on Soulection for the past few years. Be it Masego, IAMNOBODI or Monte Booker, the international network, friendships and collaborations Vandal has amassed through the collective have proven to be invaluable. However, his musical adventures pre-dating Soulection years are not as well known. Born in Maastricht, Vandal has been producing since the age of 16. Practice makes perfect, and, a decade later, the 26-year old is enjoying a cult following in Europe, North America and Asia.

Website: https://jarreauvandal.com/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6f96znq79wvlknKHHHhtTW?si=yYTLtEvHRt-TTUduAqc1Ag

Lewsberg
Rotterdam’s Lewsberg are a four-piece rock group named after writer and fellow Rotterdammer Robert Loesberg, famous for his dangerous novel Enige Defecten from 1974. Drawing inspiration from the counterculture and big-city cynicism of the 1960s and 1970s, Lewsberg released their self-titled debut LP in the Netherlands in 2018. Nine rudimentary and repetitive rock songs, full of a tough, nonchalant intensity. The English lyrics, delivered with a heavy Rotterdam accent, show a tendency towards existentialism and black humour. The album was re-released worldwide in January 2019.

Website: https://www.lewsberg.net/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/49q3PS0SzgbyvWDwZj7qg5

Mauskovic Dance Band
With each band member of varying heritage, the group draws inspiration from diverse genres: primarily Afro-Combian styles such as champed, palenque, cambia and the pico sound system culture, as well as the Afro-Discoband No-Wave scenes in their current base of Amsterdam. The city’s hotbed of underground producers has also brought an electronic to the band, with vintage drum machines and synthesisers effortlessly melding with Afro-Latin rhythms and slice guitar riffs to create a contemporary sound rich with cultural influence. Having toured extensively through Europe in 2017 as a staple of festivals and clubs, The Mauskovic Dance Band continues to build exciting momentum – with appearances at Eurosonic Noorderslag 2018 and extensive tour of the Netherlands coinciding with the launch of the EP.

Website: https://mauskovicdanceband.bandcamp.com/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/49q3PS0SzgbyvWDwZj7qg5

Pip Blom
Indie-rock sensation Pip Blom already made quite a name for themselves in their short period of existence. They’ve played more than a hundred gigs rising from small pubs to the European festival circuit – as well as being asked by the likes of Surfer Blood, Franz Ferdinand and The Breeders to join them on their various European tours. The band’s energetic live show quickly pricked the ears of press and radio – with BBC 6 Music A-listing recent singles ‘I Think I’m In Love’ and ‘Pussycat’.

Website: https://www.pipblom.com/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zWJfH1TTmIqEi7EV35HGr

Rina Mushonga
“Man was made to hold his head erect in majesty and see the sky, to raise his eyes to the bright stars above,” the Roman poet Ovid wrote in 8AD, in his Latin literary epic Metamorphoses. You don’t need to tell this to Rina Mushonga. The London-based, Dutch-Zimbabwean pop innovator, whose new album In A Galaxy was part inspired by Metamorphoses, is full of reflections on the cosmos and our place in it. “The title refers to how relative space and time are in how we perceive and judge each other,” she explains of her follow-up to 2014 debut The Wild, The Wilderness. “Earth viewed as part of a galaxy binds us in our humanity.” The universe is infinite in its expanse, as Ovid observed. Mushonga’s In A Galaxy weaves into a glittering constellation of warped synths, Afropop rhythms and addictive, soul-lifting vocal harmonies the suggestion that we’re all specks of dust floating through that expanse, whose differences seem insignificant up against that truth.

Website: http://rinamushonga.tumblr.com/
Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1GFkwGetxvXluztDxPShGo?si=L6qOgzyrRRSYvtxoDXi4iw

Contact:
Nikki McNeill or Anastasia Connor
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk
conanastasia@gmail.com

11
Mar

WESTWAY LAB 2019 – Guimarães, Portugal

Posted by: Nikki in: Events

Westway LAB, Portugal’s first showcase festival and professional music conference, will take place for the sixth consecutive year from 10th to 13th of April in Guimarães.

Founded in 2014 with a clear mission: to operate a cultural, social and economic transformation through music, crossing borders enabling the construction of sustainable internationalization of artists and professionals from Portugal. During the 4 day event, Guimarães becomes a music city, combining in an innovative way the realization of an event based with three dimensions: Process (artist residencies), Thought (PRO Conferences) and Product (showcases and headline concerts).

Since its inception Westway LAB has always had a strong sense of collaborating internationally and this year the event will realise this by presenting Canada as the spotlight country.  On April 12th, the Canadian representation at the Westway LAB 2019 will be fueled by folk territory, which intersects with pop in compositions for female voices by singer-songwriters Sarah MacDougall and Megan Nash and the trio of boys The East Pointers. The music of the duo Les Deuxluxes will be more electrified and will make rock its strength, whereas the band Tribe Royal bases its music in the pop-rock.

On the same night, and similarly to last year, Westway LAB once again hosts the WHY Portugal Event, organized by the Portuguese music export office. From the pop built between guitars and synthesizers by Neev, to the traditional Fado Portuguese guitar of Marta Pereira da Costa, passing by the delicate indie sounds of Vaarwell.

Similarly, the European networks (ETEP and INES) in which the festival is integrated contribute decisively to the important architecture of relationships that are propagated by bringing cultural and economic value to this particular ecosystem. This is the case of the Dutch musician Jacco Gardner who brings to Westway LAB his latest album, “Somnium”, in what will be the opening concert of the festival (10 April), as well as the Italian singer-songwriter Violetta Zironi, who promises a performance where the guitar will need little more company than its powerful voice (April 11).

With the Vila Flor Cultural Centre as a base of operations, the 6th edition of the event will once again be spread to various places in the city, through the city showcases that will transform Guimarães into a great stage, taken by artists and the public, who intertwine with magic from music. During the afternoon of Saturday, April 13, it will be possible to listen to the indie-pop of Mickey, a Slovak based in Austria, the American pop of Swedish influences Elin Namnieks or the indie-rock of Izzy and the Black Trees, of Poland, three projects that are part of the selection of the INES network for 2019. From Greece comes the multi-instrumentalist and composer Theodore. The national performance is well delivered to Holy Nothing, one of the most promising national bands, creating the frontier between electronic and post-rock, as well as guitarist Francisco Sales, singer Beatriz Nunes and rock-dirty quartet Smartini.

On the last night of the festival, the music spread by the CCVF in a great celebration. Through a general pass, for the value of 20 euros, it will be possible to attend the concerts of The Black Mamba, Tashi Wada Group feat. Julia Holter, Batida apresenta: The Almost Perfect DJ, Captain Boy, Mister Roland, Paraguaii and Whales. The first 150 passes also give exclusive access to the opening concert with Jacco Gardner.

According to Rui Torrinha, artistic director of the festival, “continuing to think about the cosmos from this unique place has made of Westway LAB a powerful world of possibilities on a human scale, in which the time and space generated have allowed us to recover the original meaning of the word … quality. Not everything here can be said, so discover it and let yourself be discovered but do not miss out, because the spirit is of inclusion.”

Artist Line Up (A-Z)

Beatriz Nunes (PT), Captain Boy (PT), Elin Namnieks (SE), Francisco Sales (PT),Holy Nothing (PT),  Izzy and the Black Trees (PL), Jacco Gardner (NL), João Pascoal, Happy Mess (PT), Julia Holter (US),  Les Deuxluxes (CA), Marta Pereira da Costa (PT), Megan Nash (CA), Mickey (AT), Mister Roland (PT), Neev (PT), Paraguaii (PT),  Sarah MacDougall (CA), Smartini (PT), Tashi Wada Group feat. Batida apresenta: The Almost Perfect DJ (PT), The Black Mamba (PT),  The East Pointers (CA), Theodore (GR), Tribe Royal (CA), Vaarwell (PT), Violetta Zironi (IT), Whales (PT), Yosune (VE)

More info and tickets here: https://westwaylabfestival.com/

WESTWAY LAB – PRO Conference 2019

For the upcoming 6th edition of Westway LAB, Portugal’s first showcase festival & conference expands its three main conference streams, Westway PRO, INES Sessions and the WHY Portugal Event through the addition of a central Westway LAB Lounge, a permanent networking lounge open throughout the event, offering registered delegates a space dedicated to their formal & informal networking, besides the conferences, roundtables and panels. An environment that constitutes another step forward, as the LAB monicker does not apply exclusively to the Artist Residencies: Westway is also a LABoratory for new projects, new ideas, new partnerships and new horizons. From Westway LAB’s first edition, back in 2014, to the present, this has always been an intrinsic part of the Westway DNA.

As such, in addition to the above-mentioned three conference streams, the Westway PRO, INES PRO and WHY Portugal Event, the on-going partnership with AMAEI, the Portuguese Independent Music Trade Association brings to Guimarães a new European project, Europe in Synch: a Music Moves Europe preparatory action of “Training of Young Professionals”.  It is also fitting in that the idea for the project was born at Westway LAB, precisely two years ago.

Furthermore, the partnership with the GDA Foundation also affirms, this year, the dedication of the GDA Foundation in utilizing technologies as tools for music circulation. The GDA panel will thus present us with two Portuguese home-grown platforms seeking new solutions to this age-old challenge: how to tour more. Finally, through a new partnership with Audiogest, the phonogram producers society, we are happy to feature a Portuguese Keynote speaker and “State of the Art of the Portuguese Industry” roundtable, as well as host not just the second edition of the WHY Portugal Event, run by Portugal’s export office for music, but also a meeting of EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange, bringing 28 European Export Offices to Portugal.

Full conference programme and registrations here: https://www.eventbrite.pt/e/bilhetes-westway-lab-pro-music-conference-2019-50355372274

Contact
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpubicity.co.uk

26
Feb

Suede to Headline OFF Festival

Posted by: Nikki in: Events , OFF Festival

Suede, one of the most important guitar bands of the 90s, is coming to the OFF Festival on the heels of their excellent album The Blue Hour. They’re joined by the Masecki Jazz Trio, playing music from the Cold War soundtrack and more, and Polish punk legends Dezerter, performing their cult debut record. And get ready for more metal, soul, rap, synth-pop and the best in music today.

Suede
In chronological terms, Suede is a Britpop band, and it’s often lumped in with that genre, but the group’s ambitions and potential have always far exceeded the average capabilities of that mass mobilization. A more apt comparison would be to the work of David Bowie. Suede is nearly as versatile and boasts one of the most charismatic frontmen of our times, Brett Anderson. If songs like “Beautiful Ones,” “Trash” and “So Young” weren’t part of your soundtrack to the 90s, then it probably means you were too young. But Suede isn’t coming to the OFF Festival as part of some sentimental blast from the past. After all, their recent LP, The Blue Hour, full of breathtaking, wonderful songs recorded with producer Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, U2, Ride, and more), was one of the best albums of last year. Or maybe even the best.

Trio Jazzowe Marcina Maseckiego
Marcin Masecki has performed at the OFF Festival several times—with Paristetris, Profesjonalizm, Warszawska Orkiestra Rozrywkowa, and alongside Jacek Sienkiewicz—so we’ll spare you the list of adjectives. You know all how “phenomenal” and “versatile” he is. There’s no other pianist like him—and we don’t just mean in Poland. Marcin returns this year as the leader of a jazz trio that also features bassist Piotr Domagalski and drummer Jerzy Rogiewicz. What makes this project so interesting is that the avant-garde Masecki has long shied away from jazz—a great musical tradition that he’s finally ready to face up to. The set will feature tracks from the soundtrack of Paweł Pawlikowski’s Cold War.

Superorganism
Their first hit was titled “Everybody Wants to Be Famous”—achievement unlocked. That’s one challenge Superorganism can check off their list. This indie-pop sensation invaded last year’s festival lineups and released their debut LP on Domino. With musicians hailing from the U.K., Japan, Australia and New Zealand, the merry eight-piece ensemble is one of the most international and colorful projects on the scene today, and the band’s music is equally eclectic and original. If their day at the OFF Festival is a rainy one (not to jinx it!), head on over to the Superorganism show: it’s always sunny where they’re playing.

The Body
No One Deserves Happiness is the title of the shocking yet beautiful 2016 album from The Body, and also a phrase that aptly describes the atmosphere of their music. It’s completely devoid of light, happiness and breath; it’s a kingdom of despair. The Body’s discography has since accumulated a few new releases, some of which are collaborations with other bands (they’ve put out albums with Full of Hell, Uniform, Thou and Krieg, among others). If there’s one thing you need to know about The Body, it’s this: there’s no realm too extreme for Chip King and Lee Buford to venture into, and there’s no experiment that the duo wouldn’t dare try. The Body inhabits the fringes of the metal scene, but it’s hard to find the right category to describe the group’s music—unless “terrifyingly good” is a genre.

OM
Think quasi-religious raptures, plodding, meditative tempos, and a psychedelic sound, but underpinned by a somber, doom-metal drive. The Californian trio OM is tough to pigeonhole or place in any specific music scene, but the supergroup’s lineup tells you a lot about their potential. Their frontman is singer/bassist Al Cisneros, who also heads up stoner/doom legends Sleep, joined by Emil Amos (of the cult act Holy Sons) on drums and Tyler Trotter (Phantom Family Halo, Watter) on keyboards. Get ready for a hypnotizing ritual.

IC3PEAK
The world learned of IC3PEAK last year, when the band’s tour became the target of a crackdown by the FSB and other Russian state agencies. Shows were canceled or faced last-minute relocations to other—often informal—venues, while concert promoters received threats, and the band members themselves were arrested. Unfazed by these efforts, Nastya and Nick continued performing to equally fearless—and increasingly large—audiences. What makes IC3PEAK noteworthy, however, isn’t just their musical dissident status in Russia, but also their art, which combines dark witchhouse sounds with underground hip-hop and the melancholy melodies of the East. The two have described their music as audiovisual terror, and not without good reason: this isn’t just something you listen to (like their excellent new album Сказка), it’s also something you watch. In fact, their brilliant, controversial videos are what drew the ire of the Russian authorities in the first place.

slowthai
A comment under one of his YouTube videos says everything you need to know about this artist: “Nobody has lyrics that capture Britain’s lower class anxiety like slowthai. Dude is a low-key messiah.” No wonder that when slowthai burst onto the scene, he drew comparisons to Sleaford Mods, The Streets and the early years of grime. But the first band are old men with problems of their own, no one’s heard from The Streets in a while now, and grime has become a cash cow for the music industry. That’s why Tyron Frampton, a.k.a. slowthai, is the premiere rap voice of the British streets. And he does not have good news for you…

Durand Jones & The Indications
Do the likes of Marvin Gaye and Gil Scott Heron have worthy successors today? It’s a tough challenge and a high bar to clear, but one possible candidate is Durand Jones, who sings straight from the heart. Jones started out performing gospel in Louisiana, before moving on to the University of Indiana, where he assembled a few exquisitely sharp-eared musicians to form the Indications. Their debut album was hailed as the greatest hope of American soul, while their forthcoming album American Love Call, slated for releases in March, only upholds the title. “Move and groove” is Jones’ motto, and by the looks of it, everything’s on the right track.

Jakuzi
Fantezi Müzik, Jakuzi’s 2016 debut album (actually a re-release on City Slang a year later), introduced the world to the thriving Turkish underground scene. The band’s style combines catchy, sweeping choruses with post-punk angst, but with an individual, characteristic flavor that’s unique to Jakuzi. The upcoming album Hata Payı, scheduled for release in April, is said to follow that theme into the darkness. We can’t wait to find out what that means.

Emerald
You’ve seen and heard her at the OFF Festival before. Emerald Rose Lewis joined M.I.A. on stage last year as a DJ and hype woman. Her mixes are well know to audiences of Rinse FM, i.e. anyone who tries to stay abreast of the latest news from the London club scene. Emerald’s specialties include 2-step, UK Funk, house and garage.

This year’s OFF Festival also features the previously announced acts: Aldous Harding, Neneh Cherry, Daughters, The Gaslamp Killer, Electric Wizard, The Comet Is Coming, Perfect Son, Phum Viphurit, Black Midi, Boogarins and Lebanon Hanover, as well as Bamba Pana & Makaveli, Loyle Carner, Lotic: Endless Power and SAMA’.

The 2019 OFF Festival Katowice will take place August 2–4 at Three Pond Valley, its regular venue. Three-day passes are now available at the OFF Shop for 330 PLN. This price lasts until February 24 or until the first round of tickets is sold out! Campground tickets are also available for 80 PLN.

 

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