Get ready for a shot of energy that will keep you going till the summer — or at least until the next round of OFF announcements: GusGus, Brodka, Clutch, Daniel Avery and Flatbush Zombies have confirmed that they’ll be dropping by the festival.
GusGus
They’re from Reykjavik and they know how to have fun. They also know how to get others to have fun: a GusGus concert combines house, trip-hop, techno, and nu-jazz into one big explosive, electro-pop tinged whole, seasoned with the meticulous set design you’d expect from a musical fireworks show of this caliber. “Mexico, it turns out, is a place you definitely want to visit, and maybe, just maybe, you might want to stay there,” reads a PopMatters review of the Icelandic band’s latest album. But putting down roots isn’t the way to go, considering how frequently GusGus like to shapeshift and surprise us: they’re likely to release yet another album, their tenth, before arriving in Katowice. We can’t wait for either event.
Brodka
Brodka can’t stand monotony. Having achieved early success as a teenager, she reinvented herself in 2010 and released the catchy and mature album Granda, only to return two years later with the dance music mini-album LAX. She could have just coasted from there, but instead she decided to change everything, turn it all upside down, and take risks. Her latest album, which she wrote from start to finish and recorded in Los Angeles, is coming out in the spring and is completely different from her earlier work. We’re impressed with her uncompromising attitude and we’re happy that Brodka’s coming to the OFF Festival this summer to play her new music.
Clutch
Gutsy, hard rock riffs, an ironclad rhythm section, and a bluesy feel: this isn’t the combination you’d expect to hear at the OFF Festival, but we just couldn’t ignore a band as rootsy as Clutch. Especially since the quarter-century-old quartet is currently reliving its youth, releasing such phenomenal albums as Earth Rocker (2013) and Psychic Warfare (2015). Their concerts are no-nonsense rock and roll: raw, loud, and effective. We’d like to apologize in advance to the entire neighborhood.
Daniel Avery
Released in 2013 on Erol Alkan’s label Phantasy Sound, Avery’s debut LP was met with wide critical acclaim. One NME reviewer described it as being “in a league of its own,” while Mixmag called it a “hypnotic debut.” “Underground dance music with this much ambition hasn’t been heard in quite a while,” raved Resident Advisor. Compliments were often accompanied by statements of concern: how would Daniel Avery make it in a market driven by rules and trends that he had no intention of abiding by? We now know the answer: he’s doing just fine, performing in the best clubs and at the world’s finest music festivals. We’re happy to welcome him to the OFF Festival.
Flatbush Zombies
Hailing from Brooklyn, Flatbush Zombies are Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice, and Erick “Arc” Elliott. This New York crew burst onto the scene with their 2012 mixtape D.R.U.G.S. (Death and Reincarnation Under God’s Supervision). Fast-forward a few mixtapes, EPs, and collaborations (alongside such artists as A$AP Rocky, Action Bronson, Skepta, and Joey Bada$$), and we’re now dealing with a band whose debut album, 3001: A Laced Odyssey, slated for release in March, is one of the most highly anticipated hip-hop records of the year.