PROGRAM WEDNESDAY/17.04/MNAC OPENING: ‘WASTE LANDSCAPE’
FRIDAY/19.04/22.30/MNAC HIPDIEBATTERY (RO) EVIAN CHRIST (UK) HOLY OTHER (UK) THE PHANTOM (PL)
ELISE MORIN & CLÉMENCE ELIARD (FR) SATURDAY/20.04/22.30/MNAC
COUGHY (RO) BURNT FRIEDMAN & JAKI LIEBEZEIT (DE) KUEDO FEAT. MFO (UK/DE)
ViLL GE (RO) SINJIN HAWKE (ES) MIKEQ (US) JOHN TALABOT (ES) V
THURSDAY/18.04/21:00/MODERN
SUNDAY/21.04/06:00/MODERN AFTERPARTY
COUGHY (RO) “Coughy’s arsenal of musical devices is as simple as their studio method: two controllers connected to a laptop, a guitar and a voice treated with guitar effects. Seen as a whole, listener from time to time to dig beneath the thin layers of meaning that these two musicians are building in their interminable laptop & guitar chess game, recalling sometimes the soundmark of Panda Bear or Eric Copeland and making it one of the most interesting psychedelic albums ever made by a Romanian band. And maybe that’s why they have recently signed with Apollo Records - an offshoot of the legendary R&S Records - the Belgian imprint that has had some prestigious contributors over the years, like Aphex Twin, Biosphere or The Orb’s Thomas Fehlmann.” (by Paul Breazu for easterndaze.net)
BURNT FRIEDMAN & JAKI LIEBEZEIT (DE) Jaki Liebezeit is a name that will be instantly familiar to anyone with a taste for classic krautrock. The drummer for seminal avant-garde rock group CAN, Liebezeit was an instrumental percussive force in revolutionizing the range of genres that could be shoehorned into rock music, ushering in elements of jazz, musique concrete, and early electronic music. As for Burnt Friedman, he spent the 90s and 00s pursuing the same fusionist vision that Liebezeit trailblazed in the 60s and 70s, only with a greater emphasis on the digital aspect of the formula. Whether working with the Nu Dub Players or with Uwe Schmidt (AtomTM) as Flanger, Friedman excels at injecting jazz and dub tropes into electronics. A meeting of two musical eclectics from different
Rokolectiv Festival. A performance that makes us both proud and excited.
KUEDO FEAT. MFO (UK/DE) Making his name as part of British dubstep duo Vex’d along colorful and warm EPs Starfox and Dream Sequence, both
Live & Sleep In Collapsing Space, garnering the producer an ever growing and diversifying fan base. is an atmosphere of starry-eyed futurism and modernity that evoke “that same kind of feeling that we get from looking into
The collaboration with Berlin based collective of visual artists MFO for this A/V show adds up to the Live Deko Futurism realm.
HIPDIEBATTERY (RO) Hipdiebattery is the audio recycling product of Anca Stirbacu, visual artist based in Bucharest, Romania. The moniker came as an audio support for her visual projects and interactive installations, as well as for her adventurous exmanelo-ghetto hip hop and tropicalia soundscapes. Her tracks have been featured on Robot Elephant vs. Tundra
shows abroad, including London, Reading, Manchester, Brighton and Budapest. She performed as an opening act is most probably Bucharest bravest female electronic act at the moment.
EVIAN CHRIST (UK) Evian Christ, the up and rising British producer with a Holbeen called “the most exciting new artist of the year” by Fader, and “an arresting debut that will probably end up marking a particular point in time” by Fact. His mixture of distorted hip hop samples, ambient tones and melancholic atmospherics sparked discussion far beyond the usual circuit With many producers now exploring juke elements at tempos closer to house, Evian Christ’s slightly slower take on 808 vs. vocal fragments is not new in itself. However, what sets him apart (and relevant to Tri Angle records who released
all elements typical of drone, but Evian Christ chooses instead to push them through strong, articulated harmonies. Together with Holy Other, Evian Christ is maybe the most relevant milestone in Tri Angle’s catalogue!
HOLY OTHER (UK) “I want it to just be over,” Holy Other used to say. The shadtrue identity, which he had somehow managed to keep secret under a veil for a while. It hasn’t been an easy task, especialLast year, he’s followed it up with another impressive effort for the Tri Angle imprint, “Held”, his debut full-length, taking his ability to combine dark, lurching melodies with affecting bedroom production to a different, bigger story. “Desire, neediness, vulnerability, fear, pleasure, and confusion are all laid bare. Held is a love album, a modern love album. Not love as aspirational fantasy but lived love, contradictory love--
THE PHANTOM (PL) From piano to cassette, from Tangerine Dream to is beyond any genres. Combining his love of avant-garde vistripped-down house and back again, both his original material and his DJ mixes are refreshingly eclectic.
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ViLL GE (RO) ViLLAGE They say catchiness catchiness is isrecipe-based recipe-basedand anddance dancemusic musicindustry balance and chemistry betweenbetween particular elements, however perfect balance and chemistry particular elements, once in aonce blueinmoon comes out of nowhere however a bluesome moonguy some guy comes out of and touches bunch ofon soft spots of with a witty nowhereon anda touches a bunch soft spotsseamlessness, with a witty what one might—call a prodigy. seamlessness what one might call a prodigy. In spite of all the online rumors that he’s a mysterious musician from from Catalunya Catalunyaor oreven evenRussia, Russia,ViLLAGE ViLL GE is is actually bedroom-producer Vali Vali Dragomir fromfrom Galati, Romania. actually bedroom-producer Dragomir Galati, His overnight fame was fame generated by his breakthrough track Romania. His overnight was generated by his break“Takeover”, was heavily featured on some of theonmore through trackwhich “Takeover”, which was heavily featured V
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ViLL GE’s sound is a stirring mash-up of garage-like youtube. percussion, cleverly and R&B vocals and deep, ViLLAGE’s sound is aaltered stirringpop mash-up of garage-like contemplative bass. altered pop and R&B vocals and deep, percussion, cleverly contemplative bass.
SINJIN HAWKE (ES) He has the golden touch that brings technicolor to the most monochrome of clubs. He creates the kind of atmosphere kind of way, but with feet in a permanent movement. Before this Barcelona-residing Montrealist stretched out on ready made a name for himself as a tireless activist and facilitator of forward-looking celebrations. His productions prove an innate grasp of sensual alien jams, combining all the familiar elements of footwork, R&B, and instrumental rap; in short, he speaks in tongues we can all understand whether he’s operating on his own or teaming up with DJ Sliink or Night Slugs’ wonder-kid Morri$. Soulful ravers and boilerroomers, watch out!
MIKEQ (US) MikeQ is one of the very few DJs who admit that without the dancers, he’d be nothing. But make no mistake: he is, nevertheless, the crown prince of modern ballrooms. “His spine-snapping DJ sets are seriously in demand at the moment, not just at the well-established vogue nights of his native New Jersey and up and down the USA’s East Coast, but beyond (London, Paris, Tokyo), and his exploits have been earning column inches in Vanity Fair. His achievement of recognition beyond his home turf no doubt has something and 80s New York ballroom phenomenon, which has been prompted in part by the release of Chantal Regnault’s astonishing photo book Voguing: Voguing and the House Ball-
performers, runway divas, realness bois and face gods & godschool scene’s most celebrated selector, one who crucially retains the spirit of 90s ballroom but adds a razor-sharp modern edge. So let’s VOGUE!
JOHN TALABOT (ES) Like some kind of top-heavy wedding cake that might come crashing down at any second, a celebratory overload, John Talabot piles loops on top of loops, disco breaks, drum machines, Rhodes riffs, silvery guitars, African chants. For all of Talabot’s attempts to create something dark and moody, there is something intrinsically sunny about his production—not sunny as in “happy,” but sunny as in “music you’d hear at an epic dance party on the beach in claimed and talked about albums of last year. It’s pop, it’s it’s celebratory, it’s fresh, and it’s retro, all at the same time.
Waste Landscape Elise Morin & Clémence Eliard (FR) 17.04 - 02.06.2013 / MNAC
scape covered by an armor of more then 60 000 unsold or collected CDs, which have been sorted and hand-sewn. It is well known that CDs are condemned to gradually disappear from our daily life, and to later participate in the construction of immense open-air,
a still sea of metallic dunes: the monumental scale of the art work reveals the precious aspect of a small daily object. The project joins a global, innovative and committed approach, from its means of production until the end of its “life”. Over the course of multiple exhibitions, ‘Waste Landscape’ will go through quite a few transformations before being entirely recycled into polycarbonate. Waste Landscape is presented in collaboration with Todays Art Festival (The Hague).
Modulab Corner Paul Popescu (R0) Pingtime Sergiu Doroftei, Bogdan Susma Ion Cotenescu, Silviu Badea (RO) Train to shift your focus in an increasingly augmented world with this media-challenged table tennis game. Pingtime is an investigation into how realtime generated computer responses are affecting reactiontime in fast gameplay situations, such as table tennis. A working group with interests ranging between new-media engineering and art have teamed up to implementseveral such distraction methods in Pingtime, at Rokolectiv.
Modulab is an open lab dedicated to the exploration of the new technologies connected to creative areas. Here research takes place in a freestyle manner and involves tech-jamming sessions where countless trail-and-error experiments, reverse-engineering and tweeks are made for a strictly explorative aim. This kind of knowledge is stored in accessible places and codes as a live knowledge embedded in the web dynamics, and as a foundation for Modulab's projects, experiments and innovation. For some time now, Modulab has been producing a variety of tech installations and interactive surfaces, out of which some part in Dresden CyNetArt festival with an installation. The liquid called “Wikileaks� and previously tested at the Rokolectiv festival - was rebuilt in an improved version for the Piksel new media sioned to provide conceptual and interactive design support for the Romanian pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale.
STOPOVER ATELIER BRUT (RO) Atelier Brut uses reclaimed/found material such as pallet wood, tree branches, Christmas trees and old furniture with minimum re-processing, leaving the wood almost in the same state as it is found. The design doesn’t impose on the material but somehow
beauty marks like knots, grains and other imperfections not found in mass-produced items and it does that with minimum of production cost.
My Rokolectiv Paul Breazu In the beginning there was a bird. A hoopoe sitting on hell knows. Everything started eight years ago in the two years old Museum of Contemporary Art. At that time, the Rokolectiv festival of electronic music and related visual arts sounded like an extravagance in the “urban” landday, as Romania was strongly revealing a tantalizing “urbanity” after many years of rural fascinating eternity. That year, with Materidouska’s swan screams, Electronicat’s howling guitar and My Robot Friend’s ejaculated confetti, we all lost our virginity. asa was as low as the price of an Ecstasy; the line up displayed the EDM juice of the moment, disrupted between minimal techno (Dandy Jack & The Junction FM, Thomas Brinkmann), and maximal circus (Noze); the backstage, with its main attraction - an out of tune abandoned piano was spotted in the crowd following the black raven de-
Edgar; and Doravideo’s drums shook MNAC’s overwhelming silence on a grey Sunday…
But make no mistake, this text has no intention to be a people who never missed a night. For the past 8 years and as many editions, Rokolectiv has managed to synchronize my agenda with its own, with a couple of unintended accidents. Sometimes it annoyed me, as it triggered my nostalgic gland, making me long for the extravagant Sundays that used to happen at MNAC, populated by weird a Methuselahic ondioline. Some other times it made me happy again, as it triggered my curiosity gland, giving me the right frame to invite on stage local legend Rodion and his amazing, dusty tape machines. But one way or another, it always gave me that wink! It’s been a festival I always attended with affection, despite line up considerations or what it went through one moment or another. Maybe because I am familiar with the organizers, and Rokolectiv is about familiarity. Maybe because there was always something to (re)discover in the itinerary from MNAC to its other temporary shelters. But one thing is for
Paul Breazu is a music journalist (Dilema Veche), Rom-pop promoter (Discoteca) and sound archeologist (Batiscaf Radio).
BUCHAREST SURVIVAL KIT
SOUVENIRS
If you want to meet nice people outside the festival, stay away from tourist traps and do what the locals do. Here are few of the hot spots:
Flea market Valea Cascadelor 22 Valea Cascadelor Str. Ping Pong (mid century modern design online shop) http://pingpongshop.tumblr.com Romanian Peasant Museum (traditional crafts) 3 Kiseleff Avenue Carturesti (book shop) / 13-15 Arthur Verona Str.
BARS Atelier Mecanic / 12 Covaci Str. Control Club / 4 Constantin Mille Str. Dianei 4 / 4 Dianei Str. Café Verona / 13-15 Arthur Verona Str.
TRANSPORTATION FOOD Shift Pub / 17 Eremia Grigorescu Str. Zen Sushi / 86 Serban Voda Str. Lacrimi si Sfinti / 16 Sepcari Str. La Rocca / 36 Theodor Aman Str. NON-STOP QUICK FIX: Divan Express / 19 Selari Str. Nic Supermarket / 15 Piata Amzei
Bucharest’s public transportation is not ideal, but it works. Ask around or check your itinerary on: http://transporturban.ro However, cabs are pretty affordable, provided you stay away from the so-called ‘sharks’ and get one of the companies that display the 1,39 lei/km fare. Or, even better, download the Star Taxi application! It’s free and it saves you a lot of trouble.
Venues: Modern 127 Mihai Eminescu Bucharest
MNAC Parliament Palace Calea 13 Septembrie, wing E4 Bucharest
INTERNATIONAL CITIES OF ADVANCED SOUND
Rokolectiv Festival is part of ICAS, an international network of like-minded festivals. All members of ICAS have spent years crafting unique festivals and events, each with its own identity grounded in strong local connections and context. Check them out on icasnetwork.org and… voyage!
Tickets Festival Pass (3 days)70 lei (limited number) Buy on www.eventim.ro and in the eventim network Daily tickets can be purchased at each venue in the night of the event. 17.04 - MNAC / free 18.04 – Modern / 25 lei 19.04, 20.04 – MNAC / 35 lei 21.04 - Modern / free
Please note that only the Festival Pass can guarantee your access to the festival. Tickets can be purchased at MNAC in the night of the event, but are limited to the capacity of the venue.
Photos courtesy of: Vice, Reforma, Danadol.ro, Rob Kesseler & Wolfgang Stuppy