Festival features

For some years I wrote about the festivals I attended for various websites. I've tried collecting all the ones I made on this page. This should be all of them.

Forma Nova 2007 (short) - in Danish
Forma Nova 2007 (long) - in Danish
Forma Nova 2006 - in Danish
Forma Nova 2004 - in Danish
Forma Nova 2003 - in English
Elektronisk Jazzjuice 2007 - in Danish
Elektronisk Jazzjuice 2006 - in Danish
RECession/EMMA 2005 - in English
RECession 2003 - in English
PopRevo 2005 - in English
Spot 11 2005 - in English
Spot 09 2003 - in English
Roskilde 2004 - in Danish
Roskilde 2003 - in English

Forma Nova 07: Forma Nova Festival - ikke bare en musikfestival

Forma Nova Festival i Fredericia, der i år fejrede 5-års jubilæum, er ikke kun en musikfestival. Den er en tankegang, hvorfra en masse ting udspringer. Det er stedet, hvor electronica, postrock, hardcore og anden eksperimenterende musik indfanges i et inspirerende øjeblik sammen med stærk visuel profil under både koncerterne og det evigt foranderlige campingområde med masser af street-art.

(Note: this is the edited Soundvenue version. See below for unedited version)

Af Lars Kjær Dideriksen
Foto: Steffen Jørgensen (www.jint.dk)
Video: Lars Kjær Dideriksen

De fleste af festivalens kunstnere har det med at blive alle dagene, og man kan næsten kalde Forma Nova for en 'konference'. Venskaber knyttes, netværk opstår, og nye kunstneriske konstellationer fødes. Og som publikum kan man altid få en sludder med kunstnerne. Man fornemmer efterhånden en slags Forma Nova 'community'. Måske ikke så stort, men i hvert fald dedikeret. Jeg håber, at den ånd fortsætter mange år endnu. Det fortjener den.

Nye venskaber dannes

En lille håndfuld danske bands, der ligger på et breaking point lige nu, leverede fine koncerter. De farverige en-to-tre-fire-takter fra Turboweekend var der. Udlandet kan nu med 20 års forsinkelse få en smag af noget af den gamle danske lyd uden at skulle lære dansk for at forstår ordene "han laver voodoo om natten" (ja, undskyld, vokalen i nogle af numrene får mig til at tænke i de baner). Men med det sagt, så leverer Turboweekend selvfølgelig nye rytmer og et noget mere opskruet energiniveau.

Turboweekend

Slaraffenlands imponerede den sidste aften med deres egen blanding af knapt-så-repetitiv postrock, mandskor, støj og skarpt skårede blæser-arrangementer. Et frugtbart genremix der bevægede sig fra småmelankolsk til jovial og drilsk - og tilbage igen.

Knap så nye i gårde, Lampshade, spillede også. Bandets frontkvinde spillede desuden en koncert mere som As In Rebekkamaria. Jeg har aldrig helt kunne tune mig ind på Lampshade og det skete heller ikke med det nye projekt, hvor den stod på overgearet discoqueen og melodier, der ikke helt ville sætte sig fast i øret. En opskruet popmusik i melankolsk mode, der ikke harmonerede i min verden.

As In Rebekka Maria

Noget bedre gik det for andre danske kunstnere som Good Luck Casper, der holdt melodi, legesyge og dynamik intakt i en rar gang glitch-inficeret popmusik. Imagine I Had Hands er et af de nyere hardcore navne og fortjener ligeledes opmærksomhed. De kørte et hårdt sæt, men formåede samtidig at holde det spændende og ikke drukne i ren larm. Marvin's Revolt gjorde det også godt med lidt af de samme virkemidler, imens Made Of Buildings formåede at veksle mellem luftig og sparsom rockinstrumentering og støjklimaks.

Den efterhånden garvede elektroniske musiker Karsten Pflum piskede en dansable stemning op med sin laptop. I hans nuværende stil er al melodi næsten lagt på hylden til fordel for rytmerne. Energien og festen er i fokus i stedet.

Made Of Buildings

Sverige har alle år været pænt repræsenteret på Forma Nova Festivalen. I år krængede Eskju Divine de helt store følelser ud på en måde, der ikke lod noget tilbage. Mew, ja selv Queen, kom i glimt frem på nethinden. Og det med sangeren siddende bag et piano kun akkompagneret af trommer og bas.

Duoen Sekvens fik ligeledes med meget mindre virkemidler, såsom diktafoner med 'field recordings', effektpedaler og små spøgelsessymfonier, under det hele ramt de rigtige dele af følelsesregisteret.
Soloprojektet GOTO80 havde koblet laptoppen med gameboyen og fik stampet et lille micro-rave op af jorden, hvor tankerne hurtigt fløj af sted til de digitale slagmarker i forgangne tiders Nintendo- og C64-verdener.

Schneider TM

Trods beskedne sin størrelse formår Forma Nova altid at få spændende kunstner til festivalen langvejs fra. I år havde argentinske Acampante vist rejserekorden. Han blandede hoppende electronica med hiphop på fin vis, men viste faktisk størst talent for sine visuelle evner, som han præsenterede på scenens storskærm. Tyske Schneider TM viste på fornem vis de poppede sider af den ellers monotone tyske electronica. Catchy og umiskendeligt tysk.

Franske Duracells akustiske trommesæt havde følere på, der registrerede slagene og derved satte de krøllede 8-bit computerspilsmelodier i gang fra laptoppen. En interessant måde at spille på. Det var højenergisk, og han høstede også festivalens største spontane bifald. En kraftpræstation uden lige.

Duracell

Amerikanske Thanksgiving var en af de få kunstnere på festivalen, der spillede den henkastede slacker-stil. Dog ikke som man kender det fra for eksempel Pavement. Det var svært at sætte finger på. Adrian Oranges vokal sprang fra skrøbelig til råb, og det hele truede konstant med at vælte. Men det gjorde det ikke. Den skramlede spillestil kunne aldrig skjule de helt fremragende melodier. I sammenligning virkede alle de danske bands, der kom før, pludselig bare 'helt enormt hæmmede'. Ikke nok med at der var klasseforskel, så var det tydeligt, at her var en kunstner, der turde lukke op for primal-instinkterne - uden at det betød, at han ville spille garagerock og spytte øl ud over publikum. Absolut en af festivalens bedste koncerter.

Se videoklip fra Forma Nova Festival her (via YouTube)

Eksterne links
www.formanovafestival.com

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Soundvenue.com, July 18, 2007.

copyright

Forma Nova 07: Forma Nova er ikke en festival…

Forma Nova synes at være blevet et tankesæt på tværs af landegrænser. En mangesidet og overordentligt vellykket hyldest til viljen til at lade sig overraske. Tænk engang over det: Tør du egentligt, når det virkelig kommer til stykket?

(Note: this is the unedited version. See above for the edited Soundvenue version)

Af Lars Kjær Dideriksen
Foto: Steffen Jørgensen (www.jint.dk)
Video: Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Femårsjubilæet for - i mine øjne - Danmarks bedste musikfestival gav anledning til at tænke lidt. En måske gammelkendt påstand meldte sig: Vi mennesker kan ikke lide overraskelser. Selv om der er en chance for, at de kan være rigtigt gode, så finder vi tryghed i det kendte. Bevares, vi elsker, når de opstår, men vi tør ikke selv opsøge overraskelserne. Det ER jo muligt.
Med en musikjournalists øjne var den øvrige musikpresses manglende tilstedeværelse på årets Forma Nova Festival endnu en sørgelig bekræftelse af, at især disse herrer og damer mangler den vilje og derved står i skarp kontrast til den grundidé, som Forma Nova igennem fem år har fremelsket. Stedet hvor electronica, post- og hardcore rock og eksperimenterende musik indfanges i et inspirerende øjeblik sammen med stærk visuel profil under både koncerterne og det evigt foranderlige campingområde med masser af streetart o.lign. Festivalens koncept med at lade sine bookede bands inviterede yderligere kunstnere til festivalen åbner for den uforudsigelighed, som musikken i bund og grund lever eller bør leve af.
Så til dem, der desværre blev hjemme af forskellige årsager… tillad mig at fortælle jer hvad I gik glip af.

Acampante

Luksus sammenlignet med Roskilde
Jeg ankom til min femte Forma Nova Festival efter et par dages tiltrængt afslapning ovenpå min trettende Roskilde Festival. Mudderet var vasket af og de foregående dages store økonomiske smæk fortrængt - nu var det tid til luksusfestivalen, der i alle fem år har endt med at overgå Roskilde.
For som de foregående år, så kender jeg måske - eller har hørt om - omkring 20 procent af kunstnerne, der spiller. Hvis så mange. En befriende fornemmelse. Forma Novas bookere har ikke skuffet de tidligere år og det gjorde de heller ikke i år. De har nysgerrigheden i behold og ingen fine fornemmelser. CV'et betyder mindre, når musikken får lov til at tale. I år var der også plads til de helt friske navne fra ind- og udland - blandet med nye danske håb og internationale hovednavne.

Turboweekend

De nye danske himmelstormere
En lille håndfuld danske bands, der ligger på et breaking point lige nu leverede fine koncerter. De farverige en-to-tre-fire-takter fra Turboweekend var der. Udlandet kan nu med 20 års forsinkelse få en smag af noget af den gamle danske lyd uden at skulle lære dansk for at forstår ordene "han laver voodoo om natten" (ja, undskyld, vokalen i nogle af numrene får mig til at tænke i de baner). Men med det sagt, så leverer Turboweekend selvfølgelig nye rytmer og et noget mere opskruet energiniveau.
Slaraffenlands imponerede den sidste aften med deres egen blanding af knapt-så-repetitiv postrock, mandskor, støj og skarpt skårede blæser-arrangementer. Et frugtbart genremix der bevægede sig fra småmelankolsk til jovial og drilsk - og tilbage igen.
Knap så nye i gårde, Lampshade, spillede også. Bandets frontkvinde spillede desuden en koncert mere som As In Rebekkamaria. Jeg har aldrig helt kunne tune mig ind på Lampshade og det skete heller ikke med det nye projekt, hvor den stod på overgearet discoqueen og melodier, der ikke helt ville sætte sig fast i øret. En opskruet popmusik i melankoli mode, der ikke harmonerede i min verden.
Noget bedre gik det for andre danske kunstnere som f.eks. Good Luck Casper, der holdt melodi, legesyge og dynamik intakt i en rar gang glitch-inficeret popmusik. Imagine I Had Hands er et af de nyere hardcore navne og fortjener ligeledes opmærksomhed. De kørte et hårdt sæt, men formåede samtidig at holde det spændende og ikke drukne i ren larm. Marvin's Revolt gjorde det også godt med lidt af de samme virkemidler. Made Of Buildings formåede at veksle mellem luftig og sparsom rockinstrumentering og støjklimaks.
Den efterhånden garvede elektroniske musiker Karsten Pflum piskede en dansable stemning op med sin laptop. I hans nuværende stil er al melodi næsten lagt på hylden til fordel for rytmerne. Energien og festen er i fokus i stedet.

Good Luck Casper

Tilbud fra broderlandet
Sverige har alle år været pænt repræsenteret på Forma Nova Festivalen. Og det i alle mulige genrer: hardcore rock, postrock, støjdrone, luftig akustisk ambient og gedigen "schwuensk indierock". I år krængede Eskju Divine de helt store følelser ud på en måde, der ikke lod noget tilbage. Mew, ja, selv Queen, kom i glimt frem på nethinden. Og det med sangeren siddende bag et piano kun akkompagneret af trommer og bas.
Duoen Sekvens fik ligeledes med meget mindre virkemidler såsom diktafoner med "field recordings", effektpedaler og små spøgelsessymfonier under det hele ramt de rigtige dele af følelsesregisteret.
Soloprojektet GOTO80 havde koblet laptoppen med gameboyen og fik stampet et lille micro-rave op ad jorden, hvor tankerne hurtigt fløj afsted til de digital slagmarker i forgangne tiders Nintendo- og C64-verdener.

Schneider TM

Fra den store verden
Trods sin størrelse formår Forma Nova altid at få spændende kunstner til festivalen langvejs fra. I år havde argentinske Acampante vist rejserekorden. Han blandede hoppende electronica med hip-hop på fin vis, men viste faktisk størst talent for sine visuelle evner, som han præsentere på scenens storskærm.
Tyskland leverede nogle af dette års hovednavne Schneider TM og Tarwater. Schneider TM viste på fornem vis de poppede sider af den ellers monotone tyske electronica. Catchy og umiskendeligt ja, tysk.
Franske Duracells akustiske trommesæt havde følere på, der registrerede slagene og derved satte de krøllede 8-bit computerspilsmelodier i gang fra laptoppen. En interessant måde at spille på. Det var højenergisk og han høstede også festivalens største spontane bifald. En kraftpræstation uden lige.
Amerikanske Thanksgiving - et af de andre hovednavne - var en af de få kunstnere på festivalen, der spillede den henkastede slacker-stil. Dog ikke som man kender det fra f.eks. Pavement. Det var svært at sætte sin finger på. Adrian Oranges vokal sprang fra skrøbelig til råb og det hele truede konstant med at vælte. Men det gjorde det ikke. Den skramlede spillestil kunne aldrig skjule de helt fremragende melodier.
I sammenligning virkede alle de danske bands, der kom før, pludselig "bare helt enormt hæmmede". Ikke nok med at der var en klasseforskel, så var det tydeligt at her var en kunstner, der turde lukke op for primal-instinkterne - uden at det betød, at han vil spille garagerock og spytte øl ud over publikum. Absolut en af festivalens bedste koncerter.

Duracell

Meget mere end en festival
Men som sagt: Forma Nova Festival er ikke en musikfestival, hvis man skal formulere det lidt drilsk. Den er et "mindset", hvorfra en masse ting udspringer. Det mest synlige produkt er lige nu en musikfestival, der som andre festivaler har sin helt egen, unikke "feeling". Men netop af en art, der er så meget mere interessant og inspirerende - og som rummer noget større og mere - end hvad man finder mange andre steder i landet. Den intimitet som Roskilde Festivalen så tydeligt mangler findes her i spandevis. Og samtidig får musikken følgeskab af en visuel side. Bottega Arréte stod i år igen bag de flotte projektioner, mens flere og flere bands faktisk også selv var leveringsdygtige i år.
De fleste af festivalens kunstnere har det med at blive alle dagene og man kan næsten kalde Forma Nova for en "konference", hvis man skal se en sekundær værdi i dens eksistens. Venskaber knyttes, netværk opstår og nye kunstneriske konstellationer fødes. Og som publikum kan man altid få en sludder med kunstnerne. Man fornemmer efterhånden en slags Forma Nova "community". Måske ikke så stor, men i hvert fald dedikeret. Jeg håber, at den ånd fortsætter mange år endnu. Det fortjener den.
Jeg ved med sikkerhed, at Forma Nova står på mit festivalprogram næste år. Roskilde er jeg efterhånden langt fra sikker på. Nu får vi se. Opfordringen til søge mod Fredericia i juli 2008 er i hvert fald hermed givet videre med de største anbefalinger.

Terassen ved Ungdommens Hus og campingområdet.

Se den fulde line-up og lyt til musikken på www.myspace.com/formanovafestival.

Video snapshots fra festivalen på YouTube.

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Written for Soundvenue.com, July 18, 2007, but only made public on this site in this version.
See other page for edited Soundvenue version.

copyright

Forma Nova 06: Lille, vågen og overraskende

Electronica, postrock, noise, skæv pop og alt der ligger imellem blev nok en gang perfekt jongleret på en af Danmarks mest spændende festivaler - der i år havde fået et skud MySpace på den gode måde.

Af Lars Kjær Dideriksen
Foto: Steffen Jørgensen (www.jint.dk)

Forma Nova 2006 var den fjerde af sin slags på fire år. Og for fjerde gang drog undertegnede mod Fredericia i ugen efter Roskilde Festival. Trætheden fra sidstnævnte var heller ikke denne gang en bekymring. Faktisk viste Forma Nova sig atter som et fysisk pusterum, hvor økonomien ikke blev belastet, og hvor de positive musikalske overraskelser overgik Roskilde med flere længder.

Kort sagt: hvis man nyder at dykke ud i det ukendte med fokus på overraskelsen og samtidig slår en hånlatter op over for stjernenykker, så er Forma Nova så absolut Danmarks suverænt bedste festival. Måske ligefrem en af Nordeuropas bedste. Til trods for dette faktum virker festivalen stadig som en af landets bedst bevarede hemmeligheder. Dog vokser den sig stadig ganske langsomt større - både med hensyn til besøgstal, antal bands og ambitioner.

Forma Novas musikalske profil er forholdsvis bred til trods for et afgrænset genreområde. Fokus er på electronica, postrock, noise, skæv pop og andre indslag, der ikke helt passer ind under disse. Og hver genre bliver rigt repræsenteret fra et væld af forskellige vinkler i løbet af festivalens tre dage. Kunstnerne kommer direkte fra soveværelset, hjemmecomputeren, øvelokalet eller det store pladeselskab.

Terassen, festivalens samlingspunkt

Det elektroniske
For eksempel kunne man opleve den blot 17-årige danske Po live-debutere med sin laptop og en samling flot komponerede electronicanumre på festivalens caféscene. Senere samme aften indtog profferne fra Warp Records den store scene i form af engelske Plaid, der som festivalens hovednavn leverede varen med stramme beats og deres umiskendelige plaid'ske melodier - akkompagneret af et farverigt videoshow.

Imellem de to yderpunkter, så at sige, fandt man engelske Cajitas electronica med sang og trompet, samt amerikanske Daedelus fra Ninja Tune-selskabet, der i hvid jakke med svalehaler serverede ultra-dansable cut-up beats fra sin hjemmelavede mono-me box koblet til sin laptop. Han blev den vanvittige modpol til Plaids stramme sæt. I en helt anden grøft lå det mere minimalistiske output fra svenske Tsukimono og spanske .Tape. (dot tape dot). Sidstenævnte spillede et helt igennem fornøjeligt set med projekterede snefnug faldende på en grøn baggrund til sine melodier bygget op af spansk (!) guitar, klokkespil og andre små lyde fra laptoppen.

Cajita

.Tape.

I den lidt mere bløde ende fandt man danske Aerosols toner og ikke mindst også festivalens andet hovednavn: tyske Ulrich Schnauss. Han havde et keyboard med foruden sin laptop, hvilket var rart at se. Og hans musik og videoshow var smukt, dejligt, nydeligt og pænt. Hvilket med et andet ord betyder: helt og aldeles ufarligt. Der var omtrent lige så meget nerve og kant, som man ville finde hos en fåret kloning af Enigma og Richard Clayderman. Dybest set en skuffelse. Dog var der klart begejstrede publikummer.

Noise-genren havde også indfundet sig igen i år. De københavnske koncertarrangører fra Klub Argot havde tre danske og tre amerikanske acts med i deres vilde showcase. Nogle kalder det musik, andre ikke. Men de af kunstnerne, der forstår at gøre det med sprælsk showmanship vinder publikum alligevel. Og det var der heldigvis flere, der kunne. Det var ikke småt med idéerne.

Svenske Alina leverede deres egen noise-performance med jack-stik-berøringer sendt igennem guitar-pedaler, mens de var iført hvide dragter, som var de kirurger, der dissikerede de skrappe lyde til hård og effektiv støjrytmik.

Plaid

Rocken
Rockmusikken på Forma Nova falder ofte over den den type 'postrock', som bands som Mogwai og Godspeed You Black Emperor præsterer. Det kan være lidt trættende i længden, da det kræver meget talent at skabe nok variation. Svenske Rickard Jäverling havde heller ikke meget variation, men tilførte genren et umiskendeligt nordisk præg ved bl.a. at bruge harmonika og samtidig smide en finsk folkesang ind i settet.

Rickard Jäverling

Irske The Redneck Manifesto er en svær størrelse at forklare. De er rimelig hardcore, men også funky. Og det er vel nok også en slags postrock, men der er mere variation end som så og desuden nogle rytmeskift, der får én til at tænke på noget jazzet. Men faktum er: de fyrede den max af og blev som årets sidste band på scenen leverandører af den perfekte 'grande finale'.

The Redneck Manifesto

Tyske The Green Apple Sea var dette års nok eneste eksponent for americana-genren, hvor der sidste år var lidt mere af den slags. Og ja, også et af de få bands, der rent faktisk sang sange. Kort sagt, så var vokalbaseret musik mere undtagelsen end reglen, men det giver så også mulighed for at stifte bekendtskab med en bred vifte af den nutidige instrumentalmusiks mange forskellige afskygninger. Men den klassiske sangskrivning var heldigvis ikke glemt. Københavnske Barra Head kom, så og ...svedte så det drev. Et stramt set hård mathrock uden svinkeærinder, som de vel nok næsten er kendt for at kunne levere. En fornøjelse.

De få ord
Som sagt, så havde den mere klassiske sangskrivning og musik med vokal trange kår på Forma Nova. Men når de få, der er til stede, kan kunsten, så stikker de også mere ud. Deriblandt engelsk-franske Jeremy Warmsley, der viste at bag det lidt nørdede ydre med grydehår, briller og seler gemte sig en eminent sangskriver med en flot stemme. Med kun et par ep'er og en spritny single bag sig, så ville det ikke overraske, hvis vi kommer til at høre mere til ham.

Jeremy Warmsley

Hans kompagnon på tangenterne, Tom Rogerson, der har rødder i jazzen, havde også sit soloshow. Og hvilket et! Warmsley var med på orgel, men resten af det almindelige band var blevet i England. De to var dog stødt på bandet Cajita tidligere på festivalen og fandt på at øve lidt sammen i bandlokalerne i Ungdommens Hus, hvor festivalen foregik. Og vupti var der en nyt improviserende liveband med klaver, orgel, lidt percussion og en laptop. Rogerson er eminent på klaver og sammen med de andre fik han pisket repeterende forløb igang, som han nedbrød undervejs i nærmest støjudladninger på tangenterne. En af de største positive overraskelser på festivalen i år for undertegnede.

Berlin-baserede italienske Marzipan Marzipan tog som Warmsley også udgangspunkt i reel sangskrivning, men fra en helt anden vinkel. Med en forkærlighed for country-musik og kitchpop kom der noget helt anderledes frem med hendes loop-pedal, gamle italienske guitar og sang-foredrag med rusten røst med italiensk accent.

Marzipan Marzipan

Endnu en god årgang Forma Nova
Der spillede op mod 40 bands og kunstnere på festivalen i år. Mange er nævnt. Der er kun plads til en mere i denne artikel. Svenske Viktor Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble, hvor jazzsamples på laptop fik liv gennem langsom guitar, dæmpet trompet og tyst vibrafon, hvis jeg husker korrekt. En spændende bekendtskab.

Viktor Sjöberg New Jazz Ensemble

I år bar festivalen mere end nogensinde præg af, hvordan musikerne var blevet samlet. Hjemmesiden MySpace er blevet en markant faktor i musikverdenen, og mange kontakter var også blevet knyttet netop her. Musikken selv har fået lov til at tale ved udvælgelsen. Ikke om man har pladekontrakt eller ti års liveerfaring. Debutanten Po blev fundet på MySpace og han inviterede så spanske .Tape., fordi han synes, han lød spændende. Og så fremdeles...

Arrangørerne bag Forma Nova er åbenlyst nysgerrige og tør tage chancer. Det viser de også ved Forma Novas grundlæggende koncept med at invitere halvdelen af kunstnerne og så bede dem om at foreslå endnu et navn hver. Det kan resultere i kunstnere, som arrangørerne ikke ville have tænkt på og helt nye konstellationer og kollaborationer på selve festivalen. Det betyder også, at en stor del af publikum på festivalen er kunstnerne selv, som bliver alle tre dage for at suge til sig og skabe netværk. Så med lidt god vilje kunne man sige, at selv om Forma Nova er en festival, så virker den lige så meget som en konference. Men det er langt fra en lukket fest. Alle er jo inviterede. Og man kan gå direkte til samtlige musikere og få sig en hyggelig snak om alt mellem himmel og jord. Eller et spil bordfodbold ude på husets terasse.

Forma Nova var kort sagt for fjerde år i træk en kæmpe fornøjelse med flere dejlige overraskelser, end der var at finde hos storebror Roskilde ugen før. Bevares, det er en helt anden festivaloplevelse, selvfølgelig. Men så sandelig ikke én, man bør snyde sig selv for, bare fordi man lige er kommet hjem med rygsækken et par dage før.

Eksterne links
www.formanovafestival.com

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Soundvenue.com, June 13, 2006

copyright

Forma Nova 2004 – en oase med den tiltrængte modgift

Af Lars Kjær Dideriksen
Billeder af Steffen "Jint" Jørgensen

Er du træt af festivaler med mudder, uindfriede forventninger og lugten af pis? Træt af at gå rabundus bare fordi du er en hund efter livemusik? Og synes du som jeg også, at Roskilde Festival indholdsmæssigt efterhånden ligger på den lade side? Så må modgiften være Forma Nova-festivalen.
Den 8. til 10. juli var der for anden gang en gedigen bunke fremragende, musikalsk overraskende oplevelser i Ungdommens Hus og Det Bruunske Pakhus i Fredericia. Den rene og skære græsrodsentusiasme samt festivalens rent praktiske fordele har gjort, at jeg har forelsket mig i denne lille oase. Bare lige så vi har det på det rene.

Musikken i fokus
Forma Nova startede i 2003 og har begge eksisterende år solgt sig selv som en festival for ”avantgarde, electronica og postmoderne musik og lyd.” ’Solgt’ er måske så meget sagt, fordi festivalen lever en stille tilværelse, da de fleste kræfter ser ud til at blive brugt på at booke obskure folk fra nær og fjern end egentligt at markedsføre eventen. Og det er en skam. Jeg kan sige ligeud, at begge festivaler indtil videre har været en udsøgt fornøjelse ud over det sædvanlige.

Min ønskefestival er en, der, i hvert fald for en del af programmets vedkommende, kan levere noget af det, som jeg ikke kan høre i radio og se på tv. De ukendte musikere, der præsenteres, skal så også gerne besidde en vis kvalitet og/eller musikalsk nysgerrighed. Det formåede Forma Nova at levere.

Ud i det ukendte
Forma Nova har den fordel, at de færreste navne i programmet får en klokke til at ringe. Resultatet, ud fra line-up’en, er, at man ingen forventninger har. Sidste års Forma Nova satte dog som helhed forventningerne i vejret. De blev indfriet i år.

Hvem er det så, der spiller? Genremæssigt ligger vi spredt ud i spektret mellem elektronisk musik og ’postrock’ – med skæve, poppede indslag tilsat som krydderi.
Samtidigt er Forma Nova også sideprojekternes og de usungne samarbejdspartneres holdeplads. Efter skimmingen af programmet er det tid til nærlæsningen. Og der dukker referencerne så op.
Amerikaneren Daniel Givens har arbejdet med Tricky og Tortoise. Scanner, Forma Novas hovednavn, har boltret sig med Björk, Bryan Ferry og The Orb. Lasse Marhaug har Kevin Drumm, Merzbow og Mats Gustafsson på sin liste, mens stryger-pigerne i Amina har Sigur Rós. Paddington DC er en udløber af de svensk indie-veteraner The Bear Quartet, mens Kpt. Michi.Gan er en del af line-up’en, når tyske SchneiderTM spiller live. Slopes Jørgen Teller har mænget sig med navne som Sonic Youth og David Thomas fra Pere Ubu. Hos Nogales står Stereolab bl.a. nævnt. Selvfølgelig kan mange af disse referencer være både mere eller mindre perifære, men så har man som publikum noget at hænge kunstnerne op på – uden dog at vide hvad der venter.

Konceptet virkede
Forma Novas fikse koncept gør også, at der selv for arrangørerne opstår en grad af uforudsigelighed. Halvdelen af de fornødne bands inviteres, og de bliver så bedt om at invitere endnu et navn med.
Sidste år resulterede det i nogle skæve kombinationer. De århusianske støjpoppere Strumm inviterede de blippende bysbørn Jab Mica Och El – og en fortrinlig dobbeltkoncert var født. Invitationerne i år var meget mere homogene inden for de respektive genrer. Noisehovederne i Slope inviterede noise-dittoen Lasse Marhaug. De højtsvævende drømmere i københavnske Efterklang inviterede Sigur Rós’ strygergruppe Amina. I sidstnævnte tilfælde skabte det dog samarbejdsmuligheder på scenen, og derfor var de homogene invitationer ikke uheldige, men en gevinst der resulterede i unikke koncerter.Daniel Givens inviterede den engelske cellist Semay Wu til at tilføre hans rislende dub-beats og knudrede breaks nogle mere levende avantgardistiske træk foran det blomstrende farvespil på koncertens videolærred.

International festival trods størrelsen
Alt i alt var festivalen også blomstrende rent geografisk, når man ser, hvorfra kunstnerne kommer. Kort sagt: England, USA, New Zealand, Island, Norge, Sverige, Tyskland og selvfølgelig Danmark. Der var i øvrigt mærkbart flere danske bands i år, hvilket var rart. Måske var det en af faktorerne, der var medvirkende til, at festivalen havde flere besøgende i år? Det lader til, at Forma Nova langsomt skal vokse – og det håber jeg, den gør.

Det er nok de færreste steder her til lands, at du – under samme tag eller i det hele taget – kan opleve det, som Forma Nova kan levere. Her bliver kunstnerne hele festivalen og er en del af publikum. Det hele er dejligt nede på jorden.
De lidt Mogwai-inspirerede svenskere i September Malevolence spillede en af festivalens første koncerter og endte også med at spille den sidste – annonceret på festivalens sidste dag. De havde tilbragt en masse timer i et af øvelokalerne i Ungdommens Hus og havde brygget nye toner sammen. Derfor fik publikum et helt nyt sæt som afslutning. Forma Nova har plads til, at programmet skrider lidt, og at nye ting opstår.
Som da DJ Noianiz som sidste act en aften midt i sit øredøvende trademark gabba drum’n’bass-set råbte til arrangørerne: ”I bliver nødt til at sige, jeg skal stoppe. Ellers bliver jeg ved!” Da havde han spillet i to en halv time – hvor den første time havde været en fornem opvisning i, hvordan man mixer old school electro-akustisk musik sammen med tibetanske chants, vokal-avantgarde og gamle horror-soundtracks. Hele tiden to lag lyd fra sød, knitrende vinyl. En eminent udført cocktail.
Århusianske NAND debuterede live med fløjlsbløde melodier i short circuit fuck-up noiset breakcore. Paddington DC støvede de gamle trommemaskiner og Casio-keyboards af i en strøm kluntet pop, mens Dialog Cet sparkede mås i en bebrillet kloning af The Hives og Pavement. Audrey krydsede Low, Scout Niblett og Cat Power med en knivspids Björk-accent. Lasse Marhaug kreerede en støjmur, der gik i kroppen på formentligt samme måde som et maskinrum på en gammel Storebæltsfærge ville gøre det, hvis man lå på gulvet i det. Tyske Plokk spillede instrumentalrock med et snert af freejazz så kompetent, at man blev helt forpustet.

Musikken er ikke det hele
En festival er dog ikke kun musik. Beliggenhed og faciliteter bidrager også til den samlede oplevelse. Forma Nova-spillestedernes størrelse og opbygning gør, at man selv kan bestemme, om man vil have den intime koncert helt tæt på eller stå bagerst og nyde den. Begge spillesteder ligger lige i midten af Fredericia, hvor der er let adgang til almindelige butikker. Her kan mad jo kan købes for billige penge (dog ville jeg give min højre arm for opskriften på den vegetariske ret, som caféen i Ungdommens Hus serverede på sidstedagen, ’A Bloody Sunrize Over the Cheasy Shanghai Bay Area’), og lige ved Ungdommens Hus ligger græsplænen, der gør det ud for teltpladsen. Alt er inden for rækkevidde. Og med en tre-dages billet til bare 180 kroner, kan man mæske sig i gode musikoplevelser uden at blive flået. Desuden startede musikprogrammet hver dag kl. 18, så der var tid nok til at nyde solen på havnen eller stranden – eller tage turen til byens svømmehal med vandland.

Så hey, indrøm det. Hvis du kan lide bare lidt af disse musikgenrer eller elsker overraskelsesmomentet, så har du ingen undskyldning for at blive væk næste år.

www.formanovafestival.com

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Undertoner, 2004

copyright

Forma Nova Festival 2003

Europamusikanten performed their electronic music to the mesmerizing visuals projected by Photon.

Supertanker takes a look back on one of 2003's most interesting Danish music events: the very first Forma Nova festival. A very small, but quite artistically ambitious affair devoted to bringing good underground acts from abroad to Denmark. It was a mix of very diverse musical styles - and pretty much without a single dull moment.

Text by Lars Kjær Dideriksen
Photos by Lars Kjær Dideriksen & Casper Kjær Sørensen*

- Please drop by and bring a friend.
It sounded like an invitation to a party. And it almost was - if it wasn't for the fact that it was actually a music festival for little known "indie" artists. The organizers of the very first Forma Nova 03 festival asked the bands they hired to invite another band of their own choice to perform as well. A formula that proved to be a brilliant idea. The organizers only had to seek out half their artists and they also got some exciting performers they hadn't thought of.
The somewhat obscure nature of the acts at the festival might have been the reason for the festival's small attendance. But it was also in the middle of the exams season for most young people in Denmark and also a festival situated in the town Fredericia - a traffical junction in Denmark, but maybe not as often visited for its cultural offerings.
Little attendance or not - the very first Forma Nova 03 festival proved to be a most rewarding festival experience for picky listeners wanting their ears challenged.

Bernadette La Hengst from Germany delivered a perfect feel-good start to the festival.

Berg Sans Nipple.

DAY ONE
The festival had a few events that were open to the general public. That included the opening gig at a nearby grassy field. Some locals and the few festival folk showed up for Danish band The Seven Mile Journey's show. The stage was rather small and the grass area seemed quite large all of a sudden. The upcoming Danish act played some dreamy, instrumental rock - somewhat inspired by Canadian band Godspeed You Black Emperor, one could say. Although, maybe a little tighter rhythmically.
Next artist on the little stage was German singer Bernadette La Hengst. Not minding the small crowd she rocked like a thousand people were there. Juggling a drum machine, a mini-keyboard and a Korg synth while playing guitar and singing she delivered a perfect up-beat electronic pop gig to shoot off the festival. Her sheer entusiasm for giving all the songs everything was enough to win me over immediately. And apparently also quite a bit of the audience - who later walked on humming and singing snippets from her catchy and in-your-face and slightly political pop songs.
With a big smile I ran for the city centre to catch the next show at Det Bruunske Pakhus - a nice venue with a cozy, old interior with wooden post. Entering the door my smile got bigger. French/American duo Berg Sans Nipple was on stage. And I sure liked what I heard.
My first thought was: "Where is all the sound coming from? They are only two guys on stage." They used samplers! Recording loops from they many instruments live right then and there. And it worked nicely. Vintage organs, glockenspiel, drum kit, electronic drum pads, a miniature steel drum and what sounded like grinding radio static noise mingled with each other and resulted in lovely tunes - both repetitive, but at the same time everchanging and bubbling. The festival programme called it a "sensitive soundspace placed awkwardly somewhere between jazz and the more fiddling kind of organic electronica". A quite good take on an explanation of their sound.
I was ecstastic. It was my second great new musical discovery in just a few hours. And I hadn't even finished the first day of the festival yet. After the show I promptly got my hands on their two cds.
A last minute addition to the festival was American band 90 Day Men. I didn't quite know what to make of them. I had only heard one of their songs before the gig - which I loved - but this was a mess. And that can be good from time to time. It felt like being in an intimate jazz club, but the sound was more like punk rock - and still not quite. Because some "math rock" elements were in there too.
I didn't have a superb live experience there, but I was strangely intrigued by them. And that's really all they had to do then and there for me to want to check them out later. Mission accomplished - more or less.
Germans Helgoland played at repetivitive rhythmic jazz thing - with a massive bass saxophone of some kind. They were followed by Norwegian laptop-twiddlers Alog, who brought some soundcollages both mellow and noisy to Ungdommens Hus.
The last act of the first day was Epeu. They were invited to the festival by Norwegian band Epikurs Euforie - which was in fact....themselves! In retrospect the name kind of gave it away. Clever bastards.
They went on stage at Det Bruunske Pakhus. Rumoured to be recovering from a massive hangover they produced a seemingly unrehearsed racket of random noise on guitar, pedals and soon-to-short-circuit electronic equipment. I snuck out of the room not wanting to get myself a music-induced hangover and getting all my good memories of the day erased completely by some eeevil Norwegian lo-fi curse. So I went back to the camp.

Alog - in case you hadn't guessed it yet.

Formerly Atari Teenage Riot'er Hanin Elias from Germany.

DAY TWO
The second day of Forma Nova 03 kicked off with double pack of hard Swedish rocking. The Price of Ink and Switchblade let out the beast with two sets of hardcore rock with lots of guitars.
Following the festivals fine mix of hardcore rock, electronics and so-called "post-rock" Polish band Columbus Ensemble set up their electric guitar and drum kit in Det Bruunske Pakhus and delivered some fine and simplistic tunes from those instruments.
The biggest event of the day was yet another public one for all to see. Fredericias old grassy rampart with its tower was the backdrop for the outdoor show by the Europamusikanten - which in spite of the German-sounding name was actually a group of individual electronica artists from Denmark jamming away on their gadgetry. Jonas Olesen, Karsten Pflum, Flextone and Prins Esso (a.k.a. Bjørn Svin) got visual help from Photon - a creative light design crew from Copenhagen. With colourful fluids in their light projectors they created mesmerizing and ever-changing organic figures on the earthwork's tower. Perfect for the experimental electronic soundscapes from the Europamusikanten who mixed ambient collages with some of Bjørn Svin's trademark wacky electro.
After a very long soundcheck at Ungdommens Hus German ex-Atari Teenage Riot'er Hanin Elias went onstage with all the attitude she could muster. The over the top bitchyness got an extra notch because of sound problems. Luckily she began concentrating more on her music after a while.
Back at Det Bruunske Pakhus Emiter started their show. Yet another Polish act - this time emitting some minimalistic tunes from their host of different machines. A laid back session which was a welcome break after Hanin Elias. No pretentiousness this time around.
Following her at Ungdommens was Captain Space Sex. Also from Germany. And in all it's simplicity: a man in a dress with a guitar, a drum machine and a sequencer. After a song or two I asked myself why I was hanging around there - and promptly left. It had sounded a bit interesting on record, but this live show was terrible.
A jam session with the Europamusikanten had been arranged pretty spur of the moment in Det Bruunske Pakhus. A table was set up in the middle of the room - in front of the stage. Small lights in the ceiling illuminated the four musicians and their laptops, mixers and synths. The rest of the room was dark. It felt like being at a medieval ceremony, but the music was pointing another way. Very much a product of "now" - with its collages of samples and floating synthetic structures. A nice and warm feeling had settled nicely in my mind as I left and walked back to the camp at Ungdommens Hus.

Giardini Di Mirò. *

Strumm.

DAY THREE
Several of the bands had been hanging around the festival from the start. Mainly because they were performing more than once. Saturday started off very appropriately with a nice "weekend feeling". German Mense Reents went on stage at Det Bruunske Pakhus early in the afternoon. A session featuring different musicians from the collective of Hamburg-based performers - among them Bernadette La Hengst.
The trio on stage clearly felt it was time for dose of comic relief. While performing on their slightly and lightly clumsy electropop they were beating each on the head with empty 1.5 liter plastic Coke bottles. And ending up acting like complaining parents with a little crying child. The mood of the show was just plain silly - and the crowd seemed to enjoy the wackyness. Myself included.
One of the few Danish acts, Angels Drawn Backwards, was up next. One guy, Søren Friis, with his guitar and a lot of sound on tape. The only thing he did live was playing the guitar with a bow veeery slowly - a bit like Icelandic band Sígur Rós - but without ever reaching anything nearly as good. He was obviously striving to reach melancholic peaks of utter beauty, but instead it was actually just pretty boring. Playback usually is.
Time for some action to wake up the audience. Back at Ungdommens Hus jazzy Germans Helgoland did another show - before Sweden's Soviac went on stage. The volume got turned up to 11 and the band - with their rather fragile-looking front chick Kate - punched out a string of songs suggesting that they were not unaware of the existence of bands such as Shellac. A nice gig.
One of the festival's headliners was to performing as the last band at Det Bruunske Pakhus. That was Italians Giardini De Miro. I had only heard a few songs with the band before the show and I liked what I heard. But for some reason I was left somewhat indifferent after the show. Maybe it was because the buzz around them had been gathering strength these three days. Everyone was psyched. I seemed to have rubbed off on me.
Many in the audience were ecstatic after show, but I just failed to see the point. I had expected a little more originality. But apparently I was looking in the wrong places. Maybe next time - after I pick up a few cds or something.
The rest of the festival's shows was a Ungdommens Hus. Two Danish groups from the city of Aarhus were next. First the electronic act Jab Mica Och El was up. Two laptops bleeping out quirky beats with sampled guitar and banjo - all mixed with live playing on recorder flute, xylophone, French horn and clarinet. Falling in and out of harmonies. With a certain kind naiveté that reminded me of theme song for children's tv shows. But in this case it had to be a rather odd and disturbing show that might be cancelled - not to warp the kids' fragile little minds.
Strumm went on stage while Jab Mica Och El was still playing. And somehow the two bands blended their individual sounds together and made a fluid transition - from micro electronics to noise pop with feedbacking guitars. The two very different bands suddenly fit together nicely. Complemeting each other perfectly.
After Strumm's intense set of catchy "Sonic Youthy" riffs it struck me that the reason why these two different bands fit together was because of that sense of naivité. Strumm had some memorable hooks and quite simplistic drumming. That simplicity was their strength. And it just clicked then and there.
The finale of the festival was Epikurs Euforie's "Kong Knud Show". With video projections featuring one of the band members as a cigaret-smoking Norwegian King Knud sailing off in a rubber dinghy to conquer Denmark and teach us Danes how to party. After what felt like a very long video the band started playing. And then thoughts of "weird for weirdness sake" snuck up on me. All in all a it was a more odd than good experience for my brain after three days of music. So I left before they finished.

Forma Nova 03 presented a diverse mixture of bands. Some were really good, some were somewhat interesting and some were not to my tastes at all. But most of the bands grabbed my attention in one way or the other. I had to take a stand each time - and either like or dislike what I was presented. Very few fell in-between. Forcing the listener and viewer to think and take a stand is was good art does.
The music of the festival shone through despite the little attendance. I just hope that next time the organizers will put some more well-known "indie" artists on the poster and thereby get some attention, so more people can be lured into that ever-evolving and exciting underbelly of contemporary independent music.
I sure hope I will be going again next year.

90 Day Men.

The quite small camp at Ungdommens Hus.

Norwegians Epikurs Euforie's "Kong Knud Show". *

Europamusikanten - Lounge Session.

Jab Mica Och El.

Europamusikanten.

Yes, Ungdommens Hus is an old train station. It seems
the former residents forgot a bit when they left.

Europamusikanten - the "medieval" lounge session.

View from the camp towards Ungdommens Hus - a former
train station now a venue and youth centre.

Visit the festival site at www.formanovafestival.com.

Go here to check out the festival's own pictures from the shows.

The venues:
Det Bruunske Pakhus
Ungdommens Hus

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Supertanker, October 12, 2003

copyright

Elektronisk Jazzjuice, 19.-21.07.07, Århus

I en årrække har den elektroniske musik haft et frirum på Århus' jazzfestival. Den rene elektroniske musik virkede i år lidt gammeldags sammenlignet med de musikere, der vristede sig fri af laptoppen og hoppede ud i nye hybrider.

Af Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Ordet ”jazz” har alle år ikke været ret dækkende for Elektronisk Jazzjuice-festivalen, hvis man skal sige det pænt. Og gudskelov for det. Efterhånden kan man dog også sige, at ”elektronisk” heller ikke er helt dækkende. Århus’ internationale jazzfestivals lille bastardunge har med årene suget til sig af stilarter og er blevet en gaveæske til det åbne sind. Måske er det netop ”juicen”, der får det hele til at hænge sammen?

Fra let til tung
Jazzjuice har plads til de nye, unge musikere, der måske ikke har opfundet den dybe tallerken endnu, men viser gode takter. Det skal der også være plads til. På den måde spænder Jazzjuice også bredt den vej. For der er også nogle tunge drenge på scenen. I år bl.a. det 83-årige hovednavn Marshal Allen fra The Sun Ra Arkestra. Det var jazzsyre for alle pengene.
Det ene øjeblik på legetøjskeyboard, så man tænkte ”come on, tager du pis på mig?” til det næste, hvor saxofonen fik på, ja, alle tangenter på en måde, der ikke efterlod nogen tvivl om, at han var en heavyweight.
Et andet af festivalens største navne var Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit, der på bedste tyske vis viste de gode sider af mødet mellem repetitiv analog elektronik og percussion, der umiddelbart virkede forbavsende simpel, men var hamrende effektiv. Den del stod den tidligere Can-trommeslager Liebezeit for.

Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit - jint.dk

Danske sværvægtere
Danmark kunne også være med. Tre bands fra Yoyooyoy-musikerkollektivet viste, at jazzen kan møde rocken på fornemste vis og være både blid og flyvsk, men også bøllet og møgbeskidt. Dette formåede Slütspürt, Kirsten Ketsjer og Yoke & Yohs at slå en tyk streg under med
deres triple tour de force på Gyngen over Musikcaféen. De tre bands deler medlemmer på kryds og tværs, så et symbiotisk set i ét flow virkede naturligt. Først tågehorns-tung støj fra guitar og saxofon, dernæst den fragmentariske feel good Kirsten-pop med spidse kanter og så den proklamerede ”bøllerock” med kun trommer og barytonsaxofon sendt igennem diverse kradse effektpedaler.
Til allersidst kom alle mand – og én dame – på scenen til et klimaks, der ikke lod det tungeste rockband noget tilbage. Nej, dette var faktisk meget federe. Fra start til slut en spændende ”symfoni”, der talte både til hovedet og gik lige i mellemgulvet. Umf! Et befriende ”fuck you” til den etablerede jazzverden – især repræsenteret på jazzfestivaler – der ikke rigtigt kan producere noget, der virkelig deler vandene. Noget der løfter øjenbryn, som f.eks. Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew må have gjort i 1969.

Fri af laptoppen
Efter den yoyo-levering virkede meget af den elektroniske musik på festivalen noget tam. En del elektronisk musik lyder efterhånden til at stå lige så meget i stampe som store dele af den etablerede jazz. Det virkede engang, som om jazzen var ved at bliver overhalet af den elektroniske musik på Jazzjuice, men lige nu ligger de vist på siden af hinanden og lurepasser lidt. De bevæger sig ikke meget fremad i disse dage. Især de danske musikere virker meget bundet til deres laptops og afskærer derved sig selv fra en masse muligheder, idet netop denne vidundermaskine virker lige så begrænsende som alt andet. Det er hjernen, der skal sætte den fri. Men i stedet er det vist gået omvendt.
Det var hos de udenlandske acts, at man kunne prøve at tune sig ind på en mere interessant udvikling. Engelske Xela benyttede sig udelukkende af loop- og effektpedaler og en tonegenerator. Selv om det ikke holdt helt i længden (man kan også få for meget loopet falsetsang) var der meget mere på spil. Det skete helt i nuet. Og selv om Xela ikke helt fløj til tops, så vil jeg her anbefale hans album The Dead Sea på det varmeste. Her bevæger han sig væk fra den melodiske klikke-ti-klik-electronica fra tidligere udgivelser og får tryllet noget meget mere organisk frem, der stadig fungerer som en type kunstig konstruktion.
Amerikanske Food For Animals var et hip-hop act, der havde al musikken med på laptop. I modsætning til deres fleste genre-kolleger kørte de en vildt glitchet beat-stil og formåede uden nogle ”hey ho”-råbe-med-klichéer at få publikum med. Dejligt befriende. Det var ganske enkelt en fed koncert.

Xela - jint.dk

Dubbagabbaraggawhatta?
Resten af Jazzjuice bestod – foruden harmonisk hygge-electronica (oh, new age har fået beats at gå på!) – af lige dele gabba-techno med glimt af electro-clash, drum’n’bass med Autechre-tendenser og the flavours of the moment: dubstep og dancehall/reggae.
Hvis man er nørdet nok, kan man sikkert begejstres over udviklingen, men træder man et skridt tilbage og ser det store billede, går det altså langsomt. Det er lidt, som om vi her har en del af den samlede masse, som vi kalder musik, der (også) kunne trænge til et los i røven. Lidt mere nysgerrighed, lidt mere ud på dybt vand. Det ville være rart at opleve.
Engelske Boxcutter fra pladeselskabet Planet Mu ankom med, hvad der må være det nyeste inden for dubsteppen og det, der ligner. Laptoppen fik følgeskab af en bas. Fint. Men efter en god start var det hurtigt tydeligt, at resten kom til at køre i samme rille, og det blev ikke nogen stor oplevelse. Så udlandet kunne altså også skuffe.
Det virker, som om den elektroniske musik bare ikke VIL være en holdsport. Der er kun to hænder pr. act. Med en bas og laptop kommer det til at se bøvlet ud, og musikken lider også derunder. Er det ikke på tide at kombinere alt det ”head” med lidt ”heart”? Bevares, at programmere sagerne er en del af hele den elektroniske musiks statement og stil. Men nu kunne det være rart at komme videre. Stik hovederne sammen, folkens. Sundt og spændende. Eller prøv at give laptoppen en pause. Det virker heldigvis, som om flere og flere i udlandet prøver den vej. Og går alt som det plejer, er Danmark med på trenden om to til fire år.
Lyder ovenstående så, som om Jazzjuice var en dårlig oplevelse? Det er faktisk ikke hensigten. Jeg tager altid hatten af for ildsjæle, der stabler denne slags på benene og sørger for at dele deres entusiasme med resten af verden, så vi andre kan få del i en masse spændende kunstneriske oplevelser. Men hvis vi skal se på hvem der virkelig tør noget, så var det i år faktisk jazzen, der tog stikket hjem.

Snöleoparden - jint.dk

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Undertoner.dk, July 30, 2007.

copyright

Elektronisk Jazzjuice 2006

Fra torsdag den 20. juli til lørdag den 22. juli flød der for fjerde år i træk Elektronisk Jazzjuice gennem Århus. Musikcafeen, Gyngen og Fabriken bød på et elektronisk orienteret alternativ til Jazz Festivalens mere traditionelle program. Vi samlede indtryk.

Af Lars Kjær Dideriksen
Foto: Steffen Jørgensen (www.jint.dk)

Den bredeste definition af jazz i kongeriget Danmark finder man nok på den årligt tilbagevendende bastard Elektronisk Jazzjuice. Den uægte søn af Århus' Internationale Jazzfestival. En drilsk lillebror, der med lidt god vilje måske kunne siges at være mere jazz end resten af festivalen. Hvis man vel at mærke definerer jazz som et fristed, hvor alt kan ske, og der ingen regler er.

Sveddryppende session med New York-bandet Battles.

Kunstnere fra næsten alle verdenshjørner var indbudt. Daedelus fra USA entrerede i noget nær overtjeneroutfit og serverede delikat og dansabel galmandsbossa på Musikcaféen. Überkompetente Battles vendte op og ned på Fabriken med deres mathrock i tropetemperatur, og der måtte ekstra håndklæder til sveden under trommeslageren, så den lille sø ikke kom for tæt på guitarpedalerne.

Træskodans i høje hæle under A Hawk And A Hacksaw.

Ligeledes amerikanske A Hawk And A Hacksaw fra New Mexico begejstrede et måbende publikum som overud talentfuld duo med folkemusik af bl.a. slavisk herkomst på repertoiret. Det var med violin og samtidig én-persons harmonika- og percussionspil, der krævede en trommestik i hatten og en ditto tapet til knæet.

Baggården ved Musikcaféen var vanen tro dekoreret med street-art og et yndet
opholdssted mellem koncerterne.

Vinden fik godt fat i det store sejl, der var omdrejningspunkt for dekorationerne.
Band Ane, den århusianske laptop-darling.

Nathan Michel fra Goodiepals lille Skipp label behagede med sin minimalistiske og skæve pop på guitar, keyboard, mac og blød stemme det meget lydhøre og sikkert også kræsne publikum. Otto Von Schirach - trods navnet fra USA - viste, hvorfor han bliver udgivet på Mike Pattons Ipecac-label. Med en snert af labelbossens dæmoniske showmanship fik han vævet sit eget sære væsen ind i industriel drum'n'bass gabba. Dog uden at nå samme højder som Patton. Der skal meget til.

Excentriske A Hawk And A Hacksaw med en rytmisk pind i øret, samt Konrad Korabiewski med Nils Åkesson på barbermaskine og guitar.

Danske Wäldchengarten havde fået de bærbare computere med i dagens anledning, dog stadig sendt igennem diverse effektpedaler. Smuk symfonisk støj i et massivt lag på lag murværk, der med modhager piercede sig ind i kroppen og rev op i de emotionelle reflekser.

Et fortryllende set fra japanske Sora, der hev jazzen ind i sit legesyge 8-bit-land.

Laptop-musikeren Sora havde i overført forstand taget de blidt faldende kirsbærblomster med fra Japan. Digitaliseret hvirvlede de knitrende ud over et tryllebundet siddende publikum. Varm legesyge. Her var der klare jazzelementer i cocktailen, der alligevel ofte tog sig ud som 8-bit gameboy-bossa. Lost in translation? Nej, den nænsomme nintendo gik klokkeklart igennem.

Plads til fordybelse under koncerten med japanske Sora.

DJ Olivinyl på Fabriken, og Rumpistol der lægger alle kræfter i et medrivende set på Musikcaféen.

Jazzjuice rundede af med rytmik én masse fra Karsten Pflum, der havde lade sine ellers fine melodier blive hjemme og sprang ud af skabet som rendyrket beat-fetichist. Soundmurderer fra USA og Århus-hjemmedrengen Puzzleweasel rundede festen af.
And that's only half of it...

Karsten Pflum var med til at runde festivalen af med gedigen portion beatmania.

Den varme stemning smittede af på publikum helt ud i krogene af Fabriken, hvor de dog ikke kunne skjule sig for de livlige lysprojektioner.

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Soundvenue.com, July 23, 2006

copyright

Festival Flashback: RECession/EMMA Festival
(2005)

RECession returned on a smaller scale than previous years, but still proved an enjoyable event.

Words: Lars Kjær Dideriksen
Photos: Lars Kjær Dideriksen and Steffen Jørgensen* (www.jint.dk)

Grayskull.

No, it wasn't like in the old days. That is, the previous couple of years. The RECession Festival has scaled down ever since it started. Undoubtedly a question of economy. But that fact aside this years fusioned RECession/EMMA festival was quite enjoyable. A few acts felt a little too amateurish, but the high points was well worth the ticket on a festival troubled by cancellations.
The three-day festival was divided into three fairly distinct genres each day: alternative rock, electronica and hip-hop.
The first day saw the return of much-hailed and reformed noise-rockers 18th Dye. Older yes, but in good form indeed. Building up and tearing down like other bands try do, but rarely succeed. 18th Dye did. Jomi Massage with Luke Sutherland onboard equally rocked the probably-too-big Ridehuset venue. Now also with piano which worked really well.
Mikael Simpson surprised the audience with doing a purely eletronic solo gig. Not to everyone’s taste apparently. But interesting to see the other sides of his music. It never really got that exciting, though.
Danish electronica's "grand old men" System also took part this year. As always the quality is there, but by now we also know what we're gonna get, so no, didn't really reach out an grab hold of anything. Then again...they're probably not trying that anyway, but instead tinkering within their heads and laptops with what now sounds a bit like outdated minimalism. Good quality or not.
Austria's Pita provided ear-splitting noise in that particular electronic short circiut sound that feels like someone jabbing a spear through your head. Nah, I'd rather give Wäldchengarten a listen if I have to listen to noise.
Also from Austria, Fennesz, combined chimey guitar chords with his laptoppings. Trying to pinpoint some distant and pleasant dream – about 80s movie soundtracks with Tom Cruise swooping down in a jetplane in slowmotion. Laptop Gun?
A much needed energetic outburst came from Team Shadetek presents Heavy Meckle. First off their "grime" had to fight its way out of what seemed like backstage clouds of hashish, but then it all ended in much jumping and in-your-face antics.
RECession unfortunately had major cancellation problems this year. Headliner hip-hop act Cannibal Ox had to cancel. Rumours circulated that acts such as Will Oldham and Autechre had been on the bill, but had cancelled before the final program had been made public. Oh, yes, had those three acts been there RECession would indeed have had a true winner on their hands. But all their problems considered they pulled through. And they owe a fair bit to Def Jux label boss El-P for that one. Although it seems his long soundcheck (and the delayed program in general) might have been the reason that Duran Duran Duran didn't perform at all like planned. What a shame.
The day of hip-hop had Seattle newcomers Grayskul proving that they would easily be an act to keep an eye on from now one. Afterwards no other than El-P filled in for Cannibal Ox on very short notice. He ripped through an amazing set alongside his latests label signing Cage only at the very end of it to be cut short by a power outage (the third in three days). He didn't deserve that, but to his credit he just battled on. Rapping without any amplification. He was a fucking trooper. Many others would have just said "well, then fuck it". He didn't. And much respect to him for that. He dotted the 'i' at RECession this year... just before all the goa raver kids arrived for the three finishing djs late Saturday. Everyone who had been there for all the other music seemed to think "where the hell are these people hiding in the daytime? Hm, nevermind, let’s get the fuck out of here before they break out their glowsticks!"
Yeah, there's a Danish saying (maybe it's international?): what you lose on the swings, you earn back on the carousels. Considering how many people waiting to get in at the doors when the festival was almost over one would think there would be chances that there's a few bucks for another festival next year. Let's hope so.

Among the other performers were also:
Richard Devine
Tim Exile
Acustic
Filewile
Seducers
Darrell Slim & the K-Hooch
Rumpistol
Fifty Foot Spiders
DJ Leptit
Naked Tourist
Parasence

RECession/EMMA Festival, November 3+4+5, 2005.

RECession Festival website

18th Dye.*

The Ridehuset all made up for the one-month-long Kulturama events - among them the RECession/EMMA Festival.*

Fennesz.

Mikael Simpson.*

Tim Exile.

Jomi Massage.

El-P and Cage.

Pita playing and people in the bar.

Cage.

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Supertanker, November 22, 2005

copyright

RECession Festival 2003

The decorations in Turbinehallen
Photo: Jakob Skøtt, www.limp.dk

There was plenty of marvellous musical experiences at the very first RECession Festival - Northern Europe's largest for alternative music. Three days of amazing diversity: electronic music, punk, pop and rock from the underbelly of the business

Music festivals these days have to cover a lot of ground. It is not just a question of trying to please a wide range of people - but just as much an indication that todays music enthusiasts have an open mind. For three days more than fifty bands of a wide variety of genres both pleased and challenged the audiences at the very first RECession Festival in Aarhus.
In fact one of the most striking features of the festival was the degree of diversity displayed there. From hardhitting rock to minimalistic electronic soundscapes.
The concerts themselves were held from the 1st to the 3rd of May at a handful of venues in Aarhus - Denmark's second largest city.
This, the first RECession festival, could call itself "Northern Europe's largest" and that might say quite a bit about the current musical climate and the criteria artists have to meet at the major festivals. At RECession local musicians without an album under their belts performed alongside "oldtimers" such as Coldcut and The Fall.

Entering Electroland
I started off with a visit to RECession's more electronically oriented venue - Turbinehallen. Down by the harbour a large multi-purpose hall with yellow bricks had been decorated with large white wings or sails that were used for bizarre video projections. On stage was Goodiepal - hailed by quite a few to be a bit of a genius. And geniuses are allowed to be utterly weird. Which was also the case here. Beside his own compositions Goodiepal also toys around with other people's music - much like V/VM who appeared later in the day and with whom he also works. At the show he put on different obscure 7-inch records and played flute along to them - including the infamous hybrid mix of Sigur Rós and Celine Dion.
Next up was local artist Sofus Forsberg sporting a nice arsenal of electronic gadgetry. Mixing his own compositions with new interesting remixes of Under Byen-tracks he was quite the knob-twiddler sending out burst of scraping beats.

Change of pace and venue
Then I wandered down to Voxhall - one of the larger venues in Aarhus. Danish-Norwegian band The Low Frequency In Stereo were on stage. They played a very fine set of their instrumental rock music. Fast beats as well as plenty of noise and melody. There really was no need for a singer there. The energy was there and the music spoke for itself.
The following band at Voxhall had plenty to say, though. British Asian Dub Foundation had their political agenda to push, but it never collided with the music. It just made it more powerful.
Their drum'n'bass beats blended perfectly with the live instruments and the two MC's machine gun lyrics. And I cannot recall when I've last seen such an energetic set from any band. Voxhall was literally boiling. The crowd was jumping and the heat was squeezing every drop of sweat out of those getting into the band's superfast Asian grooves.

Coldcut
Photo: Caspar Tribler, Geiger

Visual blow-out
I began the second day at Train. Apparently dance floor veterans Coldcut had only planned to do two shows in 2003. So I figured I should check them out - even though the last I remembered of them was some of their hits about ten years ago.
The years gone by didn't matter, though. I was glad I went, because the show was amazing.
The music and beats themselves were not revolutionary, but the three guys behind their laptops managed to get a really good vibe going - which might also have to do with the fact that they actually responded thankfully to the crowd's cheers (a thing some "laptop musicians" don't do).
But maybe more importantly, their accompanying visuals were spot on. Well, actually the sounds from the video clips where very much part of the music. And in that way they were superb - mixinf old Disney cartoons with the funky beats of James Brown.
Part of the show was also very political. Both Blair and Bush got their share of visual spankings. Their speeches were mixed so they (very determined) insisted: "We are corporate criminals".

Oh my goodness - weirdness
Next band on my "tour schedule" was Danish rock band Düreforsög at the somewhat smaller (but nice) venue Musikcaféen. The band is still a bunch of youngish guys, but they have been around for some years by now. Their third album "Engine Machine" came out in 2002 and their gig at RECession strengthened my belief that Düreforsög does not know the word "compromise".
Düreforsög was all over the place. Quiet dreamy guitar bits were interweaved with loud metal rock burst where singer Boriz screamed his head off. And suddenly there was twangy surf-inspired guitar bits - but only for a short while - then the whole band froze. Standing perfectly still. No music. Dead quiet except for a few drunks in the back of the room. Random words from the band member arose like bubbles from a pond. For a long time. And then they hurled themselves into more energetic outbursts where Boriz threw himself around the stage punishing his vocal chords with madman falsettos.
It was obvious that Düreforsög didn't give a damn if their show and music was an excursion into Rock Weirdness. And how liberating it was to experience a band having that approach to its art.
After this extreme gig the audience "put their seats back in upright position" for the upcoming bands Mofus and Yellowish - who delivered electronic pop and semi-gloomy guitar pop respectively.
Into the wee hours of the night it was American band Spokane's turn. They took the stage in the basement of the disco Play. It was not the ideal place for their extremely quiet "sadcore" tunes. The disco next door was sometimes a bit too loud. Nevertheless, with a bit of effort their songs reached my ears. This painfully quiet music was a nice end to a long day.

Singvogel at Voxhall
Photo: Jint

Clarinet-punk and a bit of Danish
The last day of the festival started with something less quiet. Danish rock band My Beloved cranked up the volume and the reverb pedals. Dreamy and dark soundscapes scapes filled the room. A promising band which hopefully will come up with more ways to vary their style as they move on.
Before the festival ended I had to take another trip to Turbinehallen. Danes Limp were playing. They are in their twenties now, but have been around since their early teens. Over the years they have developed a kind of electronic "post rock" (in lack of a better explanation). The songs they played at RECession were very repetitive - and on the last day of the festival that wasn't really exciting enough for my oh so tired head - even though they had some wonderful and soothing sounds.
Singvogel was up next at Voxhall. And there was nothing soothing about their performance. And it wasn't supposed to be. Sporting some of the weirdest Danish lyrics in contemporary rock music they did a great show with their punkish drums-and-guitar rock - with their trademark clarinets and trombone mixed in there for good measure. For this event they also brought along a DJ and his turntable. Truely an experience to categorize under "something different". And this time around I thought: different is nice.
The Danish language was in focus again when Nikolaj Nørlund (of the band Rhonda Harris) went on stage to perform an almost completely acoustic set. The audience had been sitting on the floor waiting for him - and they didn't get up. This was to be a mellow session for attentive listeners. Every word was picked up on and digested. Which also meant that when Nikolaj did play a few songs in English my mind just wandered. But certainly a most enjoyable gig.

Calla
Photo: Caspar Tribler, Geiger

The big finale
Then the peace was over. Americans Calla went on stage. I expected some quiet music from what I had heard from their studio recordings - but I got something entirely different. Loud and melancholic rock music. The vocals reminded me a bit of The Cure.
It took a while for me to adjust to the surprise, but there were some beautiful passages here and there. Although crowd contact was very limited and the music seemed like it was "programmed". Their kind of noise rock would in my ears be better off if it loosened up a little, I thought.
The last band at Voxhall was Hood from the UK. They hit is off straight away with electronic beats and rock guitars. With a somewhat experimental approach to their sound they still managed to produce a certain rock sound. I was not too impressed, though. Maybe I was just tired. Maybe I had overdosed on music. Bottom line was: I went home. Knackered, but glad to have experienced so many different styles of music in just three days - and even from a lot of artists I had never heard of before.
How wonderful it was to turn up at some of the gigs with virtually no knowlegde of the artists about to perform and therefore no expectations. It also struck me that I had attended a music festival where the bands were allowed to play more or less full length gigs. Not just 45 minute showcase-like sneak peeks. Very nice for a change.
I had a few eye-openers and got reacquainted with artists I had forgotten a bit about. A good few days. Let's hope the chance comes again next year.

Among the other bands who performed were:
Covenant, Printer, Llorca, Jackie-O-Motherfucker, The Fall, The Ghost, Spleen United, Koxbox, Picnic, Blue Foundation (DJs), Project Grudge, Fizzarum, Wäldchengarten, Manual, Exploding Plastix, Hjörtur and McLusky.

The decorations in Turbinehallen
Photo: Jakob Skøtt, www.limp.dk

Covenant
Photo: Jint

Nikolaj Nørlund
Photo: Caspar Tribler, Geiger

Coldcut
Photo: Caspar Tribler, Geiger

Limp in the Turbinehallen.
Photo: Maja Maria

The Fall
Photo: Jint

Hood
Photo: Caspar Tribler, Geiger

Thanks to the photographers, who so kindly contributed.

Visit the festival site at www.recession.dk.

Read reviews from the festival at www.geiger.dk (in Danish)

Visit the organizers, Frontløberne, at www.frontrunners.net (in Danish)

The venues:
Voxhall
Musikcaféen
Turbinehallen
Train
Play

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Supertanker, June 3, 2003

copyright

PopRevo Festival - the revolution starts here?

Whatever pop is - it needs a revolution. This seems like a good place to start. PopRevo is here - with sugar on top!

What is pop music? Can you call it pop because it’s popular or because it is just catchy and would please most ears? Maybe it would be unwise to start that debate. Instead it should just be stated that most of the music at PopRevo is indeed pop, but don’t expect to hear in on your radio or on tv.
The 2005 edition of PopRevo was the second time it took over the smaller venues in Aarhus. This time around only one venue, though – Musikcaféen. Despite some rather major cancellations PopRevo managed after all.
The 2004 PopRevo ended with a superb gig by The Clientele from England. They were therefore invited again this year, but had to cancel. Luckily not entirely. Frontman Alasdair Maclean did a fine acoustic solo gig and the old and new festival were thusly joined. A guest star studded US band Ladybug Transistor stepped in to become the new headliner now that other major band Television Personalities had to cancel completely.

Suburban Kids With Biblical Names

A labour of love
I guess it wouldn’t be wrong to say that a great deal of the bands at PopRevo were somewhat similar to retro popsters Belle & Sebastian – or their influences. And I might as well add that I’ve never really gotten around to liking that band. I’ve tried a few times, but with no luck. I guess it’s just not my thing. And why would I go to this festival then? Well, first of all there are the odd-one-outs that do something different (fewer this year than last year it seemed, unfortunately). And secondly and most important:
Another good thing about music (beside it being music) is that you can also appreciate it through other people’s love for it. And PopRevo is most definitely a labour of love. A small pocket of dedicated people - beneath the surface of what you usually call your field of vision - who like this "unpopular" pop music. Even if not all the bands are to one's liking the enthusiasm - and the warm feeling the music after all creates - can't help but rub off on you.

Rough Bunnies

Too many skeletons
While Alasdair Maclean of The Clientele did very well solo and the songs worked without a full band other performers like Louise Phillipe and Lovejoy tried the same with less luck. No doubt, especially in Louise Phillipe’s case, you could hear the true qualities of the songs, but they were just not giving the extravagant instrumentation that this genre so much benefits from. It was interesting to see the skeleton. Very much so. But I still wished I would get to see it fully dressed and dancing. A few less acoustic sessions would have been nice.

Louise Phillipe

The odd-one-outs
Danes Larsen & Furious Jane was for once the odd-one-out even on hometurf. Sure the crowd cheered, but genrewise they came from a different place. More American, more folky. But no doubt they write great poptunes and the show bodes well for the forthcoming album.
Swedes Rough Bunnies could get far on their charm alone, but managed to get some of that "clumsiness" - which I love - to become part of the festival. The music wasn’t always pretty – on the surface - but they prevailed via charm, nice tunes and a bit of kick ass attitude. The latter not being the most prominent commodity at PopRevo.
Suburbian Kids With Biblical Names, also from Sweden, closed of the festival with a fine set. Two somewhat nerdy guys on guitar and with the ret of the band on discman. Didn’t matter. The party was secured through their odd sing-alongs that might even recall soccer anthems in brief glimpses, but for the most part was very much what you would expect a D.I.Y. band to sound like (I don’t know if they are, though).
At the club Fabriken there was two nights of afterparties Friday and Saturday. Luckily the djs picked a few funky records also, because I don't ever think I can learn to dance to the music of Belle & Sebastian (don't hide the beat - I need it! Da hips need da whipping!).

Larsen & Furious Jane

Pop set free
Maybe the revolution is about doing music with all the hallmarks of pop music, but which is not popular in the mainstream kind of way. But still pop. Without being popular. Hm, this thought goes in circles. Well, the lesson learned from this festival is: Reclaim the good tunes on their own terms and not the what the market dictates. The market has shit for brains anyway. I guess there’s only one thing to say then... Pop is dead! Long live the Pop Revolution!

Visit the festival site at www.poprevolution.dk.

The final line-up:
Alasdair Maclean (The Clientele) feat. Gary Olson (uk)
Ladybug Transistor (us)
Darren Hanlon (aus)
DJ: Ian Watson (uk)
Larsen & Furious Jane (dk)
Louis Philippe (f/uk)
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names (s)
Ampel (dk)
Honeydrips (s)
Labrador (dk)
Lovejoy (uk)
Melvis & The Papercuts (dk)
Rough Bunnies (s)
Sambassadeur (s)

Ampel - at another show the band did outside the festival
in the afternoon at a café.

Björn Lydén, one of the dedicated forces behind PopRevo, spinning
records at the afterparty at Fabriken.

Lovejoy

Party time at Fabriken.

Words & photos by Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Supertanker, September 24, 2005

copyright

Festival Flashback: Spot 11 afraid to rock the boat?

Music export or artistic development? Why not do both? Once more and with courage, please...

Words by Lars Kjær Dideriksen
Pictures by Jint

It would probably not surprise most Danes if they were one day told that the current cultural minister yelled "Yay, capitalism!" between every push-up he did before breakfast. But that the Danish Rock Council would turn a festival for up'n'coming bands into a narrow-sighted run towards music export seem to have surprised a few. Maybe not so much surprising, as somewhat sad. Yes, maybe even counter-productive, I dare to add.
Anyway, the cultural minister funds the Danish Rock Council so maybe that's the angle on it? To say that he knows much - or anything - about music would most likely be an exaggeration. He likes soccer a lot, though.

Good shows, but...
That aside the 11th Spot Festival did boast some good shows. But considering what Denmark really has to offer of interesting acts these days we only got half the complete picture. If that. Spot 11 only scratched the surface when it actually had the chance to put on a real fireworks show that could spin people's heads.
The agenda of Spot 11 might less to do with the artistic aspect of music these days (which imply a certain amount of courage to take chances) than it has with presenting what is easily digestible here and now. It's a short term strategy that will not earn Denmark the respect abroad that it really has the potential to.
Where's the sense of adventure? Music is a smack in the face - at its best - either when witnessing undisputable talent for the classic virtues or something provoking at the time - like maybe Jeff Buckley or The Sex Pistols? Or more homegrown: perhaps Figurines or Wäldchengarten?
Not to belittle every performer at Spot 11, far from it, but if we want to make Denmark known for making music then we have to take chances.
Spot 11 only rocked (and who doesn't these days?) while it would be better off rocking the boat too.

The Cleaning Women

Under Byen's Henriette Sennenvaldt

The Unavoidables
Some Danish bands had raised expectations of late and as such were the ones you had to see. Among them Figurines, Spleen United and Bikstok Røgsystem.
Figurines triumphed once again with an impressive display of joy for the music as well as flair for the classic songwriting virtues rarely seen this potent in Denmark. Spleen United did a very convincing show, but I had actually seem them better live earlier. In places the very repetitive songs seemed to drag on for too long. But that didn't change the fact that they have plenty of fantastic tunes.
So yes, there is definitely hope for the future of Danish rock.
Bands such as Lack and The Defectors reanimated old genres, but did so very well - experienced bands as they were. Such bands as Denmark's Green Concorde and Sweden's Clorofom also did great shows. I missed out on Efterklang, but I trust they put on a good show too.

Evaporated electronics
The external organizers of LJUD, who added a much needed provocative edge to a corner of the festival last year, were much missed this year, though. Apparently they weren't even invited.
In fact the very lively Danish electronica scene was almost nowhere to be found on the festival, as previous years. Now, that did not make any sense at all. Of course there should be some room for the more jazzy artists, but then they should have cut back on the pop, rock and my-heart-is-breaking-and-I-got-a-guitar folks. There was more than enough. So many that the quality wasn't really high enough all the way around.

Efterklang

Skambankt

The Scandivanian angle
On the opening night older Aarhus artists mixed with the new in a quite laid back show that seemed to be able to please the many over-40s seated the Musichouse's main hall.
One singer from the Faroe Islands, Eivør Pálsdóttir, sang what sounded like a traditional in her short midshow set. As "nordic" as it gets, one could say.
Then I struck me with much clarity how much of the music at the festival was inspired so much by outside influences that little was left of what you could say was "uniquely Scandinavian". I'm not saying it should be a folk festival, but why not invite more people with unique ideas? Things that was very much Scandinavian 2005 A.D. in more than the sense that the bands are here, right now, playing.
I guess I'm longing for a festival with more variation.

The Danes took the backseat
Danish bands were not the ones really stirring things up this year, causing ripples in the water.
Who do I remember the best from Spot 11? The Cleaning Women from Finland. Three gloomy looking dudes in black female stewardess outfits playing on clothesdriers fitted with basstrings and other things. Yes, quite gimmicky, but they did it well, and at least tried to do something different.
How come it's possible to pick odd acts from elsewhere in Scandinavia when the homegrown Danish acts of that kind are so obviously missing? They are out there! Are there other hometurf agendas beneath it all or is the festival booker's general knowledge of the overall musical landscape just too narrow? I have to ask.

Cloroform

The Next Big Thing
The Spot 11 Festival is very much about the Next Big Thing. Who will the business people or media fall for this year?
Established artists are invited to to draw a crowd for the lesser known acts at Spot. Fine. But the biz and media people are constantly being exposed to music. Wouldn't it be plausible to think that it would take a lot to really impress them? Why not poke at them? And poke them again? Provoke. Divide the critics instead of uniting them. Create a stir.
How big can you really manage to push mediocrity upwards - and make it stay there?
It seems that those who actually go through the effort of trying to do something new are more or less ignored, while those who provide music that's very easily accessible and mediocre have a much better chance. What message does that send to both the media and biz abroad as well as the artists in Denmark? Let mediocrity rule on tv and the radio, they are beyond help it seems, but please not a the venues and festivals too, thank you.

History lesson
I know it's not custom for mankind to learn from its own history - past mistakes and past successes. But which music do we think back on - and still listen to! - today? Those who broke new ground back then, my friends! The ones where people upon witnessing them said: "What the hell?! You can't do that!"
Want to start a list? Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Kraftwerk, Sex Pistols again, and yes, continue at your own pace. Sure, some of them seem ridiculous to young ears. But they each raised the bar. Pushed music to new places.
It's too bad that a place for the new and untried talents - such as Spot 11 - apparently has no space for those who really put their asses on the line trying to do something new and exciting.
Are there any Hendrixes or Pistols out there in the Danish landscape? Most likely. But how should we know?

No balance
Spot 11 did not find a balance between pop music (highly talented or so-and-so) and the more explorative music. And if Spot has to reflect the Danish music scene that balance is very much an important element of such a festival. Hopefully the Spot Festival will show more courage and artistic pulse in the future or Denmark will be the laughing stock of all the media people coming to the festival being told that this is the best the country has to offer. The organizers surely meant well, but an entire festival like Spot can do much better than this. I know it.

Visit the festival site at www.spot11.dk and the Danish Rock Council at www.rosa.org.
More photos at www.jint.dk.

Spleen United

Mew

The Defectors

Ikscheltaschel

Djosos Krost

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Supertanker, July 30, 2005

copyright

Spot 09 Festival

Denmark's largest festival for upcoming Scandinavian bands, Spot 09, was blessed with many fine concerts and good weather. A rather odd cloud hovered over the place, though. The success of Spot 08 apparently had to be repeated. Even if it meant inviting Rolling Stone's David Fricke back - which could easily look like someone was hoping for more hype. Furthermore one starts to think: Who is this festival for? The upcoming or the established?

Icelandic Apparat Organ Quartet put on
quite a show on the festival's main stage

Part 1 - The raw in the posh
Pre-Spot: Under Byen, Steffen Brandt & Tina Dickow.

Part 2 - Once you pop - you pop and pop
Day One: Tiger Tunes, David Fricke (talk).

Part 3 - A nice and slow start
Day One: K.I.O.L., Supersilent, Carpark North, Spleen United, Figurines.

Part 4 - Picking up speed
Day One: Je M'Appelle Mads, Kaizers Orchestra, Jab Mica Och El, Apparat Organ Quartet.

Part 5 - Capitalism-gone-crazy
Day Two: Rupert Hine (talk).

Part 6 - Here come the Norwegians!
Day Two: Glorybox, B&B International, Jaga Jazzist, Bjørn Berge, St. Thomas.

Part 7 - Well-planned and predictable
Day Two: Marie Frank, Håkan Hellstrøm, Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band.

Part 8 - Thoughts that pop up in the slipstream
Day Two: Final thoughts.

Part 1 - The raw in the posh

Sixty-eight bands, six stages and a truckload of hopes and dreams. Those were the main ingredients at the ninth Spot Festival for upcoming bands in Aarhus. For two days - and a bit extra - music biz people and musicians mingled with "the rest of us" soaking up the many sounds.
The Spot 09 is usually a two day event. But sometimes there are a few shows the evening before the real festival kicks off. And so they did this year. In the slightly posh surroundings of Musikhuset Under Byen were presented by none other than David Fricke, senior editor at the Rolling Stone Magazine.
He had been invited back, because last year he managed to create a hype around them and especially The Raveonettes. The organizers obviously wanted to thank Fricke for all the attention. Still, it would be naïve not to think that they would like him to hype new things this year.
Clearly nervous about being on stage in Musikhuset's spotlight he said "Tonight I'm not here as a journalist, but as a fan" - and then went on to call Under Byen one of the best bands in the world today. A bold statement that certainly makes this writer happy, but it just lost a tiny bit of its weight when yours truly attended the discussion panel with Fricke the next day.
The so-called pre-Spot events also included a performance by Under Byen's label boss Steffen Brandt (of the band TV-2) together with Tina Dickow. A nice and stripped-down performance that even featured a Danish rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" - all in sharp contrast to the instrument-heavy eight-piece Under Byen.
Under Byen's performance was perfect, although it felt rather odd seing them in such posh surroundings. And the fact that the usually barefeet lead singer Henriette Sennenvaldt wore high heels on the occasion seemed to add a bit to that. Funny how the little things can change ones perception.
That same evening the venue Voxhall had arranged a show with just German bands - with Tocotronic headlining.

Moving the festival from its original dates in October to May seemed to please the crowd

Part 2 - Once you pop - you pop and pop

Traditionally there has not been many audiences for the opening show over the years. But Tiger Tunes changed all that. The buzz surrounding their two self-released EPs (and their upcoming album due August) managed to pretty much fill the floor in front of the festival largest stage in Ridehuset.
Their very few slow songs were nowhere to be heard and the show was in the highest gear from start to end. By the end of their gig a large portion of the crowd was dancing. Tiger Tunes did not try do hide the fact that they just wanted to start a party with their catchy and upbeat pop tunes. And what a relief it was to witness a band that did not wallow in self-pity and who had brought along their own great songs - instead of just wanting to spread good vibes "the easy way" doing cover songs like too many Danish musicians seem to be content with.
After a quick listen to Aim, who had won the national band contest Live Contest, it seemed like the band was content with just punk attitudes, a lot of noisy guitar and white shirts and ties. They did not impress me this time around. Perhaps later.
It was time for some quiet: Rolling Stone's David Fricke in discussion under the headline "One year later: how could The Raveonettes happen?".
Almost apologetic he said "All I did was like them!". But the most important word in that sentence was 'I', because Fricke must be well aware of the impact his hyping of a band will have. Apparently a label excecutive had called him asking advice regarding the band. And casually he had replied: "Well, it's not my money, but I would say go for it". Still Fricke argued that The Raveonettes would have gotten the same attention had he not seen and hyped them.
He liked The Raveonettes because the band had put a lot of old (mainly American) influences together in a new way. He could se a lot of reference points. With Under Byen is was not the same. References were more difficult to pinpoint. Maybe because the band's lead singer Henriette Sennenvaldt had quoted her influences as, among others things, being public transportion and water. That caused a slight giggle in the conference room where the interview took place.
Then Fricke went on to talk about the hispanic hip-hop scene in the USA. A thing that also impressed him. So much he thought it was the most incredible thing he had ever seen. Much like his words on Under Byen and The Raveonettes.
One would think that Fricke with his many years in the business would have seen just about everything and was hard to impress. But maybe it isn't so. And one starts to think: how often does he blurt out such bold statements? Or has he been locked away in a closet at Rolling Stone with just a pile of Black Sabbath and Ramones records for the last 10 or 15 years?

Tiger Tunes was first band on stage, but still managed to gather a large crowd early in the day - probably because of the buzz that surrounds them

David Fricke talked about what had happened in the year following Spot 08 *

Part 3 - A nice and slow start

The first part of the Friday was mostly quiet. Next up was K.I.O.L. who presented a kind of ambient electronic music with clicks and radio static blended into the soundscape in interesting ways. A little more sound came from Norwegian band Supersilent. A handfuld of musicians who only meet up for gigs and recordings for their albums. They do not rehearse. That resulted in a floating rock hybrid improvisation with psychedelic overtones - and most certainly one of the most interesting shows at Spot 09.
In my effort to avoid Carpark North - the stadium rock band wannabes and darlings of many a Danish teenager - I checked out Spleen United. In my ears they sounded a bit like the rising stars Mew, but still managed to do some decent melancholic pop songs using the basic rock set-up and some vintage synth gear. I will remember their name, but am still waiting for something special. Or maybe I have just overloaded on melancholic music the last 10 years or so.
I hoped for something special from the new hopefuls Figurines. And boy, did I not get disappointed. Their brilliant debut album "Shake A Mountain" of well-written indierock songs promised a lot and they delivered - in what little time they were given. They were the upcoming band squeezed in between the already established Carpark North - who had time enough to play two encores including a cover of an Eminem song for some bizarre reason - and Kashmir - who wanted total silence for their soundcheck and also to start on time so they could get the ferry back to Copenhagen the same night. That meant little more than thirty minutes for Figurines. Luckily they made a big impression on everyone present in what time they had. Clearly inspired by American bands such as Pavement and Modest Mouse they still displayed a remarkable talent from which one would expect great music in the future.
The "30-minute incident" very clearly illustrated the problem that the Spot 09 Festival seems to have. A big audience must be attracted to the festival with well-known artists while at the same time presenting new ones - the very reason for the Spot Festival. But this year it seemed that the heavier end of the music biz were veiling too much of their power. And I wonder why a twenty-year-old fading rock band like Sort Sol were playing at a festival for upcoming bands? The word was that they wanted to launch the band for an international career. But that just didn't make any sense. And it makes one wonder how much the well-meaning organizers have to cave-in from outside pressure from the business.

Figurines - victory in just 30 minutes

Part 4 - Picking up speed

Figurines put the evening in a higher gear and I managed to get the last bit of Je M'Appelle Mads' gig. An excursion into complete and utterly twisted showbiz madness. Retro-electro-tunes, a costume-heavy stage performance and naughty lyrics. Mads is one of a kind and most certainly an artists you will either love or hate. I have fallen for his madness and I am still waiting for the debut album from the man (apparently to be released on Jenka Music soon).
All through the weekend many of the Danish indie labels presented themselves and their goods in a pavillion tent outside. So between shows every now and then one would check out what was stirring in the Danish underground. This arrangement was a first for the Spot festival, but might I add: a splendid idea!
Completely ditching Kashmir I went to see the much hyped Norwegian band Kaizers Orchestra who have been in Denmark for God knows how many times this year. But it was a first for me. There was a lot of grandiose performance on stage and "primitive" energy. A great show. No wonder they are popular. I would suspect that Kaizers Orchestra is the kind of thing that would happen if you made the very theatrical Germans Rammstein play Tom Waits-songs.
The local Aarhus-musicians in Jab Mica Och El presented a different take on minimalistic electronic music. They used flutes and horns with their clattering electronic beats and produced a naive and childish sound that would be well suited as theme songs for a children's show made by a demented tv producer. Quite interesting.
Next up was Iceland band Apparat Organ Quartet. The four band members with their incredible arsenal of old organs had brought along a single drummer. That was all they needed for their brilliant show. It was like an analogue Kraftwerk-concert where the musicians actually moved around and smiled (unlike their German counterparts). A lot of simple, but great tunes - put forth with a very big and booming sound. A perfect end to the first day.

Jab Mica Och El

Apparat Organ Quartet from Iceland had all the organs in the world to play around with

Part 5 - Capitalism-gone-crazy

I started the second day with another big music biz dude offering some of his thoughts: producer Rupert Hine, who in his long career has worked with such different people as Tina Turner, Susanne Vega and Underworld. The title of his talk attracted my attention - "Rearranging the Deck-chairs on the Titanic".
Rupert Hine reflected on where music was going. Even though downloading of music seems to be the future he wondered if we humans weren't still "hunters and collectors". So we essentially still have to own things. But he added that maybe that thought was just a product of him belonging to a different generation than todays young consumers.
- The record industry is in its finest capitalism-gone-crazy phase right now, Rupert Hine said and told stories about the major labels.
One should avoid "The 5 Titans" as he called the majors because they can easily spend a million dollars recording a whole album and then drop everything - if they feel it will not sell enough. It's cheaper for them to scrap the whole thing than spending another million on promotion. And that is just tough luck for the poor artists who may have waited in line at the label for years for their turn.
- But that's the nature of the beast, Rupert Hine said and continued:
- Can young artists combat it? Absolutely! Today's audiences are tomorrow's artists. And when they become disillusioned they start making their own music. It's a cycle that has been consistent. But compared to earlier it is long overdue this time. It should have been here a few years ago.
He continued to reflect on the new dvd medium. Thinking that now that music videos can be done with low productions costs on the home computer it might create a new hybrid where music and visuals melt together and maybe being released to the consumer that way. And it's not only the major labels who can do it. Working with this new medium the "do-it-yourself" way is entirely possible.
Rupert Hine returning to the "Titanic"-metaphor from the title of his talk said:
- Just be happy to be in the lifeboats.

Rupert Hine giving his thoughts on the future of the music business

Part 6 - Here come the Norwegians!

With the brain buzzing with positive vibes from the talk (mainly because I don't feel sorry for the major labels) I now wanted some music. Glorybox from Copenhagen was on stage. Although I sometimes had to listen hard to find the essence of their art, I was still pleasantly surprised. Nice female vocals and guitars with a lot of distortion and feedback. I will certainly take a closer look at them later.
I had to drop by one of the few (if not the only?) hip-hop act on the Spot festival - B&B International. Hailing from the homeBrew label they layed down instrumental grooves utilizing both turntables, laptops, guitar, bas and percussion. And adding a singer to a few songs for good measure. All in all a nice laid back session.
A bunch of Norwegians got my feet moving again. Jaga Jazzist put on an impressive show on the main stage. They managed to pretty much flood the stage with musicians and their many instruments. Their semi-acoustic jazz-influenced drum'n'bass was extremely energetic and was a real crowdpleaser.
The rest of the evening did not feature many Danish artist on my own personal schedule. First a little peak at the Norwegian singer and guitar player Bjørn Berge. Alone on stage he was armed with his manly voice, two guitars and a so-called "stompingboard". He played an almost surgically clean strain of blues. And the "stompingboard" sounded more like a drum machine pumping out techno beats fir for a dancefloor at a disco. This tattooed power-blues artist is apparently mighty popular in Norway and the audience at Spot cheered him on aplenty. Personally I like my blues down and dirty - and with shoes stomping a real floor and not electronic gadgetry. No thank you.
Another Norwegian, St. Thomas, was next. A bit more tongue-in-cheek and modest he sang like a young Neil Young. And he did it well. It seems that Norway and Sweden have caught wind of the current flow of so-called "americana". A genre still waiting to make itself heard properly on the Danish music scene.

Glorybox on the main stage in Ridehuset

Norwegians Jaga Jazzist


Part 7 - Well-planned and predictable

I was feeling a bit tired and I guess that was what kept me hanging around when Marie Frank went on stage. I've never been that fond of her music. Too slick for me. But recently she had been touring playing acoustic sets and it actually sounded quite good compared to her output of the past. Unfortunately she showed up with full band and all-prepared-between-songs-small-talk. I went out of the hot Ridehuset to get some fresh air.
After a breather I went back inside and caught a glimpse of The Blue Van, who seemed like they very desperately wanted to sound like a band from the 60s. It was just too much. They played well and had really captured the sound. But there didn't seem to be a single shred of contribution from themselves - even though they had written the songs themselves.
The very popular Swedish pop icon Håkan Hellstrøm was clearly put on stage at midnight as a kind of big finale. He put on a overly optimistic show. I couldn't believe it. No one could be this happy without either faking it or being on something. That is what I thought anyway. And the music? All the way terribly upbeat and well-planned to the last detail. And it somehow felt like one big quiz show. Without having heard his cds one could spot other people's songs in Hellstrøm's own songs several times.
My big finale of the evening was another Norwegian export: Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band. Fine electronica tunes that went straight into the legs - that began to move even though they had been very tired a moment ago. The laptop center stage had help from two real drum kits - with to extremely lively drummers who knew a thing or two about raw showmanship. One of them reminded me more than a lot of Animal in The Muppet Show.
A perfect end to the festival.

Part 8 - Thoughts that pop up in the slipstream

Several thoughts on these few days of music kept circling in my head. Considering that the Danish artists are the main performers on the festival one would think that they would present a wide palette of sounds. But no. It was mostly rock and pop - with only a few artists doing hip-hop, electronic music and so on. The other Scandinavian countries actually managed to present a more varied selection with fewer bands and that was admirable.
Had the fact that the Danish government almost closed down the organizer's offices (ROSA) and last year's in-the-nick-of-time succes resulted in a festival that did not dare to take any big chances? The choice of bands from Denmark seemed very traditional. A few more challenging performances would have been nice.
Was it a question of having a new approach in order to please the market and meet the need for artists suitable for easy export? A thing that seems to be the major concern for the Danish Ministry of Culture these days. Or is the established music biz able to pull more strings at this festival for upcoming bands than one would like to think?
Oh, I almost forgot "The Odd Cloud of Spot 09". The big question on everyone's minds: So what did David Fricke like? Who had he been impressed by this year? The final verdict!
In a interview later in the weekend Fricke revealed that some of the Norwegian bands had impressed him. Among them Supersilent and Jaga Jazzist. Among the Danish artists he chose to single out was Kashmir, Kittu Wu and Figurines. Furthermore he promised to return for Spot 10 - if he gets an invitation.

The indie label shops - here at the Aarhus-based Morningside Records

B & B International laying down a few grooves

St. Thomas from Norway

Mikael Simpson *

Moi Caprice *

Giving some of the many new bands from the indie labels a listen

All photos by Lars Kjær Dideriksen, except the ones with a * which are by Jesper Haggren (www.undertoner.dk).

See the full list and read reviews and articles (in Danish) at www.spot09.dk.

You can also read reviews from the festival at www.geiger.dk (in Danish).

Visit the organizers, ROSA, at www.rosa.org.

The venues:
Voxhall
Musikhuset
Ridehuset (no site)

Words & pictures by Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Supertanker, July 7, 2003

copyright

Et kaleidoskopisk tilbageblik på Roskilde Festival 2004

10. gang med fødderne på Dyrskuepladsen. Anden gang med grødagtig jordoverflade godt oppe over anklerne. Endnu en bunke drøn til hårdt prøvede ører – i pauserne spædet op med lummer junkfood forklædt som rustikke delikatesser til Tivoli-priser. Roskilde anno 2004. Nye toner og nye idéer – og samme toner og samme gamle idéer. I én stor flodbølge på godt og ondt. Hermed netop en bølge af hele fornøjelser og halve franske visitter fra syv forskellige scener.

Tilløbet
Tjekkede Mevâdio ud på Campingscenen mandag. Kom til at kalde dem Medova i de følgende dage. Måske meget passende da deres musik nok altid vil være en tynd kop te for en ikke-metal-interesseret.
Wäldchengarten leverede, hvad der nok må være den første koncert på Campingscenen nogensinde, som hverken kan kategories som pop eller rock. Pludselig stod spørgsmålet: Hvorfor er elektronikken først kommet til den scene nu? Anyway, kroppen klaskede som en velvillig crash test dummy ind i støjmuren med et smil.
Tirsdag tittede solen frem det meste af dagen, og vi fik atter fast grund under fødderne. Men opskriften resten af ugen lød: Regn. Regn. Solregn. Regnsol. Regnsolregn. Solregnsol. Regn. Reeeeegn! Tæer krøllet sammen i sure plasticposer eller gnubbet godt i gummistøvler.
Noxagt brød igennem onsdag med energisk norsk mørke. Tonstunge trommer, forvrænget akkord-bas og tortureret bratsch blev tilsammen en mærkværdig crowdpleaser, der gav lyst til mere.

Torsdag uden topunderholdning
Så blev det endelig torsdag! Dropkick Murphys blev i programmet solgt som irsk punk med keltisk inspiration og lød som om, at Green Day havde fundet en bog med gamle pubsange og stjålet en sækkepibe, som de kunne klemme ind nogle få steder for at skjule de tre punk-akkorder. Blink 182 for drukmåse?
Ankom dejligt uvidende til TV on the Radio for at høre, hvad dette pænt omtalte band egentlig lavede. Fik en gedigen gang støjrock med intenst vokalarbejde oven i hatten – dog uden at teltdugen løftede sig ret meget.
Turen gik derefter af uransagelige årsager videre til naboscenen. På scenen stod Joss Stone – et soultalent så lavtaljet at hvis hun ikke havde trimmet missen hjemmefra, ville den have hvæsset klør i de forreste publikummer og sikkerhedspersonalet. Fint at Roskilde genremæssigt gerne vil sprede sig lidt, men der må da for pokker være bedre r’n’b end det, der blev præsteret der.
Korn præsterede på Orange Scene at udleve den længste Adidas-reklame i nyere tid og fik samtidigt også spillet lidt fuck-jer-metal som en sidegevinst.

Fredag med få godter
Graham Coxon hang i luften over scenen som den semi-polerede slackerpops ukronede riffmeister og rørte kun lige jorden, når han nørdede lidt for galleriet ved at klø sig i britpopmanken. Helt klart et skvæt af det rigtige den dag.
En aflyst David Bowie gav af underlige årsager plads til helvedesdukkerne Slipknot og deres teatertorden. En overraskende venlighed over for publikum til trods for den hårde facade og endnu en karikeret fuckfinger til det amerikanske establishment, som jeg som dansker dog kun kunne stå og smågrine lidt af, mens jeg hyggede mig med deres energiske show.
Deres tidlige koncert betød, at Pixies var blevet rykket op en halv time før David Bowies spilletidspunkt, og det ramlede lige sammen med Under Byen-koncerten. Uheldigt for mit vedkommende. Havde de dog bare fået Bowies oprindelige tid. Beslutningen om at snuppe det halve af hver kom i karambolage med forreste række i et fyldt Under Byen-telt. Kom aldrig derfra i tide. Fik dog ikke en dårligere oplevelse af den grund. Under Byen sejlede et tændt publikum ind i den blå skov, hvor kvinder efterlades med deres snoede, hypnotiske trylleremser om ispaladset, savn og den evige kærlighedskarusel i en stålfast tro på magien i musikken. Fik derfor kun halvandet nummer med den voluminøse Pixies-mumitrold Black Francis og hans meget lille udseende guitar. Man skulle tro, at de måske ville levere et langt show, nu da de endelig var samlet igen. Men nej.
Andetsteds sugede belgiske Viva Le Fête som en kleptoman igle på 80’er-poppen. De tilførte den intet nyt og havde også et par patetiske covernumre med.

Lørdag med fest og pinlige optrin
Lørdag meldte trætheden sig for alvor i benene. Mit kongerige for en græsplet jeg kunne sidde på, tænkte jeg. Men nej, vi svømmede stadig rundt i Mudville, DK. Og hvor blev den træflis af, som årene før var en velkommen gæst i stride (strømme) tider?
Martin Ryum boblede af nasal hygge og savn fra storbyens lune lommer af partyensomhed og piskede den op i en beskidt groove af hammerpiano og guitarfræs under en morfarhat. Jomi Massage skreg overbevisende igennem med det meget sigende ønske: ”Give me room… Rooooom!” Og det fik hun. Helt fortjent. Mudderkagen så ud til at føles som hjemmebane.
Tiger Tunes tog konsekvensen af deres party-image og klædte sig på til bryllup. Roskilde er stedet til den store fest, og med næsten fyrre koncerter på to måneder under bæltet viste de, at de i den grad var vokset med opgaven. Måske derfor syntes jeg også at kunne spore et par enkelte træthedstegn. Men bandet fik publikum med, og festen udeblev da heller ikke.
Quannum Projects præsentede god gedigen og energisk hip-hop på en i nogles øjne lettere hip-hop-overlæsset festival. Pladeselskabets hovednavn Blackalicious viste sig at være soulful, men gumpetung trods hurtige tekster. Det samme kunne man ikke sige om samme labels newcomers Lifesavas, der havde lige den sprælskhed og oprigtighed i deres budskaber, så man fløj igennem deres svingende og livsbekræftende set.
Jurassic Park-dinosauren Iggy Pop kneppede forstærkeren, rakte tunge og gav os alle fingeren – og viste at han i modsætning til resten af The Stooges ikke havde ændret kropsstørrelse gennem årene. Han havde dog stadig ikke kunnet finde et par bukser i den rette størrelse. Møntindkastet lige under hans solarielinje tiggede på en femmer slynget behændigt afsted fra første række. Blandt publikum lød imponerede kommentarer: ”Utroligt at han stadig kan.” Meget vel. Men der var i alt fald én, der tænkte: ”Utroligt at en mand i løbet af 57 år endnu ikke havde lært at opføre sig som et voksent menneske.” Havde han leveret den samme musik som en mand, der havde lært af sine fejl og opførte sig derefter, så ville jeg måske være blevet og lyttet. At han i interviews har lydt klogere de senere år kom ikke til skue på Orange Scene. Bevares, spil for galleriet. Men med værdigheden i behold. Hvis man skulle kunne udlede noget som helst af Iggy Pop anno 2004, så må det være: ’Kids, stay off drugs!’
Plaid afløste for aflyste LFO, der tilsyneladende ikke kunne komme, fordi han skulle mixe Björks plade færdig. Og jeg som troede, det var noget alvorligt. Pfft! En aftale er en aftale, kammerat! Det var dog en bytteordning, der gav mere mening end Slipknot for Bowie. Men ak, det meste af Plaid-koncerten blev oplevet fra forreste række og lød som om, vi kun fik monitorlyd. Efter et totalt strømafbrud på scenen til sidst i koncerten (et problem med noget vand, sagde de. My god!) fik vi dog lyd over det hele og kunne så lige få lov til at nyde det sidste nummer.
Senere tog Kraftwerk-eksilen Karl Bartos over med en koncert, der lød som om, han kun havde kunnet få copyright til de gamle Kraftwerk-samples og derefter havde sat dem sammen igen på en ny måde i løbet af en eftermiddag. Hvert nummer blev mødt med genkendelsens glæde de første sekunder og så derefter skuffelsen – ”hov, det var jo ikke det nummer alligevel.”
I en sølvfarvet DJ-vogn foran Orange Scene forsøgte Fatboy Slim at varme pladderet og gummistøvler med en gang pladevenderi. Måske havde det været bedre på en varm sommeraften, men det virkede i hvert fald som en fejlslagen billig løsning til et stort lørdagsrabalder med et afdanket Ibiza-vrag.

Glad søndag med ordentlig afrunding
Sidste dag blev der spejdet efter … ta-daaaa … søndagskoncerten! Den koncert hvor man kan tage den helt med ro, fordi vejret er godt, og musikken bringer et smil på læben. Det husker jeg stadig Grant Lee Buffalo og Buddy Guy for. I år blev det Michael Franti & Spearhead. Parolerne var ligetil: ”The streets are alive with the sound of boom-bab!” og ”All the freaky people make the beauty of the world.” Franti var helt klart en af dem, jeg meget gerne ville tjekke ud, men jeg havde nok ikke regnet med, at det ville gå hen og blive en af årets bedste oplevelser. Men måske er det det, man har brug for i mudderet? Ikke flere sørgelige fuckers. Erasure og Pet Shop Boys var også tiltrængte i det pladrede 1997. Solen gav Franti et hul i skyerne på størrelse med en koncert. En fra publikum sagde bagefter med et grin: ”Ja, det regner ikke på Guds bedste børn.” De gode vibrationer kulminerede med direkte publikumskrammere fra Franti efter koncerten, der havde været en indholdsrig opvisning i ægte spilleglæde og funky tæft - og en knivspids velplaceret Bush-bashing.
Efter en udmattende uge blev Muse udpeget som sidste stop før afgang. Hi-speed guitarlir spændt for en regn af stroboskop-kaskader i en metallisk katedrals karaoke-night. Nålestribet sortsind krænget ud så afmålt og veludført at man tilgav storhedsvanviddet med storskærmen og det lysende orgel, der må være blevet rippet blandt rekvisitterne til Nærkontakt af 3. grad. En grande finale som den skulle skæres.

Kort sagt: alt i alt en festival med godt humør trods regn, men med få rigtigt gode musikalske oplevelser og endnu færre overraskelser. Den musikalske menu indeholdt for meget luft og vindfrikadeller. Der blev ellers grovædt – også meget mere end nævnt her. Den noget mere vitaminrige 2003-festival kom næsten som en åbenbaring oven på det tynde 2002. Pludselig var der håb endnu, og flammen brændte lyst. I 2004 blæste en hård vind dog meget tæt på denne flamme – en vind opstået i hulrummet efter de manglende progressive elementer og musikalsk nysgerrighed.
Hvis Roskilde fortsætter ad denne vej, bliver der ingen 11. Roskilde Festival for mit vedkommende, og pengene, der spares, bliver i stedet brugt på RECession Festival, Forma Nova Festival og Gutter Island. For mig er Roskilde Festival ikke udelukkende druk og hygge (det kan selv det tyndeste program nok ikke kan ødelægge). Musikken er nu nummer ét. Derfor forlod en lidt slukøret festivalgænger Dyrskuepladsen i år.
I toget hjem blev en Kurt Vonnegut-bog hevet op af tasken – lagt derned før den hygiejniske afgang for en uge siden uden tanke for den rammende titel: Welcome to the Monkey House. Den lader vi stå et øjeblik…

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Undertoner.dk, July 15, 2004.

copyright

Roskilde Festival 2003

Björk. *

Supertanker takes a look back on the biggest Danish music event - the Roskilde Festival. 2003 marked the return of the Roskilde Festival to its past glory with a wonderful and much needed diversity and quality from the many exciting artists from all over the world.

Text by Lars Kjær Dideriksen
Photos by Lars Kjær Dideriksen & Steffen Jørgensen* (www.jint.dk)

- That's it! I'm not coming back next year.
Yes, it's true. I said it as I was standing rather disappointed on the last day of Roskilde Festival 2002 packing my tent and rucksack for the eigth year in a row. I had eagerly been darting back and forth between the festival's stages for a week without saying "wow!" even once. Yes, there were good bands who played good shows, but for me there were no new discoveries and surprises. I felt tired.
Still, I came back in 2003. And why? Well, first of all the program for the festival was way cooler than the year before and I might as well say it:
- Hello. My name is Lars and I am a Roskilde addict.

Bad weather, good music
So there I was. Back again with the old tent and a ton of expectations. The festival opened the gates one day later (Sunday) than last year and started the festival one day earlier (Monday). So it felt like pretty much everyone was travelling on the same day from all over the country and abroad. More than three hours of standing up in a tightly packed train with a lot festival gear to take care of. And the national rail company, DSB, could do nothing apparently. What a bummer.
The main part of the program was four days from Thursday to Sunday in late June, but over the last few years the days leading up to the grand opening upcoming bands from Scandinavia and a few other places have played at a stage set up in the Camping Area.
Not a bad thing for an upcoming band. They have no competiting from the other stages, but of course much of the festival crowd just chills out there on the field facing the hopefuls.
Among this year's eighteen Camping Stage performers were Tiger Tunes, The Magic Bullet Theory, Figurines and Fjernsyn Fjernsyn. Along with the new music from these bands some bad weather found its way to the festival. For a day and a half or so rain poured down and heavy wind threw small tents in the air - accompanied by thunder and lightning.
Luckily it calmed down before the gates to the actual festival grounds were opened. This meant that the ground there was fairly dry and the more than 100.000 pairs of feet didn't make it a mudbath.
A glance upwards with a 'thank you' to the weather gods was in order.

The Polyphonic Spree - Hallelujah! *

Finally, here we go!
After three days of upcoming bands it was time for the main festival to kick off with a kaboom. And it did so with the sun coming out.
Feeling slightly disoriented by the fact that all but two of the six stages had changed names, I made my way directly to Green Stage...ooops, sorry, Arena as it was now called. Four days later it was still called Green Stage. They couldn't change what in my head had been Green for eight years.
Never minding the colour of the festival's biggest tent The Polyphonic Spree burst into a roaring 'hallelujah' right from the start. I couldn't help getting flashbacks to the Christian Channel's way-too-happy people on tv. But the band certainly had an impressive 'feel good factor' of at least a hundred percent.
After about forty minutes of white-clad glee I was full, though, and went for a bit of Danish psych rock. On the main stage, still called Orange Stage, Danish band Baby Woodrose was already in full swing as the official opening act.
Before heading off to catch the two headliners of that day, who happend to play at the same time, I dropped by Interpol to see what all the fuzz was about. But I didn't get there from the start and it's just not so cool to stand outside a tent stage and watch a show, so I checked out the rather gloomy and semi-grumpy Stone Sour.
The before-mentioned headliners were Metallica and Dave Gahan (of Depeche Mode). Having seen both Metallica and Depeche Mode before in the end I opted for popmeister performer Dave Gahan.
Dave put on a great show despite his own songs' shortcomings compared to the Depeche Mode songs he played. About half the set was not from his solo album. He had to work hard with his own songs to get the crowd going. But he is still one of the most charismatic performers on a stage and that helped him through the show.
He had managed to attract enough people to fill the giant Arena tent, which must be around 20-30.000 people. Once he finished everyone went back to the main stage where Metallica were finishing their marathon show. The view from the back of the field was amazing. All the rest of the festival-goers must have been there. A sea of people from the front to the back of the giant field.

A rather large Metallica audience. *

Flying through a Friday
A group of Danish electronica artists eased me into the long Friday. The socalled 'Hobby Industries Summer Camp', featuring such artists as Acustic, Manual and Opiate, had all their laptops lined up at the electronic Metropol stage. The show started at noon and the audience sat down for this nice mellow, but rhythmic session.
Quite the opposite was the following show at the big Arena with Britain's Asian Dub Foundation. Widely known for providing kick-ass, high-octane shows that was just what they did. The big tent did seem to swallow some of the intensity that they were trying to put forth. Not as in-your-face as thier other gig I attented at a smaller venue at the RECession Festival earlier. But they did reach the crowd nevertheless - with both beats and political chants.

Asian Dub Foundation. *

After a rather uninspiring trip past David Holmes & The Free Association and a bit of Material featuring Bill Laswell & Gigi I found myself staying for a whole performance: Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man.
Still vividly recalling Portishead's triumphant show at the huge Green Stage in 1998 this was a chance get a little closer to this slightly angelic chain smoker. The Odeon Stage was one of the smaller tents and it was packed. Ridiculously apologetic this tiny being enchanted the crowd in a second. Apparently she felt a bit beside herself that day, but she had no reason to be so shy and to apologize at the end of the brilliant show. Afterwards she surprised the audience by going down in front of the stage and thanking people personally - spending what seemed like 10 minutes or more shaking hands, signing autographs and chit-chatting. I had never seen that before at Roskilde.

Beth Gibbons thanking the crowd personally after her show.

One of the best music magazines in the world, The Wire, hosted their 'Adventures in Modern Music' at the Odeon Stage. They had invited Squarepusher, Mike Ladd, Fushitsusha and Suicide.
Squarepusher, also known as Tom Jenkinson, lead the crowd through one whole set of sonic bombardments showing absolutely no mercy. His manic and twisted beats was flying all over the place alongside his 'fuck-you' bass playing. The sound level was extreme. I tried pushing my earplugs almost all the way to my brain, but to no avail. He pounded me silly with his sound waves. Nevertheless I went away from his show thinking 'he-he, cool!'.
Next up was Brit-sensation The Streets. Having read some bad live reviews I expected nothing going to the Metropol Stage for this spliffin' urban rap-geezer. Therefore I was pleasently surprised to find that the whole tent was jumping in no time and the band was in the mood for an all-out party.
A entirely different ambience was brewing at Arena. Icelandic Sigur Rós was not even on stage yet, but nevertheless the tent had taken on the aura of a cathedral. Once the band started playing - with their string section Amina - they didn't nothing to change this. They only enhanced that feeling. Sigur Rós search for the beauty in melancholy and when they find it they give it wings. It was almost too much, but it's just a question of giving in to it for once - and let the music take you where the band wants you to. I decided that would be the grand finale to my Friday even though more bands were playing elsewhere. I had all the raw material that I needed for a good night's sleep.

Squarepusher - Come, let me show you the
meaning of the word 'earsplitting'!

Madness this way lies
Saturday started off with pure wackiness. Danish jazz drummer Kresten Osgood's side project Ikscheltaschel was just what the crowd needed to get going. A funky strain of hip-hop with lyrics of total and utter jibberish. Or more precisely the band's very own language. It was very clear that even though not a single word made sense these MCs had written down these lyrics and would sing them like any other language - and with all the exaggerated tongue-in-cheek hip-hop attitude they could muster.
There was plenty of hip-hop at Roskilde this year. A genre that had at previous festivals been neglected a bit, but mostly haunted by numerous cancellations by major US acts. But not this time around. There was plenty of urban grooves to go around. And next up was one of the headliners: De La Soul.
Just two MCs and a DJ with a few turntables was the entire set-up on the giant Arena Stage. Overall the contents of their set was spread a little thin, but generally they managed to get the crowd going at just two o'clock in the afternoon. They also managed to catapult me back to the late 80s when I was listening to their classic "3 Feet High And Rising" as a kid. Yep! "Me, Myself And I" and along those lines. Nostalgia for yours truly.
There was no reason to leave the Arena stage just yet. Now America was going to rock the place. First up was Melvins - which really didn't make it across the edge of a stage way to big for them. It fit a bit better for the madness that was coming later:
Tomahawk with former Faith No More-frontman Mike Patton as the general leading the band into battle. With his super slick hair and black clothes he had the 'mafioso style' going for him - if it wasn't for the fact that every few seconds he turned into a snarling animal. Standing behind his machines and wide array of weird microphones he acted like a mad dictator. And what a brilliant actor he was. More than a hint at his first choice of career before getting into rock music. The reason for that path was obvious: his voice.
All these things put together made it almost impossible to take one's eyes of the man. He was amazing.

Tomahawk's Mike Patton - the animal!

Some might argue that the madness continued. But if so, it would be in an entirely different form. American singer/songwriter Daniel Johnston baffled his audience in more ways than one. The mentally ill songwriter played his very naivistic and simple songs on guitar and piano, and it looked like he really divided the crowd. Some got it, some didn't. Even though I think I fell somewhere in-between it wasn't to excited about the music. I think it would have been better to experience him in a small club. Excited about the music or not - and hearing people discuss whether it really was music fit for a festival - I concluded that what I had witnessed had put several things about songwriting in perspective for me. It had forced me to think about when is music really music? When music makes you think, it's art. No matter how it sounds or what thought you might be thinking. So I walked away from the dear Daniel ever so slightly bedazzled - just the right way.
I dropped by for four songs by Blur before I thought that this might be a "greatest hit" set - which then compelled me to to go and satisfy my curiosity regarding Chicks On Speed. Their show was an excursion in 80s camp clothing and retro electro tunes. Three chicks and a laptop - and a truckload of attitude. Quite amusing and catchy at times.

Chicks On Speed. *

Feeling rather tired I headed for the Ballroom Stage. Maâllem Mokhtar Gania from Marocco were going to perform a two-hour "gnawa"-chant. Not exactly the reason I went there, but I needed a place to sit down and rest before the next act at Ballroom.
Maâllem Mokhtar Gania sang and went click-clack with their noisy metal castanets for what seemed like forever. I sat down and rested my eyelids for a second. A few moments later someone came and said "Are you alright?". Hell, I was even sober, but nice to know that people are aware. Others here were surely sedated by either drink or drug.
Blessing my earplugs I finally got up and was ready for the next act who was to perform with Maâllem Mokhtar Gania. This was the third of four shows featuring New York's Bill Laswell. The Roskilde Festival had invited him to present one different show on each day. For this one he had also invited fellow bass player Jah Wobble and Iranian singer Sussan Deyhim.
I had come across Sussan Deyhim's work in an video art exhibition in the city of Aarhus earlier in the year. I never thought I would ever see her perform live. And now she was singing at Roskilde. What followed on the very crowded stage was another everlasting groove. A dub-soaked jam session where singers, musicians and dancers roamed around in this late night melting pot (it was 2 o'clock at night) - Jah Wooble laying down the repetitive basslines and Laswell putting his own fat strings through the wah-wah pedal.

Bill Laswell, the dub-loving bassman.

Le Grande Finale indeed
Sunday I started out sipping a bit of sound here and there. Ended up returning for more Bill Laswell at the last of his shows. This time it was his band Radioaxiom - with no click-clack Marocca stuff.
The recipe was similar to the night before: Jah Wobble laying down the groove and Laswell doing the wah-wah. Vocals were supplied by Sussan Deyhim and Gigi. Wobble changed the bassline three times during the 100 minute long one-song set.
The rest of the final day was to be a string of pearls. First off I went over to Yo La Tengo's who did a brilliant show. Quickly on to The Black Heart Procession almost before the last Yo La-note was finished. The pearls where close on that string.
The Black Heart Procession did a very good show, although they played many songs from the new album "Amore Del Tropico", which I don't think have the high standard of their previous releases. Luckily they played some "oldies" as well. Unfortunately I had to miss out on Queens Of The Stone Age, because they were playing at the same time. But that is just one of the many tough choices that festivals like this present.
Staying within the socalled 'Americana' genre I went off to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. Mr. Oldham had brought along a band and rearranged pretty much every song - which I found interesting, while others where complaining about it. Still, it would have been nice with a solo acoustic performance, but that would probably not have worked very well on any of the festival stages as even the small ones are fairly big.
In order to make it to the main stage in time for Björk I had to leave Oldham and miss out on the last few songs. But that was alright. Because Björk was the ultimate finale to a brilliant festival.
Being a big fan of Björk for many years I had become a bit bored with her lately. Maybe because her last album had sounded too "nice" in my ears. Her show at Roskilde made me believe in her brilliance once again - simple because it was obvious that with the new songs she presented that night she wasn't trying to please anyone but herself. Mashing and gnashing electronics and treated live vocals in perfect symbiosis with the Matmos crew and Icelandic String Octet on stage.
I kept thinking and saying "yeah!" and "yes!" simply because she was on fire. And so was the stage and the sky - with pyrotechnics and fireworks. Furthermore she presented several of her songs in different remixes. Among them "It's In Our Hands - Arcade Mix" which filled me with joy and made me dance around like a bloody raver!
Björk's show was the perfect end to Roskilde 2003 and also a testament to the power of music. And also - in retrospect - more or less a metaphor for the whole festival: A massive amount of input in a short span of time. But a sensory overload that felt good.
I think the pictures on this page speak for themselves: Everyone's invited! And don't forget to enjoy yourself!

Much relieved I concluded that Roskilde was finally back in shape. The balance between all the genres presented there was just right. Music to both 'rock out' to and to absorb in order to reflect on the world and yourself. Roskilde presented great artists not hellbent on pleasing everyone, but instead wanting to challenge an intelligent audience. What a relief from life in "the real world" outside the festival grounds - and some of the recent Roskilde Festivals.
Walking down the road away from Roskilde 2003 with my heavy backpack - that somehow felt lighter than usual - I looked back at my Mekka with a satisfied sigh and said:
- See you next year, Roskilde.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

Lars Kjær Dideriksen

Originally published at Supertanker, December 17, 2003

copyright