Festival’ 2014

On October 10 and 11 the annual Skaņu Mežs Festival for Adventurous Music and Related Arts will take place in the Daile concert hall (Kr. Barona street 31) in Riga, Latvia.

The 12th edition of Skaņu Mežs is a part of the official program of Riga being the European Capital of Culture 2014. It is going to be characterized by a subtle balance between the electronic and the acoustic, the improvised and the tightly woven, the obvious and the abstract. These contrasts will be reflected both in the program of the festival as well as within particular performances. Such a perspective will be taken upon in order to defend the idea that progress and innovation in music is dependant foremost on bold ideas and flexible language, not just technology.

Skaņu Mežs is a founding member of the European network of festivals E.C.A.S. (European Cities of Advanced Sound) as well as I.C.A.S. – its international version.

It is recognized as the largest experimental and adventurous music event in the Baltic states.

Tickets can be bought at www.ticketservice.lv and cost EUR 20 per day or EUR 30 for both days.

Line-up and sequence for 10th of October (starts at 20:00):
If, Bwana
Okkyung Lee
Keith Fullerton Whitman
Wadada Leo Smith, John Edwards, Mark Sanders
Marissa Nadler
Phil Minton & Audrey Chen
Insect Ark

Line-up and sequence for 11th of October (starts at 20:00):
Blixa Bargeld solo vocal performance
Robert Henke (a.k.a Monolake) – Lumière
Gas of Latvia + Katrīna Neiburga
Innode
Andy Stott
Xeno & Oaklander
Hypnos a.k.a Martinez Gonzalez

Free Workshops to take place in Latvian Academy of Music, 1 Kr. Barona street:

October 10, 12:00
Masterclass of free improvisation with Wadada Leo Smith in collaboration with TMU and Embassy of the United States.

October 10, 14:00
Artist talk by composer Keith Fullerton Whitman about composing for analogue electronic instruments in collaboration with TMU and Embassy of the United States.

The program of Skaņu Mežs will feature a solo vocal performance by Blixa Bargeld and a live presentation of audiovisual piece „Lumière” by Robert Henke (Monolake) as well as performances by singer-songwriter Marissa Nadler, synth-pop duo Xeno&Oaklander, experimental techno producer Andy Stott, improvisers, such as Wadada Leo Smith, finalist for Pulitzer prize in music 2013, bass player John Edwards, drummer Mark Sanders, cello player Okkyung Lee, vocalists Phil Minton and Audrey Chen, also Innode – the electronic/acustic project of musicians from Radian, Elektro Guzzi and Pan.American, as well as many others.

Skaņu Mežs’2014 is supported by EU programme “Culture”, Riga City Council, Latvian State Endowment for Arts (VKKF), Trust for Mutual Understanding, US embassy in Latvia, iRobot, LaserAnimation Sollinger, L’Institut français Lettonie, Ministry of Culture Republic of Latvia, Goethe-Institut Riga.

Mass media support: Mūzikas Saule, Rīgas Laiks, Kultūras Diena, TVNET, Delfi, Boom.fm, NABA, Latvijas Radio, Radio NABA, VETO Magazine, Satori.

Festival’ 2014

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