Sunday I went to the last day of the Le Guess Who festival visited the new Tivoli Vredenburg and I quite enjoyed the following artists:
Owen Pallet
Anyone who has tried it even once will agree that the violin is an incredibly hard instrument to get the hang of. Realising Owen Pallett has studied classical violin from the age of three and wrote his first composition at 13 is equally astounding as it is explanatory. Seeing Pallett on stage using just his violin and a loop pedal to build elaborate harmonies is a mesmerizing sight to behold. Being not just a singer-songwriter in his own right but also a composer for various string sections, Pallett has collaborated with many of indie pop’s finest such as Arcade Fire, Beirut and Grizzly Bear.
A self-described “patchwork of sound snippets”, the unique signature of tUnE-yArDs is accomplished by creating a drum loop layered with vocals, ukulele, bass and a colorful palette of found sounds. Their debut album BiRd-BrAiNs was completely self-recorded, produced using a hand-held voice recorder and released on recycled cassette tapes and as a pay-what-you-want digital download. The surprisingly soulful mix of sounds gradually found its way to the hearts of music lovers around the world. Now, five years later, tUnE-yArDs has collaborated with producers Malay and John Hill, best known for their work with M.I.A., resulting in a more accessible and focused third full-length.
Annie Clark picked up on the life of a professional musician when she learned to play the guitar and worked as the tour manager for her uncle’s band during her teenage years. Later she would go to the Berklee College of Music and release an EP with a couple of fellow students before dropping out. She joined Sufjan Stevens’ touring band in 2006, and released her own debut album a year later. Unexpected success with critics and mainstream recognition followed, and while she’s not afraid to explore many different sounds, styles and instrumentation, there’s always her soothing voice to guide you through her intricate songwriting.
Anyone who has tried it even once will agree that the violin is an incredibly hard instrument to get the hang of. Realising Owen Pallett has studied classical violin from the age of three and wrote his first composition at 13 is equally astounding as it is explanatory. Seeing Pallett on stage using just his violin and a loop pedal to build elaborate harmonies is a mesmerizing sight to behold. Being not just a singer-songwriter in his own right but also a composer for various string sections, Pallett has collaborated with many of indie pop’s finest such as Arcade Fire, Beirut and Grizzly Bear.
Suuns hardly need an introduction. Their dissonant art rock is widely renowned for their unparalleled implementation of dark electronic elements and paranoid drone-noise which, especially in a live setting, completely washes over you and fills the room. Together with long time friend Radwan Ghazi Moumneh of Jerusalem In My Heart they rented a studio for seven days for a collaborative session, resulting in a set of vibe-laden songs full of heavy analog synths, Arabic influences and emotive electronics. The recordings were laid to rest for a full year, before two shows in 2013 and a final rework of the album in the summer of 2014 kickstarted the project back to life. Their live show, which varies from soothing and slightly disturbing to enthrallingly vigorous, is not about playing the songs note for note but more about capturing the excitement those initial sessions.
A self-described “patchwork of sound snippets”, the unique signature of tUnE-yArDs is accomplished by creating a drum loop layered with vocals, ukulele, bass and a colorful palette of found sounds. Their debut album BiRd-BrAiNs was completely self-recorded, produced using a hand-held voice recorder and released on recycled cassette tapes and as a pay-what-you-want digital download. The surprisingly soulful mix of sounds gradually found its way to the hearts of music lovers around the world. Now, five years later, tUnE-yArDs has collaborated with producers Malay and John Hill, best known for their work with M.I.A., resulting in a more accessible and focused third full-length.
St. Vincent
Annie Clark picked up on the life of a professional musician when she learned to play the guitar and worked as the tour manager for her uncle’s band during her teenage years. Later she would go to the Berklee College of Music and release an EP with a couple of fellow students before dropping out. She joined Sufjan Stevens’ touring band in 2006, and released her own debut album a year later. Unexpected success with critics and mainstream recognition followed, and while she’s not afraid to explore many different sounds, styles and instrumentation, there’s always her soothing voice to guide you through her intricate songwriting.
