roadburnfestival

Roadburn: Essential Sounds 21.12.18

December 21, 2018

With Christmas just around the corner, we toyed with the idea of a festive themed playlist, but ultimately decided against it. Christmas isn’t for everyone – but music very definitely is!

True to form, the playlist is mostly comprised of new discoveries, but this week it kicks off with an old favourite. Seven years ago today, David Gold died, leaving behind his final – at that point, yet to be released – album, in the shape of Woods of Ypres’ Woods 5: Grey Skies and Electric Light. This time of year always makes me think of David, so here’s one of my favourite tracks from the album.

Unless some serious festive inspiration strikes us next week, then this will be the final Essential Sounds playlist of 2018. It’s been a trip!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the playlists over the past six months or so, if you’re yet to subscribe, please feel free to do so.

-Becky Laverty

If you’d like to seek out this week’s tracks elsewhere, here’s the info you’ll need:

Woods of Ypres – Alternate Ending (Earache Records)

Great Falls – Not-For-Sale-Bodies (Self release)

Choral Hearse – Better Kill The Flies (Self release)

Ed Schrader’s Music Beat – Seagull (Carpark Records)

Volcano – Naked Prey (Tee Pee Records)

Cult Leader – To: Achlys (Deathwish Inc)

Vera Sola – New Nights (Spectraphonic Records)

Maarja Nuut – Haned kadunud (Fat Cat Records)

Myrkur – Bonden og Kragen (Relapse Records)

by roadburnfestival

Roadburn: Essential Sounds 14.12.18

December 14, 2018

As is becoming something of a tradition, we have turned our weekly playlist over to one of the artists we have just announced to play Roadburn 2019. Step forward Mat McNerney of Hexvessel.

We’ll present it a little differently to usual, as Mat has been good enough to write a few lines for each track detailing why he picked them.

It’s a gloriously eclectic mix and we hope you enjoy it as much as we have. Over to Mat…

Jóhann Jóhannsson – Sand (Lakeshore Records)

Such a tragic loss and waste of a supremely talented man when he left this world. His score to Mandy was so perfect. The movie sucked me up into the bowels of it’s hellish black hole.
The music stayed in my mind long after. This track is like a hungover Sunn O after they’ve taken the wrong acid.

The Dead Tongues – Ebb and Flow (Psychic Hotline)

I got this recommended by Nate Newton from Converge. He always knows what’s what. Such wistful and lonesome music. I love to listen to their album when I travel. It really becomes a landscape. The landscapes really sing out with this record.

Emma Ruth Rundle – Races (Sargent House)

My wife got me into Emma Ruth Rundle, saying she cried so hard when seeing her play live. She took me out to see her play on a rare date night and I totally sobbed through gritted teeth. I think you can relate if you’ve had troubles growing up, being the outsider. She’s painfully honest in her songwriting. Her songs have reached a new nadir with this deeply dreamy album and I think the she’s going to break the world’s heart into pieces.

Necros Christos – Temple VII They and all that belonged to them went alive into Shoel (Sepulchral Voice)

One of my favourite death metal bands of all time. I had to use one of their intros, because they have the best intros in the universe. I think one of the members of Arktau Eos, who also make very ominous intros, had something to do with the intros on this record. As one of the members of Blasphemy once famously said about Arktau Eos, “what could be more evil than making an album of only intros!”

Obliteration – Tumulus of Ancient Bones (Indie)

This is from their latest and best album so far. They totally own that Norwegian deathmetal style that Darkthrone kicked off with Soulside Journey and Goatlord. The drumming is off the charts. Absolutely crushing. If I am going to put one deathmetal track in this list, this is it.

Johnny Greenwood – Alma (WEA)

Mr Greenwood’s soundtracks have become so devastatingly good. His command of the minimal classical style he builds up and weaves so masterfully is putting him up there with the greats like Sakamoto and Glass. We share the same violin player (Daniel Pioro plays in Hexvessel and also works with Johnny Greenwood), and through the degrees of separation I often hope that some of Johnny Greenwoods magic talent would somehow drift my way, captured on a small wind of dust from our violin players jacket when he turns up to our session. This is such a beautiful piece of music that shows restraint and deep emotional understanding.

Jeremy Dutcher – Essuwonike (Self release)

What is this? I have no idea. It’s so massive and grand and almost too much for my ears to take in. Jeremy Dutcher is apparently an indigenous Canadian who uses his post-classical rearrangement of traditional First Nations music to preserve their language and culture. Now with groups like Hexvessel playing Roadburn, folk music and culture is a big talking point into 2019. Here I love the idea of seeing roots through a modern lens for a new understanding and appreciation of the past. The music was great without that knowledge, but it’s even more compelling with it.

Thom Yorke – Susperium (XL)

The most beautiful song of 2018 in my opinion. The lyrics are almost unbearably sad and apocalyptic. These are dark times. “Know tomorrow’s at peace”

The Thought Gang – Woodcutters From Fiery Ships

I adored The Thought Gang from Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me. Now we get to hear the whole album. I live for spoken word jazz weirdness like Ken Nordine, Waits and Childish/Ming. Lynch is of course the master of terrifying hilarity. I’d laugh if I wasn’t so afraid of those woodcutters rubbing their hands up and down my walls . . .

Tropical Fuck Storm – Chameleon Paint

Henrik Palm, who plays RB 2019 recommended me this band. Henrik really knows music. He’s one of those trusted music freak friends who will always have a good list for me. I am so excited to see and hear him play Roadburn. But on to Tropical Fuck Storm. What a band! Like my love for Virus and Captain Beefheart just had children. So hard to put this band in any category. They’re out there with The Residents.

Adrienne Lenker – Terminal Paradise

This song destroys me. The lyrics are just beyond amazing. I’d write more about it but just thinking about it makes me cry.

Terminal

We both know

Let me rest, let me go

See my death become a trail

And the trail leads to a flower

I will blossom in your sail

Every dreamed and waking hour

Anna Von Hausswolff – The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra

The song that’s on everyone’s playlist right now! And rightly so. Another artist my wife got me into (she has the best taste, so I always steal music from her). We saw her live in Strassbourg and she killed it. She came into the audience and sang to a girl who was absolutely crumpled with emotion afterwards. It was really powerful. I love how the song starts like it’s going to be a Lee Hazlewood song and then just goes totally ape shit like she’s channeling fiery angels of heavenly fury. Dead Magic was one of my favourites this year and I can’t wait to see her reduce Roadburn to a pile of crumpled emotions.

Haley Heynderickx – Show You A Body

This has been my morning song, with a coffee. I like seeing the light come over the gardens and light up the frosty ground with the swells of piano. Hayley Heynerickx is such a strong songwriter and I love her lyrics and honesty. This album has been of of those personal treasures for me this year.

Hekate – Totentanz

I love this song by Hekate. It has a real Jocelyn Pook vibe. There’s something very sinister and “ancient Germanic” about it. I feel like I have been trapped in an ancient Bavarian burial mound with some possessed occult priests, hellbent on calling up the spirits of some long lost forgotten Teutonic warlords.

Bryan Ferry Orchestra – Reason or Rhyme

I cheated, because this is from 2017. But it’s from Babylon Berlin, which was the greatest televisual spectacle of the year 2018. Nothing blew my world apart in film and music the way that series has. And Bryan Ferry is one of my biggest vocal influences, so to see him there and hear his mark on this soundtrack was something special for me. His voice on this track sounds achingly emotive. He has aged but he hasn’t lost any of his power.

by roadburnfestival

More names announced for Roadburn 2019; Grails, Hexvessel and more

December 13, 2018

TOMAS LINDBERG’S THE BURNING DARKNESS

Grails are set to return to Roadburn exactly ten years after they performed at Neurosis’ curated event, Beyond The Pale back in 2009. We’re thrilled to announce that they’ll be making a return to join us in Tilburg – once again as a result of an invitation from our curator.
Read more HERE

FONTÄN
“The whole vibe of Fonta reeks of folky, trippy melancholia, in the most unsentimental way. This is something that could easily have been produced by Brian Eno in his prime.” says Lindberg of his choice.
Read more HERE

THE EXORCIST GBG
One of three Gothenburg based bands in this latest announcement, Lindberg describes THE EXORCIST GBG as: “a mind and time bending electronic psych experience, with a serious funk dance groove, like the legendary Goblin on dangerous cult-ritual-inducing drugs.”
Read moreHERE

URAN
When Tomas Lindberg describes a band as Sweden’s best kept secret, it’s time to start paying attention. He comments of URAN: “Imagine the heaviest psych, in a street fight with the most hypnotizing Stooges riffs, with an electronic Kraut edge and a monstrous Hawkwind presence.”
Read more HERE

HEXVESSEL

Hexvessel‘s new album, All Tree, will be released in February and the sole track released at the time of writing gives a tantalising glimpse of what to expect. It’s considered, haunting and – quite honestly – downright beautiful.

Prepare yourselves for some pin-drop moments amongst some soul shaking sonic shifts: Hexvessel are back!

Third commissioned project for 2019 announced; Maalstroom

The third and final commissioned piece for Roadburn 2019 is a collaboration between a seething mass of up and coming – not to mention, vitally important – Dutch black metal bands. The project is titled Maalstroom and will unite over a dozen musicians from Laster, Verwoed, Witte Wieven, Turia, Fluisteraars, Grey Aura, Terzij de Horde, Folteraar, Nefast – and more.

Roadburn has showcased slivers of this innovative and burgeoning scene in previous years, but never before has such a heavy and accomplished array of Dutch musicians gathered together under one banner.

Exclusively for Roadburn Festival, Maalstroom will compose and perform a piece that spans five movements, with an evolving line-up of performers embellishing an ambient backdrop. This is not merely a show, nor a ritual; it is a current to be dragged along by.

Maalstroom is possible thanks to the continued support of the City of Tilburg and Brabant C.

Read more about Maalstroom HERE.

As well as participating in MAALSTROOM the following bands will perform their own sets at Roadburn Festival 2019:

Laster – read more HERE
Terzij De Horde – read more HERE
Witte Wieven – read more HERE
Dodecahedron –HERE
Turia – read more HERE
Nusquama – read more HERE

by roadburnfestival

Day Tickets on sale, December 13 at 8pm CET

December 11, 2018

Day tickets will be on sale this Thursday, December 13 at 7pm GMT / 8pm CET / 2pm EST.

4-day tickets are all sold out, 3-day tickets are running low.

We’ll also have a few bands to announce this week too – so stay tuned!

by roadburnfestival

Audio Streams For Earthless, Greenmachine, Motorpsycho, Sange de Muerdago and More Posted On Line

December 7, 2018

It’s time for yet another clutch of audio streams from Roadburn 2018. Spanning everything from Earthless’ residency (including the much acclaimed East Meets West Jam) to Motorpsycho and Sangre de Muerdago’s unique Calician folk tales – we’ve got it all right here.

As ever, we’re indebted to Marcel and Torture Garden for the audio, and to VPRO 3voor12 for hosting these streams.

Dive in, and listen to the audio streams for: Earthless, Earthless & Damo Suzuki, East meets West Jam (Earthless & Kikagaku Moyo), Greenmachine , Motorpsycho, Occvlta, Sangre de Muerdago, Spotlights, Vampillia, Watter and VMO.

Producer:

Marcel van de Vondervoort (Spacejam Records / Torture Garden Studio)

Pre-production:
Robert de Lorijn (Spacejam Records)

Roadburn Festival audio engineers:

Robert de Lorijn (Astrosoniq, Spacejam Records)
Michiel Ferweda
Matthijs Herder
Han Pannekoek (Spacejam)
Marcel van de Vondervoort

by roadburnfestival

Essential Sounds: 7.12.18

We’re not quite at the end of the year, but a playlist as stressful as this can’t take place too close to Christmas. As much of a pleasure as it may be to spend hours sifting through the mountains of music that’s come our way over the last twelve months, it’s also an ordeal. How do you choose which to keep on the list and which to discard?! No, there’s no good reason to have that kind of anguish sapping our festive spirit.

We roped in a couple of contributors to shift some of the stress from our shoulders to theirs; so thank you Jose, Brent, Davy, Jo, Gijs. They were restricted the number of tracks they could pick and those strict parameters yielded some fantastic results.

Some bands are best appreciated in album form, and some can create stand alone firecrackers, we get that. So, consider this list as a guide to the artists that we have been diggin’ the most throughout the year and the tracks we feel represent them the best.

A few of these tracks will have popped up on other playlists through the year, and many of the artists will be familiar to you already, we’re pretty sure of that. So, this week’s playlist is perhaps one that is not so much about discovery, but a little more about reflection. 2018 has been an incredible year for music, and having had a few sneak peeks of what 2019 has in store, we have no doubt that this time next year we’ll be feeling the same anguish as we whittle down the pile once again.

-Becky Laverty

If you’d like to seek out the tracks elsewhere, here’s the info you need:

(In a bit of a switch-around to how these are normally listed, this week’s is SONG – BAND – ALBUM)

Marijuanaut’s Theme – Sleep – The Sciences

Don’t You Dare – Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit

Maldoror’s Love – Årabrot – Who Do You Love

Not Enough – Louise Lemón –

Satan In The Wait – Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want

Shockwave City – Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats – Wasteland

Beauty In Falling Leaves – YOB – Our Raw Heart

Denial – Pijn – Loss

Way Ahead – Mythic Sunship – Another Shape of Psychedelic Music

Kim – Sherpa – Tigris & Euphrates

The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra – Anna von Hausswolff – Dead Magic

For My Crimes – Marissa Nadler – For My Crimes

Fireworks – First Aid Kid – Ruins

Believe – Amen Dunes – Freedom

Vacant – Zola Jesus – Okovi: Additions

Baby I’m Bleeding – JPEGMAFIA – Veteran

Sickly Heart of Sand – The Body – I have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer.

Revenge Porn – Svalbard – It’s Hard To Have Hope

The Hammer – Thou – Inconsolable

Fever Dreams – Emma Ruth Rundle – On Dark Horses

Control – A.A.Williams –

Pynk – Janelle Monáe feat. Grimes – Dirty Computer

Face The Fire – Boy Harsher –

Hvernig kemst ég upp? – Kaelan Mikla – Nott eftir nott

Exil – TERRITOIRE – Alix

Heriwalt – Iskandr – Euprosopon

This Unabating Wakefulness – Mizmor

by roadburnfestival

Roadburn: Essential Sounds 30.11.18

November 30, 2018

While we’re working really hard behind the scenes on the 2019 festival, this week’s extended playlist is full of little discoveries, as we need to rejuvenate ourselves too!

If you want to seek out the tracks elsewhere, here’s the info you’ll need!

Twin Temple – Sex Magick (Self-Release)

First Aid Kit – I’ve Wanted You (Columbia Records)

Louise Lemón – Not Enough (Icons Creating Evil Art)

Lingua Ignota – Holy is the Name of My Ruthless Axe (Profound Lore)

Lana Del Rabies – Vicious End (Deathbomb Arc)

Mirrors For Psychic Warfare – Tomb Puncher (Neurot Recordings)

Randall Dunn & Frank Fisher – Something About That Night (Self-Release)

Street Sects – 269 Soulmates (The Flenser)

Harglow – Bloody Fuck (Burning Witches Records)

Public Memory – The Line (Felte)

Grivo – Render (Holodeck Records)

Fotocrime – The Rose and the Thorn (Auxiliary Records)

New War – Get in the Boot (It Records)

The Oscillation – Drop (Fuzz Club Records)

Fontän – Bardo (Höga Nord Rekords)

Kikagaku Moyo – Dripping Sun (GuruGruru Brain)

Second Sun – Enda Sunda Människan i Världen (Gaphals)

MONO – Breathe (Pelagic Records)

Cloud Rat – Holding The Picture (Moment of Collapse Records)

Holy Fawn – Dark Stone (Whelmed Records)

by roadburnfestival

Second commissioned project for 2019 announced; MOLASSES will debut at Roadburn

November 27, 2018

MOLASSES

It’s time to redefine a bond that never ceased to ascend. Loosen the valve and let the blood flow!

A little over ten years since The Devil’s Blood made its live debut at Roadburn Festival, something was stirring once again in the souls of many of those involved in pulling that first performance together. Of course, the intervening years contain enough life lived to fill several tomes, much of which is already documented elsewhere, whilst many chapters remain sealed.

After The Devil’s Blood ceased to be, Selim Lemouchi went on to form Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies, releasing the spellbinding album Earth Air Spirit Water Fire album. Shortly after the release of the album, Selim started to cancel shows, rejecting interviews and metaphorically closed the door to the outside world. He died by suicide on March 4, 2014. Six weeks later, Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies played their final show at Roadburn Festival, assembled in a semi-circle with Selim’s spirit palpable at the centre. Those that knew him would have sworn to his presence, those that admired him recognised the imprint of his life’s work.

The last track on Earth Air Spirit Water Fire, titled Molasses, has lent its name to a burgeoning project. An ensemble bound together by a unwavering thread, a shared bond and a definitive presence in their lives. The fragmented pieces of The Devil’s Blood are piecing themselves back together, bereft of a very specific physical form but enriched by his spiritual company.

Farida Lemouchi, Oeds Beydals, Job van de Zande, and Ron van Herpen – all former members of The Devil’s Blood – are joined by kindred spirits, Marcel van de Vondervoort of Astrosoniq, Bob Hogenelst (Birth of Joy) and Matthijs Stronks (Donnerwetter) to form MOLASSES.

More additions for Roadburn 2019 (Loop, Sumac and Emma Ruth Rundle among others)

November 16, 2018

TOMAS LINDBERG’S THE BURNING DARKNESS

LOOP are no strangers to Roadburn – they headlined the 2014 edition of the festival. The psych titans split in 1991, reforming in 2013 and cementing themselves as legends of the scene – and amongst other activities, brought their glorious technicolour to the Roadburn stage. We’re thrilled to welcome them back for a special, one off show as part of Tomas Lindberg’s curated event, The Burning Darkness on Friday, April 12.

Lindberg comments: “I expect to see you all in the front row for this one. I have goosebumps already.”

April 11-14 - 2019