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20
James blake
@ L’ ancienne
Belgique
on 21 st November
Proving once again that soft
is the new loud, 22 year old
London-based James Blake
has taken the world by storm
with his minimalistic, pareddown
productions and
sweet-scented vocals. Fragile
yet sharp, Blake’s self-titled
2010 debut became one of
the most acclaimed album
releases of 2010, placing
his sound somewhere
between new-age Soul and
Electronica. What Brian
Eno would sound like had he
been born in the year 2000.
Plays Amsterdam
(Paradiso)
on 22 nd November
Plays London
(HMV Forum)
on 30 th November
The horrors
@ L’ ancienne
Belgique
on 8 th December
Four years after the
release of their debut
album, The Horrors have
developed from a rather
experimental gothicinfluenced
garage-rock
band with ridiculously
big hair into a matured,
more mainstream-pleasing,
wide-reaching outfit whose
most recent album ’Skying’
even made it into the UK
Top 5 album charts. Think
cold 80s synth sounds,
psychedelic rock and
excursions into shoegaze.
Play Paris
(Bataclan)
on 7 th December
Play Amsterdam
(Melkweg)
on 11 th December
come Truise
and Nosedrip
@ Charlatan
on 23 rd November
American Seth Haley’s
electronic solo project with
the comical stage name –
based on a spoonerism of
Tom Cruise – produces
enthralling chill-wave
tunes tilting towards 80s
computer music, electronic
funk and a heavy load of
synthesizers. Something of
a harder-nosed Dam Funk.
With as supporting act
Belgium’s Nosedrip (think
The Gaslamp Killer), the
night promises to be heavy
on the bass and high on
emotions.
caribou
Vibration
ensemble
@ Vooruit
on 8 th December
Besides the highly acclaimed
studio album ’Swim’ –
who hasn’t danced to this
summer’s electro pop anthem
’Odessa’ – the champions
of new disco released a live
album featuring a rather
unlikely collaboration:
Caribou performed together
with the so-called Vibration
Ensemble in New York
including a number of other
great musicians such as
Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden,
a choir, several horns and
various drummers. Don’t
miss the rare opportunity to
see the Caribou Vibration
Ensemble perform together
in Ghent!
Play London (Scala)
on 7 th December
The diary
The pick of gigs to come
Suuns
@ VK
on 24 th November
Probably the darkest
(and loudest) thing to
come out of Canada, the
four-piece known for its
intense live shows offers
a hypnotic, pitch-black
sound characterised by
pulsating beats, howling
sirens, shouting guitars and
lead singer Ben Shemie’s
whispering vocals.
Gloomy but nonetheless
dancefloor-worthy, this
will delight the fans of Can
and Talking Heads alike.
Play London
(Scala)
on 22 nd November
Play Paris
(Maroquinerie)
on 23 rd November
battles
@ De Kreun
on 8 th December
Battles’ math-rock, sharp
and unforgiving, has an
intensity to it not unlike
the last couple of seconds
just before a tornado. Their
music exudes a sense of
menace, not really through
their compositions but
more through the band’s
on-point delivery. Listen
to their latest album, Gloss
Drop, and you’ll know
what we mean. Battles don’t
fuck around, even without
a charismatic front man.
Play London
(HMV Forum)
on 21st November
panda bear
@ Botanique
on 28 th November
Noah Lennox, Animal
Collective ringleader, has
more than a trick under his
sleeve. Having surprised
Collective fans with his solo
project Person Pitch four
years ago, he’s now back with
his latest baby, Panda Bear.
Effortlessly reconciling
experimental electronica
with retro-style psychedelic
rock, Lennox continues to
create timeless, subliminal
chill-wave soundscapes
that delight in their depth.
Supported by New York
underground cult band
Gang Gang Dance, this one
promises to be colourful.
Plays Paris
(La Gaîté Lyrique)
on 29 th November
Plays London
(Electric Ballroom)
on 1 st December
Thurston
Moore
@ Vooruit
on 13 th December
He isn’t as angst-ridden
as he was in his earlier
years (he plays acoustic
now, publishes literary
works and actually looks
fifty) but, although Noise
legend Thurston Moore
has mellowed-out quite
a lot lately, he retains the
same mystic and intensity
that elevated his cult band
Sonic Youth to legendary
status. With his latest
album, Demolished
Thoughts, produced by
Beck, the night won’t be
as wild as it once would
have been.
Plays Paris (La
Gaîté Lyrique) on 11th
December
Plays Amsterdam (De
Guif) on 12th December
andy butler
(dJ set) &
Jeremy glenn
@ Vooruit
on 2 nd December
Having done more than
anyone in bringing some
disco cool back to the
dance floor with his
Hercules & Love Affair
crew, Andy Butler has
since become the unofficial
spokesman for a generation
of nostalgic club music
lovers. Playing a DJ set
and supported by Jeremy
Glenn (We Play House),
expect a night of suggestive
danse moves and sexy-hot
dance grooves.
friendly fires
@ Botanique
on 15 th December
It’s been three years since
Friendly Fires first popped
up on our radar with their
self-titled debut album. In
May of this year, the UK
band released its follow-up
album, Pala, which proved
its worth in sonic layering
and distances the band
from its earlier days of
’danceable rock’. Think
Klaxons but with more
soul. Think Azari & III but
with more percussions and
live instruments.
Play Amsterdam
(Melkweg) on 16th
December
Play Luxembourg
(Kulturfabrik) on 17th
December
das racist
@ Trix
on 7 th December
Das Racist have carved
out a nice little niche for
themselves in the hip hop
world with their blend of
insider jokes and off-track
references. They’re funny,
they’re smart and, what’s
more, they actually can
rap. What’s more, they’ve
attracted the attention of
hip hop heavyweights, with
Company Flow front man
El-P name-dropping the trio
whenever he’s got a chance
to. Jokes and beats, what
more could you want really?
Play London
(Xoyo)
on 1st December
Play Paris
(Le Point Ephémère)
on 6th December
Play Amsterdam
(Sugar Factory)
on 8 th December
Stereo Mcs
@ Trix
on 18 th December
We all grew up with Stereo
MCs’ groovy blend of
dance-rap, with songs like
Step it Up and Connected
topping our nineties
playlist. Back with its
latest album Emperor’s
Nightingale, the boys
might not pack the same
punch as before, but we
still wouldn’t’t miss the
chance to catch these
crossover legends.