Festival Focus

Pitch

The festival season is upon us, again. Wear sunglasses despite the forecast saying wear a poncho. Drink till you collapse in a ditch. Eat unidentified meat in pita bread at 4am. Lose your friends ten times in one day. Carry people on your shoulders because those pills you took are making you feel like Goliath. The things we do to listen to great music, right? Here’s a little insider knowledge on who’s really worth checking out at Pitch Festival this year. And please don’t wash your hands in the urinals.

04-05 July – Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam

Kelela

Those who like to dance to some Aaliyah, Erykah Badu and TLC in their bedrooms will be in for a treat when they hear the fiercely-cool R&B of Kelela Mizanekristos. With a list of collaborations that include Arca, Nguzunguzu, Evian Christ and, most recently The xx, this Ethiopian American artist is destined for more than just great things.

Saturday, 5 July, 19.00-19.45, Transformatorhuis

Cloud Boat

Tom Clarke and Sam Ricketts of Cloud Boat are the new musical existentialists of our time. Following the roaring success of their first album, the duo are now opening a new chapter with their newest release, Model of You, a richer, heavier and more adventurous take on their sophisticated post-rock and electronic beats.

Saturday, 5 July, 15.00-16.00, Transformatorhuis

Sevdaliza

From the Netherlands by way of Iran, Sevdaliza will be cranking up the bass with her dark, sexy, primal beats and sultry vocals, adding to the surging wave of alt-R&B championed by the likes of FKA Twigs, Arca and How To Dress Well. The recent release of some very sexy videos and tracks can only mean that more exciting material is coming our way from this mysterious artist.

Friday, 4 July, 15.30-16.15, Westerunie

Shigeto

Shigeto means ‘to grow bigger’ in Japanese. It’s also Zach Saginaw’s middle name, which he’s definitely lived up to with his vividly beautiful electronic music that was born in the American Midwest and has now travelled with him to NYC and London. Be sure to explore the constellations of smooth, restrained electronic compositions of this cool dude on a cool summer night this year.

Saturday, 5 July, 16.05-16.55, Westertent