not in the flight of thought but in the act alone is there freedom…

“At the other end of the spectrum the debut performance of Ancient Methods and Cindytalk’s collaborative project In The Mouth Of The Wolf on the opening night at the Hotel Forum was further evidence that the current vogue for hard-edged industrial-influenced techno doesn’t have to end up into a narrow, reductive cul-de-sac. While many on the moribund fringes of that scene like to flirt with the aesthetics of the far right this is a pummelling yet un macho tribute to the anti-Nazi White Rose Movement’s Sophie Scholl, Gordon Sharp prowling the stage, singing and twirling her hands as Ancient Methods’ Michael Wollenhaupt hangs onto his laptop for dear life as the bass threatens to send it flying.” Luke Turner, The Quietus

* *
* IN THE MOUTH OF THE WOLF LIVE AT UNSOUND FESTIVAL KRAKOW OCTOBER 20th 2016 *
* *

Unsound is active around the globe this year as part of its Dislocation project, exploring the collapsed relationship between periphery and centre, the shifting idea of borders, and the specificity of place. The theme carries through Unsound’s Krakow edition, which takes place between 16-23 October. Passes go on sale today, May 30 at 2pm CEST, via Ticketpro. Individual tickets to events will go on sale later, when the full program is announced.

A number of unique projects are connected to locations in Central Asia, the Caucasus and remote regions of Russia, where the festival is producing events in 2016 and 2017, such as MORITZ VON OSWALD collaborating with Bishkek-based Kyrgyz band ORDO SAKHNA, presented with the Goethe-Institut. Poland’s STARA RZEKA will collaborate with SAMO, a traditional band from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Samo will also play a solo show. Further Dislocation collaborations related to Georgia and Russia will be announced soon.

PC Music signee FELICITA has been commissioned to create a new work in collaboration with traditional Polish dancers. Felicita will be synthesizing traditional choreography and costume with new music to create a hypnotic multimedia experience; the concept stems from Felicita’s childhood education in traditional dance and continuing interest in folk culture, national identity, tourism, branding, illusion, and farce.

MATMOS take a different approach to the exploration of space in their ensemble performance of ROBERT ASHLEY’S “Perfect Lives”, an opera for television set in the American Midwest. Joining them will be a string quartet from Krakow’s SINFONIETTA CRACOVIA, co-presenters of this show. One of the definitive text-sound compositions of the late 20th century, “Perfect Lives” explores bank robbery, cocktail lounges, geriatric love, adolescent elopement and more.

J.D TWITCH (OPTIMO) will present a unique DJ set devoted to the music of MUSLIMGAUZE, who died in 1999. One of the most singular figures in experimental music, his massive discography explores conflicts in the Middle East, especially the Israeli-Palestinian situation. Offering an entirely different perspective is Iran’s SOTE, whose abstract, polyrhythmic constructions built on modular synth strive to create “the other sound” – music without a specific culture.

Headliners with special shows include Australia’s SEVERED HEADS, crucial to the post-punk/post-industrial dance music of the 80s. This is their first European appearance in many years, and the band’s TOM ELLARD will give an artist talk, as well as launch on online installation during Unsound called TREASURE MAP 2 exploring location/dislocation.

In another unique event, FOREST SWORDS will premiere material from his upcoming record, which develops further the fascinating mix of dub, experimental sounds and dance on his critically acclaimed debut. The music will explore the uncomfortable, unnerving and occasionally ecstatic dislocation between our inner and outer worlds.

Taking synthesis in fascinating directions is KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH with her beloved Buchla Easel synth and KARA-LIS COVERDALE, a Canadian church organist creating post-sacred music with VST instruments. Kara-Lis will perform with Unsound resident visual artist MARCEL WEBER aka MFO, in a collaboration initiated via Unsound Toronto, to create a digital cemetery in which the show takes place.

Indonesia’s SENYAWA weds local traditions with avant-garde practices in stunning ways, with original timbres created using custom-made modern-primitive instruments. They will perform a “regular” set earlier in the week, as well as a new collaboration with RABIH BEAINI in Hotel Forum named KAFR, inspired by the common ground between Lebanese and Indonesian cross cultures, the electronic influence of modern Western music and the power of structured and improvised stage qualities.

Club music from Durban comes in the form of gqom, a raw, minimalist form of South African house music, heavily repetitive and wildly energetic. NAN KOLÈ, the Italian founder of the GQOM OH! Imprint, will perform, bringing with him one of the scene’s best representatives, DJ LAG, for a European tour that kicks off at Kraków’s Hotel Forum.

As part of Dislocation and extending its historical relationship to footwork, Unsound will also explore the genre’s long-lasting impact across the northern hemisphere, including Central and Eastern Europe as well as Asia. FOODMAN is a Japanese producer who transcends dance music rules, radically deconstructing the genre’s framework. Emphasising even more direct connections, Chicago footwork pioneer TRAXMAN is set to play b2b with DJ FULLTONO from Tokyo, along with Wroclaw’s PAIDE, a DJ connected with the Polish Juke collective. More to come.

Two of the most important British voices of recent years will appear at Hotel Forum. Continuing a connection with Unsound, Dean Blunt’s new project BABYFATHER buries emotional delivery below a chaotic mixture of mangled loops, cacophony, groovy basslines and noise, while GAIKA’s highly political mixture of dancehall, grime, R&B and hip-hop pitches itself against police brutality and British colonialism, taking street music to the next level.

Also from the UK, ROLY PORTER returns to Unsound in the wake of his crushing Tri Angle LP “Third Law”, performing with MFO. RAIME are just about to drop “Tooth” on Blackest Ever Black, their most rhythm-driven release yet, and following a debut Unsound Toronto show will perform in an extended lineup including percussion. Darkly hued electronics are also a specialty of Poland’s ANNA ZARADNY, fresh after the release of her “Go Go Theurgy” album, bringing in an intricately woven tangle of textures and modulations.

A similar industrial palette will be taken to club by ANCIENT METHODS and CINDYTALK premiering live their IN THE MOUTH OF THE WOLF collaboration, as heard on their recent Diagonal EP. Also on the bill are ORPHX, Canadian duo of Rich Oddie and Christina Sealey, who this year release an album and reissues of their early cassette releases. They also play Unsound Toronto.

Weimar’s GIEGLING was a small student club that transformed into one of techno’s most cherished and soulful labels, and Unsound is bringing two of its key figures – EDWARD and KONSTANTIN. Meanwhile, Minimal Wave Records’ VERONICA VASICKA will present a long overdue Unsound set.

Baltimore band HORSE LORDS are also set to appear, presenting their latest album “Interventions”, exploring an expressive musical language of minimalistic structures and textures created via instruments and electronics, blurring Western African music and avant-garde rock. In contrast, Poland’s LOTTO explores minimalism by nursing repetition of simple chords in a very slow, patient fashion.

Unsound will announce the discussion and screening program simultaneously with the music program this year. Australian writer JOHANNES KLABBERS will not only give a lecture/performance using a method developed by John Cage in 1958, but will be Unsound’s first ever resident posthumanist therapist, offering one-on-one sessions on the topic of Dislocation. More information on how to apply for sessions can be found on Johannes’ website.

Note: Unsound would like to thank everyone who submitted a proposal for the Dislocation call for entries. The outcome will be announced soon.

Don’t forget: Weekly and Long Weekend passes go on sale today at 2pm CEST. Weekly Passes will cost 385 PLN (approx. 87 EUR), Long Weekend Passes (Thur-Sun) will cost 325 PLN (approx. 73 EUR).

ANNOUNCED LINEUP SO FAR

Performance:
Anna Zaradny (PL)
Babyfather (UK)
DJ Fulltono b2b Traxman (JP/US)
DJ Lag (ZA)
Edward (DE)
Felicita (UK/PL)
Foodman (JP)
Forest Swords (UK)
GAIKA (UK)
Horse Lords (US)
In the Mouth of the Wolf (Ancient Methods & Cindytalk) (DE/UK)
J.D Twitch (Optimo) plays: Muslimgauze (UK)
KAFR (Rabih Beaini & Senyawa) (LB/DE/ID)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (US)
Kara-Lis Coverdale & MFO (CA/DE)
Konstantin (DE)
Lotto (AU/DE/PL)
Matmos presents Robert Ashley’s “Perfect Lives” feat. Sinfonietta Cracovia quartet (US/PL)
Moritz von Oswald & Ordo Sakhna (DE/KG)
Nan Kolè (IT)
Orphx (CA)
Paide (PL)
Raime (UK)
Roly Porter & MFO (UK/DE)
Samo (TJ)
Senyawa (ID)
Severed Heads (AU)
Sote (IR)
Stara Rzeka & Samo (PL/TJ)
Veronica Vasicka (US)

Installations:
Treasure Map 2 – Tom Ellard

Talks:
Johannes Klabbers – “How Can A Posthumanist Be?”

Much more to come!

The collaboration between Moritz von Oswald and Ordo Sakhna is commissioned by Unsound, Goethe-Institut Almaty and Goethe-Institut Krakow. It is presented at Unsound Krakow by Goethe-Institut and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany as a part of the ŚWIETUJEMY jubilee on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the The Polish–German Treaty of Good Neighbourship and Friendly Cooperation.

Stara Rzeka is supported in 2016 by the SHAPE platform, co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. His collaboration with Samo is commissioned by Unsound and Goethe-Institut Tashkent.