Le Guess Who?’s Who 2018: Sibusile Xaba

25 October 2018

There’s just two weeks to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Sibusile Xaba

Official Website

Performing Friday 9th November at TivoliVredenburg, curated by Shabaka Hutchings

With a mesmerizing voice, and guitar skills to match, Sibusile Xaba is one of the artists we’re most looking forward to seeing. The South African guitarist, songwriter and composer will bring to Le Guess Who? last year’s Unlearning /Open Letter to Adoniah, his otherworldly and moving debut double album, rooted in jazz and improvisation, inspired by dreams and paired with spirituality and ancestral invocation. When we asked Sibusile for his picks at the festival, he found it “challenging” to narrow it down to 3 from so many of his favourites. So here’s 4 of his recommendations:

 

Sourakata Koite

Performing Sunday 11th November at Theater Kikker

“Ever since I heard his sound/music I loved it, his tone and approach was very unique.
His instrument sounds very different, this draws me more to his music. “

 

BCUC

Bandcamp

Performing Thursday 8th November at TivoliVredenburg, curated by Shabaka Hutchings

“These are my homeboys and homegirl, I love their music, I think they are fantastic and they’re gonna rock Le Guess Who?”

 

Hello Skinny

Bandcamp

Performing Thursday 8th November at TivoliVredenburg

“This brother right here is one cat I’m looking forward to hopefully working with in the future, he plays the drums just like his personality, super cool brother. Im a big fan of his composition skills as well. Amazing amazing amazing.”

 

Nicole Mitchell

Official Website

Performing Thursday 8th November at TivoliVredenburg

“My friend Lesedi Ntsane who is a great trumpet player based in the USA introduced me to her music. Something about her music is godly.”

Le Guess Who? will take place 8-11 November. For the full line-up, tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And take a look at other artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2018: Orchestra of Spheres

19 October 2018

There’s just three weeks to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Orchestra of Spheres

Official Website

Performing Saturday 10th November at Kytopia, curated by Shabaka Hutchings

New Zealand’s Orchestra of Spheres have us under their spell for a long time now. An incredibly inventive and outlandish band, they explore and experiment with an array of influences and genres from all over the place using a selection of handmade instruments. The band’s eccentric and ecstatic live shows are something that truly must not be missed and have earned them fans everywhere. And as if we weren’t already excited enough to see them at Le Guess Who?, Orchestra of Spheres have a brand new album on the way, Mirror, releasing on November 2nd. Have a look at their recommendations for the festival, with a few words from the band’s Baba Rossa (aka Daniel Beban).

Nicole Mitchell

Official Website

Performing Saturday 10th November at TivoliVredenburg, curated by Moor Mother

“Chicago’s AACM has had a profound influence on creative Wellington musicians musically and philosophically. They don’t know it but we feel like they’re our brothers and sisters : ) Nicole Mitchell’s on of the great flutists currently working in the so-called jazz world.”

 

Pan Daijing

Official Website

Performing Sunday 11th November at TivoliVredenburg, curated by Moor Mother

“Very keen to check out Pan Daijin who’s got a particularly fresh way of working … somehow quite traditional and super avant garde at the same time.”

 

Lonnie Holley

Official Website

Performing Thursday 8th November at TivoliVredenburg

“Lonnie Holley’s album ‘Just Before Music’ was on constant rotate on one of our OOS tours a few years ago… so beautiful, gets under your skin.”

Le Guess Who? will take place 8-11 November. For the full line-up, tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And take a look at other artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2017: Tom Rogerson

07 November 2017

There’s only a couple of days to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Tom Rogerson

Facebook Page

Performing Friday 10th November at TivoliVredenburg

Photo: Mathew Parri Thomas

Staggeringly talented British composer and pianist Tom Rogerson has impressed us many a time with his creativity and technical skill behind the keys in Three Trapped Tigers, the trio he founded a decade ago. A prolific classically trained musician and gifted improviser, and a long-time presence in the London experimental/improv scene, Rogerson has played and collaborated in various other projects. His most recent venture saw him collaborating with Brian Eno, and Finding Shore is the fruit of it, the first album under his own name. Today he shares his thoughts on which acts he’s most looking forward to seeing at Le Guess Who?.

 

I could have picked from so many. I’ll be trying to watch Julianna Barwick, GAS, Steve Beresford,Tiny Vipers, Prurient, Ex Easter Island Head, Yves Tumor.

But here are my three:

Richard Youngs

Facebook Page

Performing Friday 10th November at LE:EN, curated by Grouper

“Singular vision and artistic courage. Very influential on me artistically, especially in relation to what’s ‘allowable’, how far you can take something. But I’ve never seen him live so this is a must-see.”

 

Visible Cloaks

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at Theater Kikker

“Bit of a highlight of the year so far, so much so that I bought the CD. We’re used to hearing these sounds in ironic contexts, but here it’s tactile and organic. Also the album seems very loose and live so I’m looking forward to seeing how/if they recreate that in performance.”

 

Matana Roberts

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at TivoliVredenburg, curated by Jerusalem In My Heart

“Coin Coin Chapter Three: River Run Thee
This album is basically one piece so it’s hard to pick a specific track. Incredible depth of vision and ambition, someone striving to push the form forwards while reckoning with its history. Confrontational, cathartic.”

 

Le Guess Who? will take place 9-12 November. For the full line-up, tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And take a look at other artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2017: Oiseaux-Tempête

03 November 2017

There’s less than one week to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Oiseaux-Tempête

Official Website

Performing Thursday 9th November at De Helling, curated by Jerusalem In My Heart

Photo: As Human Pattern

French collective Oiseaux-Tempête, the core duo of Frédéric D. Oberland and Stéphane Pigneul, released AL-‘AN ! الآن (And your night is your shadow — a fairy-tale piece of land to make our dreams) earlier this year and we fell completely for the album. Partly recorded in Beirut last year, it radiates and reflects its cultural diversity and social and political atmosphere. Euphoric and tumultuous, beautiful and urgent, enigmatic and emotive, their rich soundscapes also draw from their improvisational energy and genres aplenty, from post-rock and free-jazz to Arabic music and electronica. Today Frédéric and Stéphane tell us which three acts they’re most excited to see at the festival.

 

“So hard to pick up three names in this killer line-up! We could have chosen the 12hours drone feat. Jessica Moss, Yann Gourdon, Lea Bertucci, Ashtoreth… – Dälek – Linda Sharrock – Matana Roberts – or Alanis Obomsawin performing ‘Bush Lady’… These are three acts we might be in the audience shaking heads:

 

BIG I BRAVE

Official Website

Performing Thursday 9th November at Pastoefabriek

“Theses guys get everything a power-trio should be: direct and ecstatic, loud and graceful. Their last album ‘Ardor’, recorded by the mighty Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (Jerusalem In My Heart) is a total blast! We will miss their tour in France in the upcoming weeks so we are delighted to be able to see them live at Le Guess Who?!”

 

Pharmakon

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at EKKO, curated by Perfume Genius

“Behind the cure and poison oriented moniker and sometimes harsh sound, Margaret Chardiet questions the link between body, flesh and feelings.
It can be creepy, dark and scary, but it speaks also about hope and light hidden in the human nature.
We definitely won’t miss the fury and anger on stage, as we follow carefully her work recently.”

 

Ahmed Fakroun feat. Altin Gün

Ahmed Fakroun’s Official Website

Altin Gün’s Facebook Page

Performing Thursday 9th November at TivoliVredenburg

“The Lybian legendary crooner and multi-instrumentist Ahmed Fakroun meets the psychedelic vibes of Dutch-Turkish Altin Gün. Prepare yourself to dance.”

 

Le Guess Who? will take place 9-12 November. For the full line-up, tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And stay tuned for more artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2017: Julianna Barwick

31 October 2017

There’s just over one week to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Julianna Barwick

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at Academiegebouw, curated by Perfume Genius

Photo: Vera Marmelo

Julianna Barwick’s celestial soundscapes are flush with emotional and sonic depth. Known for her ethereal and immersive loop-based compositions, Barwick’s mesmerizing songwriting is deeply inspired by her church choir upbringing in Louisiana and Missouri. Needless to say we can’t wait to see her perform at Le Guess Who?, and we asked her which bands she’s most looking forward to.

 

Grouper

Bandcamp

Performing Thursday 9th November at Domkerk

“one of my favorite artists of all time
here is one of my favorite tracks”

 

John Maus

Official Website

Performing Saturday 11th November at at TivoliVredenburg

“also a favorite
one of my favorite tracks”

 

Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares

Official Website

Performing Thursday 9th November at Domkerk, curated by Perfume Genius

“i’ve been intrigued by them for many years, and can’t wait to hear them live!”

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2017: Tune-Yards

28 October 2017

There’s less than two weeks to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Tune-Yards

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at TivoliVredenburg

Tune-Yards always screams fun. The duo of Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner hadn’t released an album in three years but we can rejoice, for they have a new record on the way. I can feel you creep into my private life is due out in January and they have already teased it with a sparkling single. Bringing their dance-inducing music to TivoliVredenburg on the last day of Le Guess Who?, the festival will undoubtedly close on an explosive high note. We’ve asked Nate what other bands he is looking forward to. Find out his recommendations below!

 

Juana Molina

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at TivoliVredenburg

 

Shabazz Palaces

Official Website

Performing Saturday 11th November at TivoliVredenburg

 

Moor Mother

Bandcamp

Performing Friday 10th November at TivoliVredenburg, curated by Jerusalem In My Heart

 

Le Guess Who? will take place 9-12 November. For the full line-up, tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And stay tuned for more artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.