Le Guess Who? reveals full line-up for its 20th anniversary edition with Horse Lords, Bitchin Bajas, Bleak Squad, Henri Texier Quartet, Nirosta Steel and many more added

02 September 2026

With Le Guess Who?’s 20th anniversary edition getting ever closer, the Dutch festival has just announced another exciting batch of artists joining an already sprawling and staggering programme. Taking place from November 5th – 8th in Utrecht, the latest announcement brings new additions to the curation of Tropical Fuck Storm and aja monet, alongside a wealth of artists joining the general line-up. Two decades into its existence, Le Guess Who? continues to create one of the most adventurous and visionary programmes anywhere.

This year’s monumental edition is curated by Tropical Fuck Storm, aja monet, KMRU and Los Thuthanaka, who each bring their own perspective to Le Guess Who?, enriching it even more. They are joined by an already remarkable line-up featuring the likes of Tortoise, Juana Molina, H31R, Radwan Ghazi Moumneh & Frédéric D. Oberland, Shabaka, OOIOO, Holy Tongue, Arsenal Mikebe ft. HHY & Valentina Magaletti, amongst many others.

Newly added to Tropical Fuck Storm’s curated bill is Bleak Squad, the Australian supergroup featuring Adalita, Mick Harvey, Mick Turner and Marty Brown. With members of Dirty Three, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Magic Dirt and Art of Fighting among them, there’s a lot of history packed into this lineup, and their 2025 debut album Strange Love gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect.

aja monet’s bill also expands with some thrilling new additions. Brooklyn-based collective Alsarah & The Nubatones, led by Sudanese singer, songwriter and ethnomusicologist Alsarah, will bring their spellbinding blend of Nubian musical heritage, East African rhythms and contemporary soul, exploring migration, diaspora and cultural memory through what they describe as “East-African retro-pop”. Also joining aja monet’s bill is Cody Chesnutt, the Atlanta-born R&B and neo-soul musician whose music blends elements of rock, funk, soul, hip-hop and blues. After a 13-year hiatus, Chesnutt is back with his new project MAKING SCIENCE SIMPLE. Palestinian rapper, singer and producer Shadia Mansour, known as the “First Lady of Arabic Hip-Hop” is now also added to her bill. Performing primarily in Arabic, Mansour’s work has long been connected to identity, heritage and political resistance, and her appearance adds another important voice to aja monet’s curation.

Moving onto the general line-up, we could not be more excited to see Horse Lords returning to Le Guess Who?, having previously been lucky to witness the Baltimore quartet deliver one of the most exhilarating performances of the 2022 edition. Earlier this year they released one of our absolute favourite records of the year, Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!, which sees the band continuing their wildly imaginative and rigorous approach to music, combining polyrhythmic grooves with their command of microtonality through prepared instruments. Also returning to Le Guess Who? are Bitchin Bajas, the Chicago trio of Cooper Crain, Rob Frye and Daniel Quinlivan, whose warm, hypnotic and beautifully immersive music has conquered our hearts a long time ago. Their latest album Isle Peaks is another beautiful example of what they do so well, and we can’t wait to sink into one of their immersive live sets again. Appearing today on the bill is Okkyung Lee presents gyeol, a brand-new work created in collaboration with Le Guess Who? and Bozar. The South Korean cellist, composer and improviser has spent more than two decades developing one of the most distinctive approaches to her instrument, moving between improvisation, noise, jazz, contemporary composition and the traditional and popular music of her homeland. For gyeol, Lee enters into dialogue with South Korean instruments including the gayageum, haegeum and daegeum. Amidst the new exciting additions to Le Guess Who?’s 2026 line-up is Craven Faults, the project of elusive and mysterious Yorkshire-based producer, who has built an extraordinary body of hypnotic, durational electronic music, drawing on kosmische, drone, dark ambient and techno, as well as always being connected to the landscapes and industrial history of northern England. Martina Camargo will bring the ancestral traditions of Colombian tambora to the quaint and historic city of Utrecht. One of the most important voices in this Afro-descendant tradition from the Magdalena River region, Camargo’s music carries generations of cultural knowledge and her energetic live performances, combining singing, dancing and rhythm, are a delightful celebration of Colombia’s Caribbean heritage. Nirosta Steel, the stage name of Scottish-American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steven Hall and a frequent collaborator of Arthur Russell, is one of the newly announced names that have caught our eye. His recently released My Skyscraper is a fascinating collection gathering recordings made across roughly four decades, moving between art-folk, leftfield disco, experimental synth-pop, dub, funk and Balearic house. The line-up for this year also includes a collaboration between Roy Montgomery & Martha Skye Murphy. The New Zealand composer and guitarist and London-based vocalist first connected after Murphy included one of Montgomery’s songs on a mixtape, eventually discovering a shared musical language and even the same Tascam recorder. Their collaborative album Nebular explores layering, multitracking and imperfection, bringing their two very different practices together in a remarkably intimate way. Japanese audiovisual artist Ryoichi Kurokawa will present his immersive work combining experimental electronic sound with abstract imagery, while Polish quartet Tercet Imperial reinterpret traditional obereks, mazurkas and archaic wedding songs through synthesizers, electronic beats and influences from Africa and India, and Amsterdam-based The Ensemble of Cultural Approximation (T.E.C.A.) will bring their “shroombia”, combining cumbia, Latin rhythms, brass, percussion, psychedelia and experimental sounds. Portuguese psych-rockers Black Bombaim & Earthless guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, who have previously collaborated in some truly memorable live encounters, will reunite again for what promises to be one hell of a ride. There’s plenty more on offer across the festival, including legendary French jazz ensemble Henri Texier Quartet, Melbourne/Naarm artist Jess Ribeiro, Rio De Janeiro troubadour, guitarist and songwriter Leo Middea, the experimental electronic cumbia project of Colombian musician and producer Iván Medellín Conjunto Media Luna, British-Nigerian composer, vocalist and electronic music producer Tony Njoku, Devon Rexi, ęmí: freedomsong by Rohan Ayinde and Tayo Rapoport, and multi-disciplinary performance Pitch, Pigeon, Puerta, the project of Dominican producer and musician Kelman Duran, East-German born and Finland-based musician, artistic researcher and composer AGF, Puerto Rican movement artist Kianí del Valle and visual artist Theresa Baumgartner.

There’s more special projects newly lined up for this year’s edition including a series of performances presented by Radio Alhara and Wonder Cabinet, including BETHLEHEM, a mourning sound piece bringing together sacred choral tradition and experimental electronics, featuring Lawrence Sammour, Sary Moussa and Abed Kobeissy, as well as a special collaboration between Mai Mai Mai and flutist and yargul master Osama Abu Ali and a solo performance from Lebanese producer and multi-instrumentalist Fadi Tabbal.

With the final names now announced, the line-up for Le Guess Who?’s 20th anniversary edition is complete and as always, there is an abundance of music we already love, alongside plenty that we simply cannot wait to discover. Le Guess Who? continues to prove that it is far more than a festival, it is a meeting point for artists, communities, cultures and ideas; a place where traditions can be honoured while being completely reshaped, where the unexpected is actively encouraged and where discovering something you have never heard before can be every bit as exciting as seeing one of your favourite artists.

4-Day Festival Passes and Friday passes for Le Guess Who? 2026 have now sold out but remaining day tickets are still available so hurry up and head over to leguesswho.com.

Jeremiah Chiu to release new album, Edge Conditions, in October

28 August 2026

Photo: Brian Guido

Los Angeles-based composer, synthesist and multi-media artist Jeremiah Chiu has announced his new solo album Edge Conditions, due out on October 9th through International Anthem. Following his recent records with Marta Sofia Honer and his work with SML, as well as his 2023 solo album In Electric Time, the forthcoming album finds Chiu bringing together several sides of his musical practice into his most expansive solo statement yet. Written and recorded mostly earlier this year, Edge Conditions draws on new compositions alongside field recordings, live collaborations and material going back several years, with contributions from Marta Sofia Honer, Booker Stardrum, Ben Lumsdaine, Patrick Shiroishi, Takako Minekawa, Marquis Hill and Will Miller of Resavoir.

As the press release describes, Edge Conditions is “the first full-frame look at Chiu as a composer”, moving beyond the more immediate and experimental approach of his previous solo record and giving his ideas more room to develop. The album title comes from the architectural idea of an “edge condition”, a space where different environments meet, which Chiu found fitting for a record shaped by boundaries and limitations. As he puts it:

“Thematically, the idea of an architectural edge condition came to mind during the process of making this record as it, too, felt like a practice bound by (environmental) restrictions, or boundaries.”

Ahead of the album’s release, Chiu has shared ‘Plastic Mind / Elastic Machines’, a gripping and entrancing two-part track featuring vocals and field recordings from Takako Minekawa and drums from Booker Stardrum. Speaking about it, he comments:

“‘Plastic Mind / Elastic Machines’ was truly the guiding beacon for the entire record. Prior to rediscovering this track, I imagined an album with a more defined ensemble that was less drum-centric. Once I heard this, I felt drawn to follow this direction and let it take me wherever it was headed.”

The single comes accompanied by a hand-drawn animated video by Korey Martin, who also designed the album cover. Chiu had this to say about it:

“Korey’s artwork holds visual resonance for what I was trying to create—something analog, abstract, and beautiful, but with some tension and energy that felt like the music. His repetitive visual motifs create a hypnotic quality that perfectly accompanies the song.”

Watch the video for ‘Plastic Mind / Elastic Machines’ below.

Nicole McCabe and Savannah Harris preview upcoming collaborative album, All Together Now, with new single ‘Monstera’

27 August 2026

Photo: Audrey Melton

Nicole McCabe and Savannah Harris have joined forces for All Together Now, a new album that brings the alto saxophonist and drummer together for the first time as a duo. The album arrives on September 18th through Spencer Zahn’s Sudden Quarterly, and it’s a perfect pairing between two musical innovators in the jazz world. Recorded between Los Angeles and Brooklyn over the summer of 2025, All Together Now gives both musicians room to explore different sides of their sound. McCabe’s saxophone and Harris’ drums move between melody, rhythm and open space, with both musicians taking turns leading and supporting each other.

Following the lead single ‘Lonely People’, the pair have now shared the album’s gorgeous and effervescent opening track ‘Monstera’. Speaking about it, McCabe says:

“‘Monstera’ feels like new life; flourishing, swirling, and growing from the ground up. The playful intensity of this composition’s motifs and melodies expand across the song as Savannah’s drums guide us through the embellished saxophone themes.”

Take a listen to ‘Monstera’ below.

Listen to Nate Mercereau’s new single ‘Accelerator’

20 August 2026

Photo: Alyssa Mercereau

Last month, Nate Mercereau announced his new album Fantastic Thoughts, and shared the album’s radiant and jubilant title track. Described by Mercereau as “Active New Reality Progressive Fusion”, the record is a wild meeting point of progressive rock, jazz fusion, electronic experimentation and improvisation, with influences ranging from Yes, The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jimi Hendrix to Robert Fripp, Jon Hassell, Squarepusher and Pat Metheny.

Following that first taste he has now shared the euphoric and propulsive ‘Accelerator’, yet another reason to be excited about Fantastic Thoughts. Speaking about it, Mercereau says:

 “music IS a Possible Reality Accelerator, I can go into ideas and feelings beyond words with music. I can go anywhere at any time. The rhythms, chords, melodies and self-samples in this music are Accelerators into the transcendent reality of the most radiant thoughts and feelings.”

Listen to ‘Accelerator’ below and grab the album when it’s out on September 11th through Leaving Records.

Erica Tucceri shares first glimpse into upcoming debut album Route 96

20 August 2026

Melbourne/Naarm has long been home to a rich crossover of jazz, soul, funk and experimental sounds, and Erica Tucceri has been part of that world for some time. A brilliant flautist, composer and producer, she has lent her talents to many artists, including Surprise Chef, ZFEX, Don Glori and Alexander Flood. She first presented her work as a bandleader and composer at the 2024 Melbourne International Jazz Festival, and has since relocated to London. Now Tucceri has announced her debut album, Route 96, due out on November 27th through DeepMatter Records. The album sprouted from the seeds of an usual chapter in her life. During Melbourne’s Covid lockdowns, she was working as a tram driver, and it was during those shifts that many of the album’s ideas began to take shape. What started as melodies and fragments recorded on her phone eventually became a full record, drawing on her memories of Melbourne and the sounds of everyday life in the city. She comments:

“This album is what happens when you leave a moonlighting musician alone in the drivers cabin of a Melbourne tram for a few years. The compositions took shape while I drove. Influenced by the city around me, I’d sing ideas into my phone at the end of my shift, tying the fabric of the music to the sights, sounds and memories of the city. My only rule: if it was catchy enough to have remembered throughout the shift, it was worth capturing.”

Musically, Route 96 brings together jazz, percussion-heavy grooves, broken beats, psychedelia and dancefloor rhythms, with Tucceri’s flute at its centre. The album also features Lewis Moody on keys and production, Ziggy Zeitgeist on drums, Matthew Hayes on bass, and percussionists Ray Pereira and Javier Fredes.

Alongside the album announcement, Tucceri has shared the first single, ‘Grazzie Ragazzi’, a buoyant and rhythm-led track that draws from the feeling of a packed dancefloor and a particular night at Section 8, where the crowd seemed to move together as one. She explains:

“I will never forget the way the energy of the whole room turned. It was heaving. Everyone in the space turned to face the stage, the band were on fire and the dance floor went completely nuts, almost as one. I’ve spent many a night at Section 8, but I’ve never seen that again.”

Listen to ‘‘Grazzie Ragazzi’ below.

Echoes of Zoo unveil ‘Higher Levels’ from upcoming third album Collective Intelligence

19 August 2026

Photo: Alexander Deprez

Echoes of Zoo are gearing up to release their third album, Collective Intelligence, arriving on October 2nd through Rebel Up! and Zephyrus Records.. Led by founder and saxophonist Nathan Daems, alongside Bart Vervaeck, Lieven Van Pée and Falk Schrauwen, the Belgian quartet continue to refine a distinctive musical language that draws from jazz, psychedelic rock, dub, African rhythmic traditions and adventurous improvisation. Collective Intelligence takes inspiration from the ways animals coordinate as swarms, herds and flocks, using that natural intelligence as both a musical starting point and a hopeful call for humans to cooperate, communicate and face global challenges together. Daems comments:

“The collective intelligence that we’re after is reflected in the music in a direct way – by the way we play together and how we function as a band. When we play together, we act as one. We can only be a good band if we display a form of sophisticated collective intelligence.”

Following ‘Flock Logic’, the album’s exhilarating first single, which grew out of the band’s time touring Brazil in early 2024, Echoes of Zoo have unleashed a second single, the effervescent ‘Higher Levels’. The title draws directly on the album’s wider fascination with animal communication and coordination, as Daems explains:

“The title points to the sophisticated ways animals communicate and coordinate as one, to what we casually call telepathy, though that label says more about our own limits than what’s actually possible in nature.”

He adds:

“On this tune, we channel our love for the bittersweet melancholy of West African highlife, then push it into new territory with quarter tones — notes between the usual 12 pitches of piano and guitar — and time-stretched grooves that sit between strict mathematical subdivisions.”

Listen to ‘Higher Levels’ now.