Le Guess Who? is celebrating its 14th edition this year with a bold and monumental program. With just under two months to go until the musical extravaganza kicks off throughout Utrecht, the organisers have now revealed the full line-up. The last cluster of acts features 70 new exciting performers including Suuns, Jessica Moss, Aksak Maboul, tenniscoats, Chúpame El Dedo, claire rousay, and many more.
After enticing us with a plethora of magnificent curators and artists announcements over the last few months, including many of our favourite artists and bands, Le Guess Who? has now unveiled the full line-up for its 14th edition running from November 11th-14th in a multitude of idyllic venues scattered throughout the quaint city of Utrecht.
Newly added to the general line-up is legendary experimental pop group Aksak Maboul who returned last year with Figures, their first album in 40 years, Indian American composer Arushi Jain, popular singer of Frafra gospel from Ghana Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy and Suuns, the Canadian band who boasts excellent musicianship, reflected and augmented on live shows and who have just release their new album, The Witness, earlier this month. Also enriching the general line-up will be the soulful and energetic sounds of Lyra Pramuk, the library music and kosmiche compositions of Samuele Gottardello aka Blak Saagan, French psych duo The Limiñanas and the mesmeric folk-pop of singer/songwriter Shannon Lay whose new album, Geist, arrives next month. Berlin / Manchester duo Space Afrika will bring their evocative and experimental soundscapes to Le Guess Who? as will University Challenged, the trio of Ajay Saggar (“Bhajan Bhoy”), Oli Heffernan (“Ivan The Tolerable”) and Kohhei Matsuda (“Bo Ningen”).
Elsewhere on the curated programs, there are also plenty of thrilling additions. Don The Tiger, the project of Galician musician Adrián de Alfonso, who has played with the likes of Lydia Lunch, Mark Cunningham, Robert Forster and Carla Bozulich, the tropical and intense rhythms of Colombian duo Chúpame El Dedo, featuring members of The Meridian Brothers and Romperayo and Typhonian Highlife, the project of mysterious experimental musician Spencer Clark will all join the bill curated by Lucrecia Dalt.
The mesmeric and compelling compositions of brilliant and ingenious violinist, vocalist and composer Jessica Moss, the gospel and R&B sounds of South London based singer and producer Klein, and Ice Balloons, the Brooklyn noise supergroup of Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio), Sean Powell (The FuckEmos), Giselle Reiber (Midnight Masses), and Rob Bryn (Wild Yaks) join Matana Roberts’ curated bill.
Curator John Dwyer has also invited Meril Wubslin, the Swiss trio who describe themselves as ‘two guitars, two voices, rhythms and trance’, Japanese heavy psych rock band DMBQ and the cosmic fusion of electronic music with folk and jazz of London-based Caribbean-Belgian composer, producer and musician Nala Sinephro.
Phil Elverum’s curated program will host the gorgeous melodies of American folk singer-songwriter Mariee Sioux and the beautiful and unique sounds of Tokyo’s pop duo tenniscoats.
There’s more special projects newly lined up for this year’s edition including Portuguese Tia Maria Produções, a sublabel of contemporary dance music label Príncipe Discos, presenting Bboy, Dj Danifox, Puto Márcio and Lycox, Dutch label Knekelhuis presenting De Ambassade, Jean-Luc, Patricia Kokett, Reymour and Spill Gold, and British underground punk label La Vida Es Un Mus showcasing Kohti Tuhoa and Taqbir. Uncloud presents will host shows from Near Stoic, Mark IJzerman & Sébastien Robert present As Above, So Below and experimental musician claire rousay, who in addition to an album released this year, kept herself busy last year releasing 9 full length albums and 10 additional singles, 12″s and Eps.
Head over to leguesswho.com to take a look at the complete list of phenomenal performers added. 4-Day Festival Passes for Le Guess Who? 2021 have now sold out but limited day tickets are still available so if you want to embrace the diverse, daring and dazzling musical experiences Le Guess Who? will offer, hurry up!
