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roskilde
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An unequalled musical buffet in Denmark
Roskilde is ready with a preliminary full package of bands for this year’s festival.
After a hectic final phase, Roskilde Festival’s music bookers have finally gotten the main part of this year’s programme in place. Roskilde Festival 2007 is a year with new experiments and new artists, but there is also room for a couple of welcome revisits.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - photo: Michael Muller
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
PHOTO: MICHAEL MULLER
Stadium acts
An important part of Roskilde Festival is the big rush from the major acts. This year, Roskilde Festival enthusiastically opened its bag of treats by announcing RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (US) whose continuous popularity and relevance quickly made its impact on the ticket sale. BEASTIE BOYS (US), BJÖRK (ISL) and THE WHO (UK) supplement the collective boost in the sea of people.
The young go-getters
The best in new rock does not apprehend from a grandiose stadium outlet – a handful of today’s best young bands have lots of high-octane power in their tank, and their ascension will not waste a single drop. MUSE (UK), THE KILLERS (US), ARCADE FIRE (CAN), ARCTIC MONKEYS (UK), NEPHEW (DK) and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE (US) are all bands aiming at the outermost stratosphere, in each their own manner.
Rock legends and their heirs
Roky Erickson - photo: Stephanie Chernikowski
ROKY ERICKSON
PHOTO: STEPHANIE
CHERNIKOWSKI
Roskilde Festival’s programme is full of rock history. THE WHO (UK) casts long shadows, as does legendary ROKY ERICKSON (US) who has delivered the blueprint for lots of successive psychedelic rock and punk. Good examples on modern historically rooted rock are Scandinavian-based BIGBANG (N), THE LIONHEART BROTHERS (N) and MANDO DIAO (S). Furthermore, THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE (US) is a band that has gotten far using a thoroughly tested formula with a wonderful update of old 60s rock. The humorous and unpretentious approach to rock is found in the amusing and loveable hillbillies with HAYSEED DIXIE (US) and the male-centric garage rockers in EAGLES OF DEATH METAL (US).
Metal for all kinds of dispositions
Machine Head - photo: Alex Solca
MACHINE HEAD- PHOTO: ALEX SOLCA
Heavy sounds are widely available for all kinds of dispositions at Roskilde Festival. At one end of the spectrum, there is a band such as the immensely popular desert rockers QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (US). IN FLAMES (S), MACHINE HEAD (US), VOLBEAT (DK), ZYKLON (N), KATATONIA (S) and MASTODON (US) deliver abundant quantities of heavy metal. In the alternative end of this year’s metal programme, there are bands such as instrumental PELICAN (US), Danish THE PSYKE PROJECT (DK) and the Isis disciples in CULT OF LUNA (S). BORIS (JAP) is one of the more challenging takes on modern experimental metal, while DREAM OF AN OPIUM EATER (UK/N) delivers a first performance of an experiment where a handful of metal musicians accompany screenings of short horror films.
Indie rock for the masses
Wilco
WILCO
Indie is no longer an exclusive small ghetto for shy university students with too much time on their hands. Roskilde Festival’s indie acts have a wide appeal and can connect people across old boundaries. When PETER BJORN AND JOHN (S) is playing on the radio everybody whistles along, WILCO (US) have made a niche for themselves with their progressive shading of alt. country which lead singer Jeff Tweedy was part of creating. Naturally, it is still crowded off the beaten track – here are names such as THE NATIONAL (US), CAMERA OBSCURA (UK), GRIZZLY BEAR (US) COLD WAR KIDS (US), EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY (US), ANNUALS (US), ELECTRELANE (UK), TROST (D) and LONEY, DEAR (S).
Murder - photo: Whitenoise
MURDER - PHOTO: WHITENOISE
Scandinavian high summer
Lots of things are happening on the Scandinavian scenes, and as usual this is reflected at Roskilde Festival. THE BROKEN BEATS (DK), DÚNÉ (DK), THE KISSAWAY TRAIL (DK), MOI CAPRICE (DK), MURDER (DK) and OH NO ONO (DK) have all given plenty of reason for Danish optimism. The nearest neighbouring countries offer bands such as QUIT YOUR DAYJOB (S) and THE SOUNDS (S), and the popular singer-songwriter THOMAS DYBDAHL (N) delivers one of his warm and all-involving sets.
Dance, dance, dance
Basement Jaxx - photo: Jamie Beeden
BASEMENT JAXX - PHOTO: JAMIE BEEDEN
BASEMENT JAXX (UK) and TIËSTO (NL) are first class dance acts. The former defied the rain at Roskilde Festival in 2004 and created an unforgettable experience, and the latter fills up large venues with his positive and melodic house. To those who prefer dancing in smaller crowds, supplies are almost endless. NOSTALGIA 77 OCTET (UK) delivers splendid dance floor jazz, while NORTEC COLLECTIVE (MEX) mixes spiced-up mexicana with urban rhythms. The German Get Physical label brings some of its artists, so expect sexy and physical house tunes from BOOKA SHADE (D), M.A.N.D.Y. PATRICK (D) and DJUMA SOUNDSYSTEM (DK).
New rave – the new danceable rock
Klaxons
KLAXONS
Combining guitar and dance is nothing new. But with KLAXONS (UK) in the lead, guitar rock has certainly raised its game. If Klaxons did not invent the genre they certainly named it. James Murphy from LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (US) is probably a better suggestion for a new rave godfather – he has mixed disco, rave and post-punk long before Klaxons were discovered by the British media. Roskilde Festival has a powerful arsenal of music where guitar, bass and drums reflect in the mirror ball. All differences untold, CSS (BRA), 120 DAYS (N), NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB (UK), THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE (N/D), DATAROCK (N), GOOSE (B) and JEANS TEAM (D) have a common unsettled matter with the festival audience’s dancing shoes.
Cosmopol – the urban audio track of globalisation
The Congos
THE CONGOS
One of Roskilde Festival’s new stages has brought a long and varied line of artists along for its maiden voyage. Here you will hear hip hop, dancehall, baile funk, grime, R’n’B and much more. Roskilde Festival offers the great Ethiopian voice MAHMOUD AHMED (ETH), dub legends LEE SCRATCH PERRY & ADRIAN SHERWOOD (JAM/UK), modern afro beat from SEUN KUTI & EGYPT '80 (NIG) as well as classic roots reggae from THE CONGOS (JAM). The popular DJ DIPLO (US) is ready to top his own accomplishment after last year’s outstanding DJ battle with A-Trak, and UK garage label TRUE TIGER (UK) offers up some of the best grime and R’n’B you can find at the moment. Of course, the interior has to match the music, so look forward to a hectic environment with inspiration from the big city clubs and street life. Roskilde Cosmopol accommodates 6,000 people so there will be enough room for every kind of performer in the new urban tent.
Hip hop
Beastie Boys
BEASTIE BOYS
Naturally, hip hop has an essential place in any attempt to recreate the modern big city, and BEASTIE BOYS (US) is without a doubt one of the programme’s – and the world’s – biggest hip hop names. But there is plenty of cutting-edge hip hop to turn your cap toward, apart from the headliner. DIZZEE RASCAL (UK) is one of England’s prime talents with his fierce grime hip hop, STONES THROW RECORDS (US) will demonstrate their supply of artists, and the two underground stars, TALIB KWELI and JEAN GRAE (US), share the stage.
In addition, there will be gangsta rap by CLIPSE (US), Scandinavian beats from BOOTY COLOGNE (DK), CAMILLE JONES (DK), MAPEI (S) and SUSPEKT (DK) – and in the spirit of Cosmopol there is world-orientated hip hop such as TIMBUKTU & DAMN! (S) and K'NAAN (SOM) on the programme as well. GADENS HISTORIE (DK/S) is a piece of hip hop total theatre with Danish Per V at the front, which will tell the story of the asphalt music’s birth in The Bronx and its path into the clubs.
Astoria – intimacy at day and high-pressure boiler at night
Kal
KAL
Astoria is devised as a Janus head of sorts. In the daytime you will typically find soft and slightly more hushed acts such as TUNNG (UK) or electronica acts such as MATMOS (US), whose fragile sophistications could quickly drown in a larger arena. CARION/SVIN: BLOWBEAT (DK), MAHER SHALAL BAZ (JAP), BADUN (DK) or other more artistically experimental projects will also have a perfectly receptive room with this new stage. Astoria produces closeness and intimacy between artists and audience through audience stands and lighting that will make the experiences at Astoria stand out from the other stages. The new setup lets the audience to digest the music in a way that will honour the wealth and versatility of the expressions of the multifaceted bands. At night, Astoria transforms into a club stage of energetic party discharges – a transformation that is managed by way of special lighting that conveys a sliding and seamless transition to the club scene at night. On one of those nights, you can experience an electronic club party, and on another night Astoria transforms into a true Balkan blast with sparkling FANFARE CIOCARLIA (ROM), French remix-ethnographer DJ CLICK (F) and gypsy rock’n’rollers KAL (SER).
Beirut - photo: Danelle Manthey
BEIRUT
PHOTO: DANELLE MANTHEY
The Balkans
The Balkans and Eastern Europe are represented in the general programme through interpreters such as BEIRUT (US), A HAWK AND A HACKSAW (US), who have a foot in the indie scene, but fell in love with Eastern Europe’s special feel for exotic melancholy and fables. In addition, the exiled musicians in DARKO RUNDEK & CARGO ORKESTAR (INT) call upon the festival.
Brazil
The football-loving Brazilians are echoing their national team – they have started to define the pace on the musical turf as well. On the new rave scene, CSS (BRA) are one of the hottest names, and from the Brazilian ghetto comes baile funk with the ardent live unit BONDE DO ROLE (BRA). SONIC JUNIOR (BRA) is a talented loner who creates the musical counterpart of a walk through São Paolo with some electro beats, a dash of samba and funk rhythms.
World music in a new setting
Kasai Allstars
KASAI ALLSTARS
World music is currently undergoing rapid development. It is moving out of the protected settings and into the cityscape to prove that it is both willing and able. Roskilde Festival wishes to reflect this development, which is why the traditional Ballroom names can now be experienced on most of the festival’s stages alongside the other artists. KASAI ALLSTARS (DRCON) bring their hypnotic and dirty trance from Congo, BURAKA SOM SISTEMA (PT) come from Angola via Lissabon’s slum districts, and BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA (MALI) play blues from the North African desert. Also, there are Caribbean-Indian sitar-tones from MUNGAL PATASAR & PANTAR (TRI) whose sweetish and mildly jazzy delirium transmits to the listener in no time. All these names are pioneers of a world music that is not afraid of taking the outside world and the west by the horns through their musical expression.
Japan conquers Roskilde Lounge with gentle folk pop
Tenniscoats
TENNISCOATS
The Lounge part of the festival will as always be a place where you can withdraw and take up a calm and chilled atmosphere far away from the pumping beats of the large stages. As a special treat this year, Roskilde Festival has invited an entire collective of Japanese pop minimalists. Swing by Roskilde Lounge and let TENNISCOATS (JAP), NIKAIDO KAZUMI (JAP), KAMA AINA (JAP) and NIKA SOUP AND SAYA SOURCE (JAP) caress your ears. Their fragile and wafer-thin folk-pop will be a solace to the soul that needs a little peace and intimacy between two concert blow-outs on Orange Stage.
Pavilion Junior – the stage for Nordic upcoming acts
Gorilla Angreb
GORILLA ANGREB
As always, Pavilion Junior is an exciting sample of the depths of Scandinavian talent pool. This year’s programme is almost a distilled version of the entire festival in general, as Pavilion Junior offers up hip hop, punk, indie, metal, singer-songwriters, the Balkans and rock. Two bands on this year’s Junior programme come from the now-defunct Ungdomshuset – this is meant as a small, sad farewell gesture from Roskilde Festival to a house that both created and provided a setting for a lot of exciting music. The entire Pavilion Junior programme is as follows: 1 2 3 4 (DK), ANALOGIK (DK), AS IN REBEKKAMARIA (DK), ATOI (DK), CHOIR OF YOUNG BELIEVERS (DK), DEATH BY KITE (DK), DECORATE. DECORATE. (DK), DETEKTIVBYRÅN (S), THE DOWNWARD CANDIDATE (DK), THE FLOOR IS MADE OF LAVA (DK), FOREST & CRISPIAN (S), GORILLA ANGREB (DK), HIGHWAY CHILD (DK), KASPER SPEZ (DK), KLOAK (DK), LAZEE (S), HØGNI LISBERG (FO), MARYBELL KATASTROPHY (DK), MIT NYE BAND (DK), SORT STUE MED PIRATKOR (DK), TRANSMISSION LOW (DK), TURBOWEEKEND (DK) and UNGDOMSKULEN (N).
― djmartian, Thursday, 19 April 2007 14:43 (nineteen years ago)