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New names for 14 th L.E.V. Festival

14/02/2020.- After a first announcement to confirm the show by Squarepusher playing his long-awaited new album Be Up a Hello, as well as concerts by Japanese artist Ryoichi Kurokawa and Oval premiering their respective new works, we add three legendary name to the Festival’s bill, which will take place in Gijón from April 30 to May 3: Atari Teenage Riot, µ-Ziq and Cristian Vogel.

Alec Empire returns to the L.E.V. universe, this time as Atari Teenage Riot, one of the most renowned names in the history of electronic music. This project was born of Berlin’s hacker and anarchist techno scenes of the nineties, and many years later it’s still breaking down barriers thanks its discourse. A digital take on the punk spirit, with an overwhelming live act.

Chilean artist Cristian Vogel has been on the forefront of European electronic scene for more than 25 years. He is also a remarkable remixer and producer, who has worked with bands such as Radiohead, Chicks on Speed, or Thom Yorke. We will be able to enjoy his always groundbreaking and unclassifiable work at this year’s L.E.V.

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Martin Messier, Kathy Hinde, Zone W/O people and Lucie Antunes at Teatro de La Laboral

Teatro de La Laboral, the venue which hosts the Festival’s most interesting and modern audiovisual acts, will see the world premiere of Martin Messier‘s new work. The Canadian artist’s project, Echo Chamber, is inspired by the ultrasound machine, and tries to help us to see the invisible while probing beneath the surface of the tangible. The echo chamber rumbles, vibrates and pulsates to map our subconscious.

Kathy Hinde will premiere Twittering Machine, which renders John Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale in Morse code, and then reinterprets it sonically, while we listen to birdsongs (hence the tweet reference) treated with different effects. The result serves as a reminder of how technology can overrun the natural.

The project Zone W/O People by Krampf is a video game with a soundtrack also written by the artist, transforming the traditional live act format into an unusual experience: a game played in real time.

Besides, artist Lucie Antunes will bring us the most emotional and organic electronica. Sergei, the new and sophisticated work created by this percussionist, reveals a new and particular take on dance music: instrumental, percussive creations made with vibraphones, marimbas, drums, modulars, bells, vocals and Martenot waves.

U-Ziq, Ziúr and John T. Gast: Planet Mu label arrives at L.E.V.

Mike Paradinas, also known as µ-Ziq, boss of the essential Planet Mu label, will play with Ziúr and John T. Gast on May 1 Friday night at Nave de Laboral. The artist has managed to create his very own, recognizable sound, operating between experimentation and accessibility by using catchy melodies and beats. Ziúr is one of the producers that has built more anticipation during the last years. She comes from the peripheries of Berlin’s club music, and leaves aside techno conventions to create a new and exciting sound by combining apparently incompatible influences. The trio is completed by producer Jhon T. Gast, who will have us entranced, annihilated and bamboozled with his dealings in soundsystem shadow-play. His live shows and many collaborations serve as a crucible for deeper exploration.

Zoë Mc Pherson & Alessandra Leone and Murlo: experimental narrative
in audiovisual live shows

Also at Nave de Laboral, on Saturday, May 2, two very personal audiovisual projects will invite us to explore new narrative forms.

Zoë Mc Pherson  &  Alessandra Leone premiere String Figures, an art project based on the ancient and current practice of Cat’s Cradle, connecting the local folk to our global digital network. A trans-global creation in seven chapters, bringing together music, film, choreography, 3D and macrophotography to create stunningly beautiful images.

The Mancunian artist and producer known as Murlo will premiere his first album Dolos at L.E.V. Festival. A truly original project, composed by 15 tracks accompanied by a graphic novel written and illustrated by Murlo himself: «a story about a man who gets out of the city in search of comfort». On stage, the comic turns into animated sequences with a live soundtrack of grime, garage, r&b, trance, funky and ambient. A whole lesson on how to create a narrative in the context of dance music.

Arandel, Jana Rush and Promising/Youngster: Saturday matinee at Muséu del Pueblu d’Asturies

Once more, Saturday morning shows will take place at an ideal open space that was such a success at last year’s L.E.V.: Muséu del Pueblu d’Asturies.

Arandel will premiere there his new album InBach, the first volume of a collaboration between the label InFiné and the Musée de la musique de la Philharmonie de Paris: a collection of recordings made with the precious instruments of the Museum. A personal look of this producer and musician from Paris at the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, experimenting with old and current sounds, which rub and meet. For this adventure, Arandel surrounded himself with exceptional artists from classical and contemporary music, such as Gaspar Claus, Vanessa Wagner, Areski, or Thomas Bloch.

American artist Jana Rush will fill the stage with his personal, deconstructed footwork sound with jungle, acid, soul or jazz touches. Jana, who started to DJ when she was only ten years old, turned into production until 2017, when she released her acclaimed debut album Pariah through Planet Mu label, finding a place for her into the current music scene.

Fresh, stimulating artist Promising/Youngster will share with us his peculiar IDM fusion: downtempo, ambient, and shoegaze in a live act using multiple hardware instruments.

MSHR and Julien Desprez: vespertine shows at Teatro de la Laboral’s Caja Escénica

L.E.V. 14 will kick off on Thursday, April 30 at Teatro de la Laboral’s Caja Escénica with two projects from the most experimental universe.

MSHR is the artistic alias used by Brenna Murphy and Birch Cooper. This Portland duo builds and explores sculptural electronic systems. Their performances are colorful, ritualistic sonic episodes that revolve around analog synth and software instruments of their own design, played in feedback with light and movement.

Young French guitarist Julien Desprez will showcase his most recent work, Acapulco Redux, using a guitar and a set of white strobe lights to create a true energy discharge. He uses his instrument in a very unconventional way (as if his hands danced over the chords), with multiple effect pedals to control sound and light.

TICKET SALE

Full festival tickets and tickets for Thursday show at Caja Escénica – Teatro de la Laboral will be available this Friday, February 14, from 15:30 through the Festival website: www.levfestival.com

Get one before they are gone!

Updates to come!

Tickets for specific activities, like the ones scheduled for Sunday, May 3, at the Botanical Garden will be available soon.

L.E.V. Festival – Gijón, an initiative co-produced by the Government of the Principality of Asturias, The Town Council of Gijón, LABoral Centro de Arte, and Datatron Collective, keeps on tracking the evolution of new electronic and audiovisual languages on the cutting edge of digital creativity.

L.E.V. FESTIVAL 2020 

LABORATORIO DE ELECTRÓNICA VISUAL | Edición 14 

Squarepusher [Warp, Uk]

Atari Teenage Riot [Digital Hardcore, De]

Ryoichi Kurokawa: subassemblies 
[Jp]

Martin Messier: Echo Chamber 
[Ca] (World premiere)

u-Ziq Live [Planet Mu, Uk]

Jana Rush Live [Planet Mu, Usa]

Cristian Vogel Live [NeverEngine Labs, Dk]

Oval Live Av [Thrill Jockey, De]

Ziúr Live [Planet Mu, De]

Zone W/O People Live Av  [Fr]

Zoë Mc Pherson & Alessandra Leone: String Figures Live Av 
[SVS Records, Fr/De]

Arandel: InBach Live [Infiné. Fr]

Murlo: Dolos Live Av [Coil Records, Uk]

Lucie Antunes: Sergeï Live [Crybaby / Infiné. Fr]

Kathy Hinde: Twittering Machines Live Av 
[Uk]

MSHR Live performance 
[Usa]

John T. Gast [Planet Mu, Uk]

Julien Desprez: Acapulco Redux [Fr]

Promising/Youngster Live [Several Roots / Sin Hilo. Sp]

and many more!

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