….. and a desire to involve the public of Abruzzo in an artistic project of the highest caliber, Soundlabs has become one of the most interesting festivals on the Italian peninsula and is one of the few with an international reputation.
With its sixteenth edition, Soundlabs Festival has taken on a new challenge with the move to the medieval village of Castelbasso, thanks to the strategic partnership established with the Menegaz Foundation for Arts and Cultures. The names on this year’s lineup reflect the ongoing international focus of the festival, as well as its function as a platform for new talent. A number of artists will be giving their only performance in Italy at Soundlabs this year: Thurston Moore, co- founder of the seminal New York band Sonic Youth; the much-acclaimed newcomer from Georgia Nigel Wright; Swedish pop songwriter extraordinaire Jens Lekman, and the British bands Veronica Falls and Let’s Buy Happiness.
But Soundlabs is also labs—workshops for experimentation that provide the opportunity to develop skills in the musical and visual arts in the festival setting. The novelty this year—aside from the classic PHOTO LAB (directed by Stefano Raglione) and DOCU LAB (directed by Russian filmmaker Anna Bychkova)—is the new SOUND & VISIONS LAB, in which Fabio Perletta and Giustino di Gregorio will be guiding participants in the artistic process of creating a visual and sound installation in the fascinating architectural context of Castelbasso.
Soundlabs once again offers a unique opportunity to hear and get to know some of the best music around—in the unique atmosphere of one of the most enchanting villages in Abruzzo.
July 26, 19:30
Amelie Tristesse (IT)
Amelie Tristesse are writers, musicians, and comic artists whose music takes them down the less traversed pathways between rock and electronica, acoustic music and spoken word. Their debut book/CD “Cazzo ne sapete voi del Rock and Roll” tells short, intense stories from the outskirts of Anyplace, Italy.
July 26, 20:20
John Wolfington (US)
In 1997, John Wolfington ran into Thurston Moore in the NYC subway and handed him a demo CD. He waited in vain for a response, but five years later, Smell Like Records—a project of Steve Shelley, the drummer of Sonic Youth—was producing his debut album. Today, 15 years after their first encounter, and once again just by chance, John Wolfington will be crossing paths with his idol on the Soundlabs Festival stage.
July 26, 21:20
Nigel Wright (US)
At not even 20 years of age, this young American clearly has a natural disposition for composing enchanting songs. Although his talent blossomed early, his voice already seems mature, and his lyrics are just as interesting and surprising as his melodies. In short, he has nothing in common with the mainstream singers of his generation. With a debut like this, we will undoubtedly be hearing a lot from him in the future. Not to be missed!
July 26, 22:30
Thurston Moore (US)
In 1995, Thurston Moore, the cofounder of Sonic Youth decided to launch his solo career—while still continuing full speed ahead with the band—and reveal a more veiled, intimate side of himself. At Soundlabs Festival, he will be presenting his most recent album Demolished Thoughts (Matator 2011) with a live show that promises to be filled with surprises—both for fans nostalgic for (their own) sonic youth, and for those curious to experience Moore’s recent evolution in a more intimate setting.
July 27, 19:30
Delawater (IT)
After years of touring and months in the recording studio, these five indie rockers from Teramo have finally released their long-awaited self-titled album—produced by Mattia Coletti—and are already off again in search of new melodies to conquer.
July 27, 20:20
Let’s Buy Happiness (UK)
Sarah Hall has a singular voice that often invites comparisons with Bjork. But her voice is purer and more crystalline, and wonderful to hear when encircled, like in a dance, by the instruments of her compatriots. The mysterious beauty of her singing melts hearts.
July 27, 21:20
A Classic Esucation (IT)
A Classic Education are from Bologna; their lead singer, Jonathan Clancy, is Italian-American; and their music betrays a deep transatlantic love. They are one-of-a-kind in their genre in Italy: they sing rock-and-roll songs that tell of dirt roads, sweat, and the desire for freedom—steeped in the sound of the 1950s and 60s.
July 27, 22:30
Veronica Falls (UK)
After a series of critically and publically lauded singles, this London-based band from Scotland released their eponymous and eagerly awaited debut album in 2011. The roots of their sound are in garage, post-punk, and surf rock. They love the Velvet Underground and have forged their own ironic alt-pop with a pastel-tinted, retro flair
July 28, 19:30
Orlando Ef (IT)
Orlando Ef is a prolific singer-songwriter from the Province of Pescara who fashions delicate “handmade” melodies with surprising and elaborate arrangements. After his acoustic debut at Soundlabs last year, he is returning this year with his band to present his most recent (third) album.
July 28, 20:20
IlSogno IlVeleno (IT)
is Alex Secone, a singer-songwriter from Pescara. His debut album ”Piccole Catastrofi” unites the best of the Italian songwriting tradition with exquisite and sophisticated pop arrangements. Its image-world is both cinematographic and literary, and it refers to an Italy both past and present. Songs in black and white with a technicolor atmosphere.
July 28, 21:20
Dimartino (IT)
Dimartino is a trio of polyinstrumentalists from Palermo. After the dissolution of their previous incarnation as Famelka, they embarked on a new project named after their lead singer, Antonio Di Martino. Their recipe is simple: simple but carefully structured songs, somewhere between traditional singer-songwriting and experimentation, with clear, direct, sincere texts. One of the most highly acclaimed Italian bands of the moment—not to be missed.
July 28, 22:30
Jens Lekman (SE)
This angel-faced Swedish man, born in 1981, was already an international indie-pop phenomenon at the age of 23. A romantic lyricist blessed with rare compositional skills, Jens Lekman infuses his songs with an irony that prevents them from ever sinking into sentimentality. His melodies have an astonishing naturalness, sometimes bordering on perfection. And his live performances are always as powerful as they are surprising.
(Quelle: PM Soundlabs Festival)
