International Music Festivals

Another cool European lineup. These kind of lineups always help me discover new names.

It was good!

To provide some background: the late afternoon/early evening programming was aimed more at experimental, non-dance-able acts, after which around 9pm or so it became more accessible, for lack of a better term. The organization was great and the five venues (Muziekgebouw, Bimhuis, Tolhuistuin, EYE, Shelter) were all wicked close to each other and connected with a ferry boat (10-20 minutes travel time). This did mean that you'd have to plan your evening well and inevitably have to miss stuff due to the travel time, but you still got your money's worth for the entire day and night.

All the party people showed up around 9pm, who tended to piss off all the serious music nerds with their loud bantering and open drug use (yes, I witnessed a group of lads snorting cocaine in front of one of the stages). One thing to note about drugs is that the actual three day festival has a zero tolerance policy (including weed) due to an ordinance from the municipality of Amstelveen where the festival location (Amsterdamse Bos) is technically located. Whereas the events on Thursday fell under Amsterdam city limits, and there seemed to be less enforcement (hard drugs are obviously still illegal though). So you could easily smoke a J outside and then enter the venues with no problem.

Musical highlights on Thursday were Robert Henke's Lumiere III show, GAS (Wolfgang Voigt), Andy Stott, Factory Floor, and Forest Swords. I caught Fatima Yamaha as well, but his set felt out of place between the rest of the more serious minded acts, and would have been a better fit in the Amsterdamse Bos.

Damn.

I recognize like 3 names on that lineup. The Bug, The Black Angels, APTBS

You may recognize more names on this one, Phyre Fest

I think he has some shows here and there nowadays. He had a show on 7/29 in NYC. Couldn't go because of Panorama though.

This is one of the better lineups anywhere this year. There are even a few great acts missing from that poster like Jlin and Lotic. Kind of surprised they didn't drop Kettenkarussel after the Konstantin thing blew up.

Its weird that they list the acts playing that on the lineup page when thats months before.

The surviving member started the project back up at some point. Not sure exactly when.

That's a pretty deep lineup actually and fits well in the city. I'm more into this than the US version.

That Cate Le Bon and Thurston adds has me giddy. I don't know much about James Holden except in name. Excited to start researching on these.

Final lineup for Pop Montreal.

Final lineup for Pitchfork Paris.