A two hours special about the Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, The Netherlands, from 9 till 12 November 2017.
Le Guess Who? is the Netherlands’ mainstay event for experimental, collaborative, and otherwise out-of-the-box musical thinking. The 11th edition of the festival takes place 9-12 November in the picturesque city of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
During four days, Le Guess Who? takes over the city center of Utrecht with 100 performances set to electrify churches, galleries, theaters and pop venues. Side programs with music, film, art, photography and markets appear at cafés, hotels, restaurants, wharf cellars, de Neude square and the hidden corners of the city.
Le Guess Who? focuses on artists that feel the urge to explore and expand the boundaries of certain genres. Besides contemporary and authentic rock music and pop culture, this also includes non-western music, avant-garde, folk, (free)jazz, ambient, drone, modern composed, amongst many blended forms of these genres.
Previous curators at Le Guess Who? are Ty Segall (2013), Swans’ Michael Gira (2014), Sunn O))) (2015) and Wilco, Savages, Julia & Suuns (2016). Previous performers include Autechre, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Einstürzende Neubauten, Kamasi Washington, Annette Peacock, Selda Bagcan, Elza Soares, Junun feat. Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express, Dr. John, William Basinski, Magma, Keiji Haino, Patty Waters, Digable Planets, Pauline Oliveros, Check out our archive for more info and recordings of previous editions.
The first curators are announced for the 11th edition of Le Guess Who? 2017, each hosting a range of inspirations and befriended artists, and also performing themselves. Perfume Genius invites a.o. Bulgarian women's choir Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, Mount Eerie, Aldous Harding, Weyes Blood, andPharmakon; ambient pioneer Grouper curates William Basinski, GAS, Keiji Haino and more; hip hop’s free spirits Shabazz Palaces host jazz icon Pharoah Sanders, OCnotes and Natasha Kmeto. As part of Han Bennink’s 75th birthday in 2017, the world’s most resourceful drummer invites a.o. the ICP Orchestra, Peter Brötzmann and Han Bennink Trio. Additionally, Basilica Soundscape host their own stage, including Jenny Hval, Protomartyr and a poetry reading by Meredith Graves (Perfect Pussy).
Together with Jerusalem In My Heart, Le Guess Who? presents a very special cast of African-American and Middle Eastern performers, including expressive jazz singer Linda Sharrock, Moor Mother, Matana Roberts, filmmaker and songwriter Alanis Obomsawin performing her 1985 album ‘Bush Lady’ for the first time (featuring music of the Native American Abenaki people), Farida & The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble, and the Lebanese Abdel Karim Shaar, the last of his generation still performing classical ‘Tarab’ repertoire for his 2nd performance outside his home country.
General festival line-up
Le Guess Who? also announces the first performers for the general festival line-up, including a spoken word performance by dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, electronic explorer James Holden with new performance ‘James Holden and The Animal Spirits’, the powerful voice of Mali’s Oumou Sangaré,Ben Frost, Libyan raï singer and pioneer of modern Arabic music Ahmed Fakroun performing with Dutch-Turkish act Altin Gün, Les Amazones d'Afrique: a collective of west African musicians campaigning for gender equality, tUnE-yArDs, Sun Kil Moon, Shabaka & The Ancestors, Liars, The Bug vs Dylan Carlson of Earth, Julie Byrne, Kelly Lee Owens, gospel trinityThe Como Mamas, Zeal & Ardor, and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestraperforming Lili Boulanger’s 1917 composition ‘Du fond de l’abîme (De Profundis)’.
The Black Power Tarot by King Khan & Michael Eaton
Under supervision of spiritual guru Alejandro Jodorowsky, King Khan and Game of Thrones-designer Michael Eaton created ‘The Black Power Tarot’: 22 Tarot cards displaying prominent African American personalities. During Le Guess Who?, these cards will be exhibited on maximum scale.
Additionally, King Khan reads Tarot cards for festival visitors and screens ‘The Invaders’: a documentary about the rise of the Memphis Black Power Group in 1967, and the film that sparked Khan’s idea for ‘The Black Power Tarot’.
The full outline of confirmed artists can be found here.
The Biggest Record Fair in the World
During Le Guess Who?, the largest record fair in the world also takes place in Utrecht. The Mega Record & CD Fair has grown to become a true cult event for music fans, housing 500+ record dealing stands across 12.500 square meters of floor space.