Switzerland, featured country at The Great Escape! Brighton, 18 – 20 May 2017
For many years, Swiss Music Export has presented a showcase of Swiss artists at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton. This year, we are going one step farther. As a featured country, we are able to take with us no fewer than nine acts to this much-loved festival on England’s South coast. In addition, our traditional showcase will be expanded to include four instead of the customary three bands. Naturally, we at Swiss Music Export are super excited about this unique chance to spread the word about the diversity and quality of music in Switzerland at a festival that probably is the most important get-together for the independent music scene in Europe.
Beyond the musical programme, Swiss Music Export is also involved in a number of other events at this year’s very special Great Escape. The aim of these is to bring together music business professionals and artists from Switzerland with like-minded delegates from the rest of Europe.
Speed Meeting: Meet The Swiss
Thursday 18 May 2017, 2.30pm-4pm
Brighton Dome Mezzanine
The event offers an ideal opportunity for business professionals from the UK to meet up with colleagues from Switzerland.
Delegate Reception hosted by Switzerland
Thursday 18 May 2017, 5pm-7pm
MyHotel Brighton Bar
A pre-party party to get in the mood for The Great Escape proper with wine, beer, raclette and fine conversation.
Swiss Business Mixer (Matinée Showcase)
Friday 19 May 2017, 12pm-4pm
Komedia Studio
The traditional Swiss Music Export Brighton showcase, this time with four instead of three acts: One Sentence. Supervisor, Baba Shrimps, Me + Marie and Odd Beholder. Accompanied, as ever, by beer, sandwiches and even a handful of vitamins in the shape of apples.
Swiss Festivals Drink Reception
Friday 19 May 2017, 5pm-7pm,
Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
Vic Galloway, author, musician and broadcaster at BBC Scotland and BBC6, will be presenting a number of Swiss music festivals and their directors to show the great diversity of the Swiss festival world, not to mention the stunning scenery that surrounds quite a few of these.
m4music Festival presents
Friday 19 May 2017, 7pm-1am
Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar (downstairs)
The return fete, as it were, for The Great Escape’s appearance at Zurich’s m4music festival/conference at the end of March. There will be five live acts, two Swiss – Buvette and Baba Shrimps – and three others: Middle Kids, Ama Lou and Strong Asian Mothers.
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These are the Swiss acts chosen by TGE in co-operation with SME to appear in Brighton:
Baba Shrimps
Baba Shrimps specialise in airy guitar pop songs with strong vocals and rousing choruses. Signed to Sony, their second album, “Neon”, reached the Swiss top 20.
Friday 19 May 2017, 1:30pm, Komedia Studio
Friday 19 May 2017, 9:15pm, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
Buvette
Buvette – aka Cédric Streuli Buvette is weaving electronic, equally bright and mild sounds into rhythmically challenging patterns, enrichening them with his voice. His second album, „Elasticity“, was released in September 2016 to great acclaim.
Friday 19 May 2017, 8:15pm, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
Debrah Scarlett
The experience of living between two worlds, Norway and Switzerland, is a constant driving force in fiery-maned Debrah Scarlett’s song writing. “Uplifting transcendental pop with hints of Daughter, Birdy and Florence Welch”, wrote the music blog The Line of Best Fit.
Friday 19 May 2017, 12:30pm, Marine Room – Harbour Hotel
Friday 19 May 2017, 12:30am, Brighthelm Centre
Hyperculte
Hyperculte are double-bassist Vincent Bertholet (also a member of Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp) and drummer Simone Aubert (also with Massicot). Using an array of effect pedals and loops recorded live they produce hypnotically minimalist songs with great rhythmic and melodic power.
Thursday 18 May 2017, 8:15pm, Green Door Store
Me + Marie
The chemistry of their voices is unique, and so is their approach to song writing. Maria Moling (aka Maria de Val of the South Tyrolian Ladin-chanson outfit Ganes) and Roland Scandella (aka Roland Vögtli from the Grisons-based rock band Nau) combine the soulful introspection of The Civil Wars with the loud exuberance of The Kills.
Friday 19 May 2017, 2:30pm, Komedia Studio
Friday 19 May 2017, 1am, Latest Music Bar
Odd Beholder
Odd Beholder are an electronic duo distantly related in style to Portishead, though a little less dark and more minimalist in approach. Their dreaminess is largely due to Daniela Weinmann’s eerie vocals.
Thursday 18 May 2017, 9:15pm, Patterns Upstairs
Friday 19 May 2017, 3:30pm, Komedia Studio
One Sentence. Supervisor
One Sentence. Supervisor recall the phantoms of the eighties with their catchy, misty krautpop. A universe in which synthetic sounds meet repetitive rhythms without becoming tedious. Their second album “Temporär Musik 1 – 13” released internationally in spring 2017, the album carried off the IndieSuisse-“Album of the Year 2016” award.
Thursday 18 May 2017, 10:30pm, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
Friday 19 May 2017, 12:30pm, Komedia Studio
Sophie Hunger
Ever since she debuted at number one in the Swiss charts with her first album “Monday’s Ghost”, this highly original singer/songwriter has been an inspiration to a generation of Swiss singers. Hunger has The first Swiss artist ever appear at the Glastonbury Festival. Her latest album “Supermoon” was released worldwide by Caroline.
Thursday 18 May 2017, 9:30pm, Sallis Benney Theatre
Zeal & Ardor
Basel-based Swiss-American multi-instrumentalist and singer Manuel Gagneux aka Zeal & Ardor combines the euphoric sound of African-American gospel with the blues of chain-gang songs and the dark wall of guitar that is death metal to devastating effect.
Thursday 18 May 2017, 12am, Patterns Downstairs
Friday 19 May 2017, 10:30pm, Brighthelm Centre
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Swiss Music Export is in Brighton in partnership with Pro Helvetia, Fondation Suisa, m4music Festival and the Swiss Embassy in London.
The Great Escape Festival
Baba Shrimps
Buvette
Debrah Scarlett
Hyperculte
Me + Marie
Odd Beholder
One Sentence. Supervisor
Sophie Hunger
Zeal & Ardor
Pro Helvetia
Fondation Suisa
Embassy of Switzerland in the UK
m4music Festival & Conference
