Swiss Music @ The Great Escape, 8 – 10 May 2014, Brighton

As is practically a great old tradition by now, Swiss Music Export in collaboration with Pro Helvetia and Fondation SUISA will be setting up a „business mixer“ and showcase at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton to present three Swiss bands to an international audience. This year’s bigger-than-ever Great Escape is taking place from May 8th to May 10th. After last year’s great success with Peter Kernel, Velvet Two Stripes and Evelinn Trouble, this year’s selection of bands appearing at the SME event will be OY (recently signed to Crammed Discs), Pablo Nouvelle and the Animen. All three bands will also be performing at other venues during the festival.

First up in the business mixer line-up are the Animen from Carouge near Geneva. They look like a cross between the Hollies and Franz Ferdinand, and they sound like it, too. Drawing from a deep reservoir of sunny guitar melodies and deadly choruses, the quintet also have a fine sense of humour – and they do know how to treat a ukulele right!

Next up will be OY, the spectacular duo of multi-instrumentalist and singer Joy Frempong and percussionist Lleluja Ha. OY have gone from strength to strength this year, signing up with the highly respected Belgian record label Crammed Discs with their album „No Problem Saloon“ subsequently receiving a worldwide release (USA: June 2014). They also played countless live gigs in Europe and Africa. After their appearances in Brighton the band will continue their latest extensive tour with concerts in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, USA and Canada.

Pablo Nouvelle who will be rounding off the SME showcase in Brighton has already forged a strong reputation in the UK where the daily the Guardian wrote about him: „Nouvelle takes soul back to the future”. Berne-based Pablo Nouvelle uses hip-hop production techniques with samples gleaned, for instance, from old Marvin Gaye records, to create a resolutely modern music that is also deeply emotional and atmospheric.
Swiss Business Mixer

Thursday 8 May
12:00 – 16:00h     KOMEDIA STUDIO BAR, 44 – 47 Gardner Street, Brighton
13:15 – 13:45h       The Animen
14:15 – 14:45h       OY
15:15 – 15:45h       Pablo Nouvelle

The Animen, OY and Pablo Nouvelle, supported by SME, Pro Helvetia and Fondation SUISA, will also be appearing at the following locations:

Pablo Nouvelle
Thursday 8 May, 00:45 – 01:15h, @ Sticky Mikes Frog Bar

The Animen
Friday 9 May, 13:45 – 14:15h, @ Brighthelm

OY
Friday 9 May, 20:15 – 20:45h, @ Unitarian Church

http://greatescapefestival.com
http://www.pablonouvelle.com/
http://www.theanimen.com/
http://www.oy-music.com/