Six Swiss artists live at Eurosonic 13 – 16 January, Groningen

A new year has begun – it must be time for Eurosonic! This time round, Switzerland will be represented by six live acts in Groningen:

James Gruntz – Der Aa-Theater, Thu Jan 14th, 20:00 – 20:45h
Verveine – Platform Theater (Patio), Thu Jan 14th, 22:15 – 22:55h
Ingrid Lukas – USVA, Thu Jan 14th, 23:00 – 23:40h
Fai Baba – Academie Minerva, Fri Jan 15th, 20:30 – 21:15h
Bastian Baker – Stadsschouwburg, Fri Jan 15th, 21.25 – 22.10h
The Chikitas – Huize Maas (Front), Fri Jan 15th, 23.00 – 23.45h

Celebrating the 30th anniversary this year, the Eurosonic has long since been established as the most important independent music festival in Europe. The effects of what happens here will be rippling through the European concert and festival scene, and even the charts, throughout the rest of the year and a long way beyond.

When it started off, the Noorderslag was conceived as a “battle of bands” to give Dutch and Belgian artists a platform to be heard beyond the confines of their hometown. After a trial run in 1989, the festival went “pan-European” from 1993, renaming itself Eurosonic six years later when the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) became involved. In 1993, the festival was extended to include a conference segment with workshops, lectures and keynote speeches. From the beginning, each new step was at first met with scepticism by the music industry, and then wholeheartedly embraced.

Last year, the Eurosonic attracted over 40’000 festival goers, 3900 international delegates amongst them. This year, the threshold of 4000 delegates is expected to be broken for the first time. In the course of the four festival days, around 350 European acts will be performing live, witnessed by 350 journalists from 42 countries. There will be 150 panel discussions and other industry meetings. 34 EBU public radio stations will be broadcasting reports and live transmissions.

Not content with offering a platform for bands from all parts of Europe to reach an audience beyond their immediate cultural environment, the organisers of Eurosonic have launched a number of initiatives which have greatly improved communication between bands, promoters, festival organisers and other music business professionals across Europe. Probably the most important such initiative is the European Talent Exchange Programme (ETEP), launched in 2003. Designed to link up festival organisers across Europe in order to facilitate communication about new and interesting acts developing in each territory, ETEP now has one hundred participants, with many more awaiting inclusion in the program on a waiting list. From Switzerland, representatives of the following festivals will attend this year’s Eurosonic Noorderslag as part of the ETEP scheme: Bad Bonn Kilbi Festival, Greenfield Festival, Gurtenfestival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Open Air St. Gallen, Paléo Festival Nyon, and Winterthurer Musikfestwochen. The event is also being aired by EBU radio stations SRF 3 and RTS Couleur 3 to give extended exposure to the performing artists.

Swiss Acts @ Eurosonic 2016

James Gruntz
Der Aa-Theater, Thu Jan 14th, 20:00 – 20:45h
With his fourth album “Belvedere” making the top 10 in Switzerland, the velvety-voiced singer/songwriter from Basel truly made the step-up from well-kept secret to household name, earning him two Swiss Music Awards in the categories „Best Breaking Act“ and „Artist Award“ in 2015.

Verveine
Platform Theater (Patio), Thu Jan 14th, 22:15 – 22:55h
Having conquered France with her darkly dynamic blend of synth experimentation, Gothic mood and subtly hypnotic rhythms, Joelle Nicolas aka Verveine from Vevey is now ready to take on the rest of the world. Mixing elements of techno, pop and avant-garde electronica, Verveine is a truly mesmerising performer. Layering tracks and beats over each other and constantly manipulating them live, no performance is the same.

Ingrid Lukas
USVA, Thu Jan 14th, 23:00 – 23:40h
Living in Zurich since 1994, Ingrid Lukas has developed a highly original musical style, blending elements from the folk music of her native country, Estonia, with jazz and electronica. Having collaborated with Bugge Wesseltoft and enjoyed long-term artistic support from Nik Bärtsch, Ingrid’s painterly approach to music may be reminiscent of artists like Björk, Kate Bush or Joanna Newsom. However, Ingrid Lukas is never less than her own woman and artist.

Fai Baba
Academie Minerva, Fri Jan 15th, 20:30 – 21:15h
Multi-instrumentalist Fai Baba, real name Fabian Sigmund, is not a man who likes to stick to the conventional format of a song. Often, his songs begin with a sweet, reflective melody line, only to unravel in a series of wild and wonderful guitar squalls. Or vice-versa. Sonically, the spectre of his music ranges from bruising, distorted psychedelic rock to quiet soundscapes which are, if anything, more disturbing and emotionally charged.

Bastian Baker
Stadsschouwburg, Fri Jan 15th, 21.25 – 22.10h
With his melodic style, the young Lausannois Bastian Baker has been the most successful Swiss singer/songwriter for quite some time. Each of his four albums – one with the rapper Stress and Pegasus-leader Noah Veraguth – reached the top 3 of the Swiss charts. His latest album, “Facing Canyons”, was released in Switzerland in November 2015. It was inspired by a long trip across the United States, with each song serving as a “snapshot” of Baker’s mood at the time. Presented by Radio SRF 3.

The Chikitas
Huize Maas (Front), Fri Jan 15th, 23.00 – 23.45h
Their energy needs to be felt to be believed: the Chikitas from Geneva are the guitar/drums/vocals duo of Lynn Maring and Saskia Fuertes. On stage as well as on record – witness their wild second album, “Distoris Clitortion” – they unleash a hurricane of noise, distortion and joyfully trashy and catchy choruses. Not to be missed!
Presented by Radio RTS Couleur 3.

Eurosonic
James Gruntz
Verveine
Ingrid Lukas
Fai Baba
Bastian Baker
The Chikitas
Radio SRF 3
Radio RTS Couleur 3
European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
European Talent Exchange Programme (ETEP)