Krakow’s Unsound Festival is an industry leader in Keeping It Weird. Sorry Austin, Krakow may have fewer bumper stickers, but they’ve totally cornered the market on this one, especially with the recent announcement of the festival lineup for 2014. Spanning one magical week, from October 12-19, Krakow’s underground visionaries, sages, high priests, and yes, druids (my favorite type of ancient priestly class) will unite in honor of R&B singer/producer The-Dream. Wait, a different dream? A more abstract, ideological construct sort of dream? Oh. OF COURSE.
From fest director Mat Schultz:
The Dream is an act of auto-criticism and self-reflection aimed to trigger discussion. It isn’t meant to be negative, but inquisitive. Historically, The Dream stems from alternative and even oppositional artistic movements and social systems. Our question is, what remains of that subversive drive? In asking this, we realise we also open the position of our own festival to scrutiny, no doubt revealing contradictions.
So, in the spirit of The Dream, the festival promises music, films, and yes — TALKS. But like, cool talks, not the kind your mom wants to have with you after you come in the house at 5 AM reeking of booze. THESE talks are about Dada, the Beats, punk, situationist movements, etc. Plus you know, you got people like Swans, Deathprod, Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti, Ren Schofield (a.k.a. Container) with Kenneth Kapstad & Thomas Jahrmyr, The Necks & Radian, Księżyc, Ben Frost, DJ Stingray, EVOL, Perc, Rrose, Total Freedom, and Zmaliska. Also! There’s a multi-sensory thing called Ephemera that “presents olfactory compositions based on musical resonances and reverberations.” It’s the artistic baby of Berlin’s Geza Schoen and Ben Frost, Tim Hecker, and Steve Goodman (Kode9). Tickets go on sale this Thursday, June 26.
• Unsound: http://www.unsound.pl
