The renowned Polish electronic festival Unsound will make its Belgian debut with a two-day event at the Brussels Palais des Beaux-Arts (Bozar) on 14-15 February.
Previously, the festival was held in Krakow in Poland, but recently has travelled to New York in the US, Toronto in Canada, London in the UK, and Adelaide in Australia.
Unsound originated in 2003 in Krakow as an underground festival in the cellars of bars and cafes. Since then, it has grown into one of Europe’s most unique and prominent alternative music festivals, with stops in cities like New York and London.
The festival also focuses on digital arts and experimental audiovisual creations. Unsound has also collaborated with local partners and curators in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus to create mini-festivals, such as the Unsound Dislocation project conducted in 11 cities in the post-Soviet region during 2016-2017.
Unsound has produced numerous collaborative projects, starting with the Warhol Series in 2008, which featured live electronic and experimental music as ‘soundtracks’ to classic silent films by Andy Warhol.
This series included artists like Carl Craig, nsi., Groupshow, and video artist Lillevan. Another notable project was Solaris by Ben Frost and Daniel Bjarnason, in collaboration with Krakow’s Sinfonietta Cracovia and visuals by Brian Eno and Nick Robertson, which premiered at Unsound Krakow in 2010.
This marks the first time the festival will be held in the European capital. Unsound Brussels will take place on 14 February, showcasing the works of Polish composer Piotr Kurek and the collaboration titled ‘EGO DEATH’ between Aho Ssan and cellist Resina. British rap artist Rainy Miller will also perform.
Lectures will also be held during Unsound. Irish composer and librettist Jennifer Walshe will discuss the relationship between AI, art, and music, in relation to her latest book. Performances on Saturday evening include Žaltys by Raphael Rogiński & Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė, AKA HEX, and the audiovisual project Гільдеґарда (Hildegarde) by the Ukrainian duo Heinali & Yasia.
The two-day event will conclude with a club night at Reset, a former bank building turned nightclub. Performers will include Brussels-based M I M I, Polish experimental music producer 2K88, and Belgian-Moroccan DJ ojoo. Irish-Chilean producer Sega Bodega will join British Lee Gamble for a b2b premiere. Belgian DJ Shoplifter and British producer DJ aya will also be featured.
All Unsound concerts at Bozar will be held in the Terarken Room, one of the most modern sections of the building, dating back to 1929. Recently renovated, this underground location is ideal for welcoming electronic artists and performances. "From emerging talent to alternative and experimental works, expect a wide range of contemporary music," Bozar stated.
"Unsound offers a radical sonic experience beyond genres," said Anton Vanderhasselt, programmer at the Palais des Beaux-Arts.
Unsound Brussels is a collaborative effort between Bozar and Unsound, supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The visual identity of Unsound Brussels was designed by Tomasz Kowalski, a Polish artist based in Antwerp, Belgium.
