Events / Preview
Unsound 2014Where time is truly irrelevant
A look back at Unsound 2013 and ahead to the 2014 edition, bringing experimental performances, installations and unexpected encounters into Kraków’s historic spaces.
- When
- 12–19 October 2014
- Where
- Kraków, Poland
Probably the most attractive contemporary electronic music festival in Europe is Unsound Festival, bringing promising musical acts, performances, art installations, label showcases, screenings and discussions in one place. Due to it’s success in Krakow the map of this festival has been expanded to three continents – the same organization is curating special events in New York City, London and Adelaide.
01Kraków and the previous edition
Krakow, the old capital of Poland, truly magnetizes with amazing architecture which is ingeniously involved in the festival. Manngha Centre of Japanese Art and Technology is the perfect place for die-hard electronic and experimental music lovers. Unforgettable last year performances by Mika Vainio, Mark Fell, Pete Swanson and B/B/S turned this small space into pulsating crater engraving memory with red colors and pleasure. Huge concrete Hotel Forum building on the bank of river Vistula was lulling people with legendary Robert Rich sleep concert but soon after it turned into enormous nightclub which was trembling the city for three nights in a row.
Absolute highlights of Unsound 2013 represented a very wide spectrum of art. Tremendous premier of Robert Henke‘s audiovisual lasers performance Lumière, mesmerizing and hypnotic concert of Oren Ambarchi together with Sinfonietta Cracovia and almost sacred show by Charlemagne Palestine and Rhys Chatman surely left international audience completely satisfied. The rule not to take pictures during the whole festival at first was unusual but in fact it was a possibility to experience and remember everything in a new way as the senses were working much harder.
Unsound 2013 and its theme of Interference actually went very smoothly provoking high expectations for the year 2014. Early line-up announcements include performances by mind blowing EVOL, mysterious and surreal artist Rrose (check out Secret Thirteen mix and interview with Rrose), promising live shows by Carter Tutti Void, DJ Stringray and Container. Special flavors will be added by Swans, Ben Frost, Tim Hecker and many more.
02Interwoven worlds
Unsound Festival is like a very unique artwork by French sculptor Odon where colorful braid is acting like a whirlpool. Various tassels of music, venues and performances strongly weaved together represent rich taste and prospective discoveries as the world of art is spreading out very fast. It also looks like a symbolic dreamcatcher for this year’s festival where The Dream theme will call for discussions and unrehearsed states of mind.
Text by Radvilė Nakaitė.
Sources and image credits
- First published 2014-07-11. Dates and future plans reflect that publication.
- Odon . Weaver of Dreams.
- Unsound 2014 festival – The Dream – Krakow
- Hotel Forum building – Krakow Poland / Restored archive photograph
- Unsound 2014 / The Dream / Official festival poster
- Festival archive: Event documentation and image credits.
- Image credit: Odon.
