POLAND AT THE GREAT ESCAPE
This year we are very happy indeed to be introducing Poland as our lead international focus for The Great Escape 2013. We will be working closely with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute who promote Polish culture around the world, aiming to increase the value of Poland as a cultural asset whilst boosting Poland’s impact and efficiency in the area of culture. With a number of key showcases at some of the world’s leading festivals, galleries, theatres and clubs, the institute has had an impressive exposure to over 40 million viewers to date. Presenting the standalone showcase ‘Don’t Panic! We’re From Poland’ at this year’s festival, the institute will be welcoming some of the best and most dynamic Polish artists to Brighton this May.
Poland’s had a strong presence at The Great Escape since 2008 with a wide variety of exciting artists including Paula & Karol, Novika And The Lovefinders and Bueno Bros performing to festival goers and key industry peers alike. As Europe’s leading festival for new music, we pride ourselves on enabling our handpicked selection of new artists to perform in front of such varied and influential audiences. This year, we’re delighted and eager to welcome some great new music across the seas through ‘Don’t Panic! We’re From Poland’ including:
TRES.B is an international formation consisting of Polish singer Misia Furtak, Danish/English drummer Thomas Pettit and Dutch/American vocalist/guitarist Olivier Heim, also known for his solo-project Anthony Chorale. After forming in Denmark, the band made a name for themselves in the Netherlands, first self-releasing their EP ‘Neon Chameleon, then a full-length album ‘Scylla and Charybdis’. Both releases were very well received, Dutch music Magazine OOR writing that “Melancholic pop has rarely sounded nicer.” In another praising review, OOR states that “Misia Furtak sounds like a mixture between Björk and PJ Harvey.” TRES.B has also been compared to bands like Sonic Youth, the Smiths and singer-songwriter Feist. High praise indeed.
The sprite-like vocalist BRODKA launched onto the Polish music scene with a bang as the winner of Polish Pop Idol in 2004 at the young age of 16. Now, eight years and three award-winning albums later, BRODKA has strayed away from her pop-music start and is developing in to a more mature, alternative electro-pop artist. BRODKA continues to surprise audiences as proves her latest work, an English-language EP entitled LAX. We look forward to hearing her new sounds fill the seaside air.
Hailing from Krakow, Poland, DANIEL DRUMZ is an exciting young DJ who brings heaps of energy and excitement to his live sets. With an innate love for hip-hop, but spanning a range of genre’s from funk to soul, DANIEL DRUMZ keeps audiences coming back for more since his emergence in Poland a few years ago. An accomplished turntablist, DANIEL DRUMZ has won accolades for his skills behind the decks, including the league title for the Vestax POPDJ 2003, as well as opening for some of the world’s biggest and best hip-hop acts including Jay-Z and De La Soul. As if this isn’t enough for one’s CV, DANIEL DRUMZ is also an established and renowned producer who’s recorded and worked with a vast range of different artists. His EP ‘Sleepless State Of Mind’ is out now on U KNOW ME Records.
Smooth synth-pop trio KAMP! are already pretty popular back in their native Poland, and with only one EP released, and their self-titled LP only out in Poland, things are beginning to bubble excitedly for the three-piece as they look towards playing The Great Escape this year. Their warm, layered production, hit flavoured melodies and hazy melancholic vocals are already gaining them a niche global fanbase, and with warm weather upon us by the time The Great Escape hits, what better way to appreciate KAMP!‘s hypnotic summertime vibes than on the shores of Brighton this May.
ENCHANTED HUNTERS are a polish band founded by Margaret Penkalla, and includes Magdalena Gajdzica and Patrick Zieliniewicz. There are elements of dream-pop, dream-folk and Americana in their sound. At first glance, you are dominated by female element in the band: the girl’s voice, soft tones of the flute and cymbals with dreamy jazzy chords. They create a nostalgic atmosphere, and break out into psychedelic sound with references to American indie rock of the ’90s. An important aspect of the ENCHANTED HUNTERS are their live performances, these are warmly received by each audience and they play in the most unusual places.
Off-stream charismatic female singer/guitarist P. CANDI is rough and pure like very few are out there. A brilliant songwriter and a completely engaging persona on stage. Think Daniel Johnston in an asian/caribean, lo fi punk rock, chamber, casio-techno-tone miasma. She alone is New weird Poland.” Miss Yolanda Love
The KDMS is an international supergroup – or rather super-duo. Consisting of a Polish native, Silesian-bred electronic wunderkind and massively talented producer and musician, Max Skiba and prolific British singer, the true disco diva for the 21st century, Kathy Diamond, the project is currently taking the world by storm through a string of hit singles for the ever-expanding Gomma label. THE KDMS combine hypnotic rhythms with addictive pop melodies carrying clever lyrics – a rare achievement in todays formulaic world of club-inspired pop music. “Never Stop Believing” or “Tonight” are definitely bound to please for more than one season. THE KDMS‘ successfully fuse a sort of Slavic sensibility and ambiguity with typically British sophistication and a peculiar sense of humour.
TEIELTE aka Pawel Strzelczyk is an experimental DJ from Poland, and although his personal story remains a secret, he is best identified through his music, creating easily accessible compositions of instrumentals overlaid with electro hip-hop beats. Citing influences such as DJ Shadow and Flying Lotus, we’re very excited to welcome TEILETE to The Great Escape for his first UK appearance.
