Le Guess Who?

Met als ondertitel “A Celebration of Sound” wordt Le Guess Who? beschouwd als een van de meest vooruitstrevende festivals ter wereld. Le Guess Who? staat in het teken van grensverleggende geluiden die je op andere plekken niet of nauwelijks te horen krijgt, maar die nieuwe perspectieven bieden op wat mogelijk is binnen de muziek.

Le Guess Who? keert van 9-12 november 2023 terug naar Utrecht voor de zestiende festivaleditie. Vier dagen lang neemt Le Guess Who? de stad over met shows van meer dan 150 artiesten die optreden in popzalen, theaters, kerken, werfkelders en clubs.

Op zondag 12 november vind je in De Helling een line-up gecureerd door de Engels-Franse avant-popgroep Stereolab die wordt geprezen als een van de invloedrijkste en eigenzinnigste bands van de jaren 90. De line-up bestaat uit; Rhys Chatham, Yama Warashi, 

Rhys Chatham

By fusing the overtone-drenched minimalism of the early sixties with the punk fury of the Ramones, New York composer, guitarist, trumpet player, and flutist Rhys Chatham has been shifting rock music’s DNA for over five decades. His lengthy career began with Guitar Trio in the seventies and saw him evolve into antiphonal work ‘A Crimson Grail’ in the new century. After summoning up the power of up to 400 electric guitars across several larger-than-life musical inquiries, Chatham is returning to basics. Now, he is playing a solo exploration, as he picks up the electric guitar, trumpets, bass alto, and C-flutes himself.

Yama Warashi

Born in Japan, Yoshino Shigihara had been based in Bristol until settling in London. Her 2019 move inspired ‘Crispy Moon’, the project’s biggest record yet, released last May. Having fully immersed herself in London’s alternative scene, she has joined Haha Sounds Collective and mingled with Trash Kit and Vanishing Twin. Drawing from the city’s ‘high creative energy’, Warashi has made, alongside new and old friends, a buoyant record mirroring the city’s zest. At the same time, she draws from Japanese folk dance music, African music, free jazz, psychedelia, and many more.

The Cromagnon Band

London’s The Cromagnon Band had made a splash before releasing any work; prior to their debut LP’s launch via We Stay True, the trio had featured on compilations from Andy Votel and Doug Shipton’s Finder Keepers label and been sampled by The Go! Team. Their first record is hard to pin down. Is it jazz, hip-hop, or both? For Bert Page, Lenny Walker, and Tom Watt (of Wolf People), their method is better described as ‘reverse engineering’, as they take apart the music they love, and carefully assemble it back together; hence, ‘Dismantle’, the album’s title.