Nate Hall and John Baizley Join Roadburn 2013 Lineup with Acoustic Performance, Art Exhibition

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 25th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Something Roadburn continues to deliver year after year is a variety of performances you can’t find anywhere else. Whether it’s a curated set, or an exclusive full-album reunion — hello, Godflesh doing all of Pure — each year at Roadburn, chances are you’re going to find something in the lineup that you’ll probably never see again. A once-in-a-lifetime show, or at very least, something at its genesis point, just happening for the first time in Tilburg.

News came down a bit ago that John Baizley of Baroness and Nate Hall of U.S. Christmas were teaming up for a set of their bands’ material plus Townes Van Zandt covers, and it’s the kind of thing that, who knows what it might lead to, maybe nothing, but whatever comes of it, the beginnings will have been something that only Roadburn managed to make come together.

Dig the word:

ROADBURN FESTIVAL 2013 PRESENTS JOHN BAIZLEY (BARONESS), NATE HALL (U.S. CHRISTMAS) + SPECIAL GUEST FOR EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE

We are elated to announce the exclusive performance of John Baizley (Baroness) and Nate Hall (U.S. Christmas) for coming Roadburn Festival 2013. Both will play songs of Townes Van Zandt as well as Baroness and other material from Nate Hall’s highly acclaimed solo record “A Great River”. John Baizley recorded his songs of Towns Van Zandt together with Katie Jones who will be performing with him and brings in some Violin, Cello, and other instruments as well.

John Baizley: “I am thrilled to be coming back to Roadburn to perform this year, it has been one of the supreme highlights of European tours in the past years. Roadburn is a refreshing change of pace amongst the turgid waters of European heavy-music festivals, many of which have gone the way of rampant commercialism. Roadburn remains one of the good-guys, a volunteer driven effort purely for the love and devotion to music. Earlier this year, My Proud Mountain label approached me about contributing some tracks to the second “Songs of Townes Van Zandt” covers collection. I will be sharing the stage at Roadburn this year with some of the other contributors from that upcoming release. While Baroness is preparing to resume touring, I am excited to come to Tilburg and play music that our audience may be unfamiliar with me performing. I have always been an admirer and devotee of Townes, and I hope I can come and do some of his songs justice. This will be a unique opportunity for me, as I will be holding an exhibition at Gust van Dijk Gallery in Tilburg as well.”

Nate Hall: “I have known John for years now, and we are both excited about this show. I love playing solo, and I love collaborating with my friends. I’m sure this show will be special, and will bring out the best in both of us.”

The performance is scheduled for Thursday April 18 at The Patronaat during Roadburn Festival.

JOHN BAIZLEY ART EXHIBITION ANNOUNCED

SEA Foundation in cooperation with Roadburn Festival are proud to announce: “The Virgin Spring: the Process and Work of John Dyer Baizley”. An exclusive John Baizley exhibition at gallery Gust van Dijk in Tilburg.

This will be Baizley’s first ever exhibition in Europe which will be dedicated to his process as an artist as well as a presentation of images and printed work from the past and present.

John Baizley says: “I am excited to have been given an offer to exhibit my work for the first time in Europe at Gust van Dijk Gallery in Tilburg, Netherlands this April in conjunction with Roadburn Festival. It will be the first time many of these works have been shown in public, and the show will offer a brief glimpse into my process as an artist. I’ll be giving a small presentation on the images as well, and showing a few examples of my printed work. Furthermore, this will be the first time many of these images have been seen outside their commercial context (without logos, text, or barcodes) as I’ve always believed they were meant to be seen. This is a very unique opportunity for me, as I will be showcasing a set of music at Het Patronaat stage at Roadburn Festival 2013 as well.”

The exhibition will be held from April 18 – June 1
(opening Thursday April 18 from 16-17hrs/ 4-5pm CET)
At
Gallery Gust van Dijk, Home to Contemporary Art,
Tivolistraat 22, 5017 HP Tilburg, The Netherlands
www.seafoundation.eu/Programme.html

Background info John Baizley:

Known by most as the singer and guitarist for the acclaimed band Baroness, John Dyer Baizley is also an accomplished fine artist. Responsible for nearly all the artwork and graphic design surrounding Baroness, John has also created memorable album art for bands such as Kvelertak, Kylesa, Gillian Welch, Torche and many others. Combining Art Nouveau influences like Alphonse Mucha and Aubrey Beardsley along with an encyclopedic knowledge of primitive mysticism, Pagan rites and Jungian archetypes, John arrives at a very different place with his album design than has been typically expected from the world of extreme music like Heavy Metal and Punk rock. While still embracing the seminal teenage icons like Pushead and Raymond Pettibon, John has created an alternative dialect of imagery with his work, taking us the viewer on a new path.

Roadburn Festival 2013 will run for four days from Thursday, April 18th to Sunday, April 21st, 2013 (the traditional Afterburner event) at the 013 venue and Het Patronaat in Tilburg, Holland.

Tickets for the Roadburn 2013 Afterburner are still available: http://www.roadburn.com/roadburn-2013/tickets

Please visit www.roadburn.com for more info.

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Cult of Luna Unveil “Passing Through” Video

Posted in Bootleg Theater on February 8th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Cult of Luna (also on Roadburn‘s lineup) reportedly filmed the video below for “Passing Through” from their new album, Vertikal, in an abandoned mental institution. They said the same thing about the recording of their last album, 2008’s Eternal Kingdom, and that turned out to be a hoax perpetrated by guitarist Johannes Persson reportedly to point out that nobody in music journalism checks facts. That or it was a convenient story to sell records and it took the band four years to come up with an excuse for why they lied about it. Take your pick. Either way, the fact that I make dick money and sell myself out for the potentiality of being able to beg for a free CD and the fact that I’m useless at everything else weren’t degrading enough. Glad to be the butt of your “point.”

As such, rather than check the facts on where this clip was filmed, I’ll just assume it’s his mom’s house and that his line below about it being the most honest song he’s ever heard is also pretentious bunk. Damn lazy journalists. Vertikal is out now. Or not. Whatever:

Check out our new video for “Passing Through”. Directed by Markus Lundqvist, “Passing Through” was filmed in sub-zero temperatures at what was once Sweden’s largest mental hospital. Closed since the ‘60’s, the Säter hospital was where the mentally ill were routinely castrated and lobotomized.

“Passing Through” is the closing track on Vertikal and is sung by guitarist Fredrik Kihlberg. “When we decided to start writing a new COL album and talked about which direction we wanted to go, this was actually the first idea that came to my head,” said Kihlberg. “I had this phrase – time is passing me by – in my head, going on repeat, and I thought and I should try to make something out of it. It’s a simple phrase but at the same time a powerful and overwhelming feeling. We wanted this to be a beautiful but at the same time intimidating song.”

“You can hear the sensitivity in his voice – just listen and you can hear what he’s communicating. You can feel it. It’s the most honest song I’ve ever heard,” commented vocalist and guitarist Johannes Persson.

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Electric Moon Join Lineup for Roadburn Afterburner

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 1st, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Given a second chance to see German psych jammers Electric Moon after arriving too late for the start of their set at Roadburn 2012, you can bet your ass I’m not missing them this year. Roadburn just put out notice that the trio have joined the lineup for this year’s Afterburner, and I can’t think of a better setting to enjoy their improv wah-soaked bliss.

This is gonna rule:

Psychonauts rejoice! Electric Moon will propel you through hyperspace to some distant psych galaxy at the traditional Roadburn Afterburner on Sunday, April 21st at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

Invited for Voivod‘s curated Au-delà du Réel in 2012, Electric Moon ranked among the very highlights of Roadburn last year. As it’s no secret that we like to explore the vast cosmos through hallucinatory space-rock at Roadburn, it’s truly a pleasure to invite Electric Moon back this year for the Afterburner.

Led by Sula Bassana‘s fuzzed-out, heavy guitar explorations, Electric Moon weave pure-psychedelia, dub, doom, krautrock and drone into kosmische improvisations via a myriad of intergalactic riffs, stellar effects and deep-space transmissions.

The overall vibe of their epic but hypnotic freak-outs can be utterly mesmerizing or darker than the depths of the most monstrous of black holes, but all the while remaining deeply psychedelic.

Roadburn Festival 2013 will run for four days from Thursday, April 18th to Sunday, April 21st, 2013 (the traditional Afterburner event) at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. Tickets for the Afterburner are still available!

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Amenra Side-Project Syndrome Added to Roadburn 2013 Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on January 29th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

One of the best things about running back and forth between rooms and venues every year at Roadburn is getting the chance to check out bands you (or in my case, I) can’t really see anywhere else. The droney side-project of Amenra‘s Mathieu Vandekerckhove, Syndrome are the latest confirmation for the Roadburn 2013 lineup, and as I’ve been ignorant of their doings up till now (info about their second album is below), I’ll look forward to getting caught up in Tilburg. That’s pretty much the story of my year for the last four fests. Ha.

Dig it:

We’re excited to announce that Belgium’s Syndrome, the brainchild of Amenra‘s Mathieu Vandekerckhove, will bring his gentle ambient, drone and experimental musings to Roadburn Festival 2013 on Friday, April 19th at Cul de Sac, opposite of the 013 venue, in Tilburg, Holland.

For years this was a strictly personal endeavor, as the self-taught musician learned and studied his craft of songwriting and minimalistic soundscaping as a means to self exploration, meditation and as a way of channelling negative into positive energy.

Dedicated to his son Wolf, Syndrome‘s second album, Now and Forever, is a guiding light for his son to help find himself. This is accomplished via droning sounds that come in waves of engaging, dreamy (but also bleak), and introspective sounds created by the fluttering voices of layered guitar that create an environment conducive to finding strength, helping others, and knowing no matter how distant the expanse, be it physical or ethereal, his father is there in spirit.

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Diagonal Added to Complete Roadburn 2013 Afterburner Lineup; Tickets Still Available

Posted in Whathaveyou on January 8th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

It was bound to happen sooner or later, but with the addition of British progressive rockers Diagonal, the lineup for the 2013 Roadburn Afterburner is complete. I can say with some confidence this is the most diverse roster of acts I’ve seen for the Sunday after Roadburn proper, which I’ve always looked at as a way to transition from the festival back into the much more drab existence of the real world, with Spiritual Beggars playing alongside Nihill, Sigh alongside Golden Void, and Astra rocking down the hall from Die Kreuzen. Weirdness is afoot and I couldn’t be more stoked.

Tickets are still available via the link included below. Here’s the official announcement:

Diagonal To Complete The Lineup For The 2013 Roadburn Afterburner

We are very excited to announce that UK prog act Diagonal  will be making a highly anticipated return to Roadburn. This completes the lineup for the 2013 Afterburner, which includes Rise Above labelmates Astra, Ihsahn, Michael Rother Presents The Music of NEU! and Harmonia, Spiritual Beggars, Die Kreuzen, The Devil’s Blood, Golden Void, Sigh, Nihill, Switchblade and Leprous, and takes place Sunday, April 21at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. Diagonal will follow up their extraordinary and challenging 2008 Roadburn performance with a new set to promote their sophomore release, The Second Mechanism.

Aficionados of Vertigo-label inspired prog-jazz-fusion and Canterbury-flavored krautrock or psychedelica will want to check out Diagonal, whose sound recalls vintage 60s and 70s bands like Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, Hatfield and the North and Tangerine Dream. Their adventurous prog explorations are infused with lush keyboard soundscapes, scattered jazz sax, guitar, and keyboard melodies. At the same time, there is no shortage of heavy riffing and some searing guitar solos. Diagonal is definitely a band to watch in 2013.

Roadburn Festival 2013 will run for four days from Thursday, April 18th to Sunday, April 21st, 2013 (the traditional Afterburner event) at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. Tickets for the Afterburner are still available!

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Dutch Black Metallers Nihill Added to Roadburn 2013 Afterburner

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 27th, 2012 by JJ Koczan

Following the release of their third album, Verdonkermaan, earlier this year on the now-kaput Hydra Head Records, Dutch black metal three-piece Nihill have been announced as joining the lineup for the 2013 Roadburn Afterburner. Their presence marks a continuation of Roadburn‘s ongoing push into the dark and the extreme, though Neu!‘s Michael Rother was also recently announced as playing (backed by Berlin outfit Camera), so the Afterburner‘s just as all over the place as the fest itself. The one thing it isn’t is predictable.

Info follows, culled from Roadburn‘s website:

In their debut live performance, Nihill bring their brutal and unforgiving black metal to 2013 Roadburn Afterburner on Sunday, April 21st at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

“Netherlands-based black metal trio Nihill returned in 2012 with the harrowingly dissonant invocation Verdonkermaan, the final vile screed in a traumatic trilogy (see equally disturbing predecessors Krach and Grond). Verdonkermaan was a nerve-shredding howl of raw black metal combined with vortexes of cataclysmic noise, made all the more effective by its discomforting, unorthodox nature”

“Like fellow avant-garde black metal brutes Gnaw Their Tongues, Nihill craft corruptive suites that eschew any hooks or, at their best, any sense of predictable structure. Verdonkermaan‘s five lengthy songs buried hints of melody under waves of remorseless abrasiveness, with static-ridden riffs, frost-bitten feedback, distortion and drone smothering all. The album’s finest moments came when its raging pyres of chaos and cruelty overwhelmed with their intensity—misanthropic murderousness was heaped upon atonal annihilations till all became a singular blur of black-hearted nefariousness. The band clearly reveled in the demoniacal glee of elongated churns of depraved and discombobulating noise” — Craig Hayes / Popmatters.

Tickets for the 2013 Afterburner are still available!

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Cough, Witch Mountain, Hexvessel, Sabbath Assembly, Tombstoned & Crown Join Roadburn 2013 Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 4th, 2012 by JJ Koczan

Richmond-based cult sludgers Cough will play Jus Oborn of Electric Wizard‘s curated event at Roadburn 2013. The Virginian outfit have been at the fore of the post-Electric Wizard pack, reveling in horrific atmospheres and massive, droning riffs, so they’re a good fit on what’s quickly becoming an eclectic bill. Their last release was an ultra-badass 2010 split vinyl on Forcefield Records with like-minded British purveyors The Wounded Kings (review here), and I don’t know if maybe they’ll have new material on hand by April, but it’s worth hoping for.

In addition to Cough, Witch Mountain will play Roadburn and Sabbath Assembly, Hexvessel, Crown and Tombstoned have joined the lineup as well.

This came courtesy of the fest’s website:

“Firstly, raise your withered stumps and welcome ye brothers of the bong, Richmond, Virginia bruisers and losers…(cue intro to Sweet Leaf)… Cough… rising through the fog like resin-zombies the appropriately named band are the epitome of evil stoned doom”, says Electric Wizard‘s Jus Oborn. “Violent, bleak and wasted… Ritual Abuse was genius… burnout and clogged with resin. We loved it!! Since then we have had many late night smokeouts with these kindred spirits and hopefully many, many more. The Acid Orgy will be heavily laced with Smoke…Hail Cough!!!”

“Once there was a legend of black cloaked cultists that haunted 1960s London, ominous and dark wearing strange occult symbols”, Jus continues, “They handed out bizarre literature linking Satan, Lucifer and ChristHells Angels were our saviours working for God and Lucifer to cleanse our world. They became linked to the Manson Killings and eventually disappeared in infamy to only be remembered by a chosen few …now Dave Nuss and Sabbath Assembly recreate the rituals and liturgies of this infamous group. We can now see and hear the true vision of this paradoxical acid consciousness cult. Hail Satan, Amen?!”

“Also we have young blood for the growing acid cult… a new power trio of Finnish maniacs that deal in real heavy doom: Tombstoned“, says Jus, “We witnessed them live only a few weeks ago and were blown away (yes…they defiantly had feel of our favourite Finnish band). Heavy and cool as the grave, absolutely no pretense or hipster styling, just solid and real doom music played by people who don’t care what you think. You will fuckin love em!!!! Hail Tombstoned!”

Even More Incredible bands to be announced SOON !!!

Roadburn Festival 2013 will run for four days from Thursday, April 18th to Sunday, April 21st, 2013 (the traditional Afterburner event) at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. Tickets for the Afterburner are still available!

Portland, OR’s Witch Mountain will bring their crushing doom to Roadburn Festival 2013 on Friday, April 19th at Het Patronaat in Tilburg, Holland.

Founded by guitarist Rob Wrong and drummer Nate Carson in 1997, this was not yet the Witch Mountain that would come to fruition. In 2009, the addition of vocalist Uta Plotkin transformed the band into something extraordinary with her bluesy, sensual and commanding voice as captured on both South of Salem (2011) and Cauldron of the Wild (2012).

Plotkin’s powerful and soulful pipes sound almost out of place, but this is exactly what makes Witch Mountain so special. She belts out the band’s massive, doomy, bluesy tunes like a metallized Janis Joplin or the lost sister of Heart‘s Ann and Nancy Wilson who chose the left-hand path.

Distilled from thick churning down-tuned guitars and dense drumming infused with Plotkin’s sad and sweet vocals, Witch Mountain lumbers without plodding and soars without drifting off. The epic sound and unique take on doom metal has earned them both a highly acclaimed reputation and a rightful place among the current crop of wickedly talented female-fronted bands. We are super stoked to welcome Witch Mountain to the Roadburn Festival during their first-ever European tour.

“2012 has been the biggest and best of Witch Mountain’s 15 year history”, says Nate Carson, “Two successful headlining American tours, two albums on Profound Lore, a new single, Scion Rock Fest (with Sleep and Saint Vitus), and now this.”

“It is truly an honor to end this year with the official announcement that we will finally tour Europe. Many thanks go out from us to Roadburn for this fantastic invitation. My only concern is that Cauldron of the Wild LP pre-orders are coming in so quickly that we may run out of vinyl before we get over there! Cheers!”

Roadburn Festival 2013 will run for four days from Thursday, April 18th to Sunday, April 21st, 2013 (the traditional Afterburner event) at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. Tickets for the Afterburner are still available!

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High on Fire, Dream Death, Penance, The Midnight Ghost Train & More Added to Roadburn 2013 Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on November 13th, 2012 by JJ Koczan

Time marches on and the Roadburn 2013 lineup becomes increasingly unfuckwithable. In this latest update we learn that High on Fire will play The Art of Self-Defense in its entirety (as well as do a regular set), and that among others, The Midnight Ghost Train have joined the lineup! Those dudes kill live and have just toured Europe again, so it’s awesome to see their hard work paying off with a gig at a fest like this. Congrats to the band. Also included is info about Jus Oborn of Electric Wizard‘s curated event, and announcements of PenanceDream Death (their first Euro show!), Maserati, Ash Borer, Intronaut, The Atlas Moth, and more.

Massive as ever:

HIGH ON FIRE TO PLAY TWO EXCLUSIVE SHOWS AT ROADBURN 2013, DREAM DEATH & PSYCHIC TV/PTV3 CONFIRMED FOR JUS OBORN’S CURATED ROADBURN EVENT, DOOM PIONEERS PENANCE AND MORE CONFIRMED

Here are the latest updates from Roadburn headquarters:

We’re elated to announce that Oakland, CA heavy metal juggernaut High on Fire will bring their enormous sonic assault to Roadburn Festival 2013 for two exclusive shows.

On Thursday, April 18th, High on Fire will play their landmark debut, The Art of Self Defense, in its entirety. Initially released in 2000 by Man’s Ruin Records (and now reissued by Southern Lord), The Art of Self Defense displayed a new, intensely primal attitude for stoner rock / metal that broke away from the laid back desert bands.

On Saturday, April 20th, Matt Pike, Des Kensel and Jeff Matz will bring their brute force musicianship and thundering roar, anchored in an endlessly captivating, punkishly frantic sound to Roadburn 2013. This set will showcasing High on Fire’s obsession with Motörheadish thrash, stunningly renderd on instant classics like De Vermis Mysteriis, and Snakes for the Divine. More info on High on Fire here: http://wp.me/p1m0FP-6zY

Electric Wizard is proud to present two more mindblowing freakouts for The Electric Acid Orgy: “Cult (and we mean really fuckin kkvvuullttttt!!???) Pittsburgh Doom pioneers Dream Death are back from the dead!!, says Jus Oborn. “1987’s Journey into Mystery LP was a blueprint for a ‘chosen few ‘doom freaks… evil churning riffs, proto 70s influences, HP lovecraft / weird tales inspired lyrics and tortured ‘real’ vocals.”

“Everyone else was ‘thrashing’ but this was it… ominous, foreboding, twisted and evil and it definitley pointed us in the right direction. We are unbelievably excited to witness them live at last and hope you will join us in screaming every word from Back From The Dead: “I hope you enjoyed the living me cos the dead one never ends.” More info on Dream Death’s first ever European performance here: http://wp.me/p1m0FP-6yU

“And from even further into the abyss we present legendary aural terrorists and brain agitators Psychic TV / PTV3!!! Formed in the early 80’s after the disbanding of Throbbing Gristle, this legendary outfit was always a dark subliminal influence. Their live performances would still haunt various festivals when we were teenagers and they were always scary… their fans , their image. Back then it meant something to shock people, to wake them up from their government imposed comas.

“I also remember their fake (?) cult Temple Ov Psychic Youth”, says Jus, “which had a huge influence on us and the early black metal scene, they even got satanic ritual footage on the BBC. Its all been done before kids and it started here.” More info on Psychic TV / PTV3 here: http://wp.me/p1m0FP-6zS

More info on Jus Oborn’s The Electric Acid Orgy here: http://wp.me/p1m0FP-6An

Their name has perennially appeared on Roadburn Festival wish lists. Like many of you, we have been dreaming of finally getting a chance to see them live. And now, for the first time since touring with Cathedral and Sleep in 1993, doom pioneers Penance (the Parallel Corners lineup) will return to Europe for an exclusive appearance at Roadburn 2013! More info on Penance here: http://wp.me/p1m0FP-6yO

Ash Borer, Fell Voices, The Atlas Moth, Intronaut, Maserati, The Midnight Ghost Train and Raketkanon are also confirmed for Roadburn Festival 2013.

Roadburn Festival 2013, including Electric Wizard, Godflesh playing Pure in its entirety for the first time ever, Neige (Alcest) as Artist-in-Residence , Spiritual Beggars, Ihsahn and Die Kreuzen reunion among others, will run for four days from Thursday, April 18th to Sunday, April 21st, 2013 (the traditional Afterburner event) at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

Tickets for the Roadburn 2013 Afterburner are still available: http://www.roadburn.com/roadburn-2013/tickets

Please visit www.roadburn.com for more info.

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