God damn, Roadburn 2020. Warhorse AND a Red Sparowes reunion? And yeah, there’s a ton of off-the-wall stuff here and Emma Ruth Rundle‘s picks are every bit as adventurous as no doubt the festival hoped and intended they would be, but I can’t help but be hung up on the fact that Torche have never played at Roadburn before. How is that possible? Frickin’ Floor have played Roadburn! It seems crazy to me that Torche wouldn’t have been there before. Russian Circles have, and they’ll be there again. Dead Neanderthals have, and they’ll be there again. Rorcal haven’t played before to my knowledge, but they’ll be there with a new record too, and Alber Jupiter and Die Wilde Jagd, and that’s all pretty sweet. And oh, hey, tickets are on sale as of just a couple hours from now, so let’s say if you want one, today’s probably the day to make that happen before they’re gone.

Kaboom goes the brain:

– Roadburn 2020: new announcements ahead of ticket on sale date
– Tickets on sale September 24
– New additions to Emma Ruth Rundle’s curation inc. Red Sparowes and Torche
– Plus Russian Circles, Brutus, Warhorse and more…

With tickets due on sale in a little over 24 hours, Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter Hoeijmakers comments:

“I’m thrilled with the direction that Roadburn is taking this year – more than ever I feel like it is a real celebration of creativity and an opportunity to give a platform for bands to explore their artistry – hence inviting several bands to perform more than once. The response has been overwhelming so far, and we still have so much more to announce.”

EMMA RUTH RUNDLE’S THE GILDED CAGE
As one of our two curators for 2020 (the other being James Kent AKA Perturbator), Emma has added new names to her curated event, The Gilded Cage.

RED SPAROWES
Red Sparowes have been on hiatus for several years. Their component parts scattered in the wind, occasionally bumping into each other, collaboratively, musically or otherwise. Each piece of the Red Sparowes puzzle has their own tale to tell of where the intervening years have taken them, but we can give you a spoiler right now: all roads lead to Roadburn.

Emma comments:

“It is with great joy that I am able to announce that after a ten year hiatus, Red Sparowes will be reuniting for Roadburn 2020 for an exclusive performance. It’s a huge honor to resurrect the band that really brought me into the fold of the Roadburn family.”

TORCHE
The stars have aligned, under the watchful eye of Emma Ruth Rundle, we’re thrilled to announce that Torche will finally make their Roadburn debut in 2020. Long-time fan, Emma Ruth Rundle explains her pick:

“Torche have long topped my favorite current bands list, with Meanderthal still being a record I reach for while driving on tour. The energy and weight of the riffs are always exciting and I can’t wait to see them perform cuts from their awesome new album, Admission.”

MISERABLE
Within her Miserable project, Kristina Esfandiari combines the finest hooks of grunge with the lo-fi haze of shoegaze, creating an alluringly dark vista to lose oneself in. Invited back to Roadburn – having already played 2017 with King Woman – as part of Emma Ruth Rundle’s ‘The Gilded Cage’ curated event – Kristina is set to drench us all in her misery next April.

NGHTCRWLR
NGHTCRWLR is yet another vehicle for the creative impulses of Kristina Esfandiari – only this one is yet to be fully unleashed on the world. As NGHTCRWLR, Kristina has already notched up plenty of live shows including a US stint with Boy Harsher and soon she will bringing the project to Roadburn. Combining elements of noise, ambience, trap and techno, the dizzying results are a pulsating mass of slithering audio missives.

CLOUD RAT
Cloud Rat’s vast discography is a testament to their prolific nature and excess of talent, ripping and spilling at the seams – an unending stream of audio abrasion busting to get out there in the world. If they’ve remained under your radar until now, then their most recent release, Pollinator, should – or rather will – be the album to change that. Unsurprisingly, Cloud Rat have caught the eye of Emma Ruth Rundle and in her position as one of our curators, she has invited the extraordinary trio to perform at Roadburn 2020.

ALSO ANNOUNCED…

RUSSIAN CIRCLES
It seems we have inadvertently set a five year pattern, and we’re thrilled to announce that bang on time, Russian Circles will return to Roadburn for the third time in 2020. If you, too, think you already know what to expect then we respectfully urge you to reconsider. The band comment:

“We’re happy to be invited back for a third performance at Roadburn. Not only is it an honor to be a part of such a meticulously curated festival, it’s a personal affirmation of the power of art and music, as seen in the bonding of artists and fans from all across the globe in the immersive experience of this special annual event.”

BRUTUS
Continuing a strong tradition of power trios, Brutus serve up equal parts intensity, emotion, melody and sheer musical chops. Residing just over the border in Belgium, we’re delighted that they’ll be making the short trip to join us in April to deliver all of those parts on a Roadburn stage.

“It’s an honour to be part of what we always thought was a true pioneering event. Year after year, Walter succeeds in bringing the most inspiring bands of the moment together. We’re not only going to try to play a great show, but we’re also looking forward to be inspired by the other artists, as individuals and as a band.”

WARHORSE
In 2018, tragedy struck as Warhorse guitarist Todd Laskowski sadly passed away, aged 46. The rest of the band reunited for a one-off performance to honour their fallen comrade, and also marking the 20th anniversary of the band. Drummer Mike Hubbard explained:

“What started as a one-off tribute to Todd’s passing has become so much more. After all these years, we never expected to get this sort of response to us playing live again. It’s really quite amazing. Breathing new life into these songs has reinvigorated us. Walter was an early supporter of the band, so playing his Roadburn Festival is like coming full circle, and it’s pretty emotional. We are extremely honoured to be invited to play, and we plan to make this performance something that we, and our fans, will never forget.”

HANTE.
A one-woman powerhouse of electronic might and pulsating energy, Hante. AKA Hélène de Thoury will be bringing her Parisian darkwave to Roadburn 2020. Nestling in well with the other electronic-based artists we have at Roadburn 2020, Hante. is still a distinctly enigmatic prospect; glacial, assured and compelling. De Thoury possesses an imperturbable composure as she delivers with what appears to be effortless cool.

RORCAL
Rorcal will bring their pitch black brand of sludgy, high impact post doom/metal/everything to our stage. Better yet, they will come bearing gifts, in the form of their brand new album, Muladona, which will be presented at Roadburn.

ALBER JUPITER
Heavily inspired by Chilean Krautrock-afficinados Föllakzoid, the beautifully acceding trajectory of their hallucinatory grooves, drenched in pulsating washes of delay and reverb, makes their debut full-length, We’re Just Floating In Space, such an intoxicating affair. No wonder that Alber Jupiter’s throbbing soundscapes will appeal to fans of Neu!, Can, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, as well as those of Dutch trance-rock legends 35007. Read more about Alber Jupiter.

DIE WILDE JAGD
Channeling the playful, experimental slant and electrical throb of retrofuturism with Krautrock intensity and genre-bending, ritualistic, dark textures, Germany’s Die Wilde Jagd is definitely a breath of fresh air within the currently somewhat stagnating and over-saturated psych scene.

DEAD NEANDERTHALS
Dead Neanderthals will celebrate their tenth anniversary in an extremely on-brand fashion during Roadburn 2020. They plan to mark the occasion with a collection of four celebratory performances including collaborations with Sly & The Family Drone, Scott Hedrick of Skeletonwitch and more.

ROADBURN 2020 TICKETS

Tickets to Roadburn 2020 will go on sale on Tuesday, September 24 – 8pm CEST, 7pm BST, 2pm EDT via Ticketmaster.nl or from 6pm at Sounds Tilburg. More information about tickets and accommodation options can be found HERE.

Already announced for Roadburn 2020 is: Emma Ruth Rundle and James Kent as curators, commissioned projects from James Kent & Johannes Persson, Jo Quail, and Vile Creature & Bismuth, the return of Julie Christmas, Boy Harsher, Acid Rooster, Bada, Dool, Health, Hide, She Past Away, and two Artists In Residence: Full of Hell and Lingua Ignota. Check the full line up HERE.

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Die Wilde Jagd, Uhrwald Orange (2018)

As ever, there’s a lot going on in this announcement for Roadburn. It’s only the second one from Roadburn 2020 and already the festival seems to be setting its course to once again be bigger than ever as it continues to redefine itself and broaden its outlook on the underground. Two curators for the first time was announced last time around, now it’s two artists in residence, and oh, by the way, they’ll also collaborate for a set, because it’s fucking Roadburn and that’s just how it has to be. Lingua Ignota‘s set at the skate park at this year’s edition of the festival was the talk of the weekend — at least until Thou did those Misfits covers — and Full of Hell aren’t exactly strangers to Roadburn either. It’s going to be a busy and all over the place kind of Roadburn, I expect. Who would have it any other way?

If you haven’t, I can only urge you to check out Dool, who’ve also been added, and I’ve included the stream of Acid Rooster‘s 2019 self-titled debut below because its dreamy tones are sitting just right this afternoon.

Dig it:

ROADBURN 2020

– For the first time, Roadburn Festival will have two Artists In Residence

– First announcements for curated events including HIDE and BOY HARSHER

– Tickets on sale September 24

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

Every edition of Roadburn has an Artist in Residence who will perform multiple times across the four days of the festival – each time showcasing a different facet of their creativity. Much like with other aspects at Roadburn 2020, this year we’re mixing things up a bit; for the first time there will be two Artist In Residence positions…

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: FULL OF HELL

With 30+ releases – EPs, splits, full lengths and more – there’s rich pickings to pull together material for four distinctive sets at Roadburn 2020. Full of Hell will perform Weeping Choir in full, as well as sister album Trumpeting Ecstasy. Also on the slate is a set comprising of their early material including songs from Roots of Earth Are Consuming My Home, as well as early 7” releases – and perhaps even a couple of covers thrown in for good measure.
The twist in the tale is that for one of their four sets they will collaborate with fellow Artist In Residence Kristin Hayter AKA Lingua Ignota.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: LINGUA IGNOTA

Performing four times over the course of the festival weekend, Kristin Hayter will peel back a layer of the Lingua Ignota form, shining a light in a dark corner. Performing alongside our other Artist In Residence, Full of Hell, some dark forces are sure to be summoned by the unholy noise they’ll make collaboratively. In addition to that, there will be an extremely special covers set (the details of which we will keep under wraps for now) and a performance comprising entirely of ALL BITCHES DIE material. The centrepiece of Kristin’s residency will be a grand re-imagining of CALIGULA – pulled apart and elegantly pieced back together in a new way.

EMMA RUTH RUNDLE’S- THE GILDED CAGE CURATED EVENT

HIDE

The first artist to be confirmed as part of Emma Ruth Rundle’s curated event is HIDE. An uncompromising duo who have a message that alone deserves to be heard, but the accompanying pulse of grit-flecked industro-slickness is what makes HIDE an essential booking for Roadburn. Demonstrating that heavy music doesn’t need a guitar to be crushing, HIDE are dragging ‘heaviness’, kicking and screaming, in their wake.
Emma commented: “I’m very happy to announce HIDE as the first band in my curation. No one else is touching on all the subjects that really twist the blade in my being the way they can. Their work is brutal, visceral, painful and poignant in all ways. From their videos, albums, lyrics, uniquely sourced samples and undeniably intense live performance- HIDE not only transcend – they absolutely destroy.”

JAMES KENT’S CURATED EVENT

BOY HARSHER

Boy Harsher’s minimal synths, beats and fuzzed up vocals have been in our eyeline for a while now – and we’re thrilled that our intentions line up with those of our curator.

He comments: “Boy Harsher brings a kind of visceral darkness through their minimal electronic beats that is extremely fascinating. The whispering-like vocals mixed with detuned-synths and old drum machines always felt to me like an invitation to a forbidden yet alluring world.”

HEALTH

HEALTH has plenty of sharp edges; jagged, pixelated, and raw. The complex layers of synths and samples coagulate into a hypnotic, pulsating mass – perfect for those who find comfort in the claustrophobic confines of noise and synthwave.

James comments: “Health are amongst my favorite acts out there at the moment. Their unique sound blending heavy electronics, pop vocals and aggressive noise will make for a perfect addition to the festival.”

SHE PAST AWAY

As part of James Kent’s curation for Roadburn 2020, we are thrilled to announce that modern Turkish darkwave legends She Past Away will be joining us to share this year’s Disko Anksiyete in its entirety. Over the course of their prior albums, the band built a strong identity rooted in genre classics yet carving its own path rather than merely following in the same well trodden gothic footsteps.

Also announced…

DOOL

As the band gear up for the release of their as-yet-unnamed second album, we’re thrilled to announce that Dool will be premiering their new material at Roadburn next year. We may have to wait a little longer for the juicy details of the release, but much like it was in 2016 when they first debuted at Roadburn, our faith in them delivering the goods is unwavering.

BADA

BADA is another vessel for the Gothenburg-based musicians Anna Von Hausswolff, David Sabel, Gianluca Grasselli, Filip Leyman and Hannes Nilsson (some of whom also perform as part of Anna Von Hausswolff’s solo project) to channel their creativity.
BADA’s output is a cinematic drone – sliced through with abrasive noise passages and ominous darkness. Fans of Dead Magic might have to adjust their receivers to be able to detect the Anna they’re most familiar with, but through the layers of static something special will still shine through.

ACID ROOSTER

Though Acid Rooster have flown their freak flag high for many moons, the band only released their impressive S/T debut very recently. And not to exaggerate — Acid Rooster is one of the best contemporary psych records around, hence inviting them for Roadburn 2020.

ROADBURN 2020 TICKETS

Tickets to Roadburn 2020 will go on sale on Tuesday, September 24. More details will be made available in the coming weeks.

Already announced for Roadburn 2020 is: Emma Ruth Rundle and James Kent as curators, commissioned projects from James Kent & Johannes Persson, Jo Quail, and Vile Creature & Bismuth, and the return of Julie Christmas.

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Acid Rooster, Acid Rooster (2019)

History has shown that Roadburn has never been shy about taking chances and embarking on a creative progression, and Roadburn 2020 certainly seems to follow suit. Confirmed as curators are Emma Ruth Rundle and Perturbator‘s James Kent, who will no doubt each bring something very different to expand the festival’s already spectrum-encompassing sonic palette, and there will be three commissioned projects, one involving Kent, another Jo Quail and still another a collaboration between Bismuth and Vile Creature. Sounds pretty “out there?” Well, “out there” is what Roadburn does at this point, becoming the place whereby the new normal is established and promulgated while the rest of us try to keep up.

This is the first announcement and there will for sure be plenty more to come. Roadburn unveiled its gorgeous poster art last week — I friggin’ love it — and promise a year that will challenge convention and continue to push into new territory of and beyond what “heavy” means and can accomplish. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tickets on sale next month. Here’s word from the PR wire:

Roadburn Festival 2020 – Curators, Commissioned Projects & More

– For the first time, Roadburn Festival will have two separate curators
– Three commissioned projects for 2020
– Julie Christmas
– Tickets on sale September 24

CURATORS

Each year we give over a slice of Roadburn’s line up to a carefully hand picked curator; they put their distinctive stamp on a corner of the festival and make it their own. For 2020, we have not one but two curators stepping up to the plate. Operating entirely separately, and connected by little more than their common association with Roadburn Festival – and of course their insatiable appetite for creativity – Roadburn’s 2020 curators are limbering up to deliver something special. Expect the unexpected.

CURATOR: EMMA RUTH RUNDLE

Emma has left such a mark on the festival, and the wider musical landscape over the past few years; we’re honoured to invite her back to Roadburn as a curator – a new role for her, but one that she is more than ready for. Her expansive creativity and curious explorations have already led her towards collaborations – both live and on record. Her musical taste is broad and in keeping with Roadburn’s desire to explore the many facets of heavy music.

CURATOR: JAMES KENT (PERTURBATOR)

Few artists have straddled metal and electronic audiences as effortlessly as Perturbator. With personal tastes deeply rooted in metal, and an output that pulsates with digital slickness, James Kent embodies everything that is exciting about dark synth music today. His refreshing approach to creativity and his ability to explore heaviness in innovative ways makes him an ideal candidate for Roadburn’s 2020 curatorship role. We’re thrilled to have him on board. Read more about James’s curation here.

COMMISSIONED PROJECTS

2020 marks the third edition of Roadburn during which we will host specially commissioned pieces of music making their worldwide debut. Already, Roadburn’s commissioned projects have spawned ambitious, life affirming, bone-trembling ensembles that exceeded our expectations and wildest dreams. 2020 is shaping up to continue where we left off, with yet more innovative and exhilarating collaborations. Roadburn’s commissioned projects are made possible thanks to the continued support of Brabant C and The City of Tilburg.

JAMES KENT & JOHANNES PERSSON

Our 2020 curator, James Kent AKA Perturbator is set to join forces with Cult of Luna’s Johannes Persson for a commissioned performance that will form something of a grand centre-piece for Roadburn, and of James’s curation.
Their open-mindedness in relation to creativity and composition is well documented in their individual back catalogues, and for the first time we’ll witness what their combined efforts will look, sound and feel like, come April 2020. A hypnotic build of atmosphere and layering is likely to feature heavily during the performance; cinematic ambiance and enveloping emotional soundscapes are coded into their DNA.

JO QUAIL PRESENTS THE CARTOGRAPHER

Jo Quail dipped her toes in the intoxicating waters of Roadburn back in April when she performed alongside Mono, At The Gates, and Myrkur. She may not have been centre-stage but her contributions were not unnoticed; Jo conveys enormous emotion via her passionate and extraordinary cello playing.

With an intention to explore heaviness, Jo’s focus is exploring the juxtaposition between classical and more contemporary music, in this case post-metal. “Arguably heaviness is an emotional concept, reaching far beyond the confines of volume, speed and instrumentation,” Jo says. Jo will join forces with Rotterdam’s highly regarded New Trombone Collective – a group of trombonists who pride themselves on innovation, creativity and collaboration – to work towards communicating specific feeling through their combined output.

VILE CREATURE & BISMUTH: A HYMN OF LOSS AND HOPE

An overwhelming response to both bands at Roadburn 2019, coupled with our own insatiable appetite for creativity and innovation has led to us inviting VILE CREATURE and BISMUTH to collaborate on a specially commissioned project for Roadburn 2020. Titled A Hymn of Loss and Hope, the collaborative piece will be performed for the first – and the last – time at Roadburn. A literal once in a lifetime chance to see these incredible forces combine to perform a piece that is already brewing and a-bubbling as you read.

JULIE CHRISTMAS

Julie Christmas has one of the most distinctive voices in alternative, discordant music – and it’s a thrill for us to announce that we’ve not heard the last of that glorious voice at Roadburn. From Made Out of Babies, through Battle of Mice, as a solo artist, and as a collaborator with Cult of Luna’s on their stunning 2016 album Mariner, Julie has left a distinctive, subtle but indelible bruise on our record collections.

Her back catalogue is varied but all branded with a distinctive Christmas flair, so whichever route she takes, it’s a rabbit hole that we’re ready and willing to follow her down. At Roadburn 2020, Julie will perform a special, exclusive set comprising of both old favourites and new material. Read that again: new material. Joining Julie as part of her backing band will be Johannes Persson and ex-Kylesa guitarist, Laura Pleasants.

OFFICIAL POSTER ART: DOUWE DIJKSTRA

Last week we unveiled the official poster artwork for Roadburn 2020. Created by Dutch artist, Douwe Dijkstra, the poster very much sets the scene for Roadburn – exploring new musical landscapes and embarking on a voyage of discovery.

ROADBURN 2020 TICKETS

Tickets to Roadburn 2020 will go on sale on Tuesday, September 24. More details will be made available in the coming weeks.

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Roadburn 2020 First Announcement Video