Closer Music

By inviting the public to get closer to the artists, to wander, feel and listen in a different way, Closer Music opens up new sonic and visual experiences in a building in constant motion. Following on from previous editions with a rich array of highlights (Caterina Barbieri, Tirzah, Mica Levi, Voice Actor, Space Afrika, Blackhaine, Lyra Pramuk, Pan Daijing, Charlemagne Palestine...), Closer Music presents a new generation of artists through performances and concerts.  

This singular edition, which is in tune with the upheavals in artistic practices, places the collective energies of musical forms from all over the world at the heart of its programming, from Berlin to Shanghai, via Bristol, Göteborg, Barcelona and Cairo. Faithful to its forward-looking programming, this sixth edition unveils unique artists in solo, duo and collaborative projects, between atmospheric lives magnified by voices and hybrid music.

When Catalan singer and pianist Marina Herlop draws inspiration from traditional Indian and Spanish songs, while playing with the aerial effects produced by machines, pmxper, the French premiere of the duo made up of Pavel Milyakov (Buttechno) & Aleksandra Zakharenko (Perila), distils an ambient sound nourished by guitars, jazz and magnetic poetry.

Conceived by Berlin-based experimental producer Ziúr, 'Eyeroll' takes us on a sonic and visual odyssey from punk to deconstructed club, from avant-jazz to metal, driven by the extraordinary voices and personalities of England's Elvin Brandhi and Egypt's Abdullah Miniawy, as well as the old VHS-like visuals by Dutch video artist Sander Houtkruijer, who are coming together for the occasion.

Another eagerly-awaited line-up is the duo Accident du Travail, formed by Julie Normal on the Ondes Martenot (the ancestor of the synthesizer) and Olivier Demeaux on the harmonium, who promise us a contemplative and introspective live show full of reverie.

Göteborg-based musician Elin Engström performs for Closer Music under her solo alias, Loopsel, a psychedelic pop project with haunted melodies, accompanied by Charlott Malmenholt for this special occasion.

Bristol-based Sarahsson's striking performances fuse classical music with metal, experimental electronica and hardcore to create a sensitive and ironic universe exploring themes of queer identity and history.

An integral member of Shanghai's burgeoning electronic scene, Osheyack is a shining example of a new hybrid form of club music that fuses techno, gabber, ambient and drone.

To close the festival, Closer Music is once again taking over the grandiose setting of the Église du Saint-Esprit in collaboration with Inspirations Visibles (project by Hampus Lindwall et Stephen O’Malley) to present Sculptures, a meditative and spiritual performance by Swedish composer and virtuoso organist Ellen Arkbro.

Programming: Étienne Blanchot

In partnership with Les Inrocks and Manifesto XXI.