IQ x SoundCzech to present best new Czech artists
IQ and SoundCzech are launching the next phase of the partnership with a livestreamed artist showcase, featuring some of the best new talent emerging in the Czech Republic.
The livestream will be broadcast this Thursday (15 October) at 4 pm BST, will feature sets from three groundbreaking acts, cherrypicked by SoundCzech.
Prague-based supergroup, Market, will showcase their veritable mix of art rock, math rock, stoner metal, jazz, and UK-verging indie during the livestream.
While, Noisy Pots will deliver their “DIY kitchen electro,” using – you guessed it – pots, buckets, cans and other kitchen ephemera, along with live synths, samples, a vibraphone and more. Viewers can expect a live performance full of spontaneous energy and catchy grooves.
See a teaser of Noisy Pots’ performance below:
And finally, twins Jiří and Ondřej, will perform under their pseudonym Bratři. Hailed as “the new face of the Czech electronic music scene,” the duo will converge two captivating streams of live percussion/drum beats and synthesised melodic motives in one uncompromising flow of electrifying energy.
The stream is set to go live this Thursday at 4 pm BST on IQ’s Facebook and Youtube channels, thanks to streaming partner LiveFrom. Set a reminder on Facebook or YouTube.
IQ’s partnership with the Czech music export office launched last month with a Spotify playlist featuring a myriad of promising acts from the Czech Republic, including Cult of Fire, Amelie Siba, The Ghost of You, Chief Bromden, Kalle and more.
You can still listen to the SoundCzech x IQ playlist here and read IQ’s feature on the Czech market, featured in IQ93, below. Still to come during the partnership is an hour-long IQ Focus panel spotlighting on the best of the Czech scene.
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Czech Republic, Slovakia joint ESNS 2019 focus countries
The Czech Republic and Slovakia will be Eurosonic Noorderlag (ESNS)’s first-ever joint focus countries in 2019.
In cooperation with Michal Kaščák, CEO of Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival, and Márton Náray, director of new Czech export office SoundCzech, the Dutch conference/showcase festival will next year shine a spotlight on the two central European neighbours, which, says booker Robert Meijerink, although “two of the youngest countries in Europe”, both have “diverse and growing music scenes, a great history and lots of amazing music to be discovered”.
Previous recent focus countries include Denmark (2018), Portugal (2017) and the central and eastern European (CEE) nations (2016).
“I am confident that this will be a remarkable focus, especially with CR/Radio Wave and Radio_FM, SoundCzech/Czech Music Office and the ETEP festivals Colours of Ostrava, Metronome Festival, Rock for People, United Islands of Prague [Czech Republic] and Pohoda [Slovakia] on board,” says ESNS conference coordinator Ruud Berends.
“We are excited about the opportunity to show European professionals how much we have to offer”
Náray says the music scene in the Czech Republic has grown tremendously over the past five to ten years, with more than 500 summer festivals, a booming club scene and a host of promising emerging talent. “We are excited about the opportunity to show European professionals how much we have to offer,” he comments. “I think it is the perfect moment to do that.”
“It is great to be a music fan in Slovakia,” adds Kaščák (pictured). “The whole world knows Metallica, PJ Harvey and the Sex Pistols – and we are lucky enough to know Čad, Jana Kirschner and the Wilderness. But don’t worry: thanks to the Czech–Slovakian focus at ESNS 2019, we will be sharing our hidden treasures with music lovers around the world.”
ESNS returns to Groningen in the Netherlands from 16 to 19 January 2019. More than 4,000 industry delegates attended Eurosonic Noorderslag 2018, which saw performances from 300 European acts, including 22 from focus country Denmark.
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Buzz in the east
Most likely, many IQ readers have at some point wondered what might be happening in the central and eastern parts of Europe, as it seems that more and more interesting festivals are popping up every year, and there has been a growth in international ticket sales at events.
In order to stop unfounded assumptions, and to instead provide actual facts about the region, SoundCzech/Czech Music Office began operating this summer, with the aim of providing the wider live music community with access to information regarding the Czech music scene.
As the head of the office, and as a Hungarian expat living in Prague, I see the existing situation from a slightly different viewpoint than my Czech colleagues. Even though the central-eastern European region (with a focus on Czech Republic) has been active for some time, in the past few years many developments have taken place. The Czech live music scene is flourishing, with many improvements all around the country: local and international bands can play and work in good quality venues and studios; the inauguration of new associations (such as FestAs, the Czech festival association, and an association of independent labels); many local bands are now reaching international music standards; and last but not least, many young professionals are eager to find partners elsewhere in Europe to co-operate with.
The Czech live music scene is flourishing, with many improvements all around the country
I would even risk saying that the scene is ready to take off and to start crossing borders. However, I should add that the education of young professionals is an area that still needs improvement.
One other key topic we are working on is creating a general music sector platform to change the status quo of the region’s existing music sector. Just as in many other European countries, the official acknowledgement of the live music scene as a fully functioning ‘industry’ would drastically improve our ability to develop the sector further.
Considering these current developments, our focus (on behalf of SoundCzech/Czech Music Office), besides educating professionals, is to create as many access points to the Czech market as possible. You will find us at most relevant European events, and as a signature project together with other regional partners, we have created a new brand, the CEEntral Party, that we will feature at different events (ESNS, Reeperbahn, ℅ pop) with the aim of linking capable regional colleagues with professionals present at international trade gatherings.
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