Time to announce our SHAPE platform​ artists

Jamie Bivard

Sep 17, 2018

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As an aspiring artist, getting a platform to perform, reaching your audience, getting media exposure or developing your talents can be challenging.

SHAPE is a platform for innovative music and audiovisual art from Europe which aims to make this easier. It consists of 16 European festivals and art centres whose aim is support, promote and exchange innovative and aspiring musicians and interdisciplinary artists with an interest in sound. Artists get a plattform to perform and grow, receive media support and are offered educational activities and workshops to support their careers as artists.

For this years festival, we have selected eight artists who will all perform live during Insomnia, spanning genres like video game music, ambient, modular techno, drum and bass and more. Musical scholar Caterina Barbieri​ (IT) has already been making waves across Europe and beyond with her mesmerising modular techno shows, while CATNAPP​ (AR/DE) just got a nice boost when Rhianna played two of her tracks during her show at the New York Fashion Week. EOD​ (NO) from Trondheim got top marks for his debut album on Bjarki’s bbbbbb label, as this unique talent finally gets his due. Yamaneko (UK) recently debuted his unique sound in a live-set at the SHAPE showcase at the Nyege Nyege festival in Uganda, and will also bring custom visuals for his Insomnia performance, while Nene H.​ (TR/DE) has her own mind-bending melange of middle eastern influences and hard techno. One of the most fresh sounds on the SHAPE roster comes from Golin (JP/BE). She brings a twinge of vocal pop with Asiatic inspired soundscapes. With roots in Congo, percussion rests close to the heart of Kimyan Law​ (AT), also reflected in his clever and subtle take on the much tested drum and bass genre. Our neighbour Sissel Wincent​ (SE) will certainly keep the neighbours well awake with her powerful, minimal and dark patterns, while making our dance floor heave.

Check out their music and read more about them on our artist pages:

 

 

An introduction to our daytime events

Jamie Bivard

Sep 13, 2018

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Music and Politics – Identity and Belonging – Activism and Hope

In addition to our concerts, we also have an exciting lineup prepared for our daytime programming, which will include workshops, seminars, a keynote speech, and a film screening.

This years seminars are gathered in a one day event on the Saturday afternoon at Tromsø Bibliotek & Byarkiv that will touch upon the themes of music and politics, identity, belonging, activism and hope.

We will start the day with a panel by the research group “Russian Space: Concepts, Practices, representations” (RSCPR) from UiT/The Arctic University of Norway who is currently preparing a book on popular music and recent Russia-Ukraine relations. The panel will be based upon their findings from their forthcoming book release, including topic such as song wars, the music of the Ukrainian revolution, answer songs at war and the re-interpretation of the Russian national anthem.

RSCPRs session will be followed by the panel  “The Idea of a European Identity” moderated by editor and writer Lisa Blanning. Panelists from all across the continent will try to tackle some of the central questions about what it means to be European. Do we have a common identity? In this continent made up of so many diverse countries, peoples, languages, and traditions, is the idea of European identity doomed to fail? On what do we base our sense of belonging, does it expand beyond our national borders?

To wrap up the day, Croatian philosopher Srecko Horvat will have a keynote titled “What if the Apocalypse already happened?”. As the general public now also starts to feel that the apocalypse is here, whether it is climate change or the increasing number of people on the run from war, how can we counteract and revive hope?

On Friday the 26th we will be screening the documentary “Conny Plank: The Potential of Noise”   at Verdensteatret. The film details the search for the person and producer Conny Plank, a journey through music history, a son getting to know his father and a soundtrack that has influenced millions of music fans over three decades.

You can read more about each event on our Daytime Program page.

Exciting acts presented within the We Are Europe collaboration

Jamie Bivard

Sep 10, 2018

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We are delighted to present the We are Europe programme at Insomnia Festival, made in collaboration with c/o pop Festival, c/o pop Convention, Resonate and TodaysArt.

The Legendary Amp Fiddler feat. A Drummer from Detroit brings soulful funk straight from the Motown to move both our hearts and feet. Fatima Al Qadiri‘s new live show “Shaneera” is both a audio-visual extraordinary treat and gender politically potent. Glaswegian Lanark Artefax is on fire right now with his advanced rhythmic layers and strobes, and we think Noga Erez‘s eclectic pop should make her a star. Umbra from Belgrade brings her enthralling vocal works, while Cologne Sessions stalwart MK BRAUN brings his vinyl bag full of Acid House, Techno, Electro.

The installation of Bat-Erdene Bachuluun from Mongolia will certainly transfer you to other dimensions, while we also wonder if Tromsø is ready for the outrageously cool performance of FAKA…

If you haven’t already, its time to get your tickets here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four new Cloud Exit artists

Jamie Bivard

Sep 6, 2018

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SHAPE Platform 2019 Open Call

Jamie Bivard

Aug 27, 2018

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SHAPE platform for innovative music and audiovisual art, supported by the “Creative Europe” programme of the European Union announces a new open call for artist submissions for the 2019 SHAPE artist roster.

http://shapeplatform.eu/2018/shape-announces-open-call-for-artist-list-of-2019/

Charlotte Bendiks & Boska Perform at MUTEK

Jamie Bivard

Aug 22, 2018

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Charlotte Bendiks & Boska will be appearing throughout this week at MUTEK 2018 in Montreal, Canada. Their performances are presented as part of North-West Passage, a project by Insomnia, Intonal and MUTEK Montréal, with the support of the The Nordic Council of Ministers and The Nordic Council and the Gouvernement du Québec.

Here’s a throwback to when they performed live for us at Insomnia 2016.
Photo: Mats Gangvik

A Finnish Wave of Artists for Insomnia 2018

Tommy Ose

Aug 13, 2018

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Now we turn our eyes towards the east, and the unique musical fountain that is Finland. It must be something in the water…

 

 

 

Mysterious, dark, dedicated to providing the energy to the dance floors she directs, Kristiina Männikkö is a regular at Kaiku in Helsinki, one of the best clubs in Northern Europe, dealing in vinyls of electro, techno, new wave and acid.

From the underground of our fave musical neighbour comes JESSE (Sorry Sweden, but you already knew this…). Tired of fast synth music, they decided to make an esoteric mixture of electronic, prog, afrobeat inspired cosmic funk, drone, ambient. Or as we say – Sauna-wave. Tervetuola!

Read more about the artists on our artist pages:

https://www.insomniafestival.no/artists-2018/

Kristiina Männikkö and JESSE are presented in collaboration with Turku Modern as part of Up Node – a Nordic Network of festivals for experimental music and sonic arts supported by the Nordic Culture Fund.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian Artists to Perform at Insomnia

Tommy Ose

Aug 8, 2018

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In our second artist release, Insomnia are very happy to presents two artists from the province of Québec in Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A classically trained organist and composer, the critically acclaimed Kara-Lis Coverdale, weaves intricate sonic layers, offering her audience dynamic, explorative experiences. Her latest release, “Grafts”, is not one to miss.

Montréal native Marie Davidson has an energetic and charismatic stage presence. She manipulates drum machines, sequencers and synths into her unique mix of minimal-wave, synth and techno, with her trademark bilingual vocals and spoken words.

You can read more about each act as they are announced, on our artists page.

Kara-Lis Coverdale and Marie Davidson are presented as part of the North—West Passage collaboration between MUTEK Montréal, Inkonst in Malmø and Insomnia, with support from the Government of Québec (Canada) and the Nordic Council.

 

Early Bird tickets

Jamie Bivard

Jul 31, 2018

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Early Birds, take flight!
Today is your last chance to buy a festival pass at the discounted rate. Follow the link to buy your tickets now.

https://driv.no/program/2018/10/insomnia-festival-17th-edition

First artists release

Jamie Bivard

Jul 26, 2018

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The Insomnia crew are very happy to finally be able to share the first batch of exciting electronic artists who will perform at this years festival with you all.

Renowned avant-garde composer Maja Ratkje and Ume Saami artist Katarina Barruk combine forces. They present “Avant Joik” – a unique, commissioned work which blends joik and experimental electronic soundscapes.

One of the best electronic debut albums of 2017 came from JASSS. Her album “Weightless” was industrial, complex, yet strangely up lifting. Wonderful tensions drive her music.

The visionary Hieroglyphic Being, an artist in the truest sense of the word, will bring us a live-set of his raw, distorted and eclectic dance music. Will he only use two iPads?

Norwegian Ivan Ave will bring his smooth hip-hop, inspired by Jazz and the legends of 90’s rap, while Japanese artist, Golin treats us to her dreamy, layered voices and modernist sound.

Golin and JASSS are presented as part of the SHAPE Platform under the Creative Europe program.

You can read about each act and more as they are announced, on our artists page.

Insomnia Festival 2018 – 17th Edition

Jamie Bivard

Jul 18, 2018

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The Insomnia crew is proud to invite you to the 17th edition of the festival, taking place in Tromsø, Norway from the 24th – 27th October 2018.

Festival and day passes are on sale now! As an added bonus we are offering Early Bird discounts on the festival pass until July 31st.
Løp & Kjøp!

https://driv.no/program/2018/10/insomnia-festival-17th-edition

The artist page will get updated continuously here:

https://www.insomniafestival.no/artists-2018/

Sónar Festival visits Tromsø to send message to Aliens

Tommy Ose

Jul 1, 2018

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As part of their 25 year anniversary, We Are Europe partner Sónar festival from Barcelona created a special project called Sónar Calling GJ273b. From the EISCAT facilities just outside of Tromsø, musical messages were sent into space after their visit in October 2017. The objective is to reach the possibly hospitable planets circling the exoplanet Luyten Star b, a red dwarf 120 Trillion km away from earth, hoping to make the first human contact with an extra-terrestrial intelligence. Crazy eh?

Read more about the exciting Sonar Calling GJ273b project: https://www.sonarcalling.com/en/

See the video here: