Mumdance, Nkisi, Emeralds, more announced for SEMIBREVE festival 2023
Kali Malone and Anja Lauvdal are also set to perform at the annual interdisciplinary electronic, experimental and avant-garde institution
Portuguese festival SEMIBREVE has unveiled the first names appearing at this year's festival. The 13th edition runs from 26th - 29th October 2023 at locations across the city of Braga.
The autumn showcase will include a very rare live set from Emeralds. The US Midwest experimental electronic trio are interrupting a decade-long hiatus for a limited tour this year.
Elsewhere, Mumdance will play a "durational" DJ set comprising techno, grime, and avant-garde beats. London-based Congolese artist and NON Worldwide founder Nkisi, who was set to play SEMIBREVE's cancelled 2020 instalment, will make her debut this time. Her combination of club-first styles like hardcore techno and African polyrhythms, with abstract noises from 1970s Italian horror movies and more, has garnered global acclaim.
Elsewhere, Tujiko Noriko and Jodi Koyama will present the sound of Noriko's recent Editions Mego two-parter, 'Crépuscule I & II'. The festival will also see a world premiere of from composer Kassel Jaeger and cinematographer-photographer Eléonore Huisse. The French pair will perform an audio-visual piece based on the former's new record, 'Shifted Dreams'.
Kali Malone, renowned for minimalistic compositions marrying pipe organ, choir, and chamber music with electroacoustic fare, has also been announced. As has Norway's Anja Lauvdal, whose show takes inspiration from her stunning 2022 record, 'From A Story Now Lost', which was produced with Laurel Halo.
Early bird tickets offering full access are on sale now, priced at €45.
The annual EDIGMA SEMIBREVE Award is returning, too. A panel will judge submissions from artists creating works that explore interactivity, sound and image through digital technologies. The ultimate winner becomes an EDIGMA SEMIBREVE Scholar, and their work will be exhibited during the festival. Applications are open until 15th July.
As for location, Braga is counted amongst Portugal's oldest cities. It's also one of the youngest, thanks to a large student population. SEMIBREVE will take place in iconic spaces throughout town, including UNESCO World Heritage site Bom Jesus, the grand Theatro Circa, gnration contemporary arts hub, a medieval saloon, and the stunning timber and stone-built Capela Imaculada chapel.
