Netherlands festival Le Guess Who? will hold its 2024 edition on November 7-10 in Utrecht. As usual, they have invited a number of artists to be guest curators, and this year those are Arooj Aftab, Bo Ningen, Crystallmess, DARKSIDE, Mabe Fratti and Touching Bass.
Arooj Aftab’s curation includes: aja monet, Egyptian artist Dina El Wedidi, Meshell Ndegeocello, a special filmed poetry performance by her father, Aftab Sr, and more.
DARKSIDE (Dave Harrington and Nicolás Jaar) will perform with their newest member, drummer Tlacael Esparza, and their curated program includes trumpeter/composer Wadada Leo Smith, Iranian artist Cinna Peyghami, vocalist and multi instrumentalist ganavya, Phantom Orchard (the duo of Zeena Parkins and Ikue Mori), and more.
Bo Ningen’s curation is dedicated to “representing the Bo Ningen community, with lots of collaborative projects and with a strong focus on audiovisual performances.” Those include the band’s own alternate score to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s 1973 psychedelic cult classic The Holy Mountain. Also: GAISTER, a collaborations between soprano vocalist Olivia Salvadori (Tutto Questo Sentire), drummer and percussionist Akihide Monna (Bo Ningen), and songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Coby Sey; an audio visual collaboration by Klara Lewis and Nik Colk Void featuring visuals by Pedro Maia; plus London experimental band Still House Plants, The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis, Foodman, and more
Parisian producer/DJ Crystallmess is presenting Kim Gordon, Detroit’s HiTech (aka rappers King Milo and Milf Melly with DJ/producer 47Chops), footwork pioneer RP Boo, experimental rapper and choreographer Blackhaine, Lafawndah, and more.
Mabe Fratti is presenting Mexican and South American acts that “have influenced her personal development”: “father of Mexican experimental music” Germán Bringas; Colombian folk music legends Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto; queer Latinx group Blanco Teta, and more.
Touching Bass, the duo of Errol and Alex Rita, are presenting two evenings. Calm Roots will be set in a church and features meditative sets from Wadada Leo Smith with his grandson Lamar Smith, Paris-based artist Astrønne, and a DJ set by Alex Rita with live poetry by Rohan Ayinde. The second night, titled INNA, is a celebration of Jamaican soundsystem culture featuring dub pioneer King Jammy (celebrating the 50th anniversary of his music career), sound system and dub producer Aba Shanti-I, and the custom, hand-built KrackFree Soundsystem from Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
In addition to the lineups from curators, LGW’s robust general program includes Tropical Fuck Storm, Alex Zhang Hungtai, Theo Parrish, Discovery Zone, and more.
Early bird passes are sold out but remaining tickets and passes go on sale May 28. More info on the festival and travel packages is here. Check out the full Le Guess Who? phase one lineup below.
Le Guess Who? 2024 Initial Lineup
curated by Arooj Aftab
Aftab Sr.
aja monet
Arooj Aftab
Bedouin Burger
Dina El Wedidi
DJ Lynnée Denise
Jaffar Hussain Randhawa
Kalia Vandever
Meshell Ndegeocello
Nooriyah
Noura Mint Seymali
Sheherazaad
Zsela
curated by Bo Ningen
CHELA
GAISTER
Gorgonn & Utku Önal present Six Paths
Helen Papaioannou & Noriko Okaku
Ill Japonia & Masumi Saito
Klara Lewis & Yuki Tsujii
Lunch Money Life
Nik Colk Void & Klara Lewis + Pedro Maia (live A/V) Rebecca Salvadori presents MESSENGERS Still House Plants
The Holy Mountain Live Score – Written and Performed by Bo Ningen
The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis
食品まつり a.k.a. Foodman
curated by Crystallmess
Blackhaine
Cõvco
Crystallmess
HiTech
Kim Gordon
Lafawndah
LustSickPuppy
Nazar
RP Boo
curated by DARKSIDE
Cinna Peyghamy
DARKSIDE
DINfidel
Eli Keszler
Eli Wewentxu
Eucademix (a.k.a. Yuka C. Honda)
ganavya
Hizbut Jámm
Maya Al Khaldi & Sarouna feat. Dina Mimi
Patrick Shiroishi
Phantom Orchard (Zeena Parkins & Ikue Mori) Wadada Leo Smith
White Boy Scream
curated by Mabe Fratti
Blanco Teta
Concepción Huerta
Fuensanta
Germán Bringas
Gibrana Cervantes
Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto
Luz luz luz!
M. Takara & Carla Boregas
Mabe Fratti featuring Shards
Military Genius
Rodrigo Ambriz
Shards
Titanic
Alex Rita presents Calm Roots
afromerm with Jaz Lee
Alex Rita with Rohan Ayinde
Astrønne
Lionmilk
Wadada Leo Smith & Lamar Smith present Creative Music
Touching Bass presents INNA
with KrackFree Soundsystem
Aba Shanti-I
Errol & Sammseed
King Jammy
Mia Koden & Livwutang & Richard Akingbehin
General Program
Alex Zhang Hungtai
Angry Blackmen
ASA-CHANG & Junray
Asher Gamedze with Another Time Ensemble Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou
bela
Dawuna
Demdike Stare
Discovery Zone
ELUCID
Erika Angell
Frente Abierto feat. Israel Fernández & Lela Soto FYEAR
HYPER GAL
Kahil El’Zabar Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
Kevin Richard Martin & KMRU
Liliane Chlela presents I, the hybrid and the antidote Lord Spikeheart
Luzmila Carpio
Mimosa
Muovipussi
Otay:onii
Rafael Toral
Raphael Rogiński presents Žaltys feat. Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė Seni Reak Juarta Putra
Shabjdeed & Al Nather
Tashi Wada
The Body & Dis Fig
The Growth Eternal
Theo Parrish
Tropical Fuck Storm