At this year’s Different Sounds, Poland will be represented by Pablopavo i Ludziki, Niemoc, and Nanga. We’re in for fantastic songs and original stories about the present world, as this list of artists reveals. Between July 7 and 10, we’ll meet the bands at the 15th edition of Different Sounds and its 9th iteration as part of East of Culture, a joint project of the National Centre for Culture, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and the local governments of Lublin, Białystok, and Rzeszów.
About the artists
Pablopavo i Ludziki – Paweł Sołtys, known to wider audiences as Pablopavo, is a unique personality in the Polish cultural landscape. He is one of the most creative and hardworking artists, having won the Paszport Polityki Award and the Marek Nowakowski Literary Award. Through bands like Vavamuffin, Zjednoczenie Soundsystem, or Pablopavo i Ludziki, he blends his literary activities (the well-received collection of short tales “Mikrotyki” and the equally intriguing “Nierado”) with music. In July, he will perform with this band at Different Sounds. The band published their latest album, “Mozaika,” in the spring of this year, and, according to the musicians, it’s the next step in their explorations of sounds. ‘The last three years following the publication of “Marginał” were not easy for anyone,’ Pablopavo says of the record. ‘Neither for the musicians nor the audience. And this album touches on this, as well as things that help us get through the worst times.’ Aside from the most recent songs, the concert will include hits from the albums “Telehon,” “Polor,” and “Ladindola.”
Niemoc – is an instrumental trio offering a live, pulsating blend of shoegaze, post-punk, and dance music. They ironically call themselves “notorious first-timers” because they are still referred to as “young and gifted despite being active for seven years.” The band released a series of EPs throughout their first three years of existence before finally releasing their first album, “Baśnie” in April 2019. In October 2021, Niemoc released their second album, “Kilka najlepszych dni w życiu,” which featured the band’s characteristic instrumentals with energetic guitars and dynamic synthesisers, as well as vocals from Kacha Kowalczyk of Coals, Joanna Longi of Tęskno, Misia Furtak, and Michał Wiraszko of the band Muchy. However, one could boldly assert that Niemoc is most widely known for their live shows, which promises a truly unique experience at this year’s Different Sounds. Misia Furtak and Michał Wiraszko will join Niemoc on stage in Lublin as special guests.
Nanga – When the Polish supergroup Lao Che announced they were disbanding, many fans were taken aback and began to speculate what their favourite musicians would do next. Nature abhors a vacuum, as it turned out, and artists of this calibre were not planning on staying idly at home. Following last year’s concert of Spięty, another Lao Che member, the time has come to welcome the band Nanga to Lublin. Filip Różański – keyboardist from Lao Che and Maciej Dzierżanowski (percussionist) formed the band, with Magda Dubrowska (from bands like Utrata Skład or Grang Śródmieście) on the microphone. At performances, they were eventually joined by saxophonist Karol Gola (who played in Lao Che and Pink Freud, among others). Nanga’s music is a fusion of sounds generated by samplers and other electronic instruments with live instrumentsounds and Dubrowska’s distinctive vocal. Interesting lyrics and modern arrangements round out the package.
East of Culture – Different Sounds 2022 will also feature the legendary British duo Godflesh, the jazz-punk supergroup Lean Left, the star of the British electronic music Squarepusher while this year’s record label feature is the Washington-based Dischord Records and its bands Scream, Soulside, Girls Against Boys and Escape-ism.
Look forward to more announcements about concerts and non-musical events, including excellent films, exhibitions, panel discussions and book launches, activities for children, and workshops for music industry professionals.
As usual, this announcement is accompanied by comic strips introducing our artist. The comics are the work of Maciej Pałka, a visual artist, illustrator, and award-winning creator of graphic novels. The comics pre-sent this year’s stars in inventive and original ways. Additionally, limited edition posters will soon be available in our online store.
Details
East of Culture – Different Sounds 2022
When: 7-10 July 2022
Where: Lublin – Błonia near the Castle
Admission free
Organisers:
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, National Centre for Culture, The City of Lublin, Workshops of Culture in Lublin and Kultura Dostępna
The Mayor of Lublin, Krzysztof Żuk, has assumed honorary patronage.
The festival East of Culture – Different Sounds is part of the Keychange network and guarantees a 50:50 gender balance in the festival’s programme until 2022.
More information: www: differentsounds.eu and
https://www.nck.pl/en/eng/activities/the-rise-of-eastern-culture