For 16 years and counting, Le Guess Who? has strived to create a space for generations of music lovers and makers to come together. A podium where icons of their trade not just pass the baton to those that carve out a new path – but where they engage on eye-level.
In 2023, Le Guess Who? once again boasted an array of young artists and newer acts that, in their own way, recalibrate their musical and cultural heritage, and create a whole new thing on top of it. Earlier in the year, we published an article written by Julian Brimmers about the trailblazing artists of LGW; during the festival, our residential photographers Melanie Marsman and Juri Hiensch captured a series of portraits with some of these exciting acts.
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Damsel Elysium and Maroulita de Kol at Le Guess Who? 2023 by Melanie Marsman
"We are trying to take all this old, almost-forgotten art and find new ways to make it public" - Mong Tong 夢東
Crystallmess at Le Guess Who? 2023 by Juri Hiensch
While just a small selection of the artists that we a part of Le Guess Who? 2023, all these artists challenge themselves and challenge their observers. These artists push the boundaries of expectations and give us an insight into the unprecedented diversity of human creativity. Their contribution to the world of music may come in different forms: be it field recordings and experimental composition, intricate raps, club-ready Egyptian street sounds, or celestial Harp&B. What they all share is an infallible sensibility for their roots, and a clear vision for where they’re headed.
Ana Frango Elétrico and Mayssa Jallad at Le Guess Who? 2023 by Juri Hiensch.png
"Meanwhile, composer and visual artist Damsel Elysium’s captivating breathwork feels almost rooted in the healing traditions of Finnmark and Nord-Troms, despite being based in the UK. Past performances have seen her appear alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra. Tonight, needling violin lines play out behind rumbling vibrations that could shake even the Dom Tower. With the addition of her signature double bass, we’re almost swept up in a film score." - The Arts Desk
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Mong Tong at Le Guess Who? 2023 by Melanie Marsman
