Search: Ancient Shapes
Ancient Shapes
Although best known for his work evoking the sounds of classic country music, Daniel Romano has always been a free and restless spirit, as well as a gifted and masterful musician. His new brainchild i...
Ancient Indigenous Africans
“The past meets the future in the present” in this urgent collaboration, born at the roots of the Nile, between turntablist and producer Mutamassik, and vocalist and narrator Lengai Loita....
Moor Mother
As Moor Mother, Philly-based noise artist, activist and wordsmith Camae Ayewa shapes the vocabulary of hip hop and energy of punk rock into a musical tour de force. Informed by history, Afrofuturism a...
Kelly Lee Owens
Producer and musician Kelly Lee Owens is a cosmonaut in her own self-shaped zero gravity space. A space where machinery and ambience swell and orbit. Owens shapes this pliable universe to her liking,...
Madeline Kenney
Painting, dancing, baking, and a degree in neuroscience for good measure; Madeline Kenney is good at a lot of things. One of those things also happens to be music; more specifically, writing and produ...
Valley Maker
Seattle-based singer-songwriter Austin Crane (aka Valley Maker) has one of the most remarkable voices in contemporary pop music. Accompanied by heartfelt, wistful acoustic guitar arrangements, Valley...
Kiko Dinucci
Revolt comes in all shapes and sizes for São Paolo-guitarist, producer and songsmith Kiko Dinucci. He cut his teeth in various punk and hardcore bands, filtered that subversive spirit through t...
Merakhaazan
Following a decade of sonic research, 'Veines', Merakhaazan's second LP, is the France-based artist's vision materialized. Surrounded by an array of influences, ranging from post-rock and jazz to cine...
Baskot Lel Baltageyya
Baskot Lel Baltageyya (meaning ‘cookies for thugs’) is a Cairo-based project headed by musician Adham Zidan and poet Anwar Dabbour. From the start, Zidan has resisted the idea of it being...
Hagop Tchaparian
British-Armenian producer Hagop Tchaparian did not walk into dance music in a straight line. Rather, he was previously most known for playing guitar in the short-lived British pop-punk band Symposium....
Library Card
Library Card came to be when four musicians from the lively Rotterdam music scene became friends. Lot van Teylingen, Mitchell Quitz, Kat Kalkman, and Emre Karayalçin soon emerged together as li...
Library Card
Library Card came to be when four musicians from the lively Rotterdam music scene became friends. Lot van Teylingen, Mitchell Quitz, Kat Kalkman, and Emre Karayalçin soon emerged together as li...
Photo series: The Harvest Time Project at LGW23 by Juri Hiensch
As one of the special projects of Le Guess Who? 2023, the festival celebrated the legacy of spiritual jazz icon Pharoah Sanders and his seminal composition, Harvest Time (1977). During the closing day of the festival, The Harvest Time Project: A Tribute to Pharoah Sanders brought together Irreversible Entanglements, Domenico Lancellotti,...
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares
The famous Bulgarian women's choir Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares ('Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices') is comprised of 22 members. Performing in traditional clothing, the varying voices of the cho...
Sarah Davachi (2017)
Canadian artist Sarah Davachi's creates immersive soundscapes with a playful exchange between ancient acoustic instrumentation and analogue synths. Davachi is a real sonic thrill-seeker who enjoys pus...
Farida & The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble
Farida Mohammad Ali's mastery of the ancient maqam discipline - a lifetime’s pursuit - is truly extraordinary. In execution, this traditional singing technique requires full command of complex m...
Den Sorte Skole
Danish sample-duo Den Sorte Skole creates magical, musical storytelling across time and space. By sampling obscure records from all over the globe, all possible genres and from all times, these guys t...
King Ayisoba
In recent years, Ghanaian star King Ayisoba ascended the West African pop charts with his futuristic approach of traditional styles. A master of the ancient kologo instrument - a two-stringed lute -,...
Lakha Khan
Hidden Musics Lakha Khan is a living legend of Rajasthani folk music. As the undisputed master of the sindhi sarangi, Khan is one of the last remaining Manganiyars to have honed this complex instrume...
AMMAR 808 reinvents North African futurism on debut album 'Maghreb United'
Together with three powerful Maghreb voices, the ultra-low TR-808 bass and potent beats, Tunisian producer Sofyann Ben Youssef, a.k.a AMMAR 808, takes you into the dark realms of North African futuris...
James Merry live embroidery + Q&A
Presented by Le Guess Who? & Centraal Museum As co-creative director for Björk on visuals, mask-maker James Merry is primarily known for his hand embroidery on sportswear, but he also create...
Closer to God
Presented by Le Guess Who? & Springhaver Following the footsteps of Islamic mystics on the Indian subcontinent of Pakistan, the Swiss director Annette Berger managed to document the spiritual eve...
Ored Recordings: Jrpjej & Zaur Nagoy
2019 was quite a different year for ethnographic label Ored Recordings. Instead of setting out on expeditions throughout the frozen Caucasus mountains on a quest to collect traditional music from the...
Trio SonCe
An international musical threesome made up of members from Ukraine, Catalunya, Turkey, and, all of them also, the Netherlands, comes together in Trio SonCe, who present 'Five Seasons' – a fascin...
Faiz Ali Faiz - Live at Le Guess Who? 2023
Pakistani singer Faiz Ali Faiz gave a spectacular performance as one of the closing acts of Le Guess Who? 2023. You can now relive this glorious moment with our concert film, as well as the full audio of the show. "Another kind of passion was found in the lovely old Vredenburg hall with the transcendent qawwali of Faiz Ali Faiz a...
Faiz Ali Faiz
Having been born to seven consecutive generations of qawwals (those who perform the ancient form of religious Sufi music from Pakistan and Northern India - Punjab - known as qawwali), Pakistani singer...
Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan
In this concert, two virtuosos of ancient instruments unite to display their exceptional talents and introduce us to otherwise perhaps unheard musical gems. This crossover, however, is not new; Irania...
Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra presents Hadra Immersive
The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra and visual artist Arion de Munck present the premiere of Hadra Immersive: an ancient northern Moroccan ceremony that leads participants to collective transcendence t...
Rediscovery of our Memory
Multidisciplinary artist and researcher Joshua Schoonen will take over SETUP, a venue where artists and experts from various disciplines work to develop installations, images and vocabulary that make...
Sonic Interventions
Sonic Interventions is a band of transdisciplinary, diasporic-futurist musicians based in Berlin. The band emerged in 2020 from weekly jam sessions on Tempelhofer Feld and is now established as one of...
Ali Sethi & Nicolás Jaar
Long captivated by Jaar’s music, Ali Sethi found a space in their collaboration for sonic exploration that seduces, challenges and redefines identities. Composer and performer Sethi blends tradi...
Merope with Shahzad Ismaily
Merope’s roots lie deep in the soil of Lithuania’s folk songs, vividly evoked through the resonant sound of the kanklės (a traditional string instrument) and their ancestral singing. Joine...
Hüma Utku presents Dracones
With her new album, Dracones, Istanbul sound artist Hüma Utku ventures through chaos, transformation and the intimate unknown. As medieval explorers would mark uncharted, dangerous places on maps...
DE BRUJAS Y FANTASMAS by Kianí del Valle with Ziúr
Dancer and performer Kianí del Valle brings us the performance DE BRUJAS Y FANTASMAS, scored by experimental composer Ziúr. The captivating piece (whose title translates to Of Witches an...
Alabaster DePlume
Le Guess Who? aficionados are certainly familiar with the work of multi-talented artist Alabaster DePlume, whose instrumental and lyrical creations radiate healing and empathy. Often joined on stage b...
Assiko Golden Band de Grand Yoff
Vital and exciting, the music of Assiko Golden Band de Grand Yoff is rooted in a very specific community, Dakar’s nightlife scene, but speaks to the world. For twenty years and across three gene...
Track of the Week #11: Ancient Shapes - 'Public Hymns'
Every week, we’ll bring you a must-hear track from the Le Guess Who? 2018 line-up. This week, we pick Ancient Shapes, a new project fronted by songwriter Daniel Romano. Always having been a...
Daniel Romano's Ancient Shapes release new album 'Silent Rave'
Daniel Romano has always been a free and restless spirit, as well as a gifted and masterful musician. His new brainchild is Ancient Shapes: a fast and rebellious punk poetry outfit. Now, the...
Daniel Romano's Ancient Shapes shares video for 'Giant Comma' ahead of LP release
Daniel Romano's frantic power pop project Ancient Shapes will release the follow up last year's self-titled album on 5 October via You've Changed Records. Entitled 'Silent Rave', the album was pr...
'7: Triple Moon': an ode to female power in choreography, a 3-D art installation, and magical ritual
This year's Le Guess Who? features a project which is like nothing we ever brought to you before. Choreographer Nicole Beutler directed '7: Triple Moon': an interdisciplinary project with a combinatio...
Listen: Mudhoney’s fuzz-filled voyage in Europa
Being part of the Seattle scene for three decades, grunge godfathers Mudhoney have stood the test of time. Celebrating their fuzz-filled legacy, Mudhoney released their first live album ‘LiE&rsq...
The Breeders release ‘All Nerve’, the band’s first album in ten years
Last March, the beloved nineties alt-rock band The Breeders released a new album; the band's first in ten years. With the iconic ‘Last Splash’ line-up brought back together, their new full...
Revealing the curators & initial line-up for Le Guess Who? 2018
We're very pleased to present you the curators and initial line-up for Le Guess Who? 2018. A gentle reminder: current 4-Day Festival Passes are available until Thursday, 7 June, and will increa...
Ian Svenonius releases new Escape-Ism album 'The Lost Record'
The mythical performer and rock 'n roll reinventer Ian Svenonius has released 'The Lost Record'. It's the second album of his solo project Escape-Ism, after 2017s 'Introduction to Escape-Ism'. With hi...
Listen: Mudhoney release 10th album 'Digital Garbage'
Even after thirty years of pioneering the grunge movement, the Seattle icons of Mudhoney still got enough fire left in them; a big, raging wildfire, in fact. Mudhoney's 10th studio album 'Digital Garb...
Celebrating 30 years of Mudhoney at LGW18 + watch our Hot Snakes video portrait
On Sunday afternoon, we’ll take a deep dive down into the depths of punk, new-wave and blood pounding rock ‘n roll. Together with long time festival location dB’s and brand new venue WAS., we will set the stage for a raving punk party, leading up to the celebration of 30 years of Mudhoney. Endless Boogie & Bloody Ma...
The Washington Post: "In Escape-ism, Ian Svenonius knows the future of rock-and-roll"
Rock 'n Roll visionary Ian Svenonious currently performs with his solo project Escape-Ism, and will release his second disc of solo-sneers titled 'The Lost Record' on 7 September. Talking to The Washi...
The Big Takeover premieres 'Dig A Hole', an exclusive track from 'BC35'
Starting off with a deep, sludgy bass line, 'Dig A Hole' is a new, bold track from the 'BC35' album, which celebrates the 35-year Anniversary of the BC Studio (the legendary recording studio founded b...
Premiere: Please The Trees share video for 'Infinite Dance'; new album out 19 September
Czech Republic's Please The Trees originally hail from the forests of a mountainous region in East Bohemia. Grounded in the psychedelic riffs and motorik beats of krautrock, the band will present...
Listen: Mudhoney share 'Kill Yourself Live', an organ-filled odyssey on internet fame
Legendary grunge rockers Mudhoney have shared an organ-filled new single from their upcoming album 'Digital Garbage'; their first in five years. 'Kill Yourself Live' is a bleak examination of viral cu...
Watch: The Breeders release homemade video for 'Nervous Mary', recorded in Nijmegen
In their artist bio, we describe The Breeders as 'one of the most playful and wayward acts to emerge from the 90s grunge scene'. Their playful spirit sure becomes apparent with a new homemade video th...
"Finding recovery in dancing post-punk": Loud And Quiet meet Crack Cloud
A multimedia collective that includes members from different cities, ethnicities and origins, Crack Cloud express themselves through quirky, pungent songs filled with adventurous spirit. Loud And...
Mudhoney announce new album 'Digital Garbage', share first single 'Paranoid Core'
Seattle icons Mudhoney have announced their new album, to be released on 28 September via their home base Sub Pop. 'Digital Garbage' will be the band's tenth record, with even more reason to celebrate...
Playlist: New & Notable at Le Guess Who? 2018
As every year, an important part of the Le Guess Who? program is about making new discoveries; experiencing new sounds and artists that might become new personal favorites in the future. To help you e...
Madeline Kenney releases new album ‘Perfect Shapes’
Madeline Kenney has released her new album ‘Perfect Shapes’. It was recorded in the woods outside of Durham, North Caroline, where she explored new methods in writing, recording,...
Introducing: Nick Liefhebber, the Le Guess Who? 2018 Illustrator
Each year, Le Guess Who? cooperates with a different illustrator to design the festival's main graphics and images (the layout and typography are done each year by Loudmouth). In 2016, the festival il...
Track of the Week #19: Madeline Kenney - 'Cut Me Off'
Every week, we bring you a must-hear track from the Le Guess Who? 2018 line-up. This time, we highlight a bubbly, crisp pop tune by American singer-songwriter Madeline Kenney. 'Cut Me Off' is taken f...
Eleanor Friedberger releases video for 'Are We Good?'
On her latest LP, the 80s Goth disco-inspired ‘Rebound’, Eleanor Friedberger creates a cinematic and eccentric dimension by adding layers of repetitive drums, sweltering synths, muted...
Tracing the Roots: Art Ensemble of Chicago’s Great Black Music, Ancient To The Future
In the mid-1960s, Art Ensemble of Chicago sprung from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Ever since, they have been celebrated as one of the most remarkable free ja...
Watch: Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra & Arion de Munck present 'Hadra Immersive' at LGW24
A transcendental opening ceremony took place at the start of Le Guess Who? 2024, thanks to a special collaboration between the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra and visual artist Arion de Munck, who presented the world premiere of Hadra Immersive at the festival. The Hadra is an ancient northern Moroccan ceremony that leads participan...
Listen/read: Ndox Electrique root their sound in Senegal's healing ceremonies
You can also listen to this story – below or via your favorite podcast app. On the closing day of Le Guess Who? 2023, the festival features the first international performance of Ndox Electrique, whose music is inspired by an ancient ritual of the spirit-world originating from Senegal’s n’döep ceremonies. ...
The Guardian interviews Farida Mohammad Ali, "the mother of all maqam"
Farida Mohammed Ali's mastery of the ancient maqam discipline - a lifetime’s pursuit - is truly extraordinary. In execution, this traditional singing technique requires full command of comp...
Sarah Davachi explores meditative music for Red Bull Radio
Canadian artist Sarah Davachi's creates immersive soundscapes with a playful exchange between ancient acoustic instrumentation and analogue synths. For the newest edition of Red Bull Radio, Davac...
Playlist: An Introduction to Art Ensemble of Chicago, compiled by Ben Ratliff
In the mid-1960s, Art Ensemble of Chicago sprung from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Ever since, they have been celebrated as one of the most remarkable free jazz movements to arise from Chicago’s already rich jazz heritage. Moving far beyond jazz, avant-garde and performance art, the ensemble...
Listen/read: How seven trailblazing LGW artists reimagine their cultural & musical heritage
You can also listen to this story – below or via your favorite podcast app. Words by Julian BrimmersAudio by Cheri PercyCover photo by Gianfranco Bello 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 n...
Watch: Ndox Electrique live at Le Guess Who?
Relive Ndox Electrique live at Le Guess Who?, the first international performance of the genre-blurring musical ensemble that originated in Senegal, and whose music is inspired by an ancient ritual of the spirit-world originating from Senegal’s n’döep ceremonies. About How does one put Ndox Electrique into mere...
Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra & Arion de Munck present 'Hadra Immersive' at LGW24
During the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2024, Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra & multidisciplinary artist Arion de Munck (Ombak-Lab) present Hadra Immersive, an experience in which Water, Harmony and Light play a central role. The climax of Hadra is not just a musical peak; it is a moment of collective transcendence, in which those pr...
Listen: Valley Maker releases sophomore album 'Rhododendron'
In the mood for some sweet, melancholia-filled folk music? In that case, you should definitely give Valley Maker - aka Austin Crane - a spin. Today, he released his second full-length a...
Podcast: listen to part 4, the final part of 'For the Record'
Le Guess Who? presents 'The Big Playback', a podcast about all things music. Episode 3 is a four-part series entitled 'For the Record', exploring the role of the archivist from all angles, released in weekly installments. In this new series, host Margaret Munchheimer talks to an independent archival collective in Indonesia; a sound and p...
Podcast: listen to part 3 of 'For the Record'
Le Guess Who? presents 'The Big Playback', a podcast about all things music. Episode 3 is a four-part series entitled 'For the Record', exploring the role of the archivist from all angles, released in weekly installments. In this new series, host Margaret Munchheimer talks to an independent archival collective in Indonesia; a sound and p...
Podcast: listen to part 2 of 'For the Record'
Le Guess Who? presents 'The Big Playback', a podcast about all things music. Episode 3 is a four-part series entitled 'For the Record', exploring the role of the archivist from all angles, released in weekly installments. In this new series, host Margaret Munchheimer talks to an independent archival collective in Indonesia; a sound and p...
Podcast: listen to episode 3 of 'The Big Playback' about the role of the archivist in music
Le Guess Who? presents 'The Big Playback', a podcast about all things music. Episode 3 is a four-part series entitled 'For the Record', exploring the role of the archivist from all angles, released in weekly installments. In this series, host Margaret Munchheimer talks to an independent archival collective in Indonesia; a sound and perfo...
'Baskot Lel Baltageyya', debut album of musician Adham Zidan & poet Anwar Dabbour
Last month, Baskot Lel Baltageyya (meaning 'cookies for thugs'), a Cairo-based project headed by musician Adham Zidan and poet Anwar Dabbour, released their self-titled debut album. An album that serves as an extension of their phantasmagoric live show. Baskot Lel Baltageyya by Baskot Baskot Lel Baltageyya started as...
Listen/read: Favorite Stereolab tracks by artists from their LGW23 curation
For Le Guess Who? 2023, Stereolab have curated an eclectic program, highlighting their various interests and inspirations. We've asked artists from their curated program to choose their favorite Stereolab track, what the band means to them and/or what it means to be curated by them. Listen to the playlist by artists from the Le Guess Who...
Watch: Vinyl Factory premieres videos of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares live at LGW17
Bulgarian women's choir Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares performed music from their new album 'BooCheeMish' live at Le Guess Who? 2017, in Utrecht's iconic Dom church (dating back to the 13th centu...
Initial line-up announced for 24-Hour Drone 2018 in Hudson, NY
Originated in Utrecht as a collaboration between the festival and long-term partners Basilica Hudson, 24-Hour Drone is a roving, international series featuring musicians and sound artists experimentin...
Full line-up for 24-Hour Drone 2018 in Hudson, NY
A collaboration between Le Guess Who? and long-term partners Basilica Hudson, 24-Hour Drone is a roving, international series featuring musicians and sound artists experimenting within the spectrum of...
Revealing the initial line-up for Le Guess Who? 2019
We're pleased to reveal the initial line-up for Le Guess Who? 2019, dedicated to boundary-crossing music from all over the world. The first 87 acts include very rare performances by Asha Puthli, Ustad Saami, and Ayalew Mesfin & Debo Band, as well as the curated programs by Jenny Hval, Moon Duo, Patrick Higgins and The...
Istanbul psych trio Lalalar releases new song 'Mecnun'dan Beter Haldeyim'
Istanbul's psychedelic trio Lalalar has released their new song 'Mecnun'dan Beter Haldeyim'. The track was inspired by the mid-eastern tale Layla and Majnun, which is a dead-end love story that dates back to ancient times. The song's title can be roughly translated as “I am in a situation way worse than Majnun” and...
Revealing the full line-up for Le Guess Who? 2019
Following the announcements of the curated programs by Fatoumata Diawara, Iris van Herpen & Salvador Breed, Jenny Hval, Moon Duo, Patrick Higgins, and The Bug, we are now proud to reveal the full program for Le Guess Who? 2019. New additions include the premiere of AEAEA (Patrick Higgins & Nicolas Jaar), Aldous Harding, Deerh...
Photo series: Hidden Musics at LGW19, captured by Melanie Marsman
In collaboration with producer Ian Brennan and Glitterbeat Records founder Chris Eckman, Le Guess Who? presented the first installment of Hidden Musics during the 2019 edition of the festival. Now and in the future, the project aims to present global music traditions that normally don’t reach our shores, often from more remote...
Le Guess Who? presents the second edition of concert series Hidden Musics at 2021 festival
After an overwhelming first edition in 2019, the celebrated concert series Hidden Musics returns to Le Guess Who? from 11-14 November 2021 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Hidden Musics presents international musical performances that are not usually experienced on stages or at festivals; these rich, often centuries-old musical traditions ar...
Listen: Catalan's Marina Herlop, curated by Animal Collective for LGW22, releases new album 'Pripyat'
Conservatory trained composer, vocalist, and pianist Marina Herlop has been releasing music since 2016. Now, she has releases 'Pripyat', her first album released via PAN, the label also known for releasing records by Pan Daijing, Eartheater, Arca, and others. With 'Pripyat' Marina Herlop's production applies the same approach of ch...
Introducing Siti Muharam, the 'golden voice of Zanzibar' & great granddaughter of taarab legend Siti Binti Saad
Zanzibar singer Siti Muharam, the great granddaughter of famed taarab singer Siti Binti Saad, brings a modern twist to taarab on her debut album ‘Siti of Unguja'. Her show at Le Guess Who? 2021 will mark her first ever European performance. Taarab is a popular music genre in Tanzania and Kenya, combining musical elements from A...
Watch: Tarta Relena release video for new single 'Las alamedas'
Catalan vocal duo Tarta Relena have released a new song called 'Las alamedas'; the first single of their new upcoming album 'Fiat Lux', with a release date for the album to be announced later. 'Las alamedas' was based on a poem by Spanish poet, writer, theater director and one of the key figures of the 20th-century Spanish lite...
A force of celebration & hardship: listen to Isokratisses perform the polyphonic folk songs from Epirus at LGW19
On November 9, 2019, the Greek polyphonic vocal ensemble Isokratisses gave a rare performance at the Jacobikerk during Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Founded by Anna Katsi, the group dedicates itself to the polyphonic singing of Poliçan, an ethnic Greek village in southern Albania. All the members are...
Noori & His Dorpa Band - Live at Le Guess Who? 2022
Sudan's Noori & His Dorpa Band performed live at Le Guess Who? 2022, presented in collaboration with Ostinato Records. Below, you can relive the performance with our video of a part of the concert, as well as the audio of the full show, with a spirited introduction by Ostinato's Vik Sohonie before the band came on stage. Additionall...
10 things you might not have discovered (yet) in the LGW19 program
Le Guess Who? 2019 is almost upon us! There is an abundance of performances and activities happening this week, so we can imagine that some acts or activities may have slipped through the cracks. Therefore, we've selected 10 things you might not have discovered (yet) in the LGW19 program. 1. Three-day Film Festival at Springha...
Listen to Art Ensemble of Chicago's full performance at LGW18, curated by Moor Mother
In the mid-1960s, Art Ensemble of Chicago sprung from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Moving far beyond jazz, avant-garde and performance art, the ensemble has created a realm that is entirely original. On the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2018, and on the eve of the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s 50t...
Basilica Hudson & LGW announce return of 24-HOUR DRONE + launch open call for artist submissions
24-HOUR DRONE is an immersive, all-encompassing event featuring an international roster of musicians and sound artists collaborating and working in experimental, classical, non-western/traditional, durational and other genres incorporating drone to create a full 24 hours of unbroken sound. Multidisciplinary arts center Basilica Hudson an...
Introducing: BCUC's sensational Soweto Afro-psychedelia
The sensational Afro-psychedelic collective BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness) started out as a social gathering in their native township of Soweto, South Africa. Even with a relatively short h...
Listen to Farida & The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble's full performance at Le Guess Who? 2017
Hailed as 'The Mother of All Maqam', Farida Mohammed Ali gave an immersive performance at Le Guess Who? 2017 together with the Iraqi Maqam Ensemble. This performance was curated by Jerusalem In My Hea...
Listen: Anoushka Shankar traces her heritage with lesser-known recordings by her father Ravi
In a new episode of Red Bull Radio's Open End, sitar player Anoushka Shankar traces an arc of Indian classical music, from lesser-known recordings by her father Ravi to modern works. Equally, in...
Watch: Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares in session for Vrije Geluiden at LGW17
VPRO's Vrije Geluiden recorded a session with Bulgarian women's choir Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares at Le Guess Who? 2017, who were curated by Perfume Genius for the festival. Watch in full belo...
Tom Rogerson collaborates with Brian Eno on new album; listen to 'Motion in Field'
The skills of British improvisational pianist & composer Tom Rogerson were previously on display with experimental rockers Three Trapped Tigers. For his debut album 'Finding Shore', Rogerson colla...
Jane Weaver announces new EP 'The Architect'
Following the release of her acclaimed album 'Modern Kosmology' earlier this year, Manchester figurehead Jane Weaver new announces her new EP 'The Architect', featuring the title track (stream be...
Track of the Week #22: Cüneyt Sepetçi - 'Sebastien'
Every week, we bring you a must-hear track from the Le Guess Who? 2018 line-up. This week, we dive into Cüneyt Sepetçi's rowdy take on Turkish gypsy music. Hailing from the dist...
Les Amazones d’Afrique: making a big noise for women in a world run by men
Les Amazones d'Afrique are a gathering of some of the most powerful female voices of West-Africa. These performers use their music as a weapon to address the disempowerment of women across Africa and...
Bulgarian women’s choir Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, curated by Perfume Genius
The famous Bulgarian women's choir Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares ('Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices') is comprised of 22 members, all dressed in traditional national costumes. The varying voices...
"The Master Of The Forty Nine Notes": The Quietus publishes profile on Ustad Saami
Pakistan’s Ustad Saami is the last living khayál master, a precursor of the ancient, Islamic devotional music of qawwali. Even under threat of Islamic fundamentalists, the 75-year old master has spent his life as a dedicated practitioner of a vanishing art--one that has been passed on from generation to generation since the 1...
LGW21 photo series: Hidden Musics, Pink Oculus, Eddie Chacon, Hakuna Kulala Club Night and more
Our residential photographers Juri Hiensch and Melanie Marsman have been exploring Le Guess Who? again in 2021, captured different photo series during the festival. The upcoming time, we'll be sharing these series on this website and our social media. Portrait series at LGW21, by Melanie Marsman At Le Guess Who? 2021, residential phot...
Podcast interview: Angel Bat Dawid responds to the episode 'Is Music A Religion?'
For Episode 1 of our new podcast 'The Big Playback', we interviewed musician Angel Bat Dawid regarding the question Is Music a Religion? Dawid shared her thoughts on participatory music, her philosophy on people being creatures of habit and her idea of inner attainment.
Unearthed: An exclusive interview with Abdullah Ibrahim published by The Wire in 1984
This November, Le Guess Who? will feature a spellbinding solo piano performance by Abdullah Ibrahim, South Africa’s most eminent pianist, anti-apartheid activist and a world-respected master musician. Abdullah Ibrahim's effervescent music is instantly recognizable, taking the audience on a journey through gospel and jive, American j...
Watch Noori & His Dorpa Band live at LGW22 + read Pan African Music interview
Sudan's Noori & His Dorpa Band performed live at Le Guess Who? 2022, presented in collaboration with Ostinato Records. Below, you can relive the performance with our video of a part of the concert, as well as the audio of the full show, with a spirited introduction by Ostinato's Vik Sohonie before the band came on stage. Additionall...
Listen & relive: Sarathy Korwar live at Le Guess Who? 2022
Sarathy Korwar performed live at Le Guess Who? 2022 on the night preceding the release of his new album 'KALAK'. You can now relive the full performance below, which includes tracks from that album, as well as 'Coolie', performed live together with Alabaster dePlume. AboutBorn in the US, Sarathy Korwar grew up in Ahmedabad and Ch...
Watch: Goat - Live at Le Guess Who? 2022
Swedish psych outfit Goat performed live at Le Guess Who?'s 15th Anniversary Edition in 2022, following the release of their latest album 'Oh Death' via Rocket Recordings. You can now relive part of the performance via our concert film below, which features the tracks 'Under No Nation', 'Gathering of Ancient Tribes', 'Do The Dance', 'Disc...
Listen to Nihiloxica’s new album ‘Source of Denial’
As Nihiloxica, musician Spooky-J and producer pq harness the full force of the Nilotika Cultural Ensemble's ancient Bugandan drumming tradition of Uganda and focus it on the contemporary dance floor through a dark lens of techno sensibility. Their new album, Source of Denial, which serves as a follow-up of their 2020 debut album Kaloli,...
Listen/read: Pakistani qawwali singer Faiz Ali Faiz, by Arooj Aftab
This November, Le Guess Who? will feature a special performance by Pakistani qawwali singer Faiz Ali Faiz. Having been born to seven consecutive generations of qawwals (those who perform the ancient form of religious Sufi music from Pakistan and Northern India - Punjab - known as qawwali), Faiz Ali Faiz was raised on the practice. After...
Watch: Tunisia's Stambeli Ritual (COSMOS Scene Report)
The ritual dance practice of Stambeli is a centuries old method to induce trance-like states through sound. In this short documentary, director Mohammed Ali Fakhfakh portrays Am Salah, one of the few remaining yenna ("Stambeli master"). Am Salah invites us into his world, on an intimate journey into the depth of spiritual liberation that...
Indofuturist Sanctuary: A COSMOS Goa Residency Recap
In the spring of 2023, COSMOS – Le Guess Who’s? global music community – organized its first artist residency in Goa, India. Over the past few years, Goa has become a sanctuary for artists and freewheeling spirits of all kinds, including REProduce-founder Rana Ghose. In collaboration with Rana, COSMOS created a space for...
Watch: Faiz Ali Faiz live at Le Guess Who? 2023
Pakistani singer Faiz Ali Faiz gave a spectacular performance as one of the closing acts of Le Guess Who? 2023. You can now relive this glorious moment with our concert film, as well as the full audio of the show. "Another kind of passion was found in the lovely old Vredenburg hall with the transcendent qawwali of Faiz Ali Faiz a...
Revealing the full program for Le Guess Who? 2024
Widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals, Le Guess Who? exists to platform fresh perspectives on what is possible in music. Artists from all over the world offer insights into the unprecedented diversity of human creativity. Le Guess Who? returns 7-10 November 2024 for its 17th edition in Utrecht, The Netherland...
Reflecting nature and tradition: the legacy of Luzmila Carpio
With her Quechua pop music, songwriter Luzmila Carpio has been one of the most influential artistic and spiritual ambassadors of Andean communities. Between innovation and ancient tradition, she spreads messages of indigenous struggle, female empowerment and love for the environment around us. Luzmila Carpio is bringing her iconic voice t...
Read: LGW x The Wire special, ft. Theo Parrish, Wadada Leo Smith, Nadah El Shazly + more
Ever since 1982, The Wire stands out as one of the best independent, in-depth print and online music magazines. The Wire celebrates and interrogates the most visionary and inspiring, subversive and radical, marginalized and undervalued musicians on the planet, past and present. Leading up to Le Guess Who? 2024 we're very honored to...
Merope release new single 'Lopšinė'
There's a sense of spontaneity and playfulness present around Merope's upcoming album Vėjula. Before the album reaches your ears in full on 5 November (released via Stroom), the duo of Lithuanian singer and kanklės player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and guitarist/producer Bert Cools share their latest, soothing single Lopšinė. Lopšinė...
Watch: Vrije Geluiden sessions at Le Guess Who? 2024
VPRO Vrije Geluiden once again teamed up with Le Guess Who? the festival to capture several intimate sessions with festival artists - recorded at restaurant De Klub, just opposite of TivoliVredenburg. All sessions are now available to watch below. Eli Keszler NY-based artist, composer, and percussionist Eli Keszler has garnered...
Guest curators & initial line-up announced for Le Guess Who? 2025
Le Guess Who? returns 6-9 November to Utrecht, The Netherlands, taking place across different venues in and around the city. We now reveal the guest curators and the initial line-up for the 2025 festival edition. More than ever, the program creates a space where the margins become the center, where the overlooked are elevated and where t...
Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra & Arion de Munck present 'Hadra Immersive' - Live at Le Guess Who? 2024
A transcendental opening ceremony took place at the start of Le Guess Who? 2024, thanks to a special collaboration between the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra and visual artist Arion de Munck, who presented the world premiere of Hadra Immersive at the festival. The Hadra is an ancient northern Moroccan ceremony that leads participan...
Isokratisses & Christopher C. King - Live at Le Guess Who? 2019
On November 9, 2019, the Greek polyphonic vocal ensemble Isokratisses gave a rare performance at the Jacobikerk during Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Founded by Anna Katsi, the group dedicates itself to the polyphonic singing of Poliçan, an ethnic Greek village in southern Albania. All the members are...
Art Ensemble of Chicago - Live at Le Guess Who? 2018
In the mid-1960s, Art Ensemble of Chicago sprung from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Moving far beyond jazz, avant-garde and performance art, the ensemble has created a realm that is entirely original. On the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2018, and on the eve of the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s 50t...
Farida & The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble - Live at Le Guess Who? 2017
Hailed as 'The Mother of All Maqam', Farida Mohammed Ali gave an immersive performance at Le Guess Who? 2017 together with the Iraqi Maqam Ensemble. This performance was curated by Jerusalem In My Heart, and took place in the stunning setting of the Jacobikerk in Utrecht. About:Farida Mohammad Ali's mastery of the ancient maqam discipl...
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Live at Le Guess Who? 2017
Bulgarian women's choir Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares performed music from their new album 'BooCheeMish' live at Le Guess Who? 2017, in Utrecht's iconic Dom church (dating back to the 13th century). The performance was curated by Perfume Genius for the festival. About:The famous Bulgarian women's choir Le Mystère des Voix...
Sarathy Korwar - Live at Le Guess Who? 2022
Sarathy Korwar performed live at Le Guess Who? 2022 on the night preceding the release of his new album 'KALAK'. You can now relive the full performance below, which includes tracks from that album, as well as 'Coolie', performed live together with Alabaster dePlume. AboutBorn in the US, Sarathy Korwar grew up in Ahmedabad and Ch...
Goat - Live at Le Guess Who? 2022
Swedish psych outfit Goat performed live at Le Guess Who?'s 15th Anniversary Edition in 2022, following the release of their latest album 'Oh Death' via Rocket Recordings. You can now relive part of the performance via our concert film below, which features the tracks 'Under No Nation', 'Gathering of Ancient Tribes', 'Do The Dance', 'Disc...
Ndox Electrique - Live at Le Guess Who? 2023
Relive Ndox Electrique live at Le Guess Who?, the first international performance of the genre-blurring musical ensemble that originated in Senegal, and whose music is inspired by an ancient ritual of the spirit-world originating from Senegal’s n’döep ceremonies. About How does one put Ndox Electrique into mere...
Le Guess Who? 2018 Press Archive
The Netherlands 3FM: Eva Koreman nieuwe presentator 3voor12 radio 3FM: Le Guess Who? 2018: Ralph-Herman snapt niet wat Colin Stetson doet3FM: Timo op Le Guess Who: van gevoelige liedjes in een kerk tot stoned rappers3voor12: Kijk terug: James Holden & The Animal Spirits op Le Guess Who? 3voor12: Festivals willen dat je een kaart...
About Utrecht
"Spiralling outwards from the cobbled, canal-studded streets of the old town, Utrecht is an architecturally beautiful city in the centre of the Netherlands." - Crack Magazine
About Utrecht
"Spiralling outwards from the cobbled, canal-studded streets of the old town, Utrecht is an architecturally beautiful city in the centre of the Netherlands." - Crack Magazine