While much of the live industry slumbers, heads filled with dreams of long summer days and fields filled with adoring fans, January’s Eurosonic Noorderslag returns – and is ready to kick 2024 off with a bang. For almost four decades, the non-profit organization has showcased the finest emerging talent from all over Europe. From Dua Lipa to Fontaines D.C., this four-day event has proved an essential stepping stone for many of today’s big hitters, and we at Clash can’t wait to find your next favorite artist.
Located in the charming Dutch city of Groningen, ESNS annually welcomes 350 acts, 4,000 music professionals, and 40,000 visitors to discover the latest buzz bands and industry trends. Before they grace those summer stages, these acts must first ignite crowds’ hearts during the coldest month of the year. With the festival boasting everything from jazz to doom metal, there’s something on offer for every taste. We understand that so much choice can be overwhelming, so we at Clash have done a deep dive and surfaced with five acts we feel will make a big impact.
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Kimyan Law
Hailing from Austria, Kimyan Law, aka Nicola Mpunga, is a musician and producer mining his Congolese roots to bend the perimeters of drum and bass to make atmospheric and emotive music all his own.
With three albums already under his belt, Law’s unique electronic-based worlds can switch from mellow grooves to glitched-out beats within a single song. Also a keen visual artist, Law ensures his work is easy on the eye as well as the ear.
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Vévaki
Ever marching to the beat of their own drum, four of Iceland’s most exciting voices will be heading to Groningen, with band VÉVAKI bringing their Nordic heathen-inspired folk to audiences. We can’t wait.
Emerging as a solo venture by vocalist Will Hunter, the outfit proudly drags Norse poetry into the 21st century, interweaving truly ancient themes with more contemporary sounds and production. Their set promises a spiritual and hypnotic experience – a real taste of the land of ice and fire.
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MARO
Multi-instrumentalist, Berklee College graduate, and one-time Eurovision participant – Lisbon’s MARO is a musical tour-de-force. With nearly a million monthly listeners and a recent NPR Tiny Desk set to her name, the artist promises to be one of the festival’s biggest draws.
As happy performing heartbreaking folk numbers as fusing trap flourishes to her songs, MARO’s future is guranteed to be one filled with musical reinvention and some welcome surprises. One to watch, indeed.
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Immortal Onion x Michał Jan
We at Clash love a good band name, and you can’t go wrong with Immortal Onion. Teaming up with saxophonist/visual artist Michał Jan, the Polish jazz-fusion outfit will bring their cinematic soundscapes for all to enjoy. Mixing energetic riffs, trance beats, and the occasional full-blown prog metal blowout, these Gdansk-based boys use their impressive musical chops to mutate many genres to their will and, in the process, create mesmerising results – music to get lost in.
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Eurosonic Noorderslag runs between January 17th – 20th.
Words: Sam Walker-Smart