Glitterbeat Records at East of Culture - Different Sounds 2018

Lyrics with strong resonance by Chris Eckman, Murat Ertel and Hugo Race from Dirtmusic, the vibrant Baba Zula and desert trances performed by Ifriqiyya Electrique is just a snippet of what awaits us at Glitterbeat Records presentation at this year?s East of Culture ? Different Sounds.

Every year, an important part of East of Culture ? Different sounds is the presentation of a record label that stands out in the worldwide music market. This year, we have picked Glitterbeat Records, one of the most important and dynamic labels specializing in vibrant African and Arabic sounds and contemporary music with deep cultural roots.

This label stands on solid foundations and has been built upon sounds and artists seeking and exploring local traditions and roots all the while transcending simple genre specificity. We will see bands that fit this description during the label?s presentation in Lublin. We will travel directly to Turkey, Tunisia and Mali with, respectively, Baba Zula, Ifriqiyya Electrique and Dirtmusic.

The presentation of Glitterbeat Records at East of Culture ? Different Sounds 2018 will undoubtedly be one of the key events in our programme and aside from a number of label-relatet concerts, we will hold a panel with its directors ? Peter Weber and Chris Eckman and present an exhibition showcasing the label?s history and achievements.

ABOUT THE LABEL AND ITS ARTISTS

Glitterbeat Records ? the story of this unique label begins with the famous ?Glitterhouse? dating back to the 1980s. For many years, it was one of the leading and most important indie labels in Europe. Set up in Germany, the company developed its brand and international position, establishing cooperation with such labels as the cult Sub Pop. Their roster is very impressive as it includes such bands as The Melvins, Mudhoney, Pere Ubu, Green Rivers or Dirtmusic.

Chris Eckman, the curent programme director and the co-owner of Glitterbeat Records is a member of the last band. In 2012, Eckman, together with Peter Weber (the other owner), founded a special sublabel at Glitterhouse, focusing on independent and exploratory world music combining traditional sounds and the avant-garde. This is how the original Glitterbeat Records was established. The label is independent and operates on its own terms in two countries: Germany, where Peter is based and Slovenia where Chris operates. The label?s interesting story and its multiculturalism affect not only its profile and image but also the nature of their releases. These include ethnic African sounds, contemporary Arabic music, guitar rock and psychedelic music which refers to the genre?s classics and also independent electronic music. It?s worth noting that for years Glitterbeat Records has been topping many rankings and charts. For instance, last year marked the fourth time they won WOMEX award for the best label.

The artists we will see as part of the record label's presentation are:

This unique band consists of three extraordinary artists. The first is Chris Eckman ? the co-founder of the famous label Glitterbeat Records, a musician (i.a.The Walkabouts), composer, producer, soundtrack composer and a propagator of worthwhile music from around the world. The second member is Hugo Race ? the famous Australian, an extraordinary guitarist, songwriter and the front man of the bands The True Spirit and The Fatalists. For years he was a part of Nick Cave?s cult band The Bad Seeds.

It was the meeting of the two that gave birth to the project fusing guitar rock, explorations of the musical avant-garde and folk from various parts of the world. The desert sounds from Mali, where the musicians recorded one of their albums, uniquely blend with rock?n?roll and blues as well as tales about borders and walls, cold fronts and cold hearts, yielding truly ingenious and powerful results. Dirtmusic?s third member, Murat Ertel, the front man of Baba Zula, says that ?we need music like this to stay sane?.

A sensational band from Tunisia that offers amazing rhythms and sounds enriched by French influences. This is most certainly not a ?world music? project, still less an ethnomusicological one but a wild process of improvisation and re-composition that brings traditional instruments face to face with computers and electric guitars. This extraordinary sextet employs traditional instruments such as the tabla or tangura alongside the raw sounds of a distorted guitar in the style of Jimi Hendrix or the pulsating bass in the best tradition of Primus. Ifriqiyya Electrique?s concerts are hypnotic journeys to the depths of the desert and the Sub-Saharan, trance-like sounds along with atmospheric vocals stay with anyone who has ever experienced this phenomenon live.

Baba Zula is one of the better known and appreciated bands of the Tunisian independent music scene. Wherever they appear, they are loved by the audiences, which is hardly surprising considering their gigs are incredible music shows, rich both in sound and visuals. The band has been active since 1996 and their specialty is drawing on Turkish psychedelic music of the 1960s and 70s as well as roots folk and traditional music. In addition, they use non-standard instruments, such as electric saz, electric oud or even wooden spoons in concerts as well as crazy, colourful costumes and stylizations. Today, Baba Zula is one of the most prominent bands in Glitterbeat?s roster and they have collaborated with such artists as Jaki Liebzeit or Mad Professor.

More announcements of the many acts to perform at the turn of June and July in Lublin are coming next week. Like every year, East of Culture ? Different Sounds will provide a diverse and original programme which crosses musical boundaries.

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East of Culture is a cultural project integrating artists from cities in eastern Poland (Bialystok, Lublin and Rzeszow) and artists from Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldavia and Ukraine). It is carried out by the National Centre for Culture and the three Polish cities. The project aims at presenting and helping discover the unique aspects of each culture as well as at facilitating the sharing of artistic experiences. Over time, the festival has become a bridge connecting our Eastern partners with the broader European culture. In 2018, East of Culture takes place for the 6th time. The project has been made possible thanks to the involvement of creative groups and local governments of Eastern Poland and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage

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