Julia Marcell - promotional image
Three fresh bands from Poland strut their stuff in Cologne, joining the ranks of the world's most innovative bands in contemporary electronic music
Julia Marcell, Yula and Kamp! perform in Germany this month as part of the revolving Don't Panic We're from Poland programme of new Polish music. C/O Pop is among the most avant-garde festivals for the electronic pop music scene, presenting hundreds of musical acts from all over the world over five days. The event aims to present a broad spectrum of new directions in contemporary music.
Don't Panic We're from Poland is an ongoing international programme of concerts by rising stars of the contemporary Polish music scene produced by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. After recent successes at Austin's SXSW, Brighton's Great Escape and Barcelona's Primavera Sound, Don't Panic has singled out three of the most intriguing electro-pop acts in the industry.
Julia Marcell is a young, bubbly electro-pop version of Bjork, with dynamic energy, strong vocals and fun, vibrant instrumentals that dip into all sorts of sounds and styles. She began publishing her own music in 2008 from her self-published album It Might Like You and soon world-class producers were calling her up looking to collaborate. Marcell moved from her hometown of Olsztyn to Berlin and now lives and works there, travelling to festivals like SXSW and Haldern. It was at Haldern that the Haldern Pop Records label signed her for her second album June in late 2011. C/O Pop organisers have called her a "quintessential keeper" for her "beautiful voice and captivating arrangements and melodies".
Kamp! have been playing their signature strand of melodic synthie-pop since 2008. With inklings of '80s New Wave, '90s French House and the unmistakable spirit of The Cure's Robert Smith woven through the vocals. They sing in English, with impeccable delivery and all-around great sound. Their first album Cairo came out in 2011, launching an international tour that hit up Los Angeles, Liverpool, Berlin and New York.
Yula (Julia Kasprzak) lives between Paris and Warsaw, making connections with major music producers in France, including Matias Aguayo, Rebolledo and the Cómeme Crew. Her music is fairly mellow, with regular rhythms and chill-out beats, with a folkish twist. In 2011 she released the album Spacer, with some songs set to poems written by her grandmother. On the 30th of June she will also perform at Galopprennbahn in Düsseldorf.
The festival presents a programme of trade shows, conferences, concerts and parties, bringing fans together with DJs and music professionals. The festival was established in 2003 after the Popkomm festival moved from Cologne to Berlin. The convention part of the event takes up issues relevant to today's global music industry and other creative sectors, with a particular emphasis on technology and its impact on music. Last year's edition attracted 35,000 fans and participants.
Don't Panic We're from Poland takes the stage at C/O Pop as part of the Europareise showcase, which also features new musical acts from Taiwan and Canada. It is also part of the year-long Klopsztanga cultural programme in the North Rhine-Westphalia region. Concerts by all three bands take place on Friday, the 22nd of June at 11:00 pm - 2:00 am at Festivalzentrale Stadtgarten Restaurant + Studio 672. Admission is free.
Links:
www.c-o-pop.de
www.myspace.com/kampmusik
www.facebook.com/yuyulala
Editor: Agnieszka Le Nart
Source: C/O Pop