Throughout the first days of October, the very heart of Vienna is home to one of the most interesting urban festivals. The new initiative Waves Vienna was inaugurated one year ago, and attempts to create a platform of exchange for various professionals from Central Europe, who are engaged in the music market. The event continues and develops the role of a no longer existing RegiON conference which was hosted by Hungary.
Waves Vienna can be compared to The Great Escape and Liverpool Sound City festivals in the UK, the German C/P Pop and Reeperbahn festivals or the Dutch Eurosonic. Its main goal is to promote upcoming artists and develop the little known music labels from the countries of Central Europe. Waves Vienna fishes out young talents of the alternative scene, as well as indie rock, electronic and club music performers. More than 80 artists are scheduled to perform in Vienna’s various nightclubs (including Fluc, Odeon, Theater, Flex, and Pratersuna), scattered along the Danube’s riverbanks and around the Prater park.
The Adam Mickiewicz Institute has been participating in the organisation of Waves Vienna from the very beginning. As part of last year’s debut edition, the two Polish bands Kyst and Woody Alien performed in Austria thanks to the Institute’s support. The theme for the 2012 Waves Vienna is East Meets West, and its two hosting countries are France and Poland. They both present a wide span of contemporary music, and the Polish programme entitled Don’t Panic! We’re from Poland! Encompasses performances from 8 different artists.
The ambitious face of pop spiced up with new sound and electronics is presented by Oszibarack and Miloopa from Wrocław, Kamp! from Łódź and the dj Novika who performs in a duo with Lex. A more acoustic and lazy ambiance, and one closer to the folk scene is represented by the Twilite duo and the Paula&Karol band. Late night gigs by experts in deep club sounds are brought to the Austrian audiences by Mike Polarny from the Pompon collective and Łukasz Seliga, aka SLG.
Full schedule of Polish performances at Waves Vienna 2012:
Twilite – 7.45 pm, Dogenhof
Paula & Karol – 8 pm, Clubschiff
Kamp! – 8.15 pm, MS Schlogen
Miloopa – 12 midnight, Flex Café
Novika + Lex – 12.30 am, Pratersauna, Mainfloor
Mike Polarny - 2.15 am, Pratersauna, Mainfloor
SLG - 3.00 am, Pratersauna, Bunker
Oszibarack –9.30 pm, Fluc
Polish artists will also host three panel discussions and take part in a futher two:
Polish-Austrian reception (3.00-4.00 pm)
Live: Paula & Karol (PL), Esteban's (AT)
Hotel Stefanie, Speisesaal
Music of Poland (4.00–4.45 pm)
A panel discussion presenting Poland’s contemporary music scene, with the participation of journalists from the T-Mobile Music website and a representative of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute
Hotel Stefanie, Konferenzsaal
The Polish Music Market (4.45–5.30 pm)
A panel discussion devoted to the structures of the most significant music markets of Central Europe. The secrets will be revealed by the legendary alternative music label, Antena Krzyku and the musician Paula Bialski from the Paula&Karol band.
Hotel Stefanie, Konferenzsaal
How to Enter the Polish Market (17:30–18:30)
Various promotors from across the world share their experiences of initiating cooperation with the Polish music market. Participating in the talk are the Chermenko and Frusion booking agencies, as well as members of the Unsound Festival team and Co Jest Grane European Music Fair (Europejskie Targi Muzyczne).
Hotel Stefanie, Konferenzsaal
Festivals in CEE (12.00–12.45 pm)
A panel representing five leading festivals from Eastern Europe, including the Unsound Festival from Kraków.
CEETEP (12:45–1:30 pm)
A presentation of the first outcome and various feedback on the Central Europe - European Talent Exchange Program. Tomek Szpaderski from the band Kamp! Takes part in the discussion, sharing his experience of the Talent Exchange project.
Hotel Stefanie, Bibliothek
For more information on the festival, see: www.wavesvienna.com/en
By Michał Hajduk
Editor: SRS