Kategori: News

Erika De Casier excites reviewers from all over with her second album

by Asbjørn Lyhnein English version, News

Barely a year ago, Portuguese-born Erika De Casier signed a record deal with 4AD who – besides Erika – holds artists such as Bon Iver, Future Islands, Beirut, and Purity Ring. Last month, on the 21st of May, the partnership manifested itself with the release of Erika De Casiers first album released on 4AD – and critics from all over are falling head over heels.

In their review, Pitchfork writes “De Casier’s got a soft voice but a big personality, and even at its most muted, Sensational radiates charm”, while The Guardian describes the music as follows: “it’s music that looks to the past, made by an artist too original to be a revivalist: memories and retrospection rearranged into something fresh”.

As with most of the biggest music zines and critics in the world, CLASH, rewarding the album with an 8/10, doesn’t hold back on praising the gifted singer, who moved to Ribe with her family at the age of ten; “Everything she touches turns to gold. Her creativity knows no bounds. And with her European tour seeing her travel to Berlin, London, Paris and beyond, it’s clear that she is prepared to make her mark”.

Back in October, MXD – Music Export made an interview with Briana Cheng, A&R at 4AD, pointing out that it was Erika’s concert at SPOT 2019 that convinced her, that she was ready for “the support of a full-on international label”. Briana was right.

That leaves us with the following: have you heard Sensational yet? If not, you know what to do…

Foto: Dennis Morton

#SPOT2021: Eight new names for this years lineup

by Mille Jensenin English version, News, SPOT 2021 (In english)

Last week the first 10 names for SPOT 2021 landed and it was such a big joy for us to finally share the good news and excellent music with you that we can’t wait to send even more great acts your way. 
And that’s why we give you eight new additions to this year’s lineup which has already taken shape in the most beautiful way. A handful of artists who in each their own way embrace genres and expressions in music and whom we already can say that you should look forward to experiencing in September.

We keep working and over the next many weeks we will send even more new acts in your direction. And until we once again have news from the SPOT-office, make sure to listen to the music from the eight new artists in our lineup – you won’t regret it!

See you in September!

#SPOT2021: Here’s the first ten acts!

by Asbjørn Lyhnein English version, News, SPOT 2021 (In english)

It’s been rough, it’s been exhausting, it’s been … well, it’s been the opposite of what it’s usually like working with creating a SPOT Festival. But it’s time to look forward, and that’s exactly what we’re doing these days. We’re looking forward to a long awaited and important celebration of the Danish and Nordic music scene in September.

And there’s really no way to describe exactly how thrilled we are to be able to announce the first ten acts ready for SPOT Festival 2021, September 16th – 17th. All ten acts are a part of the incredibly talented music scene we have in Denmark, but also acts who – right here and now – symbolizes our need and longing for consuming culture and everything that comes along in friendships, experiences, parties, curiosity, and life.

We really, really can’t wait!

Comment: We feel the pressure to get the wheels running again

by Mille Jensenin Ikke-kategoriseret, English version, News, SPOT 2021 (In english)

Photo: Søren Rajczyk

Yesterday was a dark day for festivals in Denmark, and our thoughts go out to all of our colleagues who have had to close the season yet again before it even started – we are looking forward to seeing all of you and your festivals in 2022.

The situation months from now seems a bit chaotic at the moment – which rules apply when and which exceptions applies to whom? Naturally it is something that impacts our us and our planning here at SPOT.

A big part of our lineup consists of smaller names and new talents from the music scene. A group of artists which has been hit hard on their possibilities to develop an audience and knowledge of their music, and as hard as the music business have had it as a whole, our fear is that the capital and power which normally is put into the new talents, will be missing in the coming years.

That is why we are more than set to make SPOT 2021 a reality in September so we continuously can contribute to a platform for new and established artists. And our hope is naturally to carry out the festival under as normal conditions as the Danish government has warned.

It is a justified fear that the vaccine programme is changed ongoing because of different political priorities which could end up as a threat to concerts in the coming fall and maybe even after further on.

But we feel a great pressure from artists, the business and the audience to get the wheels running again. And so we do our very best to plan all aspects of the festival according to the current demands and rules from the authorities.

It will be to much of a sadness, not to believe that the pandemic has a smaller impact on our everyday life at that time – so right now we a looking forward with excitement to meet a great part of the new and thrilling Danish artists and musicians in the center of Aarhus on September 16.-17.

Maybe we will be forced to reduce our number of tickets? Maybe we will have to take special precautions?

We don’t know it yet but we believe that the possible obstacles in the next few months will end happily so we all can meet in September at SPOT 2021.   

Nordic Beats returns to SPOT 2021

by Mille Jensenin English version, News, SPOT 2021 (In english)

Photo: Sanne Wijkamp

The Nordic Beats-concept became a reality at SPOT Festival 2019. One stage, eight nordic hip-hop talents, one DJ, a microphone and a great audience was the recipe for success and now it returns to the festivals 2021-edition in September. Booker at SPOT Albert Fajardo-Helmig is happy about the successful start for Nordic Beats in 2019 and that it will once again be a part of the line-up:

“Nordic Beats is a two-hour showcase where the goal is to present some of the most interesting young artists in the urban genre. At the same time it is also our attempt to secure space and focus for the urban artists in the line-up because that genre has never been more relevant than these years”, says Albert Fajardo-Helmig.

One of the most distinguished missions for a festival like SPOT is to put focus on the upcoming talents and the new music and Nordic Beats, as a concept, focuses especially on the urban part of the talent scene in the Nordic countries. There are new successful stories from SPOT each year with new artists finding their place in the business and creating attention around their music – and the artists from Nordic Beats are no exception. Lillebittebock (DK), Baby Bino (DK), Michael Williams (DK), Flóni (IS), Kamelen (NO), Mangera (DK), Nikotin (DK) and Jelassi (SE) made the line-up two years ago and the last mentioned artist from Sweden has just gotten some recognition in her home country.

The rapper Jelassi won the title as “Artist of the Future” at the swedish award show P3 Guld in March. In 2019 Jelassi was already mentioned as one of Sweden’s most promising young rap artists, where she got attention for both her own songs as well as her collaborations with other nordic rappers. 

“It’s a great pleasure to see Jelassi win the swedish P3 Guld Talent-award. It once again shows how much talent the urban genre holds and how this type of sound is becoming more and more mainstream,” tells Albert Fajardo-Helmig.

We are looking forward to presenting a handful of new hip-hop and urban talents to yet another round of Nordic Beats at SPOT 2021.

Nordic Beats at SPOT 2021 is made in collaboration with Soundvenue

New date: SPOT 2021 moves to September 16th-17th

by Asbjørn Lyhnein English version, News, SPOT 2021 (In english)

Photo: Søren Rajczyk

The newest names and talents in the Danish music business have lost an unseen amount of progress and momentum regarding the visibility of their music in the past year. The loss of opportunities to play in front of a live audience is both demoralizing and damaging for the development of a career.

That is why SPOT will do anything to avoid a cancellation of this year’s festival. And as a result, SPOT 2021 will be moved to after the summer holiday, more precisely Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th of September where we have a reasonable hope and believe that the political demands for a normal completion of SPOT will be met.

“SPOT’s cultural political purpose is not alone to gather an audience around the music but also to give new Danish songwriters and musicians a professionally meeting place and a promotion platform which can help boost their career both nationally and internationally. The new Danish music, our big audience and our international guests doesn’t deserve to miss out on yet another festival,” tells leader of SPOT Festival, Gunnar K. Madsen.

The SPOT board also also shows support for the move of the festival which can give a much needed boost to the business, display the future of Danish music and how we move on from the pandemic.

“We are all looking forward to meeting again and doing what SPOT is all about – seeing into the future of music and preferably with more security than the business has right now. We have to see where the music industry stands after a crisis and how we move forward into a future, possibly different than before, but hopefully much brighter than the past year has been,” says chairman of the board, Mads Dahl.  

We are looking forward to seeing you in Aarhus at september 16th and 17th 2021. 

All ticket holders have been informed via Safeticket. For more questions regarding tickets, please contact us at billet@2spotfestival.dk