This weekend, The Hague will come together for a vibrant mixture of international music as the annual Rewire Festival stations itself in the centre of Den Haag for three exciting days. We’ve taken a good look at the line-up and singled out a selection of artists we think you ought to check out if you’re heading to the festival. Although we’ve chosen three of the biggest names, don’t let it deter you from heading to acts who might be a little more under the radar.
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
New album Painting With recently came out and was met with critical praise, meaning that Animal Collective’s set in the Paard van Troje main hall on Saturday night should be a packed one. The trio, who specialize in all things freaky and electronic, haven’t played a show in Holland for quite some time and look set to bring with them a stellar live show which fits in perfectly with Rewire Festival’s longstanding image. They’re one of the biggest names that Rewire have ever booked, so don’t miss out.
BATTLES
New Yorkers Battles have recently gone fully instrumentally, releasing the also-critically praised La Di Da Di last year. Standout track The Yabba is a cacophony of sound, including elements of electro, funk and alt-pop. The quirky three-piece will be performing the same night as Animal Collective, with both bands equally as quirky as one another. The combination of both renowned live bands alone is something not worth missing out on, meaning that you should probably get a ticket to witness this. Furthermore, Battles are by far worth the effort.
JAMES HOLDEN & MAALEM HOUSSAM GUINIA
Performing on the festival’s opening night is British electronic artist James Holden, who will be performing songs from his Marrakesh residence with Maale Houssam Guinia. Having left there in 2014 together with Floating Points, Holden spent some time working on an EP titled Marhaba, which he worked on together with Houssam. During this period, Houssam’s father Mahmoud passed away, with Houssam taking over work proceedings. The result is an exciting EP filled with electronic-tinged African-Gnawa music, which should be a real sight to see come this weekend.
Rewire will further feature performances from Factory Floor, Mykki Blanco and Anna Meredith, amongst others. For tickets, click here. Listen to the official playlist below.