Stereoleto 2011

One of the main festivals representing electronic music in the national space, STEREOLETO will take place for the tenth time in St. Petersburg on June 25 (StereoPast) and July 2 (StereoFuture). This year, the festival will feature over 20 artists on the territory of the 'Vozdukh' project on Krestovsky Island. Two stages, one of which will be right on the beach under the open sky, will be set up on the 4500 sq.m. summer area. Traditionally, the company 'Svetlaya Muzyka' brings influential musicians to the STEREOLETO festival, who repeatedly confirm their relevance and those who have recently emerged but have already become objects of admiration - those who will define the state of tomorrow's music. The most anticipated foreign guest is beloved by Russian electronic music fans, Sasha Ring (Sascha Ring). Known as Apparat, one of the main figures in German techno and IDM, he will bring his live band, Apparat Band, for the first time and present songs from the new album recorded for the cult label Mute. Another familiar face in a new light is Ilya Lagutenko. Along with Andrey Antonov (Alexandroid, ID10TS), he sets an example for rock veterans with the KETA project, suddenly dissolving into enchanting indietronic music in a unique way. Moscow could not recover for a long time after their debut performance as the opening act for Mumiy Troll - such an unusual setting for his voice was chosen by the rock-pop ideologist. This will be the project's first performance in St. Petersburg. Also gracing the festival will be Uusi Fantasia - the most popular and wild Finnish group at the moment, playing everything from disco to trance. Multi-instrumentalists from distant Australia, Architecture In Helsinki, will finally make it to St. Petersburg with their latest album 'Moment Bends,' transitioning from cartoonish indie-pop to juicy 80s synth-pop. Highly esteemed in Scandinavia, Casiokids, who recently received a grant from A-ha as Norway's best new group, will captivate with their lullaby-like and ironic electro-pop fables. Continuing the festival's tradition, new jazz will make an appearance, presented by the hard-working Germans Club Des Belugas who blend electro-swing with Brazil and soul, resulting in their songs being featured in every summer compilation. Another guest is the uniquely captivating Canadian singer with Russian roots, Chinawoman, whose melancholic songs vividly reflect nostalgia for the melodies and rhythms of the USSR. And the heirs to Jamaica in France, one of the world's best dub groups, Zenzile, steadily expanding the boundaries of creativity towards languid trip-hop. Additionally, STEREOLETO will feature over a dozen young Russian bands that have already amassed armies of fans. Among them are Obi Dve, singing about love as if Ahmatova mastered disco rhythms. The cult-favorite among Russian hipsters, Motorama from Rostov-on-Don, who recently returned from their first European tour. Gender ID with their unmistakable, powerful sound that cuts deep. The insane Muscovites, Guru Groove Foundation, effortlessly switching dance styles like gloves. The sensation on the soul and funk scene in Russia, The Soul Surfers from Nizhny Novgorod, already having released four vinyl records on the Detroit label Funk Night Records. Pur:Pur, playing elegant funk and easy-listening, sounding equally good acoustically and electrically. Tinavie, presenting their debut album 'Augenblick,' recorded live - ironic trip-hop with hints of jazz, ethno, and trance. Jazz2Funk - a project of the DJ duo Double Dee and Pan Yurek (aka Banan). An original musical cocktail blending jazz-funk, new jazz, acid jazz, funk, new funk, lounge, funky beats, disco, soul, bossa nova, latino, and deep house. Tip Top Tellix, the heroes of the presentation by Lookatme portal for young musicians, an impressive quartet from Yekaterinburg that seem to live on the cusp of the 80s-90s, when shoegaze and dream-pop were press favorites. StereoPast participants - June 25: KETA feat. Ilya Lagutenko & AndreiOid (Rus) Chinawoman (Can) Club Des Belugas (Ger) Zenzile (Fr) The Soul Surfers (Rus) Obi Dve (Rus) Tip Top Tellix (Rus) 7he Myriads (Rus) Jazz2Funk (Rus) StereoFuture participants - July 2: Apparat Band (Ger) Architecture in Helsinki (Aus) Uusi Fantasia (Fin) Casiokids (Nor) Gender ID (Rus) Motorama (Rus) Pur:Pur (Ukr) Tinavie (Rus) Tickets can be purchased at the MUZBILET box offices, on the website muzbilet.ru, at the city's theater box offices, at Kassir.ru and SOFIT services, as well as by calling 996-1-996. Details at: http://www.bestfest.ru/ and http://www.facebook.com/STEREOLETO

Stereoleto from k-Records on Vimeo.

Mini-film about the festival: Apparat - Arcaida: