The Artists of
Fare Forward

2014 was the year that electronica’s cognoscenti fell for Be Svendsen. Following the success of live performances at Fusion and BOOM, the Danish musician has become a treat on the global festival scene and proponent of a uniquely organic, genre-bending sound that could best be described as ‘Tarantino Techno’.

Rather like Tarantino, Svendsen’s art has the distinction of being rooted in both the familiar and the obscure. The playful and the ironic. His is an alluring fusion of syncopated beats, rendered vocals, world-music, a-typical sampling and live instrumentals, synthesised by the mediative qualities of repetition.

A borrower, an inventor and an art-chemist. He plays first from the soul. He is a warm outsider in a psychedelic bowler-hat. His music, an audial rendition of the memories of his own shamanic vision quest. Your ears are to be led by a naive melody up some curious audio-ornamental highway. Your expectations as listener, deliberately, mindfully overthrown.

After starting his solo project in 2011, Be Svendsen - a namesake of his native Danish peninsula-released a series of EPs and remixes which spun across the international scene. Inspired by acclaimed live festival performances at Portugal’s BOOM, Fusion, Burning Man, AfrikaBurn Symbiosis and and tours through Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and Africa, an increasingly intoxicated fanbase followed.

Surprisingly then, he’s a man who rarely listens to electronic music. As an artist, you’ll find him aloof from of the conventional electronic music world altogether. Deliberately distant, so as to quieten any easy influences and create something entirely new.

Vehemently defiant of both trends and hype, it is a sound that deliberately skirts the digital and plays on the low-fi. This is musician over machine. A musician who can breathe fresh life into sounds that recall old nomadic stories, making them resolutely modern.

Perhaps explaining why the Burning Man crew get turned on by for his music, it straddles the melodic, the euphoric and evocatively sombre. Sounds that can be playful one Nevada sunrise and obscure, on a starry BOOM midnight.

It mobilises everything from Tribal-tech, field-teased vibes, woozy Arabic melodies, via the rusty spaghetti-western soundtrack, into an almost mythical manifestation of the deserts and planes of the old American West.

It is through these playful interchanges of style that Be Svendsen expresses a profound and ever self-interrogating talent for innovation and alchemy. This talent takes him out of the tired end of techno, away from any easy neat and tidy genre classifications and firmly into the avant-garde.

He explains: ”The music should ultimately connect you to a bigger picture”. The goal is to express and convey a feeling, and to behold the moment - the essence of oscillating between a smile and a tear. “I like to bring tragedy and humour together, and invite them up for a dance.” This is in some way, a a celebration of what he calls chiaroscuro - the light and dark - of existence. His sets are transporting, providing a cinematic swagger to the listener submersed in his soundscape.

Never failing to provoke a sense of shared intensity, his sets induce broad, knowing smiles and the acknowledgement and gratification that can only accompany the truly unique. You’ll find a collection of world-wise, wide-open hearts, made whole by a hypnotic, electronic vigour on this particular desert-circus-shaman-cowboy’s, dance-floor. You’ll find it somewhere between the ornamental East and on a barely trodden path called Be Svendsen, way out, in the untamed West.

They’re the greatest band you’ve never heard of. Unsung heroes whose music was political, spiritual, and generations ahead of its time. Their story has never been told. Until now… Cymande, a group of black British musicians who all came to the UK from the Caribbean as children, released three brilliant albums in quick succession in the early 70s and were embraced in the USA. But in the UK they faced a music business beset by prejudice against home grown black talent and were largely ignored. They split in 1975. But their music lived on, as successive generations of artists and fans found and embraced their songs. Hip Hop, House, Drum and Bass, R&B, Rare Groove and crate digging communities all saw something in the songs of Cymande that inspired them. And now the band are back. Touring the world and being embraced by yet another breed of fan - the internet generation who weren’t even born when the band split up 40 years ago.

2022 looks to be a new beginning, a rediscovery and rebirth for the legendary UK band. A brand new documentary about the band called “Getting It Back - The Story Of Cymande” debuted at SXSW this year and plans for a new studio album are in the works.

Emerging out of Toronto's vibrant folk scene, Lindeman debuted a moody, introspective sound with her independently released East EP in 2008. Her LP The Line followed in 2009, expanding on an earthy, lyrical style, driven by her distinctive fingerpicked guitar and banjo parts.

For the next The Weather Station release, Lindeman worked with friend and collaborator Daniel Romano, signing with his You've Changed Records label to release the critically acclaimed follow-up, All of It Was Mine, in 2011. Though the album was only released in Canada, it gained wider exposure for The Weather Station, leading to several North American tours with acts like Bahamas, Basia Bulat, and Timber Timbre, as well as a tour of Japan. In addition to collaborative guest appearances on releases by Doug Paisley, Siskiyou, and Field Report, Lindeman earned a SOCAN Songwriting Prize nomination in 2013 for a co-write with Steven Lambke of the Constantines.

After the release of 2014's What Am I Going to Do with Everything I Know EP, she signed with North Carolina label Paradise of Bachelors and traveled to Paris to record her third LP, Loyalty. Loyalty (2015) was the first The Weather Station album to receive both American and European release, and consequently became somewhat of a critical breakout album. Lindeman followed up in 2017 with an eponymously titled LP that saw an expansion of The Weather Station sound into more rock-oriented territory. Now in 2021, Lindeman leads us into a brilliant and bold new sonic landscape with Ignorance, out now through Fat Possum and Next Door Records.

Francesca Lombardo has cultivated a sound of her own via an emotional narrative of dreamy soundscapes, stirring melodies and hypnotic rhythms. Criss-crossing the globe as a DJ and live performer, she's played monumental shows including IMS Dalt Villa,Burning Man, Tomorrowland, Get Lost, Resistance, Circoloco as well as The Royal Albert Hall.In tandem Francesca has built up a formidable back-catalogue of music on esteemed labels: CrosstownRebels, Mobilee, Leftroom, Poker Flat, Bedrock, and her own Echo And Echolette imprints amongst others.Entering a new phase of her career, Francesca unveiled her critically acclaimed debut album 'Life Of Leaf' in 2019, a collection of forward-thinking, powerful songs and made from the heart.Francesca recently launched her ‘Life of Releaf’ campaign which seeks to motivate the music industry into supporting globalreforestation.Francesca Lombardo’s work isn’t just art alone, but a powerful statement to the world.

"An exploratory, innovative producer who fuses a glistening dancefloor touch with a search for fresh sounds"- Clash Magazine

"The DJ creating her own genre"- Notion

"There isn’t much in music that she can’t do..."- DJ Mag

"Francesca Lombardo has a colorful musical background that extends from classical training to her globe-trotting career as a DJ and live performer"- Mixmag

Over the last 20 years Martin Gretschmann has been exploring new fields of music off the mainstream paths: psychedelic, adventurous and full of musicality. In the mid 1990s Martin Gretschmann entered the light of attention with his pseudonymConsole, an act he is known for until today. Shortly thereafter, Martin Gretschmann became a part of The Notwist and and added a certain electronic twist to the band. With his solo project Acid Pauli he created several records, remixes and podcast in the last couple of years. In collaboration with Andreas Ammer he created various radio plays.

In numerous collaborations with artists such as Björk or the Philharmonic Orchestra of Würzburg Gretschmann always explores new ways to express himself. Furthermore he took part in the unique project - The Golden Machine - a specifically developed electronic device which over the course of a whole year continuously produced music for a radio play, based on - Infinite Jest - by David Foster Wallace.

After his debut album „Mst“ released on Clown & Sunset in 2012 his second album “BLD” was released on his in- house record label Ouïe in early 2017. Martin founded this record label together with Nico Stojan and handled the first release themselves.

In 2016 he released his most popular track 'Nana' on the first label compilation of Pampa Records. At the same time he met Ilker Çatak who ask him to write the music for a feature film - "Es war einmal Indianerland", a Coming of Age story based on the novel by Nils Mohl.

The movie premiered autumn 2017 and Acid Pauli released the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of it.

DJ Carlita, the dreamy sounds of the Turkish artist which evoke emotions of the known and memories of the unknown. The classically trained musician, who is often found playing the cello and whose guitar skills have developed from an early age, draws influences from rock and roll, psychedelic music, indie and acid rock. Growing up under the influence of Led Zeppelin, Depeche Mode and Yo-Yo Ma; these soundscapes can be felt by anyone who's experienced her long musical Journeys.

Known for the unexpected, DJ Carlita's sets are characterized as emotional expeditions which aim to take you through musical journeys filled with spontaneous selections conceived through dancefloor and for the dance floor.

DJ Carlita has fast-conquered some of the most influential dance floors around the world, highlighting one of her most iconic musical scapes, her Garbicz set in which she found herself within herself. Her melancholic bigger than life sounds bounce from in die to disco to minimal and much in between Brazilian grooves to Latin vocals. One can say her musical sensitivity has a deeper meaning given she's synesthetic.

She has kept herself busy with musical, visual and fashion projects which soon will see the daylight. Her classically trained approach to electronic music, brings a uniqueness to her sound much felt through the equalization of the harmonies in her productions. At the end ... her aim is for people to let themselves loose during her sets and feel their own forgotten emotions.

Founder of entertainment powerhouse, Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté began this amazing adventure with music. Learning the accordion from his dad, he quickly set foot in the music world through defining relationships with street performers and folk musicians. He clearly determined before he was 18 that travelling and music would play a role in his life. Performing music and fire-breathing on the streets would help him travel. His travels nourishing his discovery of new sounds and world music. Music became a new passion for Guy.

Throughout his trailblazing career as entertainment producer, he cultivated his passion with music. Using his special events platforms as showcases for new emerging musical talents and exploration, he quickly forged new friendships with DJ’s worldwide. They have been generous with their time and have shared the knowhow over the years. Early adopter of the Ibiza club scene since 1979, he witnessed the emergence of Electronic Music. Always curious, Guy is open to all artistic offers and strongly believes in discovery through human encounters. This is the backbone to his musical research.

“I am a storyteller. I approach my sets as a journey I want to share. A story I want to tell.”

With a distinctive intuitive approach, Guy adapts his story for his audience and the mood that is in place. A style he describes as deep ‘journey’ house with a twist.

“I hope that I can share my passion with people. Positive passion can make the world better.”

Guy is entering his role as DJ like he has with everything else in his life: sharing emotions with people. This can be done in intimate settings or larger gatherings but the objective is the same.

John Dill is an internationally renowned DJ who began his career with residencies at legendary house havens like Le Souk Sunday Sessions and Sullivan Room. He immediately emerged as one of the most beloved personas in NYC nightlife and has been on an upward trajectory ever since. He fine tuned his signature sound in Ibiza back in 2000 and quickly gained a cult like following in underground venues throughout North America, the Caribbean and Asia.

Known for his magical ability to read the crowd and select the perfect track from his eclectic record collection, John Dill’s sound is unmistakable. Whether one of his deep, soulful gems dropped into a party or a mind-bending surprise at one of his acclaimed marathon sets at Burning Man, the sound of Dill on the decks makes any venue a destination.

A long time resident at Robot Heart, Dill has shared the decks with luminaries like Lee Burridge, NU, Marques Wyatt, Mark Farina, Derrick Carter, Tom Middleton and Oceanus Orientalis to name a few.

In recent years, Dill has expanded beyond the underground house music scene to include more prominent venues with broader appeal. He’s a regular fixture on Richard Branson’s Necker Island thanks to Mai Tai, where he once had Sir Richard dancing on a couch. He's also a favorite on the festival circuit where he inspires love from audiences at Desert Hearts, Wonderfruit and the more cutting edge crowd at Further Future.

Swamy is a New York bred, Hong Kong native, best known for his creative roles at the award-winning Wonderfruit, critically acclaimed Further Future and the legendary Robot Heart, he is highly sought after by global brands and institutions for his creative, curation and experience design talents. Swamy is a frequent speaker at global conferences and is an advisor/consultant to music, wellness and tech startups to giant like, including NetEase, Gigwell, Nusic and SilentMode.

Prior to creative and culture building, Swamy was a top promoter/resident DJ in NYC creating and holding residencies at the legendary Le Souk Sunday Sessions, Sullivan Room and Crobar. After moving back to HK in 2007, he saw a gap in quality electronic music and met like minded folks to create small&Tall and Do What You Love. Both brands played a big part in the past 8 years in bringing top quality talent to HK with the likes of Hot Chip Jamie Jones, Apparat, Nicolas Jaar, Lianne La Havas, Bebel Gilberto and many, many more........

Over the past 20 years as a DJ, Swamy’s sets are as eclectic as his curation. He’s toured the world playing with almost all the best names in the business. You can expect the sets to always be uplifting, fun and sexy with a solid groove as a driving force. He finds it most at home playing sunrises and sunsets as witnessed by his coveted DJ residencies at Robot Heart, Further Future and Wonderfruit where he feels right at home.

Anstascia (Blond:ish)
Anstascia is a new name but not a new face in the electronic music scene.

After a beautiful ten years touring the world and releasing an extensive library of music as one half of the successful DJ duo Blond:ish, Anstascia is carving out her solo musical journey with a fresh creative spirit and enthusiasm.

Expect exotic sounds infused from her past combined with renewed energy and passion.

Kenny Glasgow (art department)
Kenny Glasgow is a North American electronic music pioneer; a role he’s held for over two decades. The Canadian has returned to his solo roots after spending 5 years as half of the acclaimed duo Art Department, functioning as a musical engineer, composer of both music and lyrics, and vocalist. Before he started touring the world, releasing influential full lengths, headlining major festivals and gracing the cover of taste making magazines with Jonny White, Kenny Glasgow already had a cult and loyal following dating back to the early nineties.

Kenny Glasgow first became immersed in the scene as a promoter, putting on illicit warehouse parties in his native Toronto before progressing to become resident at acid house mecca The Buzz and later the world famous Industry Nightclub. It was there that he picked up a sense of what worked dance floors, both in terms of DJing and production. Whether solo or with Art Department, his experiences influenced his own emotive, tortured sound with unique gravelly vocals which have very much become his trademark.

The shining jewel in his solo crown to date is ‘A Taste of the Low Life’, a stunning debut solo LP infused with dark and gritty electronic styles released on No.19 Music. He has also released a number of perfectly formed EPs on labels like Jinx, Roger Sanchez’s Narcotic and Family Recordings. He also collaborated with musical partner Mario J on projects Method Men and Unabomber, racking up remixes Strictly Rhythm and Azuli. Fans were certainly not disappointed when his deep, melodic ten track album ‘Circus Tales’ hit the markets summer of 2016, reminding everyone that he’s back and hitting it harder than ever with plenty lined up for 2017.

Philipp (M.A.N.D.Y)
In the early months of 2018, Philipp Jung embarked on a vision quest, climbing the summit of Mount Putucusi in Peru. It was during this epic journey that he was hit by inspiration during a deep meditation session on one of its resting posts. There, he pondered on the philosophy of one of his hit songs, “Oh Superman,” and its lyrical connection to another famous Jung who similarly dabbled in deep thoughts about life, the universe, and how it connects us all. It was during this moment that he felt the Andean spirits playing with his hair and whispering, “Be forever young,” softly in his ear.

He did not let the synchronicity of this moment pass him by, and, after a swift and very athletic descent down to base camp, it became clear to him that the universe had revealed his new self and future path in life. It will be remembered in the annals of the Andes Mountains when “Forever Jung” was born.

To many of us, Mr. Jung is best known as the co-founder and caretaker of Get Physical Music & Kindisch Labels and formerly half of the DJ/Producer duo M.A.N.D.Y.

Now, re-energized and armed with this newfound wisdom, vision, and clarity, he looks forward to sharing it with the world through his magical sounds and good vibes.

It is highly recommended that you consult your local shaman for more information on when and where to find Philipp Jung in a city near you…

Holmar (lovestruckk)
Legend has it that Hólmar was born during the dawn of winter solstice, way up in the highlands of Iceland, to one of its oldest and most secret “Hidden People” communes. Sadly, his elvish mother passed from complications during birth, and one fateful night not long after, he was found by his human adoptive parents on their doorstep. They were sheep farmers in the valley below and in a letter they found by his side, they were promised the protection of their flock in exchange for raising him as their own. Knowing the many tales of wrath inflicted on villagers not complying with their highland neighbors, they took him in straight away and Hólmar spent his formative years on their quaint farm.

His mother, an avid swimmer, would bring him to the cold mountain lakes during the summer months and teach him all there was to know about being the best there was inthe water. It was during one of these lessons, he was discovered by the national synchronized swimming coach, who by chance was hiking in the area. Enamored by Hólmar’s raw talent, he negotiated his move from the tranquil countryside to the nations capital, Reykjavik City. There he began his training and quickly became an integral member of the Icelandic squad. It was during the course of his training for the Olympics in Seoul, that he suffered a serious injury which ended his professional swimming career abruptly. Fortunately, he was able to continue his passion for synchronized group movements above water and formed a dance troupe called the “Black Widows”. He traveled with them all over Scandinavia winning multiple competitions and dance off’s.

Throughout his time with the “Widows” he discovered his passion for music while putting together playlists for their shows. Eventually he was asked to perform these playlists \"live\" at parties all over Reykjavik's then bustling underground scene. After many late-night gigs, not showing up to practice and seriously messing up some of their shows, he was promptly ousted from the troupe. This was a devastating moment for Holmar and after a great deal of soul searching, he moved to New York.

There he hit the ground running and started throwing rollicking parties all over the Big Apple. He formed the infamous Crack & Speed Records with his good Parisian friend Jef-k. On C&S he debuted his music as a part of the “super” group Mr. Negative & The Spencer Filipsson Experience.

During one of Holmar’s parties at a former brothel on the Lower East Side, he met Greg Oreck and shortly thereafter founded “Thugfucker”. After working together for a few years, during one hot summer night in Hólmar’s studio in Williamsburg, they created “Disco Gnome”. This record ended up being the first release on Life and Death Records and launched them into the international scene along with Tale of Us and Dj Tennis. He spent next years touring with Greg and fellow mates at Life and Death causing general mayhem and good times at clubs and festivals all around the globe.

In 2011 he went to Burning Man for the first time, a pivotal moment for him, and now he can be found every year, riding his bike around and playing many marathon sets all week long.

In recent years in addition to his work with “Thugfucker” he has started new collaborations. He co-founded “Lovestruckk” with Nico Stojan, “Theory of Light” with Brian Cid, “The Birds Fly South” with Maxxi Soundsystem and Beauty N the Beast with Philipp Jung.

In 2018 we saw his departure from “Thugfucker”, launching his solo career. In 2019 in addition to his acid tourist antics traveling all around the world and playing parties and festivals, he has released “The Mothership” E.P. on Get Physical and the “Disarmed” remix with Nico Stojan as Lovestruckk on Oüie Records.

Recently he also brought his dancing shoes back out of retirement and has staged new impromptu of dance performances of the “Black Widows” on and off stage during his shows, staying true to his choreography roots…

Matteo Messervy is a Designer with an international scope.
He is known for his works in the fields of Light-architecture, Light-Design (industrial and semi-industrial), engineering, and for his large-scale monumental installations featured in many major exhibitions.

Three main elements guide his work: Light, matter, and human beings.

The way they collide, whirl and play around each other, and how they interact with one another.

Three elements that drive Matteo Messervy’s work, which is all about finding a balance in this extremely fragile chemistry, highlighting these interactions and how they can impact our daily lives.

So often neglected or widely misused in most urban environments all around the world, light is not just a practical tool to counter darkness, but a means to show the hidden life and potential of urban settings and objects. It is supposed to make us, city dwellers, who evolve in this type of steel and concrete jumble, feel the peculiar pace of their breathing.

The « cast in stone » vision of cities and surroundings that have become all too familiar to us is surprisingly dismantled by Matteo Messervy’s skills to turn static, lifeless and hostile spaces into safe havens for the senses.

Light is a powerfull vector, a sensory experience that has a profound resonance inside ourselves, whether harrowing or therapeutic, conveying a large spectrum of emotions, blowing cold and warmth to those exposed to its complexity.

Born in France, brought up in sun-drenched Central-America and Spain, this multi-cultural background has certainly shaped and sharpened Matteo Messervy’s capacity in understanding and transforming extremely diverse types of environments to serve a creative vision that is devoted to the well-being of people.

Waking Dream is a community of artists who come together to create live interactive performance art led by multimedia artist James Barnes.

Their creations include:
. In-house resident VJ at House of Yes, Verboten NYC and Robot Heart
. The 360 projection dome at Alex Grey's CoSM
. Surround video projection with live music for corporate events.
. Fire performance
. Giant puppetry and parades
. Lightwire sculpture and puppetry
. Stilt walkers and hoola hoopers
. Lighting and art installations
. Workshops for all ages and the Dream Dragon
. Collaborations with other performance companies

Light Harvest is a studio specializing in large-scale 3D projection mapping, film production, and audiovisual content for cultural exhibitions, large scale events, and experiential art. Their works have been exhibited at Coachella, Vivid Festival, Guggenheim Museum, Luma Festival, Burningman and commissioned for Nike, Prada, HBO, Capitol Records, and many more.