11.07.2019 by Marc Schwegler

Norbergfestival: 20 Years Of Reshaping The Norms And Politics Of Sound

From July 25 to July 27, Norbergfestival once again transforms the abandoned iron mine site of Mimerlaven in Norberg, Sweden to a unique environment for an in-depth investigation into contemporary currents in music and sound. The festival just announced its final program for its 20th anniversary.

For 20 years, Sweden’s Norbergfestival has been exploring a diverse range of contemporary art practices spanning from music and sound art to choreography and performance in order to map the landscape of electronic music and sound culture. Since 1999, the festival dedicates itself to reshaping norms and politics of what can be determined as music and wants to push sound to unrecognizable limits. To celebrate its anniversary, Norbergfestival has once again invited a broad range of boundary-pushing artists.

The program’s latest additions include Bliss Signal, the joint metal project by James Kelly (Wife, Altar of Plagues) and Sicilian producer Shapednoise, Belgian Francois Boulanger’s Ssaliva project, DJ Lostboi, and Berlin-based duo Easter (Stine Omar and Max Boss). They join a great line-up with acts like Giant Swan, the live premiere of PAN– and Posh Isolation– affiliate Oli XL—who just announced his debut album—, Taiwanese experimental music producer and performer Meuko! Meuko!, or Berlin-based dancer, choreographer and writer Kasia Wolińska, and many more.

Festival-goers can also participate in a workshop by Icelandic choreographer Margrét Sara Guojónsdóttir. Over two days she will teach methods for heightened inner listening and awareness. Norbergfestival also presents a new site-specific installation by Derek Holtzer creating a large scale laser installation at the Mimerlaven, culminating in a special audio-visual performance. Meanwhile, Malmö-based artist Hanni Kamaly will extend both the festival program and its site: Close to the Mimer mine, Kamaly takes over an abandoned gravel pit and let her living sculptures grow from the dry earth. Furthermore, Carla Garlaschi will perform Living the Cliché and present her installation Lybryrinth of Illusion off-site at Norberg’s library.

As the festival is already sold out, scoring a ticket last-minute might proof to be difficult. As a consolation for those that can’t make it: We will keep you posted through on-site updates on our social media channels and post a review after the festival. Stay tuned.