- Many electronic music fans can thank festivals for introducing them to some of their favourite acts. Whether held on a paddock in the English countryside or across tiny indoor venues in some far-flung city, these events occupy a vital space in the scene. Festivals in cities outside Western Europe's major clubbing hotspots are especially important. Some take place in areas that don't often host top-tier talent, and in doing so provide the locals with a rare chance to catch important tastemakers and producers from abroad.
Semibreve is one such festival. It's been taking place annually in Braga, Portugal's third-biggest city, for the past five years. Organisers place an emphasis on leftfield music, without paying much attention to what's accessible. This approach is commendable, especially when you consider that Braga's population is just 137,000. Rather than assembling a relatively easy-to-like house and techno lineup, organisers draw from a broad pool of avant-garde acts. Live performances at this year's edition, which ran from October 30th through November 1st, came from the likes of Dopplereffekt, Roedelius, Vessel, Powell and Luke Abbott, all of whom delivered distinct, contemplative sets.
Some of the key performances went down in Theatro Circo, a restored 20th-century theatre in Braga's old town that's usually home to plays and classical music concerts. At Semibreve, these were the kind of sit-down affairs that have become increasingly common at experimental festivals around Europe in recent years. German experimental veteran Roedelius and US electro duo Dopplereffekt played very different sets there on the festival's first night on Friday. Roedelius began his performance by placing a vase with a single rose in it at the front of the state and exclaiming: "This rose represents the beauty of the Braga people," before walking over to a keyboard and getting started. He then moved through a string of introspective keys solos, backed up on stage by a group of local musicians.
Dopplereffekt's set felt more modern, but just as pensive. The pair worked without a kick drum, utilizing strange chords and booming arpeggios with captivating results. It was, for me, the highlight of the festival. On Saturday, Vessel supplied some of the weekend's darkest sounds, dishing out distortion, breakbeats and white noise. Beneath all the murk, though, was a sense of groove, keeping the performance's most out-there moments in check.
Other sets went down at GNRation, an arts centre located a short walk from Theatro Circo. Luke Abbott, Heatsick, Peder Mannerfelt and Powell all played in a small upstairs room called the Black Box across Friday and Saturday night, covering a staggering amount of musical ground. Luke Abbott provided the weekend's most euphoric atmospheric textures, while Powell and Heatsick were likely the highlights for any attendees simply looking to dance.
The connecting factor in the Black Box on both nights was a sense of adventure. Its dance floor was smaller than what you'd find in most European house and techno spots, yet at no point did it feel like a club night. A lot of challenging sounds were offered up and almost all were greeted enthusiastically—a testament to the trust the attendees place in Semibreve. Many of these acts will never play in Braga again, which makes their performances all the more important.
Photo credit: Adriano Ferreira Borges