We have a Carhartt WIP website for customers in the US and Canada. Now offering domestic shipping and returns. Check it out.
Here comes the first issue of our short interview series and we begin with the L.E.V. festival in Gijón. This year's line-up is anew top-notch and absolutely futuristic. Besides music a lot of visual art will be shown. On the bill are such fresh and highly acclaimed artists like Jon Hopkins, who introduces his awesome new album Immunity, the English electronic musician Pye Corner Audio, the American electronic wizard Oneohtrix Point Never, or the London based Neo-Wave duo Raime. In addition established names like Tim Hecker, Andy Stott, Kid606, Clark, and John Roberts perform, too. Instead of telling their story we send some questions to those who booked them. To find out why they do a festival, what is nice and not so nice in preparing it, and what are their own personal highlights in the line-up. Fran, Nacho, and Cris, the mysterious trio behind the L.E.V. festvial in Gijón, granted us a nice look behind the scenes of one of Spain's intimate and well curated happenings at the interface of music and multimedia art.
What is your musical background? What was the impetus behind the start-up of your festival?
Nacho: We have been working with electronic music and visual arts for 20 years, as well as curating art exhibitions. We always have been living linked to music, doing dj and vj sets in a lot of clubs and with many artists in the past. We always thought that the approach to electronic music was only conceived from the playful side. So it's important for us to put the focus on this kind of culture and do it in our city: Gijón, a place where electronic music has a strong scene. Gijón is a small but dynamic city in the North coast of Spain, and we are a bit tired going to big capitals to enjoy of these kind of emotions.
Do you have a "wish list" of musicians you'd like to see on your festival stage?
Cris: Yes, but it's a secret list.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Nacho: The satisfaction to shake up our beloved land for a few days. To feel ourselves as contributors to the cultural movement here.
What’s the worst thing about your job?
Cris: Paperwork. And to not enjoy of a lot of the festival shows.
Can you give some advice to someone who is interested in starting his or her own festival?
Nacho: To believe in what you do, to be generous and patient. And it's very important to take care of the details and not to grow to quickly. A basic rule is to make the festival you would to love as an audience. And of course it's essential to get a good team to work, a trusted team of work.
What was your first festival visit ever?
Nacho: Reading 95, it was like being born again... really magic!
What was the most magical festival moment you had?
Cris: The organ concert of Tim Hecker at Passionkirche based on the Ravedeath, 1972 album at CTM festival in Berlin was one of that moments.
Nacho: A lot! Stereolab at Reading 95, Stockhausen in a theatre at Sonar some years ago. Factory Floor at Unsound festival the last year...
Fran: Radiohead and Massive Attack at Pukkelpop 06, Autechre at Melt! Festival 07.
What was the most magical moment for you on LEV till today?
Cris: Robert Lippok or Ametsub at the Botanic Garden.
Nacho: Moderat and Aphex Twin at the theatre, without seat.
Fran: Darkstar.
Are there artists you want to book for your festival but you never been able to do so? If so: why?
Cris: Yes of course! One important reason is the budget. And the availability of artists. Normally artists are very happy to come to our festival, they usually enjoy it a lot!
What performers are you most looking forward to see at L.E.V. this year?
Cris: OPN and Tim Hecker… Raime...and dot tape dot!
Nacho: Pole, Kid 606 and Oneohtrix Point Never.
Fran: Clark, Emptyset and Roly Porter.
What are three albums that you'll absolutely never get tired of listening to?
Cris: Really difficult! Kangding Ray: Automne Fold, the soundtrack of Monsters by Jon Hopkins, and anyone by Pixies or Plaid.
Nacho: Two Lone Swordsmen: Tiny Reminders, The Sound: Jeopardy, and Max Richter: Memoryhouse.
Fran: Max Richter: Infra, DJ Krush: Stepping Stones, Boards of Canada: Music has the Right to Children, and Amber of Autechre.
What superpower would you like to have?
Cris: A super-power like to fly
Fran: A machine to stop the time
Your your motto ?
Nacho: Useful production, use what you have on hand...
05/03/2013 - 05/04/2013 - L.E.V. festival - Gijón - ES