7 Bands to Remember from MENT Ljubljana 2024

A while back (a few years, okay, but time is relative on this site) I was telling you about European showcasing festivals and presenting some artists I enjoyed from the online edition of BuSH 2020. In the meantime, the live concert scene has somewhat returned to a form of normalcy, whatever that could mean, so we no longer have to rely on YouTube clips to discover artists worth following, yay!

In the article from 3 years ago, I mentioned MENT Ljubljana as an example of a festival whose lineup you should watch if you want to discover cool new music. This is still true, as I’ve seen many rising bands on their list this year that you’ll definitely be seeing more of, for sure. Here’s some of them, in no particular order.

Artificialice (Poland)

foto: Năluca

A project helmed by Alicja from KLAWO (who you might have seen last year in Romania at Jazz in the Park or MMB), Artificialice share the same otherworldly spheres with Björk, Kate Havnevik, and other experimental Nordic female voices with their electronic, glitchy instrumentations. Live, they are a powerhouse; you don’t really know where to look first. To the guy intermittently playing the saxophone? The guy playing the synths who was completely absorbed by the music was acting accordingly? Or maybe to Alicja herself, with her incredible range both vocally and in the emotions she conveys to the audience.

Leatherette (Italy)

foto: Năluca

Leatherette in the studio are dissonant and irreverent; they look at the borders between musical genres and laugh, then throw in a sax solo over some downtuned riffs in unintelligible time signatures. You often wonder how they manage to remember anything from their music so that they can perform it live. Then, if you see Leatherette live, you wonder if the things you’re hearing are actually composed as a result of a process, or just a crazy improvisation that’s still full of groove and energy. It’s a circle.

Lucy Kruger and the Lost Boys (Germany / South Africa)

photo: Năluca

There are artists who are such forces of nature that you can’t help but wonder what energies they’re connected to. Lucy Kruger is one of them – there’s something primal in her music, in the earthy rhythm of the drums and bass, in the way her whispers subtly become screams while she stares at you from the stage. There’s a certain magnetism involved, like when you watch a storm from your window – you’re a bit scared, but you also can’t look away. I anticipate you’ll be hearing more about her and her band, so you might as well do your homework now. To be seen in Bucharest at Europavox Festival in Control on April 3.

Irnini Mons (France)

photo: Năluca

It’s hard to explain, but in a lot of contemporary rock (post-2020) I feel a kind of convergence, with many elements of punk, noise, and post-hardcore suddenly becoming somewhat fashionable. It’s like the world needs more noise, heh. Irnini Mons exemplify this very well – at its core, their music is quirky, a bit punk, a bit alternative, light, innocent, and cute you might say. Until they hit you with downtuned distorted guitars and dissonant riffs. Unpredictable but at the same time very satisfying, they have an infectious energy on stage that they fully manage to transmit to the audience. Keep an eye on them.

Kitty Florentine (Estonia)

photo: Năluca

With a look inspired by the other ’20s decade, Kitty Florentine is an interesting mix. A presence too warm to be a Nordic fairy, though the music sometimes has a healthy dose of melancholy. Extremely versatile vocally, full of emotion and always maintaining a relatable aura, despite the ethereal attitude. Live, she captivated the audience at MENT by stepping into the crowd mid-set and continuing to sing surrounded by people. Apparently, at home, she also plays the harp, but I realize that might be a bit difficult to transport.

Baby’s Berserk (The Netherlands)

photo: Năluca

There are several very fashionable revivals at the moment: post-punk is practically experiencing its second youth (or even third, to be honest), while the disco sounds of the ’70s-’80s are in turn being brought back to life in various and increasingly tasteful ways. Since these two genres couldn’t really intersect in the decade they appeared, let’s intersect them now, 50 years later. Baby’s Berserk is right in the middle between these two worlds, with an aesthetic that is a bit gritty, a bit dark, a bit mysterious, but at the same time full of groove and rhythms that force you to dance. It’s hard to find a good mix, but not impossible :)

Ada Oda (Belgium / Italy)

photo: Năluca

Another bizarre mix, on paper at least: post-punk roots seen through the lens of modern Belgian noise, all with lyrics in Italian. And it works much better than you’d imagine – the bass, often reminiscent of The Cure, fits perfectly with the quirky guitars and the dissonant moments, and the Italian language sounds so cool phrased on a punk rhythm. All of this shouldn’t make sense together, but somehow it does – a testament to the postmodern times we live in, I suppose. You can also see Ada Oda in Bucharest at Europavox Festival in Control, on the second night, April 4. Don’t miss.

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