KERALA DUST / LALALAR / DANILO PLESSOW (MCDE)

Danilo Plessow (MCDE)

Danilo Plessow, formerly known as Motor City Drum Ensemble, is renowned as one of the most influential DJs and producers in the world, for his excellent knowledge in music and his technical wizardry behind the turntables. With his eclectic approach to music, passion for vinyl rarities, tireless discovery for new music of different genres, and talent for connecting separate melodies and rhythms Plessow has become a key figure in the music scene.

Plessow started to play the drums at the age of six and discovered his love for jazz when he joined the big band in his school. Later on, he started to work on his own original productions using a computer and samples. Jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop and house influences culminated in his first release, under his Broken Beat alias Inverse Cinematics. At the same time, he already started building his record collection and playing international gigs as a DJ, at just 16 years of age. He released the “Raw Cuts” series as Motor City Drum Ensemble on his own label MCDE recordings, a highly influential series of records that is considered to be a modern classic amongst the house music scene. Plessow has performed at many international clubs and stages ranging from Dekmantel to Montreux Jazz Festival and Coachella. He has reimagined tracks from great artists like Tony Allen, Billy Cobham, Caribou or DJ Sprinkles, building a reputation as an unpredictable remixer. He also hosted a radio show for Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM, exploring music from a far and wide range. His latest focus has been on recording, engineering, and producing analogue music for his new label "Space Grapes." You can experience Danilo Plessow’s dynamic, surprising and wide-range performance in Fairy Poets Valley Volkswagen Stage on May 25th.

Kerala Dust

Kerala Dust, the trio consisting of Edmund Kenny on vocals and electronics, keys player Harvey Grant and guitarist Lawrence Howarth, was formed in 2016 in London. Currently based between Berlin and Zurich, the band came together out of Edmund Kenny’s growing love of electronic music mixed with a history in indie bands, and initial electronic compositions he made on his computer. Kerala Dust places club music’s endless repetition, which is manifested as a sort of a mantra and provides a clear headspace, at the heart of their music. The band blends untraditional and hypnotic electronic beats with elements of blues and Americana. Their recent album ‘Violet Drive’ released in 2023, is a creative product of a drive from Hamburg to Rome. Described as ‘deeply interconnected with European history’, the album is torn between Europe’s past and future. You can immerse yourself in Kerala Dust’s psychedelic rhythms at the unique atmosphere of Fairy Poets Valley Volkswagen Stage on May 25th.

Lalalar

Formed by Ali Güçlü Şimşek, Barlas Tan Özemek and Mehmet Alican İpek, Lalalar entered the local psychedelic scene and caught attention with their first single “İsyanlar”, released in 2019. Bringing the spirit of 70s’ arabesque and Anatolian melodies in a futuristic fashion, Lalalar’s sound blends cinematic retro basslines, electronic beats, unique vocals and distorted guitars. Sharing many singles such as ‘Hata Benim Göbek Adım’, ‘Yalnızca Ölü Balıklar Akıntıyı Takip Eder’, ‘Hiç Mutlu Olmam Daha İyi’ ve ‘Ninja Partisi’, the band also became known for electrifying the dancefloor during their live performances. Following the release of their debut album ‘Bi Cinnete Bakar’, they shared their second album ‘En Kötü İyi Olur’ a year later. Locally and globally renowned for their distinctive musical style and works, you can catch Lalalar at the Fairy Poets Valley Volkswagen Stage on May 25th.