Moogfest, the five-day festival dedicated to the synthesis of technology, art, science and music, which Mashable calls “No Ordinary Festival”, is happening the 23rd to the 27th of April.
By Night – Five evenings of landmark musical performances by new trailblazers, early pioneers of electronic music, and major headliners in over ten venues across the city, featuring landmark performances by electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk 3D; iconic electro-pop duo Pet Shop Boys; self-declared “anti popstar” M.I.A.; super producer Nile Rodgers with his band CHIC; plus a rare performance by UK’s Darkstar; Animal Collective’s Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks featuring former members of Dirty Projectors and Ponytail; German heavyweight trio Moderat; Mad Decent’s Dillon Francis and Riff Raff; Zed’s Dead; El-P; and Factory Floor; plus over 70 more artists spanning the 5 day festival.
By Day – Five days of mind-expanding conversation, experimentation, and collaboration for creative and technology professionals across seven venues in downtown Asheville. The conference is guided by the world’s preeminent thought leaders and pioneers of music and technology, including Simpsons and Futurama’s David X. Cohen; the ArchAndroid herself, Janelle Monae; improvised performances by Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Zinner, Bradford Cox, and Dan Deacon; and Google’s brightest minds exploring the future of audio; plus conversations with interdisciplinary research laboratory MIT Media Labs; MAKE Magazine’s Mark Fraunfelder; OMNI Reboot, a magazine at the intersection of science, technology, art, culture, design, and metaphysics; videogame arts and culture publication Kill Screen; and more presenting one of a kind programming exclusive to Moogfest.
Moogfest’s free Modular Marketplace is an electronic pop-up shop showcasing the latest and greatest from a lineup of innovative instrument makers. Boutique electronics, experimental effects and modern modular synthesizers will create an interactive exhibition in which the public can engage with new musical devices and their designers.
The Modular Marketplace will host daily demonstrations, workshops and sound experiments from the engineers that are shaping the sounds of tomorrow, as well as a free week-long clinic on electronic music production. Programming includes presentations by The Pioneers of Electronic Music Instruments: Roger Linn, Tom Oberheim, Don Buchla, David Borden, and Dave Smith.
Moogfest will take place at over 10 venues located in the heart of Asheville, including Thomas Wolfe, US Cellular Center Basement, The Orange Peel, Asheville Community Theatre, The Mill Room, Diana Wortham Theatre, Fine Arts Theater, Masonic Temple, Asheville Music Hall, Asheville Art Museum, New Earth, Broadway Outdoor, Emerald Lounge, and The Moog Store.
Newly added to the lineup – UR Presents: Timeline, Teengirl Fantasy, Just Blaze, Egyptian Lover, High Klassified, Salva, C Powers, Higher Learning, and Craig Leon performing Nommos live with a string quartet provided by The Asheville Symphony.
Since its inception in 2004, Moogfest has been a magnet for artists, engineers, and enthusiasts of Dr. Robert Moog and his legacy to meet, share, create and collaborate. With an experimental lineup of daytime conference programming featuring cultural, artistic and technological luminaries and punctuated by a line up of diverse landmark nightly performances, Moogfest honors the creativity and inventiveness of Bob Moog and pays tribute to the legacy of the analog synthesizer.