LIFEM: London International Festival of Exploratory Music

Due to unforeseen circumstances Mabrouk Band (Israel), Shira U’tfila (Serbia) and Madame Mim (Brazil) will be unable to perform at London International Festival of Exploratory Music this November. However, we are delighted to announce that Les Yeux Noirs (France), Monster Ceilidh Band (UK) and Daniel Peixoto (ex-Montage, Brazil) will be their replacements, in what is a rare UK performance by the French gypsy/klezmer virtuoso ensemble, the London premiere of Newcastle’s happy energetic non-stop danceable Ceilidh band, and the European premiere of the shockingly sexy electro-punk solo project by the Brazilian MTV outrageous superstar.

Below is the full updated music programme:

Wednesday, 04 November 09

Thursday, 05 November 09

Friday, 06 November 09

Saturday, 07 November 09

>

In recent years, a growing number of Japanese musicians have appeared on the UK music scene, performing at prestigious festivals, thanks in part to the enthusiasm of certain promoters. This recent popularity has been attributed to the uniqueness and versatility of Japanese music and musicians, appealing to the desire of music fans to experience something new and original.

For this event, the Japan Foundation has invited UK-based Japanese artist, DJ Scotch Egg, who has gained a reputation for mixing music from techno-related genres, including gabber and chiptunes, to talk about his musical career and artistic philosophy. He will be accompanied by Franck Stofer, of the artist agency, Sonore. Franck has been a passionate advocate of the creativity of contemporary Japanese music, and will share his views on the state and nature of the Japanese music scene as seen by a non-native living in Japan and working as part of the Japanese music industry. The evening’s proceedings will be chaired by Alan Cummings, Freelance Writer for music magazine, The Wire.

This event is organised in association with the London International Festival of Exploratory Music (LIFEM) which is committed to exciting music from every conceivable genre and origin, while continually challenging musical boundaries. DJ Scotch Egg will be showcased as part of this year’s LIFEM lineup, together with two other Japanese musicians, Oorutaichi and Midori Hirano on 7 November at Kings Place.

As well as complementing the performances by these three Japanese artists on 7^th November, this event also provides an opportunity to learn more about Japan’s exciting and innovative contemporary musical culture.