Lunchmeat Festival 2024 through five key performances
Trippy audiovisual sets were the star of the show at Prague’s Lunchmeat this year – from object blue’s collaboration with Natalia Podgórska, to Toumba’s link-up with local artist Kristýna Sidlárová.
It’s not uncommon for a 2024 festival programme to combine great music with visual art and tech. But at this year’s edition of Lunchmeat, bringing these different elements together felt like a priority, resulting in a wide range of immersive, future-facing and truly unique live experiences.
Though Lunchmeat’s main programme unfolded across three stages in, and outside, the Veletržní palác, the festival took over several venues across the city too, including Archa+, Planeta Za and Ankali – a nightclub that transformed into an intimate no-phones, shoes-off gathering. Here, artists like energie and Perila created ambient soundscapes as the audience sat down and soaked in the experience, indulging in a serene energy that would stand in sharp contrast to what was to come over the following few days.
Over the rest of the week, notable highlights came from the likes of Pinch – who returned to Lunchmeat with a rare live set paired with dizzying visuals by Lorem – and Aasthma, a project from Peder Mannerfelt and Pär Grindvik. Selectors like Breaka, Lil Mofo, Sister Zo, KAVARI, and Bristol’s Yushh also provided the vibes, while Italian musician and composer Eva Geist and experimental producer and vocalist Aïsha Devi both put on a captivating show.
Amongst the many standout sets, though, here are five that still have us talking.
Oklou
With haunting vocals set against a backdrop of dreamy visuals that took the audience into another realm, French artist Oklou invited her audience to lose themselves in the enchanting world she created. The atmosphere she crafted was intimate and immersive, encouraging loud crowd participation throughout – from the first chime of bells in her latest single, family and friends, to the lingering energy in the air as the last notes of God’s Chariot faded away.
Toumba & sida100
This year, Lunchmeat commissioned Jordanian producer Toumba to present a world premiere live set alongside Kristýna Sidlárová – a.k.a. sida100, a 3D artist and graphic designer known for her influence in Prague’s music and art scenes. The result was a winding, transcendent visual display, grounded throughout by Toumba’s experimental sounds.
object blue & Natalia Podgórska
In a talk earlier in the day, object blue and Natalia Podgórska offered insights into the creation of their show, with object blue admitting she usually avoids following strict rules or structures in her music, and that composing an entirely new soundtrack to accompany Podgórska’s artwork marked the first time she had to work within a defined structure to ensure they both aligned with the final product. After working on the piece, titled Ghosts, until moments before showtime, the final result was a seamlessly executed performance that perfectly synced sound design with surreal visuals.
33EMYBW & Joey Holder
An exceptional visual artist in her own right, Shanghai’s 33EMYBW entrusted British designer Joey Holder to craft the visuals for a showcase of their combined talents at the festival’s Club Stage. 33EMYBW’s eclectic selections merged with Holder’s somewhat unsettling designs, creating a dialogue between sound and vision that resonated deeply with the audience and provoked a clear emotional response.
Machinedrum & Strangeloop
David Wexler (f.k.a. Strangeloop) has collaborated with many names in music over the years, and this year at Lunchmeat, he joined forces with Machinedrum to produce a live project for the artist’s latest album, 3FOR82. Blending elements of R&B, pop, jazz and drum & bass, 3FOR82 features a wide range of artists including Tinashe and Mick Jenkins – who Strangeloop brought to life on-stage with massive holograms. Stretching the horizons of live music and art, it felt like it set a new standard for what a festival show can achieve.
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