Roadburn announces first names for 2023

Roadburn has just announced the first names for its 2023 edition! Featuring French photographer William Lacalmontie as its official visual artist, next year’s edition of Roadburn promises to be the most mind-bending, innovative and uplifting one yet. The festival’s Artistic Direct, Walter Hoeijmakers comments, “We are very thrilled to see Roadburn 2023 coming together, especially in a world turned upside down and all the challenges facing the live music industry. Roadburn 2023 is shaping up to be a very exciting edition of the festival even while navigating the underground post-pandemic. This year’s Roadburn won’t see a curator as there are so many obstacles and pitfalls to overcome; it would be hard for a curator to fully realise their artistic and musical dreams. We at Roadburn will make sure the 2023 edition will be as adventurous and explorational as always, and it will be an anchor point as usual. It will be a very current edition, reflecting the world as it is now.”

As for the names themselves, the first batch is as impressive as ever. San Francisco’s blackgaze sensation Deafheaven will fly in to Roadburn to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their groundbreaking sophomore record, Sunbather, by performing it in full alongside a second set where they will play their latest incredible record, Infinite Granite. Originally scheduled to perform at Roadburn 2020, Julie Christmas will finally perform next April as an European exclusive set. With a diverse back catalogue and the promise of new material on the horizon, this will be without a doubt a must-see show. Also drawing from a rich back catalogue, Roadburn will welcome back David Eugene Edwards, who will be performing cuts from his 16 Horsepower, Wovenhand and solo discographies.

Elsewhere, Wolves In The Throne Room will enhance their already immersive performances with additional audio and visual components to create a special, exclusive set titled Shadow Moon Kingdom. Big Brave warranted a rare back-to-back Roadburn booking and will be performing their upcoming record, nature morte, at Roadburn 2023. The Soft Moon are also a group that has made such an impact over the years, but their latest release, Exister, takes things to a whole new level, and because of that, they will be performing it in full as well. Another postponed Roadburn debut will finally come to fruition as Brutus will perform off the back of their stunning new record, Unison Life. And speaking of debuts, Giles Corey will be making their live one with a full band at Roadburn – originally scheduled for 2020, this underground phenomenon will bring catharsis and emotion in abundance. Another European debut comes from Chat Pile, who have made an immense impact in a short space of time, and have been snagged by the festival for an exclusive European show. Candy will be performing their blistering new record, Heaven is Here, in full at Roadburn and KEN Mode will be doing their bit for the thriving noise-rock resurgence of 2022, flying in for a one-off show at Roadburn. The genre-defying experimentalism found on Show Me the Body’s latest record, Trouble the Water, will also be brought to life in the flesh and Sweden’s Burst and Norna will be bringing the sound of early Scandinavian post-metal and crushing take on sludgy post-hardcore, respectively.

The first of an array of commisioned projects is also announced in John Cxnnor‘s All My Future’s Past. Brothers Ketil and Rasmus Sejersen grew up in Denmark’s hardcore scene and the influence of that is felt in the music they create as part of LLNN, but it also infiltrates their work under the John Cxnnor moniker. For this commissioned project, they will enhance the industrial electronics of the John Cxnnor project with the contributions of fellow musicians from the hardcore scene they were shaped by. Last but by no means least, and for the first time ever, Roadburn is collaborating with Schouwburg Tilburg to embrace dance as part of the Roadburn landscape. Dance Of The Seven Veils will be brought to life by director Aïda Gabriëls with musical accompaniment courtesy of Colin H. Van Eeckhout (CHVE, Amenra), Pieter-Jan Van Assche (Innerwoud) and soprano Astrid Stockman. A lot more names will be revealed in due time, so keep your eyes peeled for further announcements.

Roadburn 2023 takes place at 013, in Tilburg, on April 20th-23rd. Daily, three-day and four-day tickets range from 79 to 244 euros and will go on sale on November 15th. More information is readily available on the festival’s website.

Photo credit: George Clarke