This Tuesday, Eurosonic Noorderslag announced yet another thirty acts to be performing at the festival in January. It seems like ESNS is going towards a very electronic line-up this year, which is both interesting and exciting, as the festival is usually diverse, but often more alternative. We’re curious to see how these acts do on the ESNS stages and ready to track if electronic based music is going to be the new standard within popular music. Will it dominate the industry in the same way singer-songwriters have? For now, we have given all new acts a good listen and picked out some of our favorites for you to check out.

The Young Folk

Let us start with music that does not fall under the electronic category. Chances are you have seen or heard something from this group before, as the band has appeared on many Dutch stages over the past year. The Young Folk makes catchy folk music with influences of alt-country by mixing both traditional folk instruments and modern melodies.

My Baby

This Dutch band calls their music “delta trance Louisiana dub indie funk,” and make of that what you want, but this group is one to keep your eye on. With a tour through sixteen countries and currently in the UK, My Baby is heading towards big things. Their song ‘Uprising’ is very catchy and other tracks from their latest album Shamanaid are nothing short of a beautiful psychedelic trip.

Ciaran Lavery

If you are one of those people that is on Spotify a lot, some songs by Ciaran Lavery must be familiar to you. Despite being relatively new to the scene (his debut album is from 2013) Lavery’s tracks have millions of hits because of their presence in several Spotify playlists. Whether it is for date night, a rainy afternoon, or an autumn stroll, Lavery makes the kind of music that beautifully fits almost every occasion. Recommended to Eurosonic by famous BBC DJ Zane Lowe, Ciaran Levery is one to check out.

HONNE

HONNE is the musical baby of the bromance between James and Andy (they don’t give away their last names). The pair met in college and formed HONNE (本音), which is Japanese for ‘true feelings’. They are currently signed by their own label, Tatemae Recordings, which happens to be Japanese for ‘public expectations’. Honne makes atmospheric electronic music often coined as soulful.

Whilk and Misky

Say that five times fast. The band Whilk and Misky makes music as memorable as their name. Their electronic beats are infused with broody vocals and searing guitar riffs, and almost impossible to categorize. There are influences from avantgarde electronic, but also folk, blues and techno. This music makes you want to dance and brood at the same time. And drink, because that’s the only way to get their name right without trying.

A O S O O N

Again a duo, AOSOON (AlotOfSomethingOutOfNothing) exists out of bassist Manny Folonruso and vocalist Marisa Hylton. They make beautifully minimalistic music, relying on Marisa’s powerful vocals to enhance the beautifully complex melodies.

The Brahms

Another Dutch talent, The Brahms make music that is best described as tropical indie. Their happy melodies are a feel-good guarantee and chances are you’ll dance a little when watching their set.

With a line-up so beautifully infused with electronic it can be difficult to pick your favorites. Especially since some of those acts can be insane when going out to you favorite club but may not be necessarily suited for a smokey café or a seven o’clock seated show at the theater. So dependent on time and place (and surely ESNS knows this) some of these acts need to be kept in mind. For now we want to make sure you remember Oaktree and Haelos as our night-time-dance-favorites and keep an eye on the Rockstone Sessions website as we will definitely give you our thoughts once all acts are announced and the timetable available.

Oh – and another little bonus tip from us to you, check out Samm Henshaw and Forever Pavot if you want to be sure to catch a great live-act. Samm Henshaw opened for James Bay this year and will surely charm you with his soulful songs. The French band Forever Pavot is a sonic reminder of the awesomeness of the Pink Floyd vibe.

Catch you at the next announcement!