Mouse On Mars + Lydia Ainsworth + Mittland och Leo

Some bands stand the test of time: for 21 years now, Düsseldorf’s Andi Toma and Koln-based Jan St. Werner are Mouse on Mars. Conformity? Not limited by any form of conformity, they managed to re-invent their work again and again, and became a monument of electronic music. To celebrate this ‘coming of age’, they collaborated with admiring colleagues like Modeselektor, Matthew Herbert, Tortoise, Machinedrum, … and created the double album 21 Again (Monkeytown). Happy Birthday, Mouse on Mars! And don’t hold back – after all, you only turn 21 once.

In recent years, Canadian singer-songwriter and composer Lydia Ainsworth has worked on film scores and multimedia projects. Traveling between Toronto and Brooklyn, she also wrote the stunning and acclaimed debut album Right from Real, filled with mesmerizing pop songs. Her wide array of influences ranges from Verdi’s Requiem to Bulgarian choirs, passing by noise elements on the way. Surprising crossovers, vocal samples and string arrangements lead to a unique minimalist sound design. Neo-classical meets the 80s, Grimes meets Julia Holter, … Simply unique.  

‘Throughout Right from Real, Ainsworth refuses to ever be only one thing, so by the end of her debut, it's clear she's an artist capable of most anything.’ (7.9, Pitchfork)

‘On the surface, Ainsworth is one of many people making glimmering, atmospheric electronic pop music in bedroom studios around the world. But almost none of those home-recording auteurs know how to layer up sounds the way Ainsworth does so effectively. And none of them has the power to raise goosebumps the way she can.’ (Album of the week, Stereogum)

Optimist is the debut album by Antwerp-based synth pop duo Mittland och Leo. Joke Leonare and Milan Warmoeskerken (Flying Horseman & Condor Gruppe) bring back mixed memories : Stereolab and krautrock, slasher film soundtracks and carnival rides. But most of all: they create a uniqe and wonderfully addictive sound.