Line-up #dnk16
In order of appearance
Like always there is our main stage with excellent sound and lots of lights. Our second stage, The
Stargazer Stage will be there too of course. Again with an upgraded sound and light system. On
the second day of the festival this stage will transform in the Consouling Stage. That day all bands
on this stage are signed to the Belgian record label Consouling Sounds.
The next few pages will guide you chronologically through the exciting line-up of #dnk16.
Fall of Messiah (FR) (scream / (post-)hardcore)
We’ve met these guys for the first time at 4Ecluses in Duinkerke, when Year Of No Light was
playing there. Fall of Messiah was the support band of the evening and they blew us away with
their post-metal/hardcore riffs. So we kindly invited them to do the same for you at #dnk16. They
released their new album Empty Colors earlier this year.
Slowrun (FIN) (instrumental / post-rock)
Slowrun from Finland released their second album Resonance on dunk!records in December
2015. They make beautiful melodic post-rock compositions and know how to capture that unique
atmosphere like only the northern bands in the scene can. Slowly structured and highly dynamic
songs built with the classical rock set-up of bass, guitars and drums. This is high quality post-rock
from the mystical lands of the north.
Mutiny on The Bounty (LX) (math rock / post-hardcore / progressive)
This band already worked its way up in the alternative music scene and doesn’t plan to stop. Their
energetic math rock show fits perfectly with our stage set-up. We saw them several times before
and they keep getting better. Last year at Aloud Music Festival they were simply fantastic. Prepare
to be run over by this train!
Environments (RO) (ambient post-rock)
Environments released Ascuns on dunk!records in November 2015. They manage to create a
somewhat haunting and gloomy atmosphere and lure the listener into their adventurous story
leading through dark forests, haunted houses and sleeping cities. Expect highly immersive ambient
post-rock and a magical show at #dnk16.
Obscure Sphinx (PL) (post-metal / sludge)
We suggest to take a shot of (free) coffee on your way to Obscure Sphinx or you’ll be knocked
K.O. as soon as their first riff hits your ears. By a girl! This female fronted band, as it’s called,
produces heavy head banging post-metal mixed with dark experimental parts. They promised to
bring some new songs to the festival. Maybe even the whole new album.
Spoiwo (PL) (post-rock / alternative / ambient)
Another band from Poland, this time featuring two synths on the stage. This show won’t be your
average dose of post-rock either. But it will be epic for sure. Prepare for ambient intros building
towards a huge climax. Spoiwo will take you on a journey through outer space. At least that’s how
we imagine outer space should sound like.
Tides From Nebula (PL) (post-rock)
Tides From Nebula also comes over from Poland. Some of you might have seen them at dunk!
festival 2014 where they played an excellent show. We’re happy to have them back this year.
We’re pretty sure they will bring their brand new album Safehaven with them. Although the official
release is for May 6th. #dnk16 kicks off their EU tour.
Nils Gröndahl (DK) (noise)
This Danish musician used to play in Under Byen but now climbs the stage on his own. He only
has a violin, loop station and lots of pedals to build walls of repetitive noise and create a dramatic
universe. Besides that not much is known about him. Just come and listen how this guy makes a
hell lot of noise with only a violin and his voice.
65daysofstatic (UK) (post-rock / electronic)
If you were at dunk! in 2012 when 65dos headlined the festival you simply know this show will be
one to remember. These guys never disappoint and will give their very best for their beloved dunk!
audience. Last time they played at our festival, they even showed off their DJ skills at an
unplanned closing party backstage. That one time, security had to keep all of us quiet because
people at the camping site couldn’t sleep.
Illuminine (BE) (ambient / classical)
This Belgian talented band is brand new but already worked its way up in the scene. Their
ambient, contemporary classical music is perfect to wake up with after the rather heavy first night
of the festival. So let’s take it easy and get carried away by the beautiful tunes composed by Kevin
Imbrechts, and recorded in Iceland in the studios of Sigur Rós with their famous sound engineer
Birgir Jón Birgisson. If you listen carefully you can see the same landscapes Sigur Rós was
inspired by whilst writing their music.
Sounds Like the End of the World (PL) (heavy post-rock)
Apparently heavy post-rock is a thing in Poland. Sounds Like the End of the World (what’s in a
name) brings you apocalyptic noise full of energy. But now and then they give us some time to
breathe (or drink from your beer, just a matter of priorities). Their first full album Stages of Delusion
was mixed and mastered by Jakub Mankowski who also worked with Obscure Sphinx. Expect a
perfect after lunch show: heavy enough to stay awake and at the same time not too heavy to
digest all that delicious food in your stomach.
Monnik (BE) (ambient / drone)
What a great line-up today! Monnik has the honor to open The Consouling Stage. Let’s start with
some ambient, experimental sounds and drones by this one-man band. We’ve been told this music
is like an ascetic meditation with a shamanic almost religious atmosphere. Not sure what it really
means but we’re definitely in! Now where’s my sacred goblet…
Baikonur (CL) (post-rock / alternative)
Don’t miss out on this show! They’re coming all the way from Chile just for dunk!festival. You’re not
going to see them anywhere else in Europe soon. Their music can be described as dreamy postrock building up to heavy climaxes. Most of their songs contain the perfect amount of drama. As
you will hear for yourself, Baikonur succeeds in telling a diverse story with lots of interesting plot
lines.
Eleanora (BE) (post-hardcore)
Heavy stuff brought to you by Consouling Sounds. Eleanora will release their new and first full
album Allure on May 6th. Which means they’ll play their release show at dunk!festival! We’ve
upgraded the sound system to make sure it will survive their blasts. Make sure to survive the show
yourself, cause we’re not even halfway the festival.
Kokomo (DE) (post-metal)
It’s always a pleasure to welcome our good old friends from Duisburg. They played the festival
several times before and each show blew us away. We’re devoted fans from the very beginning!
Remember the official German dunk! license plate they gave us back in 2011? Kokomo’s fourth
album Monochrome Noise Love was recently released on dunk!records and has this typical
Kokomo sound: dark, fragile and loud. Looking forward to hear it live on stage.
Barst (BE) (post-ambient-drone-noise)
Barst will occupy the stage for your daily portion of… noise of course! Though, this show will be
something completely different. Barst has often been described as a ‘one-man transcendental
atmospheric black shoegaze math noise drone orchestra’. Rather a mouthful, yet very much
adequate description of its distinct and unique soundscapes. Barst is signed to Consouling
Sounds, just like all other artists on the second stage today.
Her Name Is Calla (UK) (post-rock)
These touring veterans played at the festival before and we thought it was about time to ask them
back. They’ll bring one of those shows that keep your attention from the first to the final note. With
an array of instruments from dictaphones to banjos, they produce wonderful compositions that
reach to your heart. You will need a few moments after this show to get back to reality.
YODOK III (NO) (post-jazz)
This musical trio, consisting of the Belgian artist Dirk Serries and two talented Norwegian
musicians, plays at The Consouling Stage. What you’re promised to hear is ‘a study in ambient
drone, with elements of (…) jazz, rock and classical’. We would say: weird, experimental, jazzy
improvised rock songs. Prepare for some musical madness you won’t hear every day. Unless you
buy their album of course.
My Sleeping Karma (DE) (psychedelic / stoner rock)
We are totally ready for some stoner riffs! The German instrumental band My Sleeping Karma
started in 2005 as a side-project of the stoner rock band The Great Escape. Their psychedelic
progressive stoner rock is like a trip; taking you ‘into the deepest corners of your very soul’. Both
hypnotic and explosive at the same time, they never fail to create a unique sonic experience.
IIVII (USA) (electronic)
Solo project of visual artist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Josh Graham (founding member of
Red Sparrows, current member of A Storm of Light and much more). The look of his latest album
Colony (released on Consouling Sounds) grabs your attention longer than most other album
covers. IIVII (pronounced /īvē/) plays dark ambient with a science-fiction edge.
Pelican (USA) (post-metal)
Pelican is returning to our stage with their unsurpassed post-metal from Chicago. They started out
in 2000, went on a hiatus but came back better than before. They showed us how it’s done back in
2012 and will definitely do the same this year. This is your head banging moment. Spanish graphic
designer and musician Xavi from Error! Design made a special limited edition screen printed poster
to celebrate their passage at #dnk16.
CHVE (BE) (ambient / drone)
Colin H. Van Eeckhout knows the place since he headlined the previous edition with Amenra. Yet
this time he returns with his solo project to play at The Consouling Stage. His first solo album
shows a whole different side of CHVE. Slowly built-up ambient songs or minimal vocal parts with
just a hurry gurdy. This sounds nothing like Amenra but you will recognise the same soul at the
core.
This Will Destroy You (USA) (post-rock / ambient)
They visited us back in 2009, again in 2012 and we never forgot how intense that was. So we’re
really excited to welcome them at our new location. In case you didn’t already know, TWDY are
masters in dramatic post-rock by using basic but extremely accurate melodies, layered with just
the right amount of delay. They have the power to grab you and never let go. You don’t have a real
post-rock collection if you don’t have all of their albums.
Flies Are Spies From Hell (UK) (progressive post-rock)
We booked this four-piece from London, after we met one of the musicians at a previous edition of
the festival. Their progressive epic piano led post-rock was the only thing missing on the line-up of
that year. Of course we’re not making that mistake again and decided to let them kick off the third
day of this 12th edition.
The Hirsch Effekt (DE) (progressive metal)
Band from Germany, sailing with our good friend Kapitän Platte and neither completely sane if you
ask us. Very curious to hear their indielectropostpunkmetalmathcore on our dunk!stage. Expect a
lot of noise, chaos, crazy synced riffs and even vocals! This won’t be boring for one second.
Herbstlaub (BE) (ambient / minimal)
Time to relax. This Belgian guy and his ambient soundscapes will calm you down again. The
sound can be described as warm, long stretched melancholic layers. Sit back, close your eyes, let
your imagination do the work and be guided by the rainy xylophones and cloudy synths. After this
show you’ll be completely zen.
Upcdownc (UK) (post-rock / post-metal / noise)
Guitars are back in charge now! You might remember these guys from #dnk14. We’re pretty sure
you liked them as much as we did so here they are again. They’ll bring a mix of instrumental metal
with synth, drone, sludge and stoner influences. Grab a beer (or anything else) and bang your
head slowly but steady to the rhythm of these riffs.
Wyatt E. (BE) (doom / drone / post-rock)
It’s totally fine if you’re not yet familiar with these guys from Jerusalem. We’re looking forward to
introduce their distinct sound to you. They play something between doom, drone and post-rock,
slowly building up to repetitive climaxes. We could only find 27 minutes of recorded music on
Bandcamp but it was more than enough to convince us.
Nordic Giants (UK) (cinematic post-rock)
This post-rock duo had already drawn our attention a while ago and at AMFest 2015 in Barcelona
we finally had the chance to see them live. Their show was magical. Not only the music (voice
samples always work) but also the costumes, the high quality visuals and the energy they throw
into battle makes this a highly recommended show on this year’s line-up. An absolute must see!
Thank U For Smoking (IT) (post-rock / noise)
Thank U For Smoking from Sardinia is the newest band on dunk!records. Two weeks ago we rereleased ‘YOMI’ on CD (limited to 100 copies and now available in The Stargazer Store). They
bring noisy post-rock music and add vocals in a very natural way. Which is never obvious in this
particular kind of music. Seems they know what they’re doing!
I Am Waiting For You Last Summer (RUS) (electronic / post-rock)
Presenting another interesting mix of electronic, experimental, epic, atmospherical post-rock. How
about that! Our hopes are high their show will be huge on stage. Warning! You might want to dance
to this music. A perfect show to prelude the last evening of the festival. Interesting fact: Alex
Sokolov is known for writing the score of several Marvel movie trailers.
Syndrome (BE) (ambient / soundscape)
Syndrome is the solo project of Mathieu Vandekerckhove from Amenra. Looks like all of these guys
have side projects for the moment. Syndrome brings ambient soundscape drones (that’s a thing).
He would have been home on the Consouling Stage yesterday, but that family has become too big
to stage them all on the same day. Syndrome already played at #dnk13.
Collapse Under The Empire (DE) (post-rock)
This performance by Collapse Under The Empire at #dnk16 is actually very special: it will be their
very first live show ever! So we’re writing history here. Of course they already made their
reputation by releasing a lot of great music since they started in 2009, but no one ever saw them
live. Until now. There won’t even be a warm up show for them. The soundcheck will be the only
stage experience they’ll have when starting that first song.
Dirk Serries: Microphonics (BE) (ambient / experimental)
Also part of the Consouling family and releasing new music this spring! This Belgian composer will
bring lots of new ambient, experimental songs to the stage. To avoid hermetic psycho-analytical
definitions, let’s put it like this: his minimalistic guitar music will pull you in and let the sounds
resonate with your own inner world, so much in need of this harmony transmitted through the air.
Yndi Halda (UK) (post-rock)
We already had the pleasure to print this name on our poster back in 2010. After releasing their
first album (Enjoy Eternal Bliss) in 2007 they haven’t released anything until Under Summer came
out in 2015. Enough reason to invite them back! Expect a wonderful post-rock show with strings
and everything.
arms and sleepers (USA) (electronic / idm)
Chances are high that you already saw this band on our stage. They played at dunk!festival in
2011, 2013 and 2014. But this time it will be different, since they’ll bring a full live band! What is
more, their dunk!show is part of their 10th anniversary tour. Perfect timing for another unique
experience at #dnk16 and excellent headliner for The Stargazer Stage.
Russian Circles (USA) (post-metal)
This brings us to the last band and big headliner of #dnk16. Obviously these guys don’t need an
introduction. They proved to be an excellent live band plenty of times before, but we are honored
to witness that awesomeness for the first time on our stage and, most of all, together with all of
you. We don’t need to tell you how epic this will be. It will be an ending you’ll never forget!