From November 1 to 4, Turin becomes the capital of avant-garde music thanks to the appointment with Club to Club, a major referent festival for innovative music lovers. This year’s theme is La luce dopo il buio (‘Light over darkness’, in English), which fully reflects the mission of C2C to be a lighthouse guiding the audience through the night towards the sound of the future.
As usual, the line-up is a perfect mix of iconic names and new pioneering artists, brought together under the flag of contemporaneity. The strong selection shows the uncompromising nature of a festival whose fame grows year after year, drawing the attention of the audience as well as the press from all over the world. Picking the top 10 among the many interesting artists that will be participating in the event seems pretty hard. However, we've done it so you can start preparing for what is about to come.
Aphex Twin
First in alphabetical order but also when it comes to talking about this year’s edition line-up. Iconic from every point of view, Richard D. James has just made his comeback with the EP Collapse, umpteenth proof of his uniqueness and recognisability. The Irish DJ has been able to create a fluid musical identity throughout the years, making it somehow difficult to classify (also, thanks to an intelligent and innovative use of the media), while becoming a divinity in the electronic universe.
Blood Orange
Dev Hynes is back! The eclectic English musician seems capable of changing his musical identity just as a serpent changes its skin. From his debut as Test Icicles, going through more delicate tones as Lightspeed Champion, to his latest evolution, Blood Orange, Hynes has been able to get universal attention and approval. His ductile shape makes even more interesting his exploration through identity, one of the main themes of his new album, Negro Swan – a melancholic journey streaked with a mellow and intimist R&B. A real jewel.
David August
Class 1990. August can be defined as a real explorer when it comes to music: despite his young age, he was able to achieve a refinement comparable to more experienced producers, which is what has turned him into one of the most promising music stars in the electronic scene. His third album, D'Angelo, is a blaze of introspective moods and catchy rhythms stratifications that clash and melt together into a new ensemble, enthralling and very ‘human’.
Jamie xx
Here's another big name for this edition: Jamie Smith, aka Jamie xx, comes back to C2C after three years from his first, memorable set. In the last decade, Jamie grew from member of The XX to one of the biggest personalities of the electronic scene, who can count on collaborations with class-A music celebrities and even a nominations to the Mercury Prize and Grammy Awards for his album In colour, a lively and vibrant work that makes a perfect portrait of Jamie's style and approach to music.
Leon Vynehall
Leon Vynehall thinks outside the box. His minimal heritage is consistent, but he’s been able to build atmospheres around it that are anything but trivial nor mechanic, almost too personal for how they're empathic. Nothing is Still is the latest chapter of Vynehall’s career, a cinematic journey through the human experiences, as it seems he’s capable of painting scenes in your mind from your own life.
Obongjayar
The Nigerian-born artist is praised for his unique sound, and that’s quite an achievement taking into account that he’s not launched much material: a first single, Creeping, in 2016; his first EP, Bassey, in 2017; and this year, two songs, Adjacent Heart and Carry Me. But his spiritual music, a mix of hip-hop, R&B, jazzy vibes, and drums, has spread quickly and is now one of the most interesting artists to keep an eye on. Be sure to make it to his show!
Peggy Gou
Her cosmopolitan personality is reflected in her music: her sets are a melting pot of tribal rhythms, house, and ‘80s/’90s memories, a very Berlin-driven mix – which is indeed the city where the Korean DJ is currently based. With a huge fan base thanks to her incredible music and multiple performances worldwide, the Seoul-born DJ keeps recording and releasing new tracks. This year, she’s released the EP Once and the song It Makes You Forget (Itgehane), which will leave you craving for more.
Serpentwithfeet
Soil is just an incredible album. That would be enough to explain why you should be there for Serpentwithfeet's set. Josiah Wise, the man behind the project, was a choirboy in Baltimore and later studied vocal performance. Now, he’s built a powerful sound wall made out of heartfelt lyrics, innovative R&B, gospel and an unexpected touch of electronic and classical music, which drag listeners to an emotional spiral.
Tirzah
Dreamy and light, Tirzah’s music reminds of walk down memory lane, well served by her voice, softly speaking words sew to the minimal and soffused beats edited by her long time friend Micachu (by her side since the debut album “I'm not dancing”). A necessary and complementary synergy, that can create moments of sophisticated romance without being cheesy. All this and more (included Guilt, one of the best autotuned tracks since the times of Cher's Believe and no, I'm not joking) in her latest album Devotion.
Yves Tumor
Presenting his latest album, Safe in the Hands of Love, the Tennessee-born artist is one of the top highlights of the festival. After Serpent Music, his (very successful) previous album, he set a bar high for himself, but he’s proved he can evolve and even improve. Now, with new tracks like Licking an Orchid and Honesty, he’s ready to take over and make everyone emotional.
Club to Club will take place from November 1 to 4 in different locations in Turin, Italy.