Rencontres Trans Musicales de Rennes 2017

Today sees the 2017 Rencontres Trans Musicales de Rennes kick off in full,  the Breton city hosting
acts in both the Parc Expo on the outskirts of the city and at the Ubu and at Le Liberté and other venues in the city centre.

While some acts performed last night, the main event at the Parc Expo opens up, with acts playing into the early hours.

If there's a headliner tonight it's probably Yuksek with a set at the Parc Expo just after midnight.

There are acts from France as well as a well-curated selection of international acts on the bill. Timer permitting I'll take a look at as many of the French acts as I can over the next couple of weeks.

One act getting a significant platform over the weekend is Fishbach, getting a similar showcase enjoyed by  Benjamin Clemintine and  Jeanne Added in recent years.  Fishbach is of course no stranger to this blog, a label mate of Moodoid and Grand Blanc, two other acts whose performances at the Trans Musicales helped establish their reputations.

With free shows and acts touring towns in the area in the run up to the festival, it's a particularly accessible event for what is in essence a festival with a focus on emerging acts.

There is much to see and enjoy. Some of it will emerge on video over the weekend and in coming days, so I'll hopefully post some of it here.

Transmusicales 2015: Video available

Video report from local TV in Rennes covering this year's Transmusicales festival, with footage of
shows taking place in the city, brief interview clips and clips form acts playing this weekend.

I'm not making it over to the event this year, but it's good to see so much coverage of the event so it's possible to get a taste of what's going on.

Arte Concert have been screening some of the live sets, others are available on Culturebox 

I'll feature some of these in coming days, there's plenty of material available to watch.

Transmusicales Preview: Louise Roam

Louise Roam is another developing artist getting some much deserved exposure at this year's 
Transmusicales festival in Rennes.

She's got three shows at the Aire Libre, during the course of the event, so there's no excuse to miss a set if you're at the festival.

Roam, known to friends and family as Aurélie Mestre, released her first EP last spring. The four track Rapture release shows an artist as familiar with the organic as she is with the electronic, as capable as working with texture as she is with rhythm.

Louise Roam plays the Aire Libre venue on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Transmusicales Preview: La Mverte

Electronic music takes a central role in this year's Transmusicales festival in Rennes, and another act worth
investigating is La Mverte, playing at the l'étage venue in the city centre.

La Mverte is a project featuring Alexandre Berly, a musician, DJ and producer who played keyboards with Yan Wagner.

He released his first EP under the La Mverte name - Through the circles - in 2014. A second EP A Game Called Tarot in April.

A joint EP The Line, with Alejandro Paz, emerged earlier this month.

He played at the Red Bull Music Academy in Paris in October, he's no stranger to the event having been involved in the Red Bull Music Academy event in Tokyo.

Transmusicales Preview: Paradis

The Transmusicales festival in Rennes at the beginning of next month is a crucial showcase for some of France's finest emerging acts, so in the run-up to the event I though it only right to feature some of them on this blog.

The last two years saw Benjamin Clementine and Jeanne Added achieve considerable recognition as a result of their performances, both being give the opportunity to play multiple shows during the course of the festival.

This year sees a similar opportunity being given to Paradis, who play five shows at the Aire Libre venue.

The act, a Paris-based duo of Simon Mény and Pierre Rousseau have been releasing material since 2011,  their French language vocals and sophisticated groove making them one of the country's most promising new acts.

They've featured on this blog earlier this year, with the track Sur une Chanson en francais. You can probably expect to hear a great deal more of them in 2016 following their performances at this years Transmusicales.

Trans Musicales festival: Another 15 acts unveiled

Another 15 acts have been revealed for the bill of this years's Trans Musicales festival in Rennes.

The video sees the creation of another piece of street art in the city detailing the names.

Playground Zero, Vintage Trouble, Steve 'n'Seagulls, Khun Narin's Electric Phin band, Idiotape, The Chikitas, The Brother Moves On, Le Galaxie, Het Universumpje, Clarence Clarity, Fango, Queen Kwong, The Comet is Coming and Applescal are listed, in what looks again to be a fascinating and eclectic bill.

Delighted to see Scottish rap act Hector Bizerk on the bill.

Fifteen acts have already been confirmed, and the rest will be revealed on September 17 at a news conference at the Ubu club in Rennes.

Superets: Le sang, l'argent

Continuing my look at bands I saw at last year Transmusicales festival in Rennes, I'm pleased to see a  new release by the great Superets, with the song Le sang, l'argent.

The track comes as a digital EP with the song Grand Canyon.

Their 160 Caractères Pour Te Dire Adieu song was one of my favourite form last year, the band's yéyétronique style an infectious and likable sound, and  they're a great live act.

Veuve Mécanique followed it up in style in April, the new track continues the band's campaign to conquer the world armed only with superior  quality French pop.

UPDATE: The video is now available to watch worldwide, so it's now available to watch below.

Superets play at the Boule Noir in Paris on November 4.

Rencontres Trans Musicales de Rennes: First 10 acts confirmed

Getting to last year's Trans Musicales festival in Rennes in December was one of my musical highlights of last
year, and the first artists have been announced for this year's event.

Last year saw  Stromae, London Grammar and Moodoïd on the bill, as well as the likes of Le Vasco and Public Service Broadcasting.

So far for 2014 they have confirmed DBFC, Den Sorte Skole, I Me Mine, Lizzo, Meta Meta, Molotov Jukebox, Naked (on drugs), Kate Tempest, Thylacine and Vadou Game.

Dozens more will be added to the listing before the event itself, with more to be unveiled on September 9.

The Trans Musicales is a unique opportunity to catch some of the most exciting contemporary acts alongside some more established performers. Since it was first staged in 1979 it has been a showcase for a huge number of innovative acts, from both France and elsewhere.

Preceding the festival itself, some of the acts on the bill tour the west France area from November  13 to November 29

The event itself sees three days of free gigs at the city centre Liberté venue, large scale shows at the Parc Expo outside the city  as well as meetings, workshops, debates and events for schools and community groups.

The festival takes  place in Rennes from December 3 -7