“Moogfest,” more than just a showcase around a brand, is an event that invokes one of sound’s greatest pioneers, Robert Moog. For a lot of artists, that’s a pretty high bar to meet. The massive Moogfest brewing for October 29-31 in Asheville, North Carolina appears to be attracting sound-loving artists with abandon – with the new organizational muscle of Bonnaroo producers AC Entertainment presumably partly to thank.
This week, the festival announced the addition of Hot Chip, Pretty Lights, Girl Talk, Panda Bear, Dan Deacon, Four Tet, RJD2, EL-P, Dam-Funk, School of Seven Bells, Matmos, and Emeralds. It’s looking like a pretty nice way to celebrate Halloween.
Moogfest wasn’t always this way. I covered one of the New York events for Keyboard, sadly the night that news broke that Dr. Moog was unable to attend due to health. Some of the artists were great, but some of the experimental spirit you’d expect at a Moogfest was missing, and being stuck in Times Square felt horribly wrong. This massive festival in Asheville could well become one of the events of the year.
In fact, I see no reason not to be hopeful about new sonic events around the US and North America. Moogfest can’t possibly cover the gamut of their own user base in a weekend, let alone all that’s happening now in electronic sound. Whatever your neck of the woods in the world, we’re interested to hear from you.
Here’s the finished lineup:
Friday, October 29
MGMT
Big Boi
Girl Talk
Panda Bear
RJD2
El-P
Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich & Fussible
Saturn Never Sleeps (Featuring King Britt & Rucyl)
The Octopus Project
Kuroma
Saturday, October 30
Massive Attack
Thievery Corporation
Jonsi
Caribou
Four Tet
Matmos
Dâm-Funk
School of Seven Bells
Jon Hopkins
Emeralds
Mountain Man
Sunday, October 31
Pretty Lights
Hot Chip
Dan Deacon
Mimosa
Two Fresh
DJ Spooky
I'm going to feel like an idiot if I miss out on this. I'll be living in Asheville for school, so there's no excuse for it. Now to get $150 for a ticket.
I am goin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but yeah? $150! That must be the organizer for Bonaroo's work.
Awesome line-up but why is MGMT playing?
Excited to see Panda Bear and Big Boi in the same night. I just hope there are not too many hippies
Four Tet. See you all there!
150 is cheap for these 3 days
I know when I'm taking my vacation! Dan Deacon, RJD2, School Of Seven Bells…
Where is the local / regional / underground electronic music?
Alot of famous pop acts, no doubt… AC entertainment only knows as much about electronic music as their market research reveals about where the $$$ is going…
Matmos and DJ spooky for the win 🙂
Buried somewhere among that mess of Deacon's, is a CD player.
Hell of a lineup. Of course there's a lot of Moog players. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised Jack White isn't on it, given how much he used a Voyager on the last White Stripes offering and tour.
Or Taj Mahal with his Moog Guitar explorations. Or Wendy Carlos…or Craig Anderton…Stevie Wonder…hmmn. Still, hell of a line up…makes me wish I was going to be there…
"Buried somewhere among that mess of Deacon’s, is a CD player."
I see an iPod nano on top of a banana.
per $150 ticket, only $1 going to Moog foundation, instead of the measly $2 they asked for — what a rip! Despite all my criticism, there are def. some good artists playing… although many already played for AC in Knoxville last year or regularly play at AC events…
I'm still trying to figure out: what do Girl Talk, BigBoi, Pretty Lights /etc have to do with synthesizer music?am I missing something?
Trying to plan some local-flavored afterparties to make up for the corporate$$$over-representation…
MGMT prominently play a Moog Little Phatty synthesizer. That hook in their song "Kids?" – It's a Moog. And in all their other songs as well… let 'em play a Moogfest, they are as qualified as anyone.
RE:Alex, Maybe Girl Talk sampled someone who used a Moog?
Buchlafest, anyone?
Hey Alex! To answer your question "Where is the local / regional / underground electronic music?" –
They are at RogueFest!! Asheville's first intown camping festival on the river! Walking distance from downtown! When MoogFest took over the city leaving no where for the locals to get down on our fav holiday, RogueFest was born -an outdoor shindig on the river to showcase all of Asheville's amazing talent which who make Asheville so cool!
–> http://www.professionalpartiers.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=11778259827…