Present Perfect Festival Unveils First Acts for 2019
Present Perfect, the Saint Petersburg festival of electronic music and contemporary art is hosting its fifth edition from July 26th through 28th, 2019.
The previous years have proven PPF to be the critical Russian event dedicated to progressive music culture. The claim has been supported by Western media and thousands of visitors from all over Russia.
Today, Present Perfect Festival is indeed a Saint Petersburg's summer staple, and one of the most eagerly awaited gatherings. The jam-packed three-day program is traditionally divided into sections: the main event on Saturday, the opening concert, the educational block, a series of pre-parties, and Sunday's final daytime party by the water.
#LOCATION
For the second year in a row Present Perfect Festival occupies the Sevkabel Port, a territory that definitely struck a chord with the attendees. It's not hard to see why: a grand view of the Gulf of Finland from a well-designed embankment, massive ships and the far-reaching architecture of the Western High-Speed Diameter motorway.
PPF became the first-ever event that made use of the full territory of the port (we're talking thousands of square kilometers of post-industrial beauty). Needless to say, Sevkabel Port got quite hyped after the 2018 edition and evolved into a lively cultural hub.
Driven by the spirit of exploration, Present Perfect will hijack even more spaces previously closed to the public. In 2019, the festival team is to unveil yet another gorgeously upgraded industrial area complimented by the sea view.
#MUSIC
Musically, Present Perfect Festival is steadily widening its scope keeping the focus on variety of forward thinking music. Their fifth-anniversary program will feature quite a few unexpected twists and eclectic turns, and essential Russian premieres. The first 15 acts include German electro diva Helena Hauff alongside Dutch psych-rock band Dollkraut, Russian shoegaze weapon Pinkshinyultrablast, and Korean-German disco wizard Hunee. And that's just the beginning.
After ten years of unsuccessful booking attempts by Russia's biggest promoters, the mysterious producer with Russian roots Gesloten Cirkel is playing his first set in the country. Well-known Bulgarian master Kink is playing his debut set in Russia as Kirilik (his techno alter ego). Notable African music archivist Brian Shimkovitz AKA Awesome Tapes From Africa will play a set from cassette decks, and Italian duo Ninos du Brasil are sure to deliver a wild drum performance.
Berlin techno empress Ellen Allien will finally make an appearance after last year's bureaucratic issues, alongside Japan's leading techno act DJ Nobu and the long-awaited Russian visit by Andrew Weatherall, a British legend in both electronic and rock worlds with a career spanning over more than 30 years.
Minimal techno fans will be delighted to hear Zip, Perlon label boss, an artist who's built a platform that even the genre's biggest stars aspire to. Israel is represented by the country's key electronic act Red Axes. France is delivering J-Zbel, a secretive band with a promising live show. The cherry on the top—The Egyptian Lover, the Californian b-boy pioneer who created electro-funk and taught the world how to use Roland 808.
All of the acts mentioned above are scheduled to play at the Present Perfect Festival's main event, on Saturday, July 27th. Three more artist announcements coming soon.
The main event and full festival tickets are available here: http://runited.ru/ppf/2019/en
The first wave of confirmed artists for Present Perfect Festival 2019:
HELENA HAUFF
KIRILIK - LIVE
ELLEN ALLIEN
HUNEE
RED AXES
GESLOTEN CIRKEL - LIVE
ANDREW WEATHERALL
DJ NOBU
AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA
DOLLKRAUT BAND
PINKSHINYULTRABLAST - LIVE BAND
NINOS DU BRASIL - LIVE
THE EGYPTIAN LOVER - LIVE
ZIP
J-ZBEL - LIVE
Present Perfect is organized by Roots United and 2A Production. In its ten years of operation, the Roots United collective comprised of musicians, producers, and promoters have thrown over 80 parties, launched massive rave series called OFF, and started the self-titled vinyl label. 2A Production is RU's ideological partner taking care of all the technical tasks. It is this symbiosis of Roots United's creative programming and 2A Production's tech prowess that's turned PPF into the hallmark event it is today.
These two parties have been overtaking huge spaces and objects and utilizing them as unique locations in big events filled with music and contemporary art for years. Besides a never-ending list of notable artists who have played at such events, the team boasts a dedicated Dekmantel and Red Light Radio showcases. Since 2016, Roots United have also been coordinating Saint Petersburg's Boiler Room events, and PPF has become BR's permanent residence in the city.
Article author: Olga Romashenkova
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