Austria’s Elevate Festival has completed its music program for upcoming 2018 edition—adding the likes of Waelder, Fennesz, and B.Fleischmann to the lineup.

In 2018, the festival for contemporary music, arts and, political discourse will go down in its new time slot in early March—running from February 28 to March 4 in and around the Schloßberg of Graz. The edition will be focused on two fundamental terms of the modern age: risk and courage.

With these latest additions, the musical lineup is now complete.

The opening show on February 28 at Orpheum will see a performance by the classically trained composer Jorge Sánchez-Chiong together with Lukas Koenig on drums. In addition to this, Waelder will perform at the festival, also joined by one of the most distinguished local electronic musicians, B.Fleischmann.

The chamber music-themed evening in the venerable church halls of the Graz Mausoleum will be led by the Bosnian-Swiss accordionist Mario Batkovic. The internationally celebrated instrumentalist, whose idiosyncratic style was discovered by Portishead mastermind Geoff Barrow, utilizes fragments of classical and contemporary music to push the envelope of his instrument. Fennesz, together with media artist Lillevan, will perform at the newly installed, AV-focused stage on Friday.

Finally, for the Forum Stadtpark-curated Dunkelkammer series, Australian avant-garde drummer Will Guthrie will play a rare Austrian show, this time in total darkness. Rashad Becker from Berlin will be presenting a sound piece that was composed specifically for the 3D sound system IKO—a premiere performance in cooperation with the Graz-based sound manufacturer sonible.

These names will all join a list of previously released speakers, pioneers, and trailblazers: John Maus, the existential philosopher among synth-poppers, will be presenting his long-awaited fourth album Screen Memories after a six-year hiatus. Hailing from the United States, ghetto house pioneer DJ Deeon will be bringing the raw, sample-heavy Chicago tracks with which he propitiated house and hip-hop culture on the Dancemania label back in the ’90s. Also on their first Austria visit will be Mike Servito as well as Emma Olson (a.k.a Umfang). In a new addition in 2018, Ben Frost and MFO will be playing the Orpheum, performing with a corresponding A/V live show. An entirely new location will be inaugurated by the multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick.

Among the first confirmed speakers of this year’s Elevate discourse programme is the controversially discussed Wikileaks activist Julian Assange, who will be speaking via live video stream from the Embassy of Ecuador in London, where he has been living in political exile for more than five years. British journalist Sarah Harrison will speak on the sometimes life-threatening risks taken by whistleblowers as well as present the Courage Foundation, which has provided activists like Edward Snowden, Pussy Riot, and Chelsea Manning with legal assistance. Civil rights lawyer Renata Avila will also join to shed light on the predicament of indigenous peoples in Guatemala—and there are more.

The 14th festival edition of Elevate Festival takes place from February 28 to March 4, with more information available here — and a current lineup available below.

Lineup

New music lineup additions:

Fennesz + Lillevan live AV, B.Fleischmann & Band, Mario Batkovic, Will Guthrie, Rashad Becker, Kœnig & Jorge Sánchez-Chiong, Wælder, Heap & Bocksrucker, Foehn & Jerome, Juju Love Records, Puschmann, Adriana Celentana, Columbush, Francois La Mer

Previously announced acts:

DJ Koze, Ben Frost w/ MFO, Nosaj Thing, John Maus, Steffi, Kamaal Williams, Roman Flügel, Nurse With Wound, Jackmaster, DJ Deeon, Objekt, Peter Broderick, Sofie, Errorsmith, Mike Servito, Nídia, Mick Harris/Fret, Iglooghost, Willow, Greg Fox, Umfang, DJ Taye, Marco Passarani, Cakes Da Killa, Colleen, Caterina Barbieri, Ana Threat, Schallfeld Ensemble w/ Onoxo, Mia Zabelka, Tina Frank, Stereoist, Wandl, Ison, feelipa, Spencer, schtum, Awo Ojiji