Showcase festival MENT Ljubljana‘s tenth edition kicks off next week (21-24 February), and we’re going to be there for the first time. Tipped by industry insiders as one of the best events in Europe to discover new talent, we were drawn to it by the focus on European artists (not exclusively, from all over the Balkans, Central, and Eastern Europe), the iconic venues, and, of course, the charming capital of Slovenia. Labels, collectives and other entities (public radio station Val 202, legendary local label Moonlee, or Belgrade-based tastemakers Hali Gali) curate stages during the two main days of the festival, and are the best way to get a sense of regional scenes. To top it off, this year’s edition boasts an extra segment (and an extra day), CE/MENT, focused on clubbing and electronic music, and features an extensive three-day conference, the largest in the region, with over 120 industry representatives spread by 33 panels.
Our thirteen artists to watch all come from different European countries, and most sing in their native languages. A breath of fresh air from your typical anglocentric festival. (Yes, I’m writing this in English so we can understand each other, I’m aware.) We’ll be posting on our Instagram throughout the festival, so make sure you follow us there, too. MENT Ljubljana 2024 runs from 21 to 24 February, and both day tickets and passes are still available.
We have created a Spotify playlist with our top picks (see below), but the festival was kind enough to put together a playlist with all the artists on your favorite streaming service.
Personal Trainer (NL, Kino Šiška – Katedrala, Wednesday, 20:00)
The opening party starts with a familiar sound: the sound of Amsterdam-based indie rock collective Personal Trainer, which we’ve seen a fair amount of times in all kinds of values before and after the release of 2022’s excellent debut Big Love Blanket. Imagine Courtney Barnett writing songs for the Strokes, plus hooks everywhere.
Berlin Manson (SK, Kino Šiška – Komuna, Wednesday, midnight)
Wrapping up the opening party are new wave duo Berlin Manson, straight outta Slovakia. The Crass shirt in the first music video we’ve watched from them warns us that there will be an edge to the beats we’re listening to, and they don’t disappoint.
New Fossils (HU, Stara Mestna Elektrarna, Thursday, 20:00)
New Fossils will serve as our introduction to modern Hungarian jazz. Composed of seasoned members of the Budapest scene, they wear their influences well – look no further than “Idris”, the song we feature in our playlist, named after legend Idris Muhammad.
Hyphen Dash (UA, Stara Mestna Elektrarna, Thursday, 21:00)
The Kyiv-based jazz trio has yet to release their debut full length album, but we don’t need a record to be intrigued by them: the festival website’s blurb about Hyphen Dash namedrops Todd Rundgren and the Mars Volta, prog rock, hip hop, and the new wave of British jazz. Sold.
Fotbal (CZ, Menza pri koritu, Thursday, 21:45)
Thursday night will see us mostly jump between two venues which are next to each other: Menza pri koritu and Klub Gromka, both within the Metelkova complex. Czech shoegazers Fotbal are a band I wanted to see when I lived in Prague for a while – too bad there was a pandemic going on – cool to finally have a chance to do it.
Vagina Corporation (MK, Menza pri koritu, Thursday, 22:45)
Skopje’s finest psych rock band, I believe (if they aren’t, I want to know the other one). These lads are all over the place, so “psych rock” might not be the best description – the rollercoaster of styles patched together on their last single, “Statua”, kinda reminds me of Viagra Boys if they were into The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower.
Nikki Louder (SI, Klub Gromka, Thursday, 22:15)
At Klub Gromka we’ll be treated to a showcase by Ljubljana-based Moonlee Records, celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Nikki Louder have probably the best band name out of the lineup (and, trust me, the competition is harsh). Our pick from the host country plays quiet-loud-quiet noise rock, just the way their forefathers in the American underground of the early 90s would want us to do today.
Žen (HR, Klub Gromka, Thursday, 00:15)
In the same vein, Croatian post-rock-ish veterans Žen have played all across Europe for the past fourteen years. Their latest album has Unwound written all over it, with some early Tortoise sprinkled here and there (these are some of the highest compliments anyone can get around here).
Daniela Pes (IT, Ljubljana Castle’s Hribar hall, Friday, 19:15)
The last day of the main programme of the festival starts with a few shows in Ljubljana’s castle (can’t wait to get up there using their cool funicular). The Sardinian songwriter is one of my top picks for the entire festival. The mix of Daniela Pes’ (sometimes heavily processed) vocals in a made-up language and IOSONOUNCANE’s ice cold, avant-garde production is both marvelous and haunting.
Irnini Mons (FR, Ljubljana Castle’s Rock hall, Friday, 19:45)
We’ve first heard about French punk band Decibelles when they were supporting Shellac a few years ago, and we’ve heard about Irnini Mons when they were supporting Shellac a few years after that. Turns out this up and coming indie rock quartet (file under that ‘Oblique’ Spotify playlist or something) consists of the three Decibelles members. The approach is less “noisy” and more “artsy”, with all the four members eventually singing harmonies.
Ana Lua Caiano (PT, Ljubljana Castle’s Rock hall, Friday, 20:45)
Of course I had to rep the only representative from my own country, but that’s not the main reason: it’s really because Ana Lua Caiano’s debut album, out next month on Glitterbeat, is one of my most expected releases of the year. Mixing Portuguese traditional music with synthesizers and loops, Caiano is a one-woman-band that has already been booked for some of the top festivals in her home country, such as Primavera Sound and Kalorama.
Pruillip (BE, Klub Gromka, Friday, 21:45)
Back at Klub Gromka, Belgian sludgy duo Pruillip caught our attention. We’ve missed them at last year’s Le Guess Who? festival due to one of the countless painful overlaps, and we’re hoping that’s not the case here. Very intrigued to see another side of songwriter Annelies Van Dinter’s musicianship, after seeing her perform solo as Echo Beatty as Steve Gunn’s opening act last Spring.
KOIKOI (RS, Gala Hala, Friday, 23:15)
Reserved for Saturday night is a Hali Gali night at Gala Hala. Hali Gali is a Belgrade-based all-nighter party, a celebration of the Serbian underground. There’s something for everyone from 21 to 06, both bands and clubbing; our top pick are KOIKOI, an energetic new wave band from the Serbian capital that one of my buddies kept raving about when he tried to convince me to join him in Ljubljana. And I can see why after listening to their debut album Pozivi u stranu, also released on Moonlee.
Other picks: Los Bitchos are probably the highest profile artist of the festival and will definitely be at most people’s top 5 shows (Thu, 21:20), jazzy electronic band ECHT! (Fri, 23:00), Slovak hyperpop sensation Kodiki (Fri, 00:30) the delicate Slovenian folk of KiKi (Fri, 22:15), the insanely catchy Italian indie rock Ada Oda (Friday, 00:00), Norwegian deathjazz powerhouse Agabas (Friday, 20:00) and the entire CE/MENT program on Saturday night, spearheaded by Blawan‘s live set (Sat, 01:00) and Ankali regular Marie Pravda (Sat, 02:00). Check out MENT’s website for the entire lineup and schedule.