Riga, Latvia’s Skaņu Mežs festival for adventurous music will happen October 4-5, 2024. Portland avant-garde music ensemble Smegma is the first confirmed act. Limited amount of early bird tickets/festival passes will be available till the end of October at www.ticketservice.lv for only 30 EUR.

 

Music writer Giovanni Panetta describes Smegma in the following words: “Smegma is a band with free-noise-outsider musicians from Portland, Oregon; even if those main characters originated from the collective of weird, music and art performers of Los Angeles Free Music Society; it was formed in 1972, Pasadena, and then moved to Portland in the few following years. LAFMS organized music and visual performances, workshops, art installations, etc in the name of art-damaging attitude, over-passing a certain ’60 idealism with a proto-punk, nihilistic way. But if that collective had certain avant-arty pretentions, some of that collaborator, like Smegma more properly, have more extemporaneous intentions, playing with visceral free improvisations and outsider sounds, without not professional performer and music writer, especially with a suburban creativity.”

 

In 2023 Skaņu Mežs held its 21st edition, consisting of 32 concerts, 3 sound installations and 9 workshops/lectures. It was headlined by Berlin-based duo Amnesia Scanner. 

 

In 2024, the festival will return with central events on October 4-5, a free entry opening event and an extensive workshop and lecture program.

 

More info: www.skanumezs.lv