Leaders from Durham’s civic organizations, cultural institutions, government and business announced earlier today that Moogfest – the internationally acclaimed festival of music, art and technology -- will debut in Durham May 2016. This announcement signals a long-term commitment by festival organizers, reinforcing the exploding technology scene and culture of innovation in the Triangle. The three-day event will run from May 19-22, 2016. A limited number of Early Bird tickets are now available at Moogfest.com for $99.00.
“Moogfest is a platform for conversation and experimentation with innovative programming that perfectly mirrors Durham’s momentum as a capital of technology, culture and entertainment,” says Emmy Parker, Brand Director at Moog Music.
Moogfest has been a festival of electronic music since 2004, known for presenting performances by early pioneers in electronic music, alongside pop and avant garde experimentalists of today. Previous Moogfest performers include Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Chic, Massive Attack, Holly Herndon, Flying Lotus, Terry Riley, M83, The Flaming Lips, Suicide, Pet Shop Boys, Grimes, TV On The Radio, MIA, St. Vincent, Tangerine Dream, Keith Emerson, Moderat and Squarepusher.
In celebration of today’s announcement, Moogfest releases “Translational Drifts: Moogfest Vol. 1,” the first EP in a series of free digital recordings that feature Moogfest artists - past, present and future. Volume 1 showcases five contemporary acts reinterpreting seminal electronic music influencers that have shaped past Moogfest lineups. This premiere installment includes YACHT, ADULT., Julianna Barwick, Moses Sumney and Dan Deacon translating tracks by Devo, Pet Shop Boys, Suicide, Laurie Anderson and Brian Eno. Their renditions pay tribute to a rich history of electronic music, with new sounds that continue to push further into the future.
YACHT, a contributor and previous Moogfest curator, praises the company behind the collaboration, “We love how Moog brings artists together. The sound of the machines and the culture of the company are like a bridge across genres and generations.”
Over the last several years, the festival has evolved to include a mind-expanding conference for creative and technology professionals. In 2014, Moogfest worked with designers and technologists at Google, researchers from the MIT Media Lab, editors from Make Magazine and organizers from the Eyeo Festival (among others) to present panels, workshops and demos at the forefront of art and technology. Presentations by music pioneers Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers, Janelle Monae, and Keith Emerson were accompanied by conversations with inventors and electronic instrument designers Roger Linn and Tom Oberheim, plus Futurama creator David X Cohen. Moogfest also commissioned “Moogfest: Conductar”, a virtual reality app, nominated for two Webby Awards. Moogfest is already developing new programming and plans to bring similar exciting partnerships to Durham in 2016.
The festival’s priority remains a focus on intimate venues for performance and conversation, encouraging the same ambience established in Asheville. Moogfest will activate many of Durham’s downtown event venues and public spaces with a mix of ticketed and free community programming.
Moogfest is a tribute to Dr. Robert Moog and the profound influence his inventions have had on how we hear the world. Over the last sixty years, Bob Moog and Moog Music have pioneered the analog synthesizer and other technology tools for artists. This exchange between engineer and musician is celebrated with a unique festival format, where the creative process is understood as a collaboration among many people, across time and space, in commerce and culture.
