In a city that favors innovation (even if that innovation is exactly the same as something that was there before) over consistency and longevity, the Festival of Endless Gratitude is a strange beast. Not only has it been around for what seems like forever, but it has found ways to stay fresh by introducing slight changes and morphing into new forms from one festival edition to the next. After moving around several different venues for the past two years, the latest edition of the Festival of Endless Gratitude settled into Østerbro's spacious Kildevæld Cultural Center for all three days.
One of the characteristics that the festival has maintained throughout its evolution over the years is its soft spot for folk-centric and psychedelic practices. This was kind of the focus of Friday's program. Although the entire festival lineup was packed with interesting as well as legendary names like DJ Marcelle, Alvin Curran, and Thulebasen, Friday's lineup was perhaps the most interesting in terms of showcasing international acts that have put out some of the most exciting releases in recent years. This is something that Copenhagen has been chronically lacking lately.
The first of the few acts I was most excited to see was the Barcelona-based Iraqi artist Dania. This has been a strong year for the Paralaxe Editions label head, with several excellent releases under her belt. This spring's Foreign Body cassette release on Ecstatic deservedly garnered some attention, and her recent collaboration with Rupert Clervaux, Acción y Destino, is no less stunning. Dania's slightly introverted stage presence, her face hidden behind the visor of a cap emblazoned with “Orinoco Flow”, shifted the focus entirely to the sound. Carefully weaving an intricate web of texture-rich soundscapes, Dania delivered a subtle yet powerful rumination on feelings of (not) belonging.
Dania's performance set the mood for the rest of the evening, and the following set by guitarist and composer Jules Reidy led the audience even further into meditative introspection. Their impressive recent output, including one of 2022's highlights World in World, and this year's The Pitch collaboration Neutral Star, as well as their new album due out this month on Shelter Press, raised expectations for the show. I'm very happy to report that those expectations were well exceeded. Reidy took their time setting the mood, topping their virtuoso guitar picking with effects and mumbled vocals, slowly enveloping the entire room in the richly detailed layers of sound that kept drawing us in and out of a sort of hypnagogic state. For some, Reidy's gorgeous set may have seemed too long; for the rest of us, it could have just as easily gone on and on and on...
It was not an easy set to follow, but Polish composer Piotr Kurek gave it his best. The venue had been conveniently rearranged to make room for the large projection screen, so the audience sat in a half-circle around the performer. Kurek's performance was largely based on his compelling album Peach Blossom, released earlier this year on the burgeoning Warsaw label Mondoj. Video projections showed abstract animations and glitched faces corresponding to the manipulated vocals on the songs, while Kurek sat behind a massive synthesizer, playing (and playing with) a curious array of sounds.
With a folk project and a jam band of sorts rounding out the evening, it felt like the whole thing was a bit much in terms of similar tempo, never quite picking up the pace. Of course, Endless Gratitude has always been more on the challenging side than the easy listening side, and that's one of the things that makes it stand out from the festival crowd. While no one was expecting the event to erupt into a party, it did feel a little draining at times to watch five or six ambient and folk shows in a row. Some welcome breaks were provided by Slim0 and their oddball DJ sets between the live shows.
Still, I can't imagine anyone wanting FOEG to change its strange little ways. The festival has become a rare sanctuary for leftfield expressions, providing a much-needed annual dose of experimental and brainy music in a friendly, down-to-earth environment.
Photos: Lea Anic