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Afisha Picnic: Zemfira, Kiesza (Canada), Hot Chip (UK)
July 25, 12:00
Kolomenskoye Museum and Park Kolomenskoye Museum and Park

The Afisha Picnic is a one-day music and lifestyle outdoor festival takes place every summer in Moscow, Russia, in the scenic area of Kolomenskoe, the former royal estate, which now is a historical, architectural and nature reserve museum. The Festival area of over than 1000 acres of land hosts the audience of approximately 50 000 visitors.

Since its debut in 2004, Afisha Picnic continues to lead the way as a pioneering festival offering a second to none programme of music and arts, leisure and lifestyle activities. Following the concept of a vibrant mix of a professional music festival, with performances of internationally acclaimed artists and distinguished talents coming from the local independent music scene, and a dynamic urban event, Afisha Picnic brings every fraction of the open air and entertainment activity together in one place, providing a very engaging and versatile surroundings for different audiences, either for individuals or families. International visitors are welcomed to the Afisha Picnic since the Festival site has a full English navigation and bilingual hotspots, which were first introduced in 2010.

The Festival offers all sorts of entertainment, including designers market and gastronomic area, special lectures and workshops, cinema and crafts, a full spectrum of amusements and sports, and, on one occasion, even a dance floor on the rollerdrome.

Over the past seven years, Afisha Picnic has seen performances from Mika, Pet Shop Boys, Franz Ferdinand, Editors, Madness, The Roots Manuva, Amanda Palmer, The Future Sound of London, Music Go Music, M83, Telepathe, Sons and Daughters, Buck 65, Metronomy, Fan Death, Beirut, Clinic, Mum, Junior Boys, Martina Topley-Bird, Hercules and Love Affair, Black Lips, Glass Candy, The Teenagers, These New Puritans to name just a few.

The festival is organized by the Afisha Magazine, a major entertainment and listings biweekly.

Picnic Headliners: Zemfira, Kiesza (Canada), Hot Chip (UK), The Horrors (UK), Ivan Dorn, Naik Borzov and others.

Zemfira

Picnic AfishaA famous Russian rock artist, performer, lyrics and music writer Zemfira started her career in 1999 and after the release of PMML (Russian abbreviation for "Forgive Me My Love") in March of 2000, "Zemfiromania" swept the country. She is a kind of best-selling act with every her album! She is the first female rock songwriter in Russia and which is more important she self-designed her musical career. Her popurarity is explained by the fact that Zemfira's music and texts appeal to folk and so-called "intelligence" at the same time; melodies are catchy and not too-pop at the same time. Zemfira has a scandalous image and charisma as well as some real talent: she writes music, lyrics, sings and plays guitar and piano. The popular magazine Ogonek calls her "the breaking voice of a generation, and the Russian press likes to call her "Kurt Cobain in a dress" or "Elvis mixed with the Sex Pistols." Zemfira first took interest in music at the age of 4. Her older brother Ramil introduced her to rock music, which became a real passion - she listened to Black Sabbath, Nazareth and Queen, learning to play the guitar. After school she took the entrance exams for the Ufa College of Fine Arts and in early 1998 invited Rinat Akhmadiyev, Sergei Sozinov, Sergei Mirolyubov, and Vadim Solovyov to join Zemfira project. Their first professional gig took place on June 19, 1998 as part of the festival celebrating the anniversary of the local radio station "Silver Rain Ufa." Shortly afterwards Zemfira sent out promo tapes to Moscow producers, one of whom (Ilya Lagutenko, leader of Mumiy Troll) was smitten with the material, and invited the band for some sessions in Moscow. Zemfira almost have not performed since her last release "12" (2011). In January 2013 she has reported about her new "2013 Tour" including the concerts in Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Polsha and the Czech Republic and closed it at the Park Live Festival. Her returning on the main stage of the Afisha Picnic will be something unbeliavable with tears, fireworks and happiness.

Hot Chip (UK)

One of the most distinctive and innovative bands combining dance music and indie in the 2000s and 2010s, London's Hot Chip made their mark with the release of their 2000 debut, Mexico. The EP was a hypnotic wash of nearly subliminal, pulse-like techno beats, acoustic guitars, and plinky pianos, but the vocals were the true star of the show. The voices of Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard are a fine study in contrast: Taylor's dreamy, effortless falsetto cuts to the heart of the beauty of performers like Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake, while Goddard's cool monotone sounds world-weary and gruff in comparison. Self-released by Hot Chip in 2002, Sanfrandisco E-Pee dabbled in more playful sounds, from the beatbox dubbing of the title track to the closing notes of "Fanta," in which Taylor pleads with the listener to "make sounds of the summer." The group signed to revered N.Y.C. record label DFA in 2005 and released the Over and Over EP, as well as the excellent 2006 full-length The Warning, which was followed by a DJ-Kicks mix album in 2007. Late that year, the Grammy nominated single "Ready for the Floor" heralded the arrival of Made in the Dark, which featured some of the band's most focused grooves and poppiest melodies to date. The mellower One Life Stand followed in 2010, along with a remix collection later that year. Hot Chip left DFA for Domino, which released the more uptempo, experimental In Our Heads in 2012 and the following year's Dark and Stormy EP. The band returned in 2015 with Why Make Sense?, which found them reuniting with In Our Heads producer Mark Ralph and exploring sounds ranging from disco to '90s R&B to post-punk.

The Horrors

Beginning as a big-haired, black-clad garage punk outfit and soon morphing into something more experimental, the Horrors featured singer Faris Badwan, bassist Tomethy Furse, guitarist Joshua Von Grimm, drummer Coffin Joe, and keyboardist Spider Webb. The Horrors formed in the summer of 2005 and quickly gained notoriety around London for their look, sound, and brief but frantic live shows. Loog soon signed them, and the Horrors released their official debut single, Sheena Is a Parasite/Jack the Ripper, in spring 2006. The buzz around the band reached a peak that summer: the Horrors DJ'ed at the Troubled Minds club night, had to reschedule in-store appearances because of crowd concerns, and released their second single, Death at the Chapel. They also reissued Sheena Is a Parasite as a limited-edition DVD single. The song's startling video was directed by Chris Cunningham and featured actress Samantha Morton as Sheena. Late that summer, the band signed to Stolen Transmission in the U.S. and released a self-titled EP that fall. They also issued the Count in Fives single in the U.K. around that time. The Gloves single arrived early in 2007, heralding the release of the Horrors' full-length debut, Strange House, which arrived in the U.K. that March and in the U.S. in May. In 2008, Webb and Furse formed the analog synth project Spider & the Flies, and released the album Something Clockwork This Way Comes. For 2009's Primary Colours, the band worked with Cunningham and Portishead's Geoff Barrow as co-producers, opting for a very different sound that mixed shoegaze, post-punk, and goth; the album was released by XL that spring and earned several critical raves, including NME's Album of the Year. In between albums, Badwan teamed with Canadian opera singer Rachel Zeffira for the hazy pop project Cat's Eyes, which released its self-titled debut in early 2011. The Horrors self-produced their follow-up, 2011's Skying, which featured a lighter yet still atmospheric sound that drew comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and the Psychedelic Furs. In 2012, they released the remix companion album Higher and embarked on an extensive tour. In 2013, they began recording new material with producer Craig Silvey. Early the following year, the single "I See You" reflected the more expansive direction of their fourth album, Luminous, which arrived in May 2014.

Kiesza (Canada)

Picnic AfishaKiesza is a singer-songwriter from Calgary, and is also an in-demand songwriter for acts across the globe, puts together her own stunning artwork, is a trained ballerina, and a former tall-ship sailor who the Army once attempted to train as a sniper. Kiesza's first songs had a distinctly folky edge, but her writing would soon expand to other genres. After recording a few demos with a friend, she decided to submit a CD to Selkirk's music school, before setting sail for Hawaii. Upon arrival in Hawaii, she received a call saying she was accepted without an audition or interview. Kiesza left Hawaii, and after a year at Selkirk received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston. After attending Berklee, she went to New York City to advance her music career. One professor knew Kiesza had a rare skill and put her in touch with recent graduate Rami Samir Afuni. The well-paired duo started experimenting with music and songwriting, and still does to this day. Kiesza's transition from folk to her new evolving sound has developed naturally, as she idolized Michael Jackson when she was younger, and grew up listening to dance-floor dominating voices like Martha Wash, CeCe Peniston and Robin S. More recently, Disclosure and Hot Natured have been added to her musical influences, as well as nights spent dancing at New York's Body & Soul events. In January 2014, Hideaway was released by Rami’s own Lokal Legend label, and soon after Kiesza moved to London. The track was recorded in just over an hour; just before Kiesza was due to get on a flight. The song's video was shot in one-take on the streets of Brooklyn, and showcases Kiesza's attention-grabbing dance moves. There are no half measures for Kiesza. A committed artist whose extraordinary ambition is matched only by her unusual clarity of vision and overwhelming talent, this former queen of the high seas has spent years plotting a course to the epicenter of pop. In 2014 her voyage is just beginning, and everyone is welcome along for the ride.

Oddisee & Good Compny (USA)

Born in Washington, D.C., to a Sudanese father and an African-American mother, Amir Mohamed grew up in Maryland, influenced by soul and rap as well as myriad musicians on both sides of his family. He was all set to attend the Art Institute of Philadelphia to pursue visual art when a friend of his introduced him to hip-hop production. He was so enamored by it that he changed his plans and concentrated on making beats, ending up with the track "Musik Lounge" on DJ Jazzy Jeff's 2002 record Magnificent. Part of the Low Budget crew, which included fellow D.C. area MC and producers Kenn Starr, Cy Young, and Kev Brown, Oddisee released his solo debut Foot in the Door, mixed by Jazzy Jeff, on Halftooth in 2006. His 2010 effort, Traveling Man, found him signing with the Mello Music Group, where he remained for 2012's album People Hear What They See. In 2015 he returned with The Good Fight, an effort driven by social commentary and retro soul.

The Gaslamp Killer

Picnic AfishaThe Gaslamp Killer is the assassin and the antidote. His nickname wasn't conceived out of thin air. William Bensussen is entitlement's worst nightmare. His DJ sets bludgeon the basic shit, restoring music to a sacred place: shamanistic, visceral, honest, leaving pupils dilated and heads rolling. If you're searching for sound as pure voltage, the GLK is the generator. If you've caught one of his sets all across the world, you understand. In a cover story, LA Weekly called the Low End Theory co-founder and resident, "the most popular great DJ in L.A.... wowing both bro-step hordes and avant-garde diggers...any song he spins feels remixed to Richter-popping intensity." Resident Advisor described his shows as "the epitome of unhinged energy. Rock, jazz, bass music and funk are just as likely to be aired as hip-hop, as he wigs out with his now trademark dance moves." Maybe you caught the aforementioned dance moves in the Apple commercial that aired during the 2015 Grammy's. Or maybe you caught him at any number of the biggest international or US festivals. Over the last several years, GLK has amassed a new arsenal of weapons. Once primarily known for his atomic live sets and hypnotic mixes, he's evolved into a singular auteur. He can produce for himself and others, both on-stage and in the studio. Watching him conduct a live band recalls the frenetic genius of LA Philharmonic maestro, Gustavo Dudamel. The beautiful chaos is best distilled on his live album: The Gaslamp Killer Experience: Live in Los Angeles. Raised in San Diego, GLK has made the City of Angels his home for the last decade. It's there where he joined forces with Flying Lotus and the Brainfeeder constellation, acting as an essential linchpin, the wild card electrifying the masses and slaughtering the heathens. He's played almost every major festival in the world, but still makes sure to wreck shop every Wednesday at The Airliner (home of Low End Theory). Seamlessly fusing his eclectic tastes, his original music and blends transport listeners on a psychedelic journey. Recorded in late 2012, his BBC Essential Mix binds Radiohead and Dilla, the LA Beat scene and Black Sabbath, Ennio Morricone and Andre 3000. His debut full-length, Breakthrough merges acid rock and dirty beats, celestial Turkish strings and filthy hip-hop drums. Pitchfork bestowed lead single "Flange Face," with Best New Track honors, branding it one of the heaviest bangers of the year. The album's beating heart, "Nissim" remains startlingly emotional and raw. A tribute to GLK's late brother, it might be the only Turkish folk song song in history collectively beloved by hip-hop diehards and twerking teenagers, grimy beat heads and candy ravers. It's the rare anthem that goes off in huge festivals and tiny clubs, radio station and Grand Theft Auto V (where it was licensed). The music can't be extricated from the man. GLK has survived tragedies and near-death sagas, overcome myriad obstacles and psychological odysseys. He's meditative and spiritual, peaceful but vicious, snarling but thoughtful. He's the wrong motherfucker to cross, but the right one to follow. Bang your head and bow down.

Festival Areas
Though music is the major part of the Afisha Picnic, the Festival also brings every fraction of the open air activity together in one place, providing a very engaging and versatile surroundings for different audiences, either for individuals or families. Being a hub of wideranging entertainment and recreation events, the Afisha Picnic offers much more than simply music.

Market: A very special assortment of merchandise from every corner of the globe cherry-picked. You can buy clothes, accessories, jewellery, sunglasses, bags and purses and many other.

Food Court: One of the most meaningful event of the Afisha Picnic festival is the big gastronomical Food Show which will be dedicated to the new Russian cuisine in this year. At the main stage of the Food Show will perform Berezutski brothers, Vladimir Muhin and many other stars of Moscow restaurant world. You will able to see how the dishes make, to hear the best Moscow chefs, to visit a farm-market and catering versions of the famous Moscow restaurants such as Ragout, Tribeca, The Burger Brothers, Expedicia, The Gifts of Nature, to taste the most progressive fast-food and new Russian cuisine. The leaders of the restaurant industry will present very delicious and unusual dishes from chebureks with roe meat and kebab in Lebanese flatbread to New Orlean appetizers.

Entertainment: All sorts of fun-making things: cinema, Frisbee master classes, the observatory vistas, beanbags, swimming pool, 3D games, dance battles, consoles with sport games, DJ-sets and video games shop, instant photography contest, PlayStation corner, Eksmo Open Air Library, Polytechnical Museum Lecture Hall, Artify Workout.

Leisure

With the idea of a relaxed outdoor leisure very much at its core, Afisha Picnic brings every fraction of the open air activity together in one place, providing a very engaging and versatile surroundings for different audiences, either for individuals or families. Being a hub of wide-ranging entertainment and recreation events, Afisha Picnic is the only Russian outdoor festival that maintains non-alcoholic policy and holds its unique position in the season.

Tickets are priced 2700 RUR.

More info

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