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Afisha Picnic: Chemical Brothers (UK), Leningrad (Russia), Benjamin Clementine (UK)
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July 30, 12:00
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.
Chemical Brothers (UK)
 The act with the first arena-sized sound in the electronica movement, the Chemical Brothers united such varying influences as Public Enemy, Cabaret Voltaire, and My Bloody Valentine to create a dance-rock-rap fusion that rivaled the best old-school DJs on their own terms -- keeping a crowd of people on the floor by working through any number of groove-oriented styles featuring unmissable samples, from familiar guitar riffs to vocal tags to various sound effects. And when the duo (Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons) decided to supplement their DJ careers by turning their bedrooms into recording studios, they pioneered a style of music (later termed big beat) remarkable for its lack of energy loss from the dancefloor to the radio. Chemical Brothers albums were less collections of songs and more hourlong journeys, chock-full of deep bomb-studded beats, percussive breakdowns, and effects borrowed from a host of sources. All in all, the duo proved one of the few exceptions to the rule that intelligent dance music could never be bombastic nor truly satisfying to the seasoned rock fan; it's hardly surprising that they were one of the few dance acts to enjoy simultaneous success in the British/American mainstream and in critical quarters. In 2010 they released Further, their first album with no vocal collaborations, and in 2011 they released Hanna, their first film soundtrack. Sticking with film, in early 2012 they released to select cinemas Don't Think, a combination of a Chemical Brothers live show and a visual document from their longtime art director Adam Smith. The film and live show were made available for purchase in March 2012. Another film contribution followed in 2014, when the Chemical Brothers collaborated with Miguel and Lorde for a song on the Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Pt. 1 soundtrack. Songfacts reports that "Theme From Velodrome" was one of five official tracks selected by the Olympic committee to soundtrack the London 2012 Games. With 2015 came the first Chemical Brothers full-length in five years, Born in the Echoes, which featured guest appearances from Beck, St. Vincent, Cate Le Bon, and the returning Q-Tip. It debuted at number one in the U.K. and became the group's sixth chart-topping album.
Leningrad (Russia)
 The group's style is characterized mainly by combining elements of rock, ska and Russian folk and chanson and transforming them into an interesting blend. The've released fifteen albums, one - in co-operation with Tiger Lillys. Leningrad is rough and tough but ay the same time with a soul. Although the band's members may appear drunk on stage, your ears will prove you wrong. If you're staying here for a while or temporarily, you should not miss this gig. Otherwise, you haven't been to Russia. Musically, the band has used ska-rock mixed with Russian folk to define their style in the beginning. Besides the band has experimented with various genres, including jazz, rap, punk. A rather remarkable shift was presented on "Dlya Millionov" (For Millions), the 9th album of the group, opening with the song "Menya zovut Shnur", where leading man Sergey Shnurov explores his talent for rapping. The seemingly effortless embrace of a genre that untill then was ignored by the group demonstrates their musical versitality (best song of that album is actually "Papa byl prav", a rap retake of a classic song). Borders were crossed even more when co-operating with UK-based gypsy cabaret group Tiger Lillies. At last, even Hollywood has noticed the group, having them contribute three songs to the score of "Everything's Illuminated," directer by Liev Schreiber and starring Elijah Wood. The gang's exceptionally charming tracks featuring ska's straightforwardness, salsa's hot temper, dixieland's airiness, chanson's frankness, augmented by the lyrics' self-irony and socially tense presentation - resulted in joining together their fans hailing from very different classes of contemporary society, and became some kind of a "national idea." Leningrad has pushed the boundaries of the so-called music format and earned a cult status: as it often happens, without trying hard to make their way into history, Leningrad began to make the history. The majority of their albums have become classics. Their outrageous behavior, absurdness, stereotypes' busting and healthy cynicism under the umbrella of quality music have proven to be in great demand in the society which is fed up with glam show business.
Benjamin Clementine(UK)
 He grew up in North London before moving to France for a period of time. At one point a homeless teenager in Paris, his performances helped him to become a cult figure in the music and art scene. Following his move back to London, he made his TV debut on the BBC programme Later With Jools Holland in 2013. Most critics have honoured him citing and describing him as a man of unusual intelligence, great piano style and deep musicality with charisma on stage but nonetheless, found it difficult to place his music in one specific genre, mostly stating that its rather beyond category. However, his vocal range, ability and diction has mostly been compared to that of Nina Simone, Antony Hegarty and his passionate vocal delivery to Edith Piaf. Clementine's compositions are musically incisive and attuned to the issues of life but also poetic mixing revolt with love and melancholy, sophisticated lyricism with slang and shouts, and rhyming verse with prose monologues. He moved from busking to music-halls, to symphonic music and spoken word, breaking free from traditional song structure, inventing his own dramatic and innovative musical territory. He is noticeably seen playing on stage entirely in black or dark grey long trench-like woollen coat with no shirt underneath, in bare feet. Despite failing to chart in the UK, his debut album At Least For Now won the 2015 Mercury Prize and fared better across mainland Europe. At the end of 2015 Clementine was included in The Guardian's New Year's honours a list to celebrate heroes of 2015 Debrett's and Britain's London Evening Standard named him one of the most influential people in Britain.
Omar Souleyman (Syria)
 Omar Souleyman is a Syrian musical legend. Since 1994 he and his musicians emerged as a staple of folk-pop throughout Syria, but until being released by the Sublime Frequencies label they were little known outside of the country. To date, they have issued more than five-hundred studio- and live-recorded cassette albums which are easily spotted in the shops of any Syrian city. Born in rural Northeastern Syria, he began his musical career in 1994 with a small group of local collaborators that remain with him today. The myriad musical traditions of the region are evident in their music. Here, classical Arabic mawal-style vocalization gives way to high-octane Syrian Dabke (the regional folkloric dance and party music), Iraqi Choubi and a host of Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish styles, among others. This amalgamation is truly the sound of Syria. The music often has an overdriven sound consisting of phase-shifted Arabic keyboard solos and frantic rhythms. At breakneck speeds, these shrill Syrian electronics play out like forbidden morse-code, but the moods swing from coarse and urgent to dirgy and contemplative in the rugged anthems that comprise Souleyman's repertoire. Oud, reeds, baglama saz, accompanying vocals and percussion fill out the sound from track to track. Mahmoud Harbi is a long-time collaborator and the man responsible for much of the poetry sung by Souleyman. Together, they commonly perform the Ataba, a traditional form of folk poetry used in Dabke. On stage, Harbi chain smokes cigarettes while standing shoulder to shoulder with Souleyman, periodically leaning over to whisper the material into his ear. Acting as a conduit, Souleyman struts into the audience with urgency, vocalizing the prose in song before returning for the next verse. Souleyman’s first hit in Syria was "Jani" (1996) which gained cassette-kiosk infamy and brought him recognition throughout the country. Over the years, his popularity has risen steadily and the group tirelessly performs concerts throughout Syria and has accepted invitations to perform abroad in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Lebanon. Omar Souleyman is a man of hospitality and striking integrity who describes his style as his own and prides himself on not being an imitator or a sell-out.
Adrian Younge (USA)
 Composer, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge -- also a film editor, business owner, and entertainment law professor -- moved quickly from sampling records with an MPC to playing several instruments. During the late '90s, he performed bass and keyboards in a band but grew frustrated having to rely upon his mates, so he adapted by learning to play more instruments, as well as the ins and outs of analog recording. Drawing from his love for Italian film music, he conceived Venice Dawn and circulated 1000 copies of an EP he wrote, played, and produced in full. Several years later, he was asked to edit a Blaxploitation-style film titled Black Dynamite, and he also provided the music, released in 2009 on the record label of Wax Poetics magazine. In late 2011, Venice Dawn was revived -- and eventually expanded into a performing group -- for the sake of Something About April, another nostalgic yet utterly unique recording steeped in late-'60s and early-'70s psychedelic soul. Although it seemed custom-made for sample hounds, it was thoroughly engrossing from front to back, with equal emphasis on songwriting and production. Younge subsequently worked with several of his favorite artists, beginning with the Delfonics. The collaboration led to Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics, released on Wax Poetics in March 2013. As he operated the Artform Studio, a record store and salon located in Los Angeles, California, Younge also established the Linear Labs label as an outlet for albums made with Souls of Mischief and Ghostface Killah. He produced Bilal's In Another Life, released on eOne in 2015. A second Venice Dawn album, Something About April II, followed in 2016 with Bilal, Raphael Saadiq, and Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier among the featured cast. By that point, tracks released by the likes of Jay-Z, Common, and Royce da 5'9" and DJ Premier's PRhyme project had sampled Younge's work.
Tesla Boy (Russia)
 Russian pop music has undeniably come a long way since its shy development over the last 20 years, and has only just started to make waves within the international consciousness. Enter Tesla Boy, a quintessential Synth-pop/New wave project created in 2008 that was not only spawned from an era of hungry youth in ‘80s and ‘90s Moscow that eagerly sought out new and experimental pop music from abroad, but is leading the next generation of Russian electronic artists to take on the global scene with force. Tesla Boy is charismatic frontman and producer Anton Sevidov, who from an early age learnt to speak the international language of music through his father’s old vinyl collection that included Ray Charles, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Blondie. From here, a clear affinity with ‘80s pop and soul from the US and Britain emerged, and has since played a strong role in crafting the Tesla Boy identity. From their beginnings with the release of debut single 'Electric Lady' and first LP 'Modern Thrills' in 2010, the sounds of Tesla Boy’s global influences are immediate, with their acclaimed follow-up single Split, produced to a high level with deep catchy melodies and disco undertones. Band members Leo Zatagin (bass), Mike Studnitsyn (drums) and Stan Astakhov (guitar) complete the Tesla Boy lineup, coming together to round out the trio in 2010. A collaborative project at its core, all music and lyrics, stylistic decisions, concepts, and the direction of music and production, are made collectively. At the forefront, Sevidov remains the heart of the band, with his penchant for charming songwriting, complimented by the band's incredible musicality and tantalizing live shows that have created a cult following in cities across the world. As only a preview to what is to come, it is obvious Tesla Boy are not to be mistaken with passing club trends that have come out of Russia in previous years. Tesla Boy carry a shiny pop sensibility, combined with sleek and sophisticated production that takes their nostalgic synth sound and punching soul hooks into the new wave era of EDM with global appeal.
Mijuice (Russia)
 Mujuice is the musical alias of Roma Litvinov (b. 1983, Moscow). He is a student of graphic design and also works professionally in this field. He began his musical experience in early childhood by composing small piano pieces. Working without a formal musical education, he integrated his experience as a member of a hardcore guitar band with his first electronic music experiments while in his teens. Soon his computer composing took precedence over group music-making. His first efforts were arranged mostly by sampling methods, and he still prefers sampling to digital sound synthesis. Roma rejects any idea of himself as a strictly electronic producer, believing that contemporary artists should use all available resources. He uses his medium as a podium for the breaking digital composing stereotypes, borrowing eclectically from acoustic jazz and pseudo-symphonic music to experimental clicks'n'cuts, microsampling and glitch tech. Phrasing used to describe Litvinov's work by the excellent web-based Russian label Fragment has been even more inviting: "a lightweight fusion of happiness and sadness mixed in ideal proportions. No contra-indications or side effects. Recommended for all ages." From Chopin chops to garage rock, Mujuice has grazed in every musical field. A producer at heart, his background in bands and composing has been put to good use soundtracking muscovite adverts and movies. However electronic music has proved a demanding mistress, and his love affair with the synths and drum machines has produced two LPs of experimental electronica and several techno EPs as well as a couple of tracks with DZA under their rave revival guise Cut2Kill. Nowadays he likes to jam either on his kalimba or toy piano to create glitchy punky electronic pop gems, milking attitude out of the machines 'til the cows come home. In this set from Short & Sweet at London's Cafe 1001, his bleeps, noises and sweet sweet melodies sound like a warmhearted lovesick robot getting ready to bear hug you.
Shawn Lee (USA) & The Soul Surfers (Russia)
 Shawn Lee is an American musician, producer, award-winning video game composer, and multi-instrumentalist from Wichita (Kansas) who now lives in London, England. He is currently working on a new touring band project with AM entitled "AM & Shawn Lee". AM & Shawn Lee's debut album Celestial Electric was released around the world in 2012 and their new second album La Musique Numérique was released in 2013. Talent will out, they say, but sometimes the exit route is a long and winding road. For Shawn Lee, the journey began in Wichita, Kansas. Shawn Lee was born to a mother of Lebanese and American Indian ancestry and a father of Irish American ancestry. Lee has relocated twice in pursuit of his career. He moved to Los Angeles in 1988 where he worked with The Dust Brothers and Jeff Buckley. After being in various bands, performing on The Tonight Show, a publishing deal with EMI and touring on Lollapolooza, Lee moved to London, England. There he signed a solo record deal with Talkin' Loud. As Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra, Lee has released 10 albums on US label Ubiquity Records : Music and Rhythm, Moods and Grooves, Strings and Things, Voices and Choices, Hits the Hits, A Very Ping Pong Xmas, Miles of Styles" , "Under The Sun" film soundtrack, Clutch of the Tiger with Clutchy Hopkins and Shawn Lee presents Soul in the Hole. Lee's music has appeared in many films such as Ocean's Thirteen, The Break-Up, and Confessions of a Shopaholic, as well as on television series, such as CSI: Miami, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Nip Tuck, Ugly Betty, and Eastbound and Down, and the Mack Dawg Productions snowboard movie Picture This. Shawn Lee also scored the Rockstar Games video game Bully in 2006. Bully was twice nominated for best score from Gamespot (winner) and Spike VGA (Video Game Awards). Shawn Lee has also worked with many artists such as Lana Del Rey, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keyes, Princess Superstar, Natacha Atlas, Money Mark, Bei Bei and Georgia Anne Muldrow. The Soul Surfers is a soul/funk/r&b from Nizhny Novgorod. Russia. They have released a dozen vinyl singles in USA on Funk Night Records and Ubiquity Records. After releasing countless collectable and in-demand 7in singles and making a name for themselves in the contemporary “raw funk and soul” scene, The Soul Surfers drop their debut album “Soul Rock!”; a magnum opus of raw, gritty soul and greasy funk featuring eminent guests from the aforementioned scene that birthed their sound.
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