The fourth edition of the electronic music festival UNDER 2023 — May 19th and 20th in Riga (Latvia) — have announced the full lineup. With a star cast of 40 artists participating in the event, headliners include Tiga, Slam DJs, Alinka and Hard Ton who will be joined by Berlin artists Holger Zilske and Radical Softness, as well as Voicedrone, the co-founder of the hype club “Fold” in London. The line-up includes a host of Baltic DJs and live electronic artists.
The 19th of May opens the festival and is dedicated to all electronic live performances. The night will be opened by the “Golden Microphone” nominee — Waterflower, a visionary artist from Latvia who is at the forefront of the eco-futurist movement. Using plants and mushrooms as both instruments and MIDI generators, they create a unique blend of avant-pop, hyperpop, and digital hardcore.
Later that day, vocalist and producer Podruga will take centre stage; her music will invite listeners back to the sounds of 90’s electronica, and sci-fi sonics with elements of post-punk.
Produga will premiere a new electronic set at UNDER Festival, together with guitarist and producer Ričards Dauksts. The queer fashion extravaganza showcases the Italian duo Hard Ton (Permanent Vacation, International Deejay Gigolo), who plays a unique blend of Chicago house, disco-styled falsettos, crunchy acid basslines, and a pinch of Italo disco, all of this preceded by the artistic set of Queer On Acid from Riga. The stage will be closed by the electro-techno-live of Igor Vorobyov from Ventspils, who has been running the record label “Blind Allies” for the past six years.
On Saturday 20th May the festival will open its doors at 6 pm. The program will kick off on the Garden stage, where both experienced and younger Latvian DJs will play. You can expect vinyl sets from Nick Ustinov & Jazzy Marky, Waxid, Vakru, Ze Ivarzz, as well as performances by KAN, Aizvakardiena, Adroit, DIN, Esoniq, Ideology of Sound, Elvi Soulsystems and Cheh, who represents Lebanon and the UAE, but currently working out in Lithuania.
The UNDER Pressure and UNDER Control stages will open at 8 pm. The huge techno sounds on the UNDER Pressure stage will be presented by the Scottish legends of this genre — Slam DJs. Their record label, Soma Records, started in the early 1990s, introducing several of today’s big names to the world, their eponymous radio show has thousands of fans worldwide. The duo will be joined by Voicedrone, co-founder, curator, and resident of London club, Fold. The club is considered one of the most hyped underground spots in the British capital.
Fast techno will be played by the regular guest of the HÖR in Berlin — queer DJ Radical Softness. There are many female names on the line-up including Merimel, the first lady of Estonian techno who is active with releases on many high-profile labels and has her radio show on national radio, the founder of the UNDER festival Ksenia Kamikaza, DJ Orthodox from Liepāja, Laima Adelaide from Stuttgart, LE/RA. DJs E91, Ikss and HP-82 have their distinct style that will complement Saturday’s techno sound.
The stars of the UNDER Control stage – which is mainly for EBM, electro and acid – will be Tiga, the Canadian DJ, producer of many electronic anthems from his record label Turbo Recordings, Alinka, a Berlin-based Ukrainian-Chicago artist and resident of the Panorama bar, Berliner Holgers Zilske known in the electronic scene by the name of the techno project Smash TV, who currently works in the electro genre. The festival’s international program will be completed by Mountak, a resident of the Lithuanian club “Lizdas”. Latvia will be represented by the duo Taran & Lomov from Amber Muse, Lévi from Klik Klak, Crying Skies, mOZ & Herren Ivo, Veronika Keris & Grisha Nirgov, as well as the duo Laiva Maikule.
The industrial quarter on 9 Teraudlietuves Str. in Riga is the best place for the boldest sound of the festival. More information on all the artists, the venue and tickets can be found at underfestival.com.
