Freakin' Disco I ABOP (CRO)
Electronic
Freakin' Disco I ABOP (CRO)
One evening, two concerts: the instrumental electronic conqueror Freakin' Disco and the Croatian live electronic act ABOP, who have made an international name for themselves with their live electronica, will perform in the Concert Hall of the House of Music. The Hungarian group is also increasingly in demand on the international music scene, having performed more times at festivals abroad in the summer of 2024 than in Hungary. Now, however, we can see both energetic, dance-inviting performances at once.
Freakin' Disco
The elemental power of Freakin' Disco's concerts is captivating, or "blasting you out into space". The song Face Yourself from their album TOTEM, released on vinyl last year, was recorded with the help of five-time Grammy Award-winning producer Steve Dub (The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy). The music video was directed by Szabolcs Hajdu and has already reached almost 40,000 views. The clip won the award for Best Electronic Music Clip at the 2023 Europe Music Video Awards. HEMI (the Association of Festivals for Emerging Bands in 9 Regional Countries) has selected them for its 2024 programme, IMPALA (the European Independent Record Labels Association) has included them in its '100 Bands to Watch in 2023' list and Europavox, the international music journalists' association, has shortlisted them as 'November's Band of the Month'. The song has also been added to the Spotify playlist celebrating the 75th anniversary of the world-famous sound engineering company AKG. They've already toured practically all of Europe, and this summer they've really been playing a lot of gigs at festivals abroad.
ABOP (CRO)
Croatia's ABOP are notable for their stage presence, with live electronics that really feel like a rock band playing, but with a dance beat that still lets dance formation shine through. Inspired by classic early electronic genres (techno, acid house, electro), the band conjures up a rave party on stage and puts the audience in a trance, or rather a trance. The two live drummers shame drum machines into bringing the groove with the bassist, so that they share a drum kit, playing facing each other while the bassist also forms a circle with them - the rhythm section pumps the basics from a single space. But instead of DJs, the other soundscapes are delivered by musicians handling live electronics, so along with the sumptuous light show, this Croatian instrumental formation really is a concert band. Having also toured the region beyond their home country, and with award-winning music videos, the two acts of the evening are indeed very much related.