The world-traveling Red Bull Music Academy series will set up shop in New York City this spring for 34 events featuring more than 230 artists, organizers announced today (February 20). From April 28 to May 31, fans have a chance to see live musical performances and talks from Brian Eno, Kim Gordon, James Murphy, Erykah Badu, Pantha du Prince and the Bell Laboratory, A-Trak, Four Tet, Giorgio Moroder (who will reportedly be spinning his first ever live DJ set), and more. Now in its 15th year, the five-week RBMA showcase will present concerts, film screenings, art installations, and public conversations at venues throughout NYC.
Some of the planned events:
- On May 2, the “Drone Activity in Progress” gig at the Knockdown Center in Queens will bring together Kim Gordon and Bill Nace’s collaborative Body/Head project, Sunn O)))’s Stephen O’Malley (performing solo under the SOMA moniker and as part of his duo project KTL), Prurient, Alan Licht, Oren Ambarchi, and more.
- Brian Eno’s audio-visual installation 77 Million Paintings will make its East Coast debut with a month-long exhibition throughout the entirety of May. Eno himself will give a “illustrated talk” (whatever that means) on May 6.
- Roseland Ballroom will host the Red Bull Music Academy Culture Clash — the “city’s first-ever cross-genre sound clash,” as the press release puts it — on May 9. The sound system showdown will highlight custom-made tracks from Fool’s Gold Records, Federation Sound, Young Guru and Just Blaze, and Que Bajo?!, as well as several special guests.
- Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa will appear alongside Egyptian Lover, DJ Assault, DJ Rashad, DJ Spinn, Scottie B, DJ Magic Mike, DJ Funk, Big Freedia, Drop the Lime, and Salva for the “United States of Bass” gig at Manhattan’s Santos Party House on May 23.
- James Murphy’s DFA Records will celebrate its 12th anniversary on May 25 with a nine-hour (!) show at Brooklyn’s Grand Prospect Hall. Murphy will headline a bill featuring more than 15 acts and DJs “spanning the entire history of DFA.” Fans will also get an exclusive look at 12 Years of DFA: Too Old to Be New, Too New to Be Classic, a 12-minute documentary on the dance-punk-electro label that will premiere at the party and later be available for streaming through RBMA’s website.
More details — including full lineups for all of the events — are forthcoming. Tickets go on sale on March 4 at 10 a.m. via TicketWeb.
