Moogfest Reveals Itself As A Unique and Visionary Electronic Music Festival

Since Moogfest first announced its expanded music festival with a new conference component they've gradually revealed the details in a series of announcements. At this point we have a reasonably complete picture despite the fact that the last performer announcement promised 70+ more acts to follow! The combination of daytime conference and nighttime festival gathering together representatives of the broad range of possibilities created by electronic music is clearly unique and well thought out. Moogfest isn't so much competing with other festivals as it is now creating a space of its own.

Moogfest 2014 takes place in Asheville, NC April 23 through 27 with five days of "mind-expanding conversation, experimentation, and collaboration" featuring:

"over 60 talks, panels, discussion, presentations, and film screenings with futurist thinkers, inventors, entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, artists, and musicians."

Plus, five nights of "landmark musical performances by new trailblazers, early pioneers of electronic music, and major headliners."

Those are big claims but they're well supported by announcements to date:

Moogfest 2014 Announces Daytime Presenters

"Multimedia artist Laurie Anderson, disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder and film composer Cliff Martinez join futurist thinkers Jerome Glenn, Nick Bostrom, and George Dvorsky plus MIT Media Lab's Joseph Paradiso, Sonification Professor Bruce Walker, and more from Make Magazine, OMNI, and SETI (Search of Extraterrestrial Intelligence)."

"Plus appearances by Electronic Music Instrument Pioneers Herbert Deutsch, Roger Linn, Don Buchla, Tom Oberheim, Dave Smith, David Borden, Malcolm Cecil, Keith Emerson, and more."

Moogfest Announces Kraftwerk and Chic to Headline 2014 Performance Program

"Electronic Music Pioneers KRAFTWERK 3-D to present 3 Concerts at Moogfest 2014. CHIC featuring music super producer Nile Rodgers also to headline."

"Plus exclusive live performances from legendary composer Giorgio Moroder and artist Laurie Anderson. Other Nighttime Performers Include, RJD2, Soul Clap, Daedalus, Dan Deacon, Gas Lamp Killer, Green Velvet, Sasha, Art Department, Escort and A Rare Performance From UK’s Darkstar. 70+ More Artists To Be Announced."

Moogfest 2014 Announces Music Showcase Curators

"Experimental Record Labels WARP Records, Fools Gold, Ghostly International, No. 19 Music’s Social Experiment, RVNG Intl., and Driftless Recordings"

"Plus Electronic Tastemakers Crew Love, Brooklyn-based Cultural Organization Afropunk, Detroit’s Movement Festival, North Carolina's Hopscotch Festival, and Austin’s Switched Onmus"

4th Annual Moog Circuit Bending Challenge

"This year, Moog’s circuit bending contest is challenging entrants to take a battery powered device and circuit bend it into an instrument capable of creating new and unique sounds for a total budget of $70 or less."

"Entrants will create and post videos on YouTube featuring their completed instruments and documenting the process of their creation. Moog will select three finalists and invite them to showcase their creations at Moogfest in April of 2014 where Moog’s judges and the general public will decide a winner of the contest."

Additional community events will be held but the above main events sketch out an impressive agenda for a timely new version of Moogfest.

More:

• Moogfest Returns In 2014 With New Music Tech Conference and 5 Days Of Music
• Moog Music Markets With Moogfest, Sound Lab Artist Videos & New Retail Outlet

Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/Facebook) is building a writing hub at Flux Research. To suggest topics about music tech, DIY music biz or music marketing for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.

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Moogfest Returns In 2014 With New Music Tech Conference and 5 Days Of Music