Hinds (Formerly known as Deers):
An all-female Spanish group who have the look of a Haim cover band. Their massive hair hides lo-fi tendencies with all the messiness of that genre inherent in their music. High-pitched vocals match up with dull throbbing acoustic lines to create something equal parts noise rock and punk.
Shura:
Shura, aka Aleksandra Denton, makes very relaxed rhythms out of downbeat electronica. Think FKA Twigs without the sex, but also making use of ambience to get across the feeling of deep comfort. She maintains full creative control of her music having taught herself to produce and edit her work.
Ben Khan:
We’re absolutely convinced that mystery man Jai Paul has given up his original moniker and started recording under the name Ben Khan. When you listen to Khan’s music the similarity between the two is unbelievable. His music is funky, effervescent with shades of trip-hop distortion and plenty of very quick, very striking samples, a la J Dilla or DJ Shadow.
Curtis Harding:
From Atlanta, Georgia, Harding brings a bit of soul to the Electric Picnic line-up. His Motown vibe will provide a healthy reprieve from the droning electronica that is set to be the big selling point at festivals around Ireland this year. His music is infectious, romantic but also really fun to dance along with. He could be one of the big surprise hits at this year’s EP.
Aquilo:
Aquilo are hard to describe. They sell themselves as an electronic duo, but what really stands out is the strength of the vocal. They can be hard listening if you’re not in the right mood as there’s something of a hymn-like intensity to their music. They try to paint a mood with every word, you could go so far as to say that they’re actually more inclined to folk, although they are capable of making you dance, as seen on “Losing You”, their collaboration with Vanic.
Little May:
Perfect for a summer festival, their music is the kind of summer-y, outdoors folk that can sometimes encapsulate the festival atmosphere. Little May hail from Australia but sound more like they have roots in Devon, or have relations with the crew behind Ben Howard. That kind of Boho charm does sometimes give way to Coldplay inspired pop-rock, but don’t hold that against them.
Bryan Grogan
Image: sixpencestudio.com
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