Listen! Sound District Festival in Brussels

The first Listen! Sound District, the daytime meeting point of Listen! Festival, which will bring to Brussels music enthusiasts from all over Europe, from beginners to professionals.

From Thursday 18 April to Sunday 21 April, Listen! Sound District will open its doors at the Saint-Géry Market Halls, a late 19th century building in the heart of Brussels currently dedicated to promote the city’s culture and heritage.

Through a collaboration with some of the main local and international music partners, the District will feature a series of online and offline activities entirely free for everyone.

Brussels very own Kiosk Radio will connect local and international music scenes. From Thursday to Sunday, the kiosk will exceptionally move to Saint-Géry to co-broadcast radio shows in collaboration with some of the main international web radios: Amsterdam-based Red Light Radio, Le Mellotron from Paris, LYL from Lyon and Cologne-based dublab.de.

After a successful first Belgian edition last year, Independent Label Market will join Listen! Sound District on 20 and 21 April. Over the span of two days, independent music labels from Belgium and all over Europe will come together to present home artists and records to the public. Since its launching in London in 2011, Independent Label Market has brought together the founders of over 400 of the World’s greatest independent record labels on both sides of the Atlantic.

Based in the centre of Antwerp and specialised in pro audio equipment & instruments, Turnlab will showcase the newest trends in music production hosting a gear & synth fair on 20 and 21 April. In the previous editions of Listen! Festival, Turnlab has already hosted some of the latest hardware and software brands such as Native Instruments, Ableton, Moog, Roland, Arturia and many more.

On Saturday 20 April, Poppunt – a Flemish organisation supporting DJs and musicians in their career development – will support the District with talks and feedback sessions. The talks will offer a platform to some of the most renowned players from the dance industry, addressing some of the most present-day topics. The feedback sessions, available both for Flemish and French-speakers, will not only provide young artists with quality feedback on their music, but also stimulate and encourage interaction between starting or upcoming
musicians and the professional sector.

The SAE Institute, the world’s largest creative media educator, will also be supporting Listen! Sound District on Saturday 20 April, organising two  workshops focusing on modular synthesis, both for beginners and more advanced users.

Loop Sessions Brussels will assemble music producers under the same roof on Sunday afternoon, for a gathering of music production and networking. Using the equipment of their choice while sampling from the same vinyl, participants will have a few hours to put their creation together.

Last but not least, from Thursday to Sunday the District will host a photography exhibition curated by VICE. Photography has always been an important part of VICE Media. Through this expo, VICE aims to create an offline podium for young talent, showcasing local photography both from its contributors and other artists.

For more information: www.listenfestival.be