{"id":13113,"date":"2026-11-11T09:16:48","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T07:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ment.si\/?post_type=news&p=13113"},"modified":"2026-11-11T13:07:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T11:07:00","slug":"first-artist-and-speaker-announcement","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/ment.si\/en\/news\/first-artist-and-speaker-announcement\/","title":{"rendered":"First artist and speaker announceMENT"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n
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Alewya<\/b> takes over Kino \u0160i\u0161ka for the opening night!<\/span><\/p>\n

The London-based singer, producer and visual artist of Ethiopian-Egyptian descent is one of the most exciting names in contemporary underground pop. Her highly anticipated debut album<\/span> ZERO<\/span><\/i><\/a> fuses R&B, jungle, dub and electronics, along with African and Arabic rhythms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thursday brings Egyptian expressionist vocalist <\/span>Abdullah Miniawy<\/b> and <\/span>My New Band Believe<\/b>, the new project of former black midi member Cameron Picton, performing their remarkable debut album live.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Saturday, <\/span>Moin<\/b> and <\/span>Stamor<\/b> kick off the CE\/MENT night with their brooding sounds, before <\/span>Verraco<\/b> takes over with his kaleidoscopic, high-energy electronic drive.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2027, MENT puts the spotlight on Slovenian pianist <\/span>Kaja Draksler<\/b> featuring an in-depth interview and two performances. She will present <\/span>matter 100<\/b>, her international ensemble whose debut <\/span>true or false<\/span><\/i> has just been released, and <\/span>Czajka & Puchacz<\/b>, her adventurous pop duo with <\/span>Szymon Gasiorek<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local saxophonist <\/span>Lenart De Bock<\/b> will premiere his new, rhythm-driven project <\/span>Sticks & Stones<\/span><\/i>, while hypnotic Serbian trio <\/span>Igralom<\/b> returns with a special collaboration with <\/span>Truba\u010dki orkestar Bogdana Nikoli\u0107a<\/b>, bringing the explosive brass tradition of southern Serbia to MENT for the first time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Niansa Festival<\/b> takes over a new stage at Ljubljana Castle. The first two announced acts are the mesmerizing Polish composer\/songwriter <\/span>Martyna Basta<\/b> and local artist <\/span>Raketa<\/b>, presenting her first venture into experimental dub music.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\r\n\r\n

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TICKETS<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\r\n\r\n
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See all first 27 names for MENT 2027 below.
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Abdullah Miniawy<\/span><\/a>
\nTranscendental poetry, experimental ecstasy and prophetic vocals that transform an intimate prayer into a cry of resistance.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Abel Ghekiere<\/span><\/a>
\nMinimalist jazz, folk and field recordings fused into a heavy yet comforting sound.<\/em><\/p>\n

Alewya<\/span><\/a>
\nA hypnotic collision of Afro-diasporic rhythms, bass-heavy electronics, and spiritual energy, forging a bold and futuristic club sound.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

BITOI<\/span><\/a>
\nA solo bass and three intertwined voices conjure an alien folklore, timeless yet utterly unfamiliar.<\/em><\/p>\n

C\u00e9cile Lacharme<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>The cello, turned inside out: loops and layers through a 360\u00b0 sound system that stretches time.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

CHLEN 16<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Post-punk revolt from Skopje\u2019s underground, exposing everything the quiet years left unsaid.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span>cowboyy<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Precision without polish: psychedelic math rock with the mess left in.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Czajka & Puchacz<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Eccentric by nature, unpredictable by design.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Fauna<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Collective trippy psychedelia for the club age.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Igor Bo\u017eani\u0107<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>An exhilarating new vision of sevdah and Bosnian musical heritage.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span>Igralom i truba\u010dki orkestar Bogdana Nikoli\u0107a<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Balkan psychedelia meets brass-fuelled rock in a ten-piece supergroup.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Kaja Draksler \u2013 matter 100<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Surrealist and unruly \u2013 music erupting from the subconscious.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Kikelomo<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Where London bass meets Afro rhythms on a Berlin dancefloor.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Lenart De Bock \u2013 Sticks & Stones<\/span>
\n<\/span>Sonic explorations at the crossroads of jazz and electronics.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

LinLin<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Razor-edged rap with a cyberpunk edge, straight from the Paris suburbs.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Martyna Basta<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>An intimate intensity, weaving voice, guitar, zither and electronics into rising tensions and shape-shifting arrangements.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Milkweed<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Ancient myths reborn as folk music for a haunted present.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Moin<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Post-hardcore, cut, spliced and reshaped into raw new forms.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

My New Band Believe<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Acoustic maximalism where chamber strings and dream logic collide <\/span>headlong with pop.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Naga Kirana<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Indonesian-Dutch encounters in synth-driven folk-pop.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Nuhara<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>A transformative ethnomusicological journey from the claustrophobic darkness of the mines to the chaos of Sicilian markets.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Raketa<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Dub turned inward, with warped voices and anxious atmospheres.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Stamor<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>An imaginary soundtrack to Camus\u2019 The Stranger.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Suzan Peeters<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Reimagining the accordion as an instrument of radical sonic exploration.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Tapan<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Kosmische electronics fuelled by krautrock\u2019s loops, free jazz\u2019s nerve and <\/span>the drums of the East.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Verraco<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Trailblazing club music with Colombian charm and no interest in <\/span>staying in one lane.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Zagu\u0161ljivi dim<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/a>Adventurous rock traversing hypnotic, strange and half-forgotten <\/span>psychedelic landscapes.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The<\/span> MENT Conference<\/b> welcomes its first speakers, an international mix of festival programmers, booking agents, label representatives, music journalists, promoters and artists, ready to share insights, reflect on trends, spark discussions and explore the future of the music industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gabriel Szatan<\/b>, influential music journalist and editor of <\/span>Resident Advisor<\/b>, will discuss the current state of the electronic music scene and 25 years of RA in an interview with none other than <\/span>Kikelomo<\/b>, an internationally active DJ, curator and co-founder of <\/span>Oroko Radio<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kath Butler<\/b>, a music booking agent at <\/span>William Morris Endeavor (WME)<\/b>, <\/span>Cl\u00e9mence Renaut<\/b>, an agent at <\/span>ROAM<\/b>, and <\/span>Mario Grdo\u0161i\u0107<\/b> of Croatian concert promoter <\/span>LAA<\/b> will share their perspectives on the Balkan region from the standpoint of European booking agencies, exploring its potential, opportunities and challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another keynote interview will put the spotlight on <\/span>Bronne Keesmaat<\/b>, founder and artistic director of <\/span>Rewire Festival<\/b> in the Netherlands, an internationally respected event showcasing innovative, experimental and electronic music.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nis Bysted<\/b>, producer and founder of Danish independent label <\/span>Escho<\/b>, which represents a significant part of Copenhagen’s vibrant music scene, will share insights into the label’s work with artists such as Smerz, Iceage, Fine, Astrid Sonne, Elias R\u00f8nnenfelt and Molina.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the panels will focus on investing in music promotion, featuring <\/span>Darya Kulinka<\/b> of <\/span>Better Things<\/b>, a specialist in international artist promotion; <\/span>Michael Lambert<\/b> of <\/span>Aimless Play<\/b>, who will bring his experience in artist development and independent music networks; and <\/span>Klara Roxenius<\/b>, International Marketing Manager at <\/span>Beggars Group<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The conference will also welcome <\/span>Mathilde Meunier<\/b> of <\/span>Super!<\/b> and <\/span>Pitchfork Music Festival<\/b>, who will share her experience in concert promotion and festival programming in France; <\/span>Nina Hudej<\/b> of <\/span>Grounded Festival<\/b>, who will offer her perspective on Slovenia’s electronic music and independent cultural scene; and <\/span>Estefan\u00eda Serrano<\/b> of <\/span>Plan B Music<\/b>, who will share her experience working with artists such as Rosal\u00eda, Ni\u00f1o de Elche, Tinariwen and Shigeto.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":13121,"template":"","class_list":["post-13113","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ment.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/13113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ment.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ment.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ment.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ment.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}