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Jens Lekman

Aug 04, 2013 Skalpel By Laura Studarus Photography by Laura Studarus

Walking through the field on the second day of OFF Festival, I was faced with a large group of teenagers, sprinting towards me and singing a chipper refrain from Zbigniew Wodecki’s triumphant performance the previous evening. It was a heartwarming moment. After all, isn’t that the point of heading to a festival in another country? To see, hear, and do things you normally encounter at home? (Yes. Duh.) Day two of OFF provided more of those country-specific moments, with standout sets from Polish musicians UL/KR and Skalpel. Other highlights included Glass Animals, Jens Lekman, and Julia Holter.

Two-man group UL/KR played an ambient set reminiscent of British band, Tunng. However the Polish band kept it spacey, cueing the majority of sounds off a laptop, with the additional member holding down guitars and vocals. It was cloud-watching music—the highest of compliments on the deliciously sunny afternoon.

British four-piece Glass Animals expanded on the UL/KR’s dreamy vibe, adding an extra layer of weird exactly halfway between Alt-J and Radiohead. Frontman Dave Bayley’s dance moves were very Marty McFly, but the music was an icy cool that bodes well for their forthcoming full-length. (Which we have been waiting eagerly to hear since our “Pleased to Meet You” interview last year.)

Despite the festival being Jens Lekman’s first time in the country, the Swedish troubadour was met with near hysteria from dedicated fans. Lekman—perhaps one of the most charismatic performers currently touring—looked gleeful to be there, throwing glitter into the crowd during “The Opposite of Hallelujah,” and trotting out some of his beloved stories. “Can you believe that Kirsten Dunst would like me, a boy from a potato chip factory town?” he asked. Yes Jens, we can. Oh yes…we can.

Just after sunset, Julia Holter took the stage to perform her off-kilter fairytale pop. Along with projections dancing across the tent ceiling, and approaching euphoria, songs from her recently released album Loud City Song seemed like the soundtrack to infinite possibility. (Or exhaustion, which kinda feels like the same thing by day two of any festival.)

Skalpel: potental challengers for the Disclosure throne? Could we be so lucky? “You’re going to dance like you’ve never danced before” the band announced. The crowd obliged. Our cinematic electro-loving hearts skipped a beat.

For the uninitiated, Godspeed You! Black Emperor is an incredibly difficult band to get into. I count myself among that group. The headlining band played an orchestra cacophony on a nearly dark stage, backlit by a series of projects. As I found their challenging jam session to be just that, and the hour to be a bit too late for my music-addled brain, I happily called it a night.

See a gallery of day two photos here.

(www.ulkr.thinman.pl)

(www.facebook.com/glassanimals)

(www.jenslekman.com)

(www.juliashammasholter.com)

(www.facebook.com/Skalpel)

(www.brainwashed.com/godspeed)