We learned recently that, due to unforeseen circumstances, MTL’s Strange Froots aren’t able to participate in OBEY this year. However, we’re thrilled to report that supernatural TO rapper momma Sydanie is stepping in. Please, watch this teaser video and tell us you aren’t also deeply, deeply thrilled.
With the change in time and light comes new feelings of excitement and freedom. We’re psyched to present to you the full festival line-up for OBEY Convention XI. Added to the gnarly acts already announced, we’ve got:
avant-soul treasurer Un Blonde, queer doom cult Vile Creature, rising club deconstructionist Jerico, Anishinaabe viola weaver Melody McKiver, chill-soul warriors Strange Froots, tidal truthseeker WANDARIAN, nomadic groove conjurers DIáSPORA, violin maven Gina Burgess, freek-punk 4-piece Science Project, chamber-jazz naturalists New Hermitage, ambient soundshaper Markus Floats, conceptual theme-ripperz Platitudes, powwow trail blazers the Sacred Wolf Singers, art-beat breaker Maximata, dark-soul lyricist Yohvn Blvck, (bp)d-beat ear-crushers Cutie, Syrian oud titan Hussam Al Assaf, trap phenom Benjamin and deep field song-healers Melissa Labrador & Corbin Hart. Selectors for the weekend’s soundsystems include skin tone, DJ Douvet and DJ Fadzwa.
Check out the line-up page to go a little deeper and explore this amazing artist. More info regarding programming after the jump…
We’re thrilled to announce the first wave of artists set to perform at OBEY Convention XI, the 11th instalment of Atlantic Canada’s most adventurous music festival. This year will showcase fire-hot Portuguese kuduro prodigy NÍDIA, legendary avant-industrial cult ONO, NYC’s noise exorcist Pharmakon, tension-heavy tonebreaker Sarah Hennies, Chinese-Canadian classical master Liu Fang, dadaist sound freek i dm theft able, Toronto’s new-jazz phenom Joseph Shabason and French-Haitian sound healer Anaïs Maviel.
A limited number of Early Bird Passes are available now! The Sonic Spring awaits!
Check out more details on our Festival Page and/or join the Facebook event to stay up to date.
Our third show of 2018 is coming up and it’s a wild blessing. Visiting all the way from Cairo is Nadah El Shazly, a young woman working at the very forefront of contemporary Arabic music. With roots in the underground punk scene of Egypt’s capital city and diverse influences across jazz, classical and electronic composition, El Shazly burst onto the international radar with her first full-length, Ahwar, at the tail end of 2017. A stunning debut by any measure, Ahwar (which translates to ‘marshlands’) covers an incredible amount of musical and emotional territory through pairing forward-thinking composition with El Shazly’s stunning vocals. Joining her for this unique evening at Garrison’s newly renovated barroom is Crousetown’s junked analogue duo JOYFULTALK. Tickets on sale now, don’t sleep on this one! More details and insights on our events page.
The 11th instalment of our annual festival will consume the coastal city of Halifax with free ideas in music and sound, May 24 – 27th 2018. A limited number of Early Bird Passes are available now!
A convergence of creative musicians and sound-savants from local, national and international scenes, OBEY Convention XI will unfold at unusual, alternative and historic venues throughout Halifax. Programmed as a four-day narrative, our festival promises a weekend filled with auditory inspirations from across genres, identities and mediums. Featuring 20+ carefully curated events (none of which overlap), OBEY XI rewards both dedicated festival-goers and casual fans alike as they dip into the mysterious portal of heavy bliss and gnarly power.
We’re excited to announce that our second show of 2018 features NYC composer, sound artist and space-braider Lea Bertucci. Celebrating her new LP, the heavily resonant, psycho-cumulative Metal Aether (out Feb 9 on NNA Tapes), Bertucci is sure to warp the walls of The Khyber. Joining Lea for this evening of long-form musicality will be local sitar/tabla duo Taral Naik & Daniel MacNeil. Tickets available here
Our upcoming show set for January 20th with the inimitable Beverly Glenn-Copeland and Nick Dourado has changed locations. We’re happy to report that this gem of a show is now taking place at beautiful Fort Massey Church (5303 Tobin Street). See you there!
We’re thrilled to announce our first show of this year’s off-season programme: on January 20th, in partnership with suddenlyLISTEN at the Halifax Music Co-op (2164 Barrington St) we’re hosting two incredible spirits, Beverly Glenn-Copeland and Nick Dourado. Ticketing, accessibility and performer info can be found on our events page. Start the new year right, grab some tickets for this lifechanger right here, right now, or go a little deeper and become a member of our organization and get in FREE.
As we prepare for our 11th year of bringing new sounds into the spotlight, we’re seeking support in doing so. If you’re looking for a way to get involved with OBEY, attending our AGM and/or joining our board is a great place to start :::
OBEY is looking to expand its Board Of Directors by bringing people with fresh perspectives and new ideas to the table. We are looking for individuals who show attention to detail, a willingness to ask questions, an enthusiasm for the organization and who have sufficient time to fulfill the requirements of the position they take on, including attending board meetings (approx. 6 annually).
If you are interested, please send a brief letter of interest to kat@obeyconvention.com
– Your name and contact information
– What interests you about being a member of the OBEY Board
* We welcome interested parties to self-identify in any way they feel comfortable as well as including any insight into pertinent work / volunteer experience
Joining the OBEY Board of Directors is a great opportunity for artists or supporters of the arts living in Halifax NS. Board members play an active role in supporting OBEY staff, artists, and community members in maintaining and developing a vision of an inclusive, forward-looking music organization. Anyone with a membership in good standing is eligible to run for a board position. If financial contribution presents a barrier, we are open to skill trades and volunteered time (10 hours minimum) in lieu of payment. If this option appeals to you, simply include a note in your letter of interest.
To nominate another member, please supply the name and contact information for your nominee and we will contact the nominee directly prior to our AGM :::
This coming Saturday, Oct 7th, we’re collaborating with the Dalhousie Art Gallery to present a screening of Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 silent film STRIKE, which explores the strife and struggle of a worker’s revolt in the former Soviet Union.
We’ve invited local composer, musician and ethnomusicologist Mohammad Sahraei to create a score specially for this one-night only happening. Mohammad has put together an amazing piece that will be brought to life by a five-piece ensemble featuring Sahraei himself on tar, Matt Gallant of drums, Behrooz Mihankhah on piano, Yousef Mousavi on Guitar and Lukas Pearse on double bass.
HALIFAX CENTRAL LIBRARY, Oct. 7th
7PM / FREE / ALL AGES
© 2018 OBEY Convention.