Nuits sonores Lab:
17 — 19 may
Lyon France
3 days of talks, workshops and dj-sets during the Nuits sonores festival.
free of charge
Highlights
Workshops
Talks
Cross-over events
Radio Lab
Venues and themes
Nuits Sonores and European Lab will give the floor to mobilised artists, thinkers, journalists and activists who will present the keys to understanding the major challenges facing our world.
Over three days, this programme will offer festival-goers an experience – neatly complementing the daytime and nocturnal programmes at Nuits Sonores – in the Confluence district of Lyon, spread between Hôtel71, HEAT and H7.
With Nuits sonores Lab, the musical programming of Nuits Sonores will be enhanced by idea debates, transmission and testimonies thanks to a series of meetings, interviews, workshops, discussion panels, audio conferences, radio broadcasts, artistic performances, training sessions, masterclasses and speeches.
HEAT
Hôtel71
H7
Edito
For 20 years, Nuits Sonores has been sending out vibrations to audiences and communities thirsty for shared experiences, partying and collective celebrations. Bringing hope for a better future, these vibrations are formed out of the emotions transmitted by the artists onstage. This is partying as understood by historian Patrick Boucheron, who will speak at the opening event of Nuits sonores Lab: letting go, breaking rules and inventing new ways of living alongside one another. Beyond the festival, the same vibrations are resonating in territories at war, on the front line, in the street, online, spread by dissident, independent, sometimes marginalised voices. Throughout the year, in Lyon and elsewhere around Europe, these voices assemble at European Lab forums. They defend an ideal of freedom, fighting for their rights and our shared future. Nuits sonores Lab – the Nuits Sonores forum powered by European Lab – will once more echo these reverberations over the course of three days of debates. From east to west, people all over Europe are standing up to today’s uncertainties. These vibrant forms of collective action are emerging from art scenes and independent cultural ecosystems. Faced with the polarisation and brainwashing of all-powerful algorithms, communities of journalists, emerging media platforms and online radio stations are fighting to save our spaces of free expression; for proof, look no further than Refuge Worldwide in Berlin and 20ft Radio in Kyiv. In Ukraine, clubs, labels and artists are working behind the scenes to support their army, just like Nastia, a figure on the electronic scene who has given himself over to his country since the beginning of the Russian invasion. All over the continent, creative spaces and projects like Space of Urgency are coming up with solutions to contemporary challenges, from the cost of energy to the climate crisis to issues of inclusion (equality, parity, diversity). The emergence of these vibrations is forcing cultural scenes to reconsider their place and the role they play at a time of such uncertainty. At the same time, the energy of these waves – which are at the heart of the visual identity of this year's festival – gives cause for optimism. Far from any feelings of resignation, these vibrations will resonate throughout Nuits sonores Lab, rekindling the joy of being together and encouraging reflection and action.
Program
10:30am —12:30pm
Workshop • Hôtel71
Becoming an Independent Music Critic
This workshop will explore navigating the music industry as a freelance journalist. Topics include: finding your own voice through writing about music, storytelling, the art of of the interview, and pitching & payment for commissioned work.
With :
Christine Kakaire (Journalist, Germany)
3:00pm — 3:45pm
Talk • HEAT
Let Get the Party Restarted!
Free of charge, registering is recommended
Patrick Boucheron, a historian at the Collège de France, opens Nuits Sonores Lab with a special intervention on the meaning of partying in Europe. If it is legitimate to want to party, then what impact has partying had on societies throughout history? It is generally considered to serve as a tool for liberation or emancipation, and there is no shortage of examples of major festive events that have laid the grounds for or precipitated political upheaval, social change or increased cultural awareness. But just as often, the subsequent revolutions then crack down on the partygoers themselves. By way of a long-term historical analysis, we will look at the political and symbolic effectiveness of these festive communities.
With : Patrick Boucheron (historian, France)
4:45pm — 6:00pm
Talk • HEAT
Space and Dance of Urgency: How Can we Enable Access to Space for the Next Generation of Culture?
Free of charge, registering is recommended
Liese Kingma and Bogomir Doringer, both alternative cultural actors, will present their concepts: Space and Dance of Urgency. Space of Urgency is the name of an emergent concept used to describe the current state of independent cultural spaces. It refers to the challenges underrepresented cultural communities face trying to establish and maintain spaces within disabling social, legal, and political environments, as well as the urgent and protective role cultural space has in sheltering such communities. A Dance of Urgency is a dance that rises in times of personal and collective crises. Such a dance aims to empower individuals and groups. For a dance to happen people need space to practice it. Sometimes movement nests inside a space, and sometimes it creates new spaces.
With :
Bogomir Doringer (Dance of Urgency, Serbia)
Liese Kingman (Space of Urgency, Netherlands)
5:30pm — 9:30pm
Radio Lab • HEAT
Carte Blanche to Mutant Radio
Free of charge
Listening session with Sacha Mambo
[5:30pm — 6:30pm]
With:
Sacha Mambo
Panel 1 // Sound sustainability: How Live Music Venues are Taking on Environmental Challenges?
[6:45pm — 8:00pm]
As the ecological crisis looms large, the question remains: what can cultural venues do to make a difference? This radio discussion will showcase concrete examples of sustainable actions that some clubs and live music venues have adopted. It will focus on sharing good practices that cultural venues are exploring to create a sustainable future, covering topics from slow-touring to energy management, without compromising any artistic integrity.
With:
Garance Amieux (Périscope, France)
David Townsend (TownRock Energy, United-Kingdom)
Moderation: Nino Davadze (Mutant Radio, Georgia)
Panel 2 // Shaping Tomorrow’s Europe: The Role Of Cultural Networks
[8:15pm — 9:30pm]
How do European cultural networks shape contemporary culture in Europe? What role do they play in supporting independent organizations and new generations? This panel discussion will examine how such networks foster a more diverse and inclusive cultural landscape and amplify the voices of independent artists and grassroots organizations.
With:
Peter Bokor (KultDesk Cultural Foundation I Hungary)
Georgia Taglietti (ICNAC I Spain)
Samantha Lippett (Independent Community Radio Network & Palanga Street Radio I United-Kingdom / Lituania)
Moderator: Nino Davadze (Mutant Radio, Georgia)
6:30pm — 7:30pm
Censored TV Show
H7
Free of charge, registering is recommended
With :
Marie-Julie Chalu (founder of Afropea, author and actress I France)
Douce Dibondo (writer, poet and journalist I France / Congo)
Claude-Emmanuelle Gajan-Maull (actress, model and transgender activist I France)
Lola Levent (founder of D·I·V·A· agency, poet and activist)
6:00pm — 10:00pm
HEAT
DJ-sets
10:30am —12:30pm
Workshop • Hôtel71
Crowd Power: Using Dance for Renewable Energy
Have you ever been dancing in a hot crowd and wondered how much energy is being produced by the crowd? David Townsend pondered this question with his engineering team, and decided to design and build a renewable heating and cooling system called BODYHEAT at the SWG3 arts and events venue in Glasgow, which captures, stores and recycles the body heat of dancers as a source of renewable heating and cooling. This interactive workshop will discuss the renewable energy potential of crowds of dancers, exhibit the operational system in Glasgow with photos and video, and broaden the discussion to the positive impact we can all have on tackling climate change by doing the things we love.
With:David Townsend (TownRock Energy, UK)
1:00pm — 3:00pm
Radio Lab • HEAT
Carte blanche to Radio Béguin
Free of charge
Talk: The Lyon Scene: State of Play
Lyon boasts a vibrant electronic scene that has a significant influence on the city’s cultural life. However, many clubs and concert halls – above all those in the city centre – are still not well suited to electronic music and can be subject to certain restrictions, thereby hindering the development of artists, particularly up-and-coming acts. This debate will reflect on the issues facing electronic music venues, both in the local area and around Europe, and the crucial role they play in driving musical diversity and cultural vitality in urban centres. How can we innovate and support the next generation without offering spaces for them to express themselves? How can we bring the local electronic scene closer together?
With: Mathilda Bonsoir (Photograph - activist I France)
Léa Courcelle (Programmer Péniche Loupika I France)
Dorian Meeùs (Reset I Brussels)
Modération : Camille Viguié (Radio Béguin I France)
3:00pm — 4:15pm
Talk • HEAT
Prescription and Algorithms, who influences our listening experiences?
Free of charge, registering is recommended
Before the digital era, music magazines and record shops were the most authoritative voices when it came to music recommendations. Since the turn of the 2010s, and the rise of the algorithms developed by digital behemoths and streaming platforms, the status of the music press – and human recommendation in general – has been in constant decline. To take just one example, young rapper Lil Nas X held the number one spot in the USA for 17 weeks thanks in no small part to the power wielded by the algorithm of a famous Chinese app. Streaming services are deploying increasingly sophisticated algorithms designed to offer recommendations for songs or podcasts based on a multitude of criteria: from listening preferences to age, gender, location, and more. At the same time, other organisations are attempting to place algorithms at the service of the general public; such is the case at Radio France, where they recently implemented a public service algorithm intended to prioritise the editorial skills of their staff and the choices of users. To what extent do these algorithms really influence our listening? How can we strike a balance between human-powered editorial choices and the recommendations of algorithms? Ingenious tools to some, the death of human choice to others: the speakers will debate the role of algorithms in our listening experiences.
With: Julie Knibbe (Music Tomorrow, France)
Mehdi Maïzi (Journaliste, Head of Hip Hop Apple Music, France)
Valentin Lecomte (Radio France, France)
Moderator: Yvan Boudillet (Utopia Music, France)
15h30 — 16h30
RA Exchange with Nastia • HEAT
Free
The weekly podcast RA Exchange is a series of conversations with artists, labels and cultural players shaping the electronic music landscape. This year, DJ and producer Nastia will answer journalist Christine Kakaire's questions on issues related to the Ukrainian cultural scene.
With:
Nastia (DJ and producer, Ukraine)
Moderator: Christine Kakaire (Journalist, Germany)
4:45pm — 6:00pm
Talk • HEAT
Another Perspective on the Ukrainian Cultural Scene
Free of charge, registering is recommended
Created with the artist Nastia, an iconic figure of the Ukrainian electronic scene, this exchange focuses on how alternative artistic scenes, particularly the club culture in Ukraine, have mobilized since February 24, 2022. More than a year after the start of Russia's massive invasion of the country, multiple solidarity networks continue to operate throughout Ukraine. The youth have found ways to keep dancing, clubs continue to operate, community radios continue to broadcast music from local DJs, and artists continue to create. This situation demonstrates the strength of a people, their courage and positivity despite adversity. By showing how many actors in Ukrainian society are taking part in the current war effort, this discussion aims to understand how a Ukrainian collective imagination is shaped, motivated by the refusal of any form of fatalism.
With: Nastia (DJ and producer, UA)
Vadym Chynonyi (Laboratorium, UA)
Moderator: Vlad Fisun (journalist, UA)
5:00pm —6:30pm
Talk • Hôtel71
International Career Development, Management, and Empowerment
Free of charge, registering is recommended
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Nuits sonores festival, the Adami is supporting French female artists by offering them a workshop focusing on international career development, management, and empowerment.
With :
Jennifer Cardini (DJ and producer, France)
Béatrice Bonnefoi (manager and editor, France)
Peggy Szkudlarek (Agent et showrunner, France)
Moderator: Georgia Taglietti (ICNAC, Italy)
5:30pm — 9:30pm
Radio Lab • HEAT
Carte blanche to 20ft Radio
The Ukrainian community radio 20ft Radio will programme Radio Lab for 4 hours of discussions between Kyiv and Lyon.
Interview with Kataryna Gryvul
[5:30pm — 6:30pm]
With: Kataryna Gryvul (Artist and producer I Ukraine)
Moderation: Vitalli Nemchenko (20ft Radio I Ukraine)
Listening-session with Stakhan
[6:30pm — 7:30pm]
Listening-session with Kataryna Gryvul
[7:30pm — 8:30pm]
With: Kataryna Gryvul (Artist and producer I Ukraine)
Moderation: Vitalli Nemchenko (20ft Radio I Ukraine)
Ukrainian Scene Music Selection
[8:30pm — 9:30pm]
6:00pm — 10:00pm
HEAT
DJ-sets
Free
To close each day of Nuits sonores Lab, a programme of DJ-sets will put the spotlight on the local and emerging scene from Lyon at HEAT.
Camille Doe
[6:00pm — 7:00pm]
With: Camille Doe
CiaoCesco
[7:00pm — 8:30pm]
With: CiaoCesco
Flora Tristan
[8:30pm — 10:00pm]
With: Flora Tristan
6:30pm — 7:30pm
Carte blanche to Standard Deviation • H7
Good Intentions and Virtue Signaling: What is meaningful support to a scene affected by war?
This panel will centre the ways to provide meaningful support to a scene affected by war. Taking part in the conversation will be Ukrainian cultural scene representatives Tanya Voytko and Nastya Zamorska, and Odesa-based artist undo despot, who will join in via a video call. Basing on personal experience of the speakers, this talk will concern the Ukrainian music scene in particular.
After more than a year of the Russian full-scale invasion, it still proves to be challenging to find ways of supporting those who remain in Ukraine by need or by choice. However, it is obvious that that's where help is most needed. We will speak about how virtue signalling, tokenism and eurocentrism differ from support, exchange and active engagement, while exploring the ways to help and uphold the voices of those who are creating culture under missiles and bombs.
With:
undo despot
Tanya Voytko
Moderators:
Paul Georg
Nastya Zamorska
10h30 —12h30
Workshop • Hôtel71
Building an Eco-responsible Soundsystem
How to get the most people dancing with the least amount of energy used? This is the question that the engineers of Pikip Solar Speakers asked themselves, in order to build a solar and mobile soundsystem with a high acoustic pressure. Or how to reinvent the loudspeaker, by mixing electro-acoustic common sense, energy autonomy and object design. In this workshop, participants will learn the techniques to build an eco-responsible soundsystem, from design to transport and power systems.
With:
Jean-Paul Deniaud (Pioche! France)
Julien Feuillet (PIKIP SOLAR SPEAKERS, France)
10h30 —12h30
Workshop • H7
Building your Own Community Radio
The co-founders of Refuge Worldwide, a radio station and educational platform based in Berlin, will discuss how to set up a radio station, what it means to make radio in 2023, what the day-to-day operations look like and some of the challenges you might face. Expect an interactive workshop session with a strong focus on building a community around your project.
With:
Richard Akingbehin (Refuge Worldwide, Germany)
George Patrick (Refuge Worldwide, Germany)
10h30 —12h30
Workshop • Hôtel71
How to get started in field recording with Shouka
Are you a fan of ambient music or sampling? From sampling real sounds to capturing background noise, using recorders, knowing your equipment and understanding the mechanics of sound, this workshop will introduce you to the techniques and culture of field recording.
With:
Khalil Epi (Shouka I France)
13h00 — 15h00
Radio Lab • HEAT
Carte blanche to Radio Béguin
Free
Talk: Electronic music and cultural appropriation, creation without exploitation
Cultural appropriation is a controversial concept, associated with a lack of respect for so-called “minority” cultures and synonymous with humiliation, exploitation and provocation. Electronic music is an inherently hybrid art form that is bursting with influences drawn from cultures around the world. Increasingly, people are speaking out against cultural appropriation at a time when cultures and traditions are being mined to generate profits, while their creators are denied appropriate forms of recognition and compensation. How can we avoid the pitfalls of cultural appropriation and place the correct value on musical heritage? What is the difference between appropriation and appreciation? What action can we take to ensure that the music industry represents different cultures in a respectful and fair way?
With:
Pedro Bertho (DJ, Brasil / France)
Amine Metani (Shouka I France / Tunisia)
Laissonsluciefaire (artist I France)
Moderator : Camille Viguié (Radio Béguin, France)
15h00 — 16h15
Talk • HEAT
Impact(s) and Future of Independent Music Journalism
Free of charge, registering is recommended
Electronic music has long relied on independent journalism to document and contextualize its history. While the mainstream media has for decades latched on to the most outlandish aspects of the culture, amplifying tales of wild youth and unchecked debauchery, independent outlets have generally taken a more nuanced approach, evaluating the genre on its own terms and seeking out its place in the larger sociopolitical narrative. Driven largely by passion, that effort has rarely been a highly profitable endeavor, and given the tumultuous state of contemporary media, it’s become harder than ever for independent outlets to stay afloat. Amidst that instability, questions have arisen about the continued value of independent cultural journalism, particularly in a time when social media has opened up discussions to a litany of new voices and the wider culture has become oversaturated with content offerings. What exactly does independent media bring to cultural discourse, and how is independent even defined now that electronic music has blossomed into a global, multibillion-euro industry? Do the efforts of independent media outlets to platform particular narratives, artists, communities and viewpoints have a real-world impact?
With:
Rachel Grace Almeida (Crack Magazine, UK)
Joel Penney (media sociologist, USA)
Kwame Safo (Mixmag Blackout, UK)
Tanya Voytko (cultural actor and journalist, UA)
Moderator: Shawn Reynaldo (First Floor, ES/USA)
16h45 — 18h00
Talk • H7
Post-colonial Narratives: the New Voices of Cultural Independence
Free of charge, registering is recommended
The colonial legacies of the European continent compel it to examine the cultural domination it has exerted on the world. Few cultural scenes seek to deconstruct the persistent colonial representations in today's media and cultural industries, despite their shaping of our perspectives and ways of life. The war waged by Russia against Ukraine has reignited discussions on the decolonization of culture in Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, in the West, Portugal faces a resurgence of debates on the subject, including the toppling of statues and discussions. In Lisbon, Canal180 led a workshop on this theme in October 2022 as part of the European network Reset!, bringing together several actors from the independent scene to discuss and propose solutions for rethinking how the cultural sector responds to this challenge. These exchanges invite us to also reinvent our relationship with the rest of the world, to build more virtuous and respectful cultural relationships with others.
In partnership with Canal180.
With:
Mariana Berezovska (Borshch Magazine, Ukraine)
Jesualdo Lopes (The Blacker The Berry Project, Portugal)
Joana Seguro (Canal180, Portugal)
Moderator: Christine Kakaire (Journalist, Germany)
17h30 — 21h30
Radio Lab • HEAT
Carte blanche to Refuge Worldwide
Free
For this last day of Nuits sonores Lab, the Berlin-based webradio Refuge Worldwide is taking over Radio Lab! 4 hours of exchanges, debates and discussions connected to the major issues that cross the contemporary artistic scene, from the role of webradios in the current cultural ecosystem to the highlighting of artists forgotten in the history of music.
Listening session 1: Tzusing
[5:30pm — 6:20pm]
With:
Tzusing (DJ and producer, Malaysia)
Talk: Electronic Music as a Language of Resistance
[6:30pm — 7:30pm]
Refuge Worldwide’s co-founder Richard Akingbehin discusses electronic music’s relationship to resistance and activism with journalists Mariana Berezovska and Rachel Almeida. They will each share a favorite piece of electronic protest music and discuss the numerous complex issues surrounding the topic. For example: do DJs have an obligation to be politically engaged? Are dance floors becoming too escapist to be a suitable space for activism? Are community hubs, like radio stations, replacing the dance floor as the centre of electronic music’s resistance?
With:
Rachel Grace Almeida (Crack Magazine, United-Kingdom)
Mariana Berezovska (Borshch Magazine, Ukraine)
Listening session 2: "Unsung Heroes" with Funk Butcher
[7:40pm — 8:30pm]
Have you ever wondered about the unsung heroes of the electronic music scene? The ones who may not have achieved the same level of notoriety as some of their peers, but whose contributions have been just as important to the genre's development? This exchange proposed by Funk Butcher and Richard Akingbehin will be highlighting a few tracks from these "unsung heroes" and sharing their thoughts on why they believe they deserve more attention.
With:
Funk Butcher (Mixmag Blackout, UK)
Moderators: Richard Akingbehin (Refuge Worldwide, Germany)
George Patrick (Refuge Worldwide, Germany)
Talk : Webradios, witnesses of our scenes
[8:40pm — 9:30pm]
They are springing up all over Europe, shaping local scenes as much as they crystallize their dynamism: in a few years, web radio stations have established themselves as essential media for the musical landscape of different cities.
This talk aims to share the good practices of webradios, such as Refuge Worldwide or Radio béguin, to better understand their functioning and to build bridges between these media scattered all over the continent but also part of the same independent media community.
With:
Richard Akingbehin (Refuge Wordlwide I Germany)
George Patrick (Refuge Wordlwide I Germany)
Camille Viguié (Radio Béguin I France)
Modération : Ieva Gudaityté (Université d'Oslo, Lituanie)
18h00 — 22h00
HEAT
DJ-sets
Jana Woodstock
[8:40pm — 10:00pm]
18h30 — 19h30
H7
Regional Sound Heritage and Electronic music
Free of charge, registering is recommended
From Morocco to Isère, there is an abundance of traditional sound heritage, often originating at the grassroots level. By showcasing the oral practice of ancient songs, whose authors and performers are often unknown, we are able to revive regional languages that have been forgotten or erased by colonialism, centralisation or cultural standardisation. For example, singer Widad Mjamid is interested in Aïta (a Moroccan word meaning cry, appeal or lament), a traditional and poetic form of song mostly performed by women. Deena Abdelwahed, a Tunisian DJ and electronic music producer, explores Arab music in all its diversity, influenced as much by club music as by today’s experimental scene. At the same time, in the Rhône-Alpes region, the work of the Centre des Musiques Traditionnelles Rhône-Alpes (CMTRA) aims to recognise and disseminate immigrant music and oral culture. These are the practices that will be presented to us by Loup Uberto, a multitalented musician who works to promote regional sound heritage in Isère, and film-maker Priscilla Telmon (Petites Planètes, Territoires). By reappropriating these traditional practices, artists are fighting back against cultural appropriation and claiming the roots and plural identities of the sound heritage of their homelands.
With;
Deena Abdelwahed (DJ and activist, Tunisia)
Widad Mjama (Shouka, Marocco)
Priscilla Telmon (Filmmaker, artist I France)
Loup Uberto (artist I France)
Moderator: Lama Kabbanji (IRD I France)
Speakers
Widad Mjama (Shouka I Marocco)
Vlad Fisun (Journalist I Ukraine)
Vitalii Nemchenko (20ft Radio I Ukraine)
Tzusing (DJ & producer I China)
Tanya Voytko (Journalist I Ukraine)
Stakhan (DJ I France)
Shawn Reynaldo(First Floor I Spain / United-States)
Richard Akingbehin (Refuge Worldwide I Germany)
Rachel Grace Almeida (Crack Magazine I United-Kingdom)
Pedro Bertho (DJ I Brasil / France)
Patrick Boucheron (Historian I France)
Nino Davadze (Mutant Radio I Georgia)
Nastia (DJ I UA)
Mehdi Maïzi (Journaliste, Head of Hip Hop Apple Music I France)
Loup Uberto (artist I France)
Liese Kingma (Space of Urgency I Netherlands)
Khalil Epi (artist I France)
Katarina Gryvul (Artist & producer I Ukraine)
Julie Knibbe (CNM I France)
Joel Penney (Sociologist I United-States)
Jennifer Cardini (DJ & producer I France)
Ieva Gudaityté (Oslo University I Lituania)
Georgia Taglietti (Reset! network I Spain)
George Patrick (Refuge Worldwide I Germany)
Dorian Meeùs (Reset I Belgium)
Deena Abdelwahed (DJ & activist I Tunisia)
David Townsend (TownRock Energy I United-Kingdom)
Christine Kakaire (Journalist I Germany)
Bogomir Doringer (Dance of Urgency I Serbia)
Amine Metani (Shouka I France / Tunisia)
Partners
