Robot Festival

Five years marked by continuity. This is Robot Festival, born in 2008 in the shadow of Bologna's two towers. It was Pan Sonic and their technoid outbursts who christened it. Now Robot has grown up, reaching a scale that goes well beyond national borders. A festival of electronic music and digital arts, it has always been defined by a multifaceted approach to digital culture, to how these worlds relate to one another, to how they merge into a single creature. Workshops, concerts, DJ sets, VJ sets. All of it set against splendid backdrops such as Palazzo Re Enzo or the Teatro Comunale in Piazza Verdi, or in clubs with strong historical ties to Bologna: Link, Cassero, Tpo or Kindergarten. The people at Shape – the organisers – have always wanted to do things properly. Steady growth and ever more interesting, substantial line-ups have made Bologna a new focal point for understanding where the digital arts are headed – and us along with them.

In Italy we've always suffered from a certain deficit in this regard, but a new wave of interest around these fields is gaining momentum – Club To Club has now reached full maturity, as have Dancity and Flussi. In recent years we've been able to admire artists of the calibre of Carl Craig, Moritz Von Oswald, Francesco Tristano, Byetone, Seth Troxler, Jon Hopkins, Cassius, Atom Tm, Elektro Guzzi, King Midas Sound, Dani Siciliano, Deniz Kurtel, Bjork Torske, Sbtrkt, Maceo Plex, Who Made Who, Maya Jane Coles and many others.

But this edition, now just around the corner – running from 10 to 13 October – probably marks the highest point reached by Robot so far. After last Thursday's thrilling preview with the Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto concert at the Teatro Comunale, this year's line-up borders on the miraculous. It all kicks off with the synthetic drones of Oneohtrix Point Never, before continuing the following evening with one of the rising stars of Italian music – Furtherset – alongside the vividly colourful disco of Tiger & Woods.

The prodigious Thursday will carry on with the smoky atmospheres of Hype Williams, and the Nathan Fake–James Holden combo from Border Community.

Friday too will soar to great heights, between the live set from Gold Panda and Vessel, before moving on to the Link for an exceptional triple bill: Scuba, Ben Klock and Marcell Dettmann.

Saturday, finally, will unfold between history – Plaid live and Francesco Tristano on piano – and the future – Soul Clap and Wolf+Lamb.

In short, four days not to be missed. Only by taking part – and we at OndaRock are giving away a great pass right here – will it be possible to stir a few consciences. We'll obviously be there and we'll tell you all about it. It's shaping up to be one of the standout events of this tail end of 2012.

10 OCTOBER | ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER

11 OCTOBER | TIGER & WOODS + JAMES HOLDEN + HYPE WILLIAMS + NATHAN FAKE + FURTHERSET

BOLOGNA | PALAZZO RE ENZO + LINK + TPO 

Ride the wave of great music

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