DECIBEL OPEN AIR UNVEILS LINEUP, LOCATION AND DAY SPLITS

Saturday, September 9th and Sunday, September 10th, 2023 is when the best of electronic music returns to Florence with Decibel Open Air, following the sold-out Easter Edition and the 2022 edition, which brought over 50,000 people to the Tuscan capital, 30% of whom came from abroad.

The Italian and international growth of Decibel Open Air continues with a new location of over 100,000 square meters, more accessible and capable of improving services and logistics, located in the metropolitan city of Florence, at Via Lucchese 161 in Sesto Fiorentino, just three kilometers from Peretola Airport and a few minutes from the historic center of the Tuscan capital.

Paul Kalkbrenner returns to Decibel Open Air for the third time. The German artist has had a significant impact on the history of electronic music with his twelve albums, his cult film "Berlin Calling" and its accompanying soundtrack, his live performance in front of the Brandenburg Gate for the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (with over 500,000 spectators), and much more.

Few artists are having a global impact on music like the Korean artist Peggy Gou. Among the many gems in her artistic journey is the 2019 compilation "DJ-Kicks!"—a collection reserved only for the best DJs on the planet. It is a demonstration of class and strength at the same time, a selection that spans time and space, encompassing disco, house, techno, electro, with tracks dating back to 1983. Her new single, "(It Goes Like) Na Na Na," has recently been released, anticipating the album scheduled for release by the end of the year.

Less than 60 days before the event, Decibel Open Air has revealed the final lineup and the day-to-day and stage-by-stage schedule. Here it is:

Saturday, September 9th, 2023

Peggy Gou, Moderat, Boris Brejcha, Camelphat, Meduza, Dov'è Liana, Speaking Minds (Jäger stage); Nico Moreno, I Hate Models, 999999999, Trym, Luca Agnelli, Indira Paganotto, Mattia Trani, Mrphn, Cora Kerj (Resonance stage); WhoMadeWho, Folamour, Brina Knauss, Pôngo, Fivep, Paco S Less (Zamna stage).

Sunday, September 10th, 2023

Amelie Lens, Salmo, Paul Kalkbrenner, Lazza, Olympe, Malandra Jr (Jäger stage); Jamie Jones B2B Loco Dice, Ilario Alicante, Amémé, Marco Faraone, Honeyluv, Earthlife, The Florentian Cabaret (Social Music City stage); Dyen, Anfisa Letyago, Charlie Sparks, Klangkuenstler, Adiel, Daria Kolosova, Raven, Sara Mozzillo (Resonance stage).

HARD EVENTS ANNOUNCES HARD PREGAME FOOD & BEVERAGE COLLABORATIONS, PLUS NIGHT MARKET WITH GRAND CENTRAL MARKET AHEAD OF HARD SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

FEATURED LA FOOD & BEVERAGE PARTNERS INCLUDE THE BIGG CHILL, CAFE DULCE, FAT SAL’S, HIFI KITCHEN AND LOVE HOUR

HARD SUMMER AND GRAND CENTRAL MARKET PRESENT NIGHT MARKET ON JULY 21
317 S BROADWAY, LOS ANGELES, CA 90013
8:00PM – 12:00AM

HARD Events has announced a series of food and beverage collaborations, along with a pop-up night market event in collaboration with Grand Central Market, in celebration of HARD Summer Music Festival’s return to Los Angeles this August 5-6. Ahead of its monumental 15th edition, HARD has teamed up with some of Los Angeles’ favorite food and beverage vendors to present the ultimate HARD Pregame for fans of all tastes.

HARD Pregame offerings include food collaborations with Fat Sal’s on The Fat HARD Attack sandwich including pulled pork, mac and cheese bites, and fried pickles, along with Love Hour on a HARD Smash Combo specialty chili burger combo with curly fries and FatBoy ice cream sandwich, and HiFi Kitchen on The HARD Summersilog which includes chicken adobo, beef tapa, and talib kawali over garlic rice topped with two sunny eggs and their "Joints & Jams" drink which is a Hibiscus Kalamansi Fresca. HiFi Kitchen will also offer a vegan option with kali tofu, adobo, greenbeans, and eggplant bistek. HARD will have a Not So “HARD” Summer lemonade on the Cafe Dulce menu and a dessert with The Bigg Chill on The HARD Summer Sundae.

Each of these products will be available at its corresponding store from July 17-August 13.

HARD Summer has also announced a pop-up event in collaboration with Grand Central Market taking place July 21 from 8:00pm to 12:00am and open to the public. Activities will include surprise pop up DJ sets to soundtrack the night, over twenty food and beverage vendors, cocktails, a flea market, games, tattoo artist, photobooths, and much more. This is the first installment of Night Market, a brand new series introduced by Grand Central Market this summer, which has over 100 years of history, brand recognition, and community support from and throughout Los Angeles.

HARD Summer Music Festival will utilize a brand new venue combination with various stages spread out across the campuses of the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Exposition Park, and BMO Stadium.

The festival lineup includes Skrillex b2b Four Tet, Kaskade b2b John Summit, 21 Savage, Kid Cudi, Diplo b2b BLOND:ISH, Dillon Francis, Black Coffee, MK b2b Sonny Fodera, The Martinez Brothers, Ludacris, Bicep (Live), Giolì & Assia, Oliver Tree, Fat Joe, Gorgon City, Kayzo b2b Sullivan King, Boys Noize, Emo Nite, Netsky, Blossom, SIPPY, and many more. HARD Summer has also announced the stage by stage lineups for its five stages - Pink, Purple, Green, HARDER, and HARD.

HARD Summer continues to invest in creating a comfortable experience for attendees, with this never-before-used venue complex providing the perfect canvas to expand this mission. Fans can hop on the LA Metro for an easy journey to and from the event, or taste some of the city’s most celebrated food vendors at the foot of the Coliseum Torch.

HARD Summer has also announced official afterparties and pre-parties taking place at a variety of key venues in Los Angeles including Exchange LA, Academy LA, The Belasco, 930 Mateo St Warehouse, 1720, and Sunset at Edition with various parties on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Remaining tickets are currently available via HARD Summer’s official website.

PAUL KALKBRENNER SHARES GROUNDBREAKING VIDEO “SCHWER”

Creative Agency Mother Berlin Uses Cutting Edge 4D Volumetric Video Capture Technology
Kalkbrenner’s First New Song in 2 Years 

Independent Creative Agency Mother Berlin partners with award-winning director Jovan Todorović and production company BWGTBLD to bring techno icon Paul Kalkbrenner’s new single to life with a groundbreaking music video. The track, “Schwer,” Kalkbrenner’s first release since 2021, takes inspiration from the German word “Fremdkörper“ or foreign body, which is used as the film concept. 

“Schwer” builds as an ongoing loop of scenes we all know from our daily lives. Each appears completely normal at first, but every time we revisit a scene the content slightly alters, building an arc from normal life to complete absurdity. The camera moves through these scenes, making the viewers wonder if what they see is real or not. All empty backgrounds of the video are shot throughout Berlin to which the characters are added. 

Rather than using actors, digital technology was deployed to render 4D-volumetric people in place. This used 42 camera capture to lock the motion of each person, making it possible to be used as a 3D element within the final film. The technology allowed each scene to be a canvas, where we could paint carefully created compositions that match the part of the songs and the overall arc of the video. Anima, the AI-powered design-to-code software, was behind the work, which is usually deployed for architectural visualizations but was repurposed for this project. 

For the cover art, the concept of the video was expanded with a shot of Paul Kalkbrenner being recorded in the 4D-volumetric-scanner, holding his hands over his face and covering his eyes. A moment that can be interpreted in many ways - from disbelief to hilarious laughter. Shutting himself off from the reality around him.

Commenting on the film, Paul Kalkbrenner said: “Incredible. This volucap technology is really another level. I feel very privileged to be able to work with Jovan, Mother Berlin, BWGTBLD, and everyone else involved in this video. It couldn't be more on point.”

“Schwer,” as its English translation suggests (hard/heavy/tough), is a hulking track suited for the massive stages that Paul Kalkbrenner is most familiar with. A minimal but dancefloor-ready synth line takes the lead while calculated hi-hats tick like clockwork at a cool 131 beats per minute. The track is unequivocally PK, leaning into his well-established sound for his first independent release following his stint with Sony Music. 

Over the past two decades, Kalkbrenner has built a reputation unlike any other electronic music artist, releasing 8 albums, headlining stadiums typically reserved for rockstars, and creating a transcendent journey with his live performances using only his own music. An uncompromising talent whose career remains intertwined with techno, Paul’s pioneering ideas have cemented his position as a figurehead of his generation. In 2023, Paul is back on the festival circuit, bringing his unique live show for performances across both weekends of Tomorrowland in Boom, Belgium (and Tomorrowland Brazil), as well as several stops in Ibiza and a homecoming show at Berlin Wuhlheide. 

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