10 Must-See International Acts at Metropolis

DJ Shadow - Thursday

Joshua Paul Davis is the real name of San Francisco-based DJ Shadow, a man who has proved to be one of the most innovative producers and DJs working in the business for the last 20 years. Shadow’s extensive record collection - he’s rumoured to have as many as 60,000 stored in his basement - is a testament to his genre-defying oeuvre; he has worked with everyone from Radiohead to Kool G Rap and his style is influenced by soul, funk, experimental, electronic and jazz. He’s simultaneously celebrating the 20th birthday of his classic debut, Entroducing, and the release of new album, The Mountain Will Fall.

SBTRKT - Friday

SBTRKT is the wondrous electronic project lead by English man Aaron Jerome. The reclusive leader normally performs on stage wearing native society ceremonial masks to cover his face. He received significant attention for his self-titled album back in 2011 during the rise of dubstep. Since then, Jerome has ventured into more experimental terrain and earlier in 2016 he announced a digital ‘non album’, which aims to bring new tracks to fans as quickly as possible. His DJ set is guaranteed to include some wonderful surprises!

Paul Kalkbrenner - Saturday

The German house producer stormed the main stage on the final day of Life Festival in May and now he’s back in Ireland again. Kalkbrenner’s method of breaking down his tracks into elements and re-assembling them onstage makes him essentially a live act. He’s known for mixing tradition with innovation; his song ‘Feed Your Head’ features a stripped back drum-kit and an uplifting string arrangement coupled with the lyrics of Jefferson Airplane’s iconic 60s hit ‘White Rabbit’. Also expect to hear the Berliner’s genius reworking of Leonard Cohen’s ‘You Want It Darker’.

Jack Garratt - Friday

Garratt is the British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who refined his musical style for years before releasing his debut album, Phase, last year to strong reviews. His lilting, Sam Smith-esque vocals and lyrical dexterity make him a stand-out choice as one of the top acts for Metropolis; add to this the fact that he’s proved himself as an accomplished electronic music producer and you’ll see for yourself that he’s the real deal.

The Sugarhill Gang - Saturday

Namechecked by the likes of Kanye, Jay Z and Sean Combs, the New Jersey crew are one of the founding fathers of hip hop having formed way back in 1973 when the term had yet to be coined. This year, having resolved some serious legal difficulties, the surviving members of the original Gang embarked on their first world tour in over a decade. While best-known for their Chic-assisted mega-hit, ‘Rapper’s Delight’, they’ve a whole set-full of crowd-pleasers and the ability to make even the most immobile of bottoms wiggle. Required viewing for fans of Netflix’s The Get Down who’ve frankly been sold a bit of a historical pup by Baz Luhrmann.

Crystal Castles - Saturday

If you’ve witnessed the Canadians live before, you don’t need to be told why you should go see them again. Furious, raucous, sweaty and chaotic, a Crystal Castles show is less a performance than it is a musical frenzy. Fears were genuine when lead singer Alice Glass left the duo in 2015 (it seemed that their appeal hinged on her live energy), but a more than able replacement has been found in the pixie-cropped shape of Edith Frances. New album Amnesty (I) is a synthpunk stunner!

Booka Shade - Saturday

One of the most celebrated house acts to come out of Europe in recent memory, the Frankfurt duo have earned a huge reputation for their innovative shows, being named in the world’s Top 5 live acts by Resident Advisor. In the last couple of years Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier have opened for Depeche Mode in Tel Aviv, headlined the Gobi Stage at Coachella, and played to sold-out audiences across Europe. Metropolis-goers will be treated to a ‘reimagining’ of their Movements album, which tore up the house rulebook when it was released a decade ago.

Fatima Yamaha - Saturday

Fatima Yamaha is one of the many alter-egos of Dutch producer and artist Bas Bron. Already a success story in the Lowlands under the moniker of Bastian, Bron’s track ‘What a Girl To Do?’ was simmering under the surface for years before it was discovered and played by the likes of Hudson Mohawke and Jackmaster, earning him legions of new fans. More recently, the producer has been making waves throughout Europe with his sensory overloading Imaginary Lines tour.

Moderat - Friday

The Berlin electronic trio’s ranks comprise of Sascha Ring (also a solo DJ under the name Apparat), and Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary, who make up the Modeselektor duo. Much like their fellow countrymen Booka Shade, Moderat are renowned for their live performances, incorporating an intense, atmospheric light show into their set. They’ve released a trilogy of critically-acclaimed house albums over the past six years, which have been repeatedly bigged up by Thom Yorke.

Mount Kimbie

The English duo of Kai Campos and Dom Maker have since their 2008 inception become a shining example of modern electronic music’s shifting landscape. Known for experimentation, their second album Cold Springs Fault Less Youth is a veritable masterclass in minimalist post-dubstep. Record number three is in the works and no doubt they’ll be bringing us a host of new music when they join DJ Shadow and Kormac for the opening night party.