May 24, 2012

The 9th annual Decibel International Festival of Electronic Music Performance, Visual Art and New Media has been announced, featuring headliners Kimbra, Carl Craig, Matthew Dear, Fennesz, John Talabot, Ariel Pink, and Actress, Nina Kraviz, and Baths.

In addition to the headlining acts above, the festival will feature such heavy-hitters as Dragonette, Emancipator, and Yppah. Click here for the first 60 musical acts announced.

Following the “artist a day” approach, the rest of the musical lineup (60 more acts out of 120) will be announced on June 27 with the entire program of educational programs, film festival, after-parties and boat-parties announced on July 11th. To reward attendees who purchase passes early, tickets will be discounted by 25% through June 26th.

Please visit The Decibel Festival website for more information and to purchase tickets.

In year nine, The Decibel International Festival of Electronic Music Performance, Visual Art and New Media is quickly becoming the SXSW of the swelling cultural phenomena that is electronic music. The Seattle based festival expects to hit 30k attendees this year with over 170 artists from 19 different countries, plus 72 educational speakers, making Decibel Festival an oracle for the growth of the entire international electronic music scene. The entire festival takes place over a five day period at over 14 venues in Seattle, Washington.

NOTE FROM THE DECIBEL FESTIVAL CURATOR AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR

In 2003, I founded Decibel Festival with the mission to redefine underground electronic music and visual art as a unified performance medium, while establishing the Pacific Northwest as a vital hub for electronic music culture in the United States. At the time, “laptop performance” was still shrouded in mystery and most electronic music performance consisted of turntables, CDJs, and a mixer. Electronic music in America had receded from the rave boom back to small communities of loyalists caring more about the music itself than its potential to generate revenue or fan base. This has been the community that has supported Decibel from day one and I’m thrilled they are still at the heart of Decibel today.

Fast forward to 10 years and electronic music is pervasive in nearly every facet of mainstream American culture and we continue to have mixed emotions regarding this surge. As avid supporters, performers, producers, and fans of electronic music for over 20 years, we can’t help but feel nostalgic for a time when underground warehouse parties and independent record stores were the predominant outlet for electronic music discovery.

As much as the digital age has brought many advantages, it’s important to remember how we got here and what it means. It’s a balance between technology and creativity; innovation and nostalgia; popularity and obscurity. With each year I hope to build a program that encompasses all of these elements while retaining the integrity of a festival known for pushing the boundaries of both art and science.

Looking at our continued growth from our inaugural festival of 2,500 attendees in 2004 to 23,000+ attendees in 2011, I am faced with the challenge of assembling a compelling program that captures our past, present, and future. Although we’re only mid-way through announcing this year’s line-up, I believe that 2012 will be our most ambitious program. Based on the initial list of artists below we already have our most diverse program to date. This includes a strong international presence with 19 countries represented as well as 25% of the line-up featuring female artists, which is a historically high number based on other electronic music festivals. In addition, Decibel is continuing to embrace a wide spectrum of genres, venues, and activities designed to entertain, educate, and inspire attendees regardless of age or background. 2012 festival pass holders will be treated to 34 audio/visual showcases, an outdoor event, a three-day conference, and a film festival. In addition, Decibel will be co-curating and co-producing eight after-parties and five boat-parties, none of which will conflict with the festival schedule. As you begin to look at what we have in store this year, I encourage you all to dig deep into our new website and explore a festival filled with discovery, decadence, beauty, emotion, and unbridled entertainment start to finish.

Much more to come. Hope to see you in September!
Sean Patrick Horton, -Founder, Curator and Creative Director

VENUES
The Paramount Theatre : 911 Pine St
Showbox SoDo : 1700 1st Avenue South
Showbox at The Market : 1426 1st Ave
Neumos : 925 E. Pike St
The Nordstrom Recital Hall : 200 University St
The Crocodile : 2202 2nd Ave
Broadway Performance Hall : 1625 Broadway
Melrose Market Studios : 1532 Minor St
The Baltic Room : 1207 Pine St
Re-Bar : 1114 Howell St
The Triple Door : 216 Union St
Barboza : 925 E. Pike St
The Islander Cruise Ship : 1611 Fairview Ave E
+ MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

PARTNERS
4Culture
Abstract Earth Project
Alga Rhythms
Bookr
City Arts
The Confluence
90.3 KEXP
Ictimus
Rane
Red Bull Music Academy
Resident Advisor
Rockstar Digital
Starborne
The Stranger
Surefire Agency
The W Seattle (Official Hotel of the Decibel Festival)
XLR8R
+ MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

ONLINE AT
Decibel website
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