What’s Next in Music? is an international showcase festival and conference on innovations and new opportunities in the European music industry. It is organised by the Lithuanian music business association, held annually in early September in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. A significant part of What’s Next in Music? is the music festival Loftas Fest, a city powered urban festival with two nights dedicated to new European acts and contemporary urban art. In addition, the festival hosts a Europavox stage with artists from more than 10 Europe countries.
Europavox
Since 2006, Europavox is a pan European collaborative music project entirely dedicated to the promotion of European cultural diversity. Extending over a 4-year-period, “Europavox” project is structured around three main activities, each contributing to promote European musical diversity, improvement and innovation in professional practices and public uses. 7 partners, including “Loftas” (Lithuania) and “WUK” (Austria), provide a selection of 400 European bands to bring together European youth around an international and interactive live music experience. Only 7 acts have the additional chance and opportunity to get involved in the Europavox Export Coaching Program for more than one year. Those talented European artists and their professional entourage will thus benefit from Europavox professional network to build up a career outside of their national borders. Performing in Vilnius are among others Teme Tan (BE), Super Besse (BY), Carnival Youth (LV) and Lysistrata (FR).
Austrian Artists in Vilnius
5K HD
5K HD – the moniker of Austrian jazz band Kompost 3 and singer Mira Lu Kovacs – combines jazz, sound experiments, pop, and cinematic surprises. The all-star band released its debut “And To In A” to international critical acclaim in 2017, followed by lauded performances at Eurosonic Noorderslag and Ment Ljubljana. 5K HD will perform on Saturday, September 8, 20:45 at the Europavox Stage.
Hearts Hearts
Hearts Hearts were formed in Vienna by David Österle, Daniel Hämmerle, Johannes Mandorfer and Peter Paul Aufreiter in 2012. After releasing their debut “Young” and playing shows all over Europe, including Reeperbahn Festival, The Great Escape and Eurosonic Noorderslag, Hearts Hearts soon started to work on their sophomore album “Goods / Gods”. Their widened approach to disparate musical genres became the key element in the creation of eleven new songs. The band has cracked and evolved their electronic ballads and downbeat pop into something far more sonically expansive and emotionally soulful, driven by higher energy and a growing array of influences. The band will perform on Saturday, September 8, 20.40 at the What’s Next in Music? Live Stage/Loftas Fest.