The Red Bull Music Academy will return to New York City this spring for a festival series that stretches throughout the entire month of May. Organizers with RBMA are planning to throw a total of 15 events, including: performances by Panda Bear and Hudson Mohawke, a public lecture from D’Angelo(!), a star-studded tribute to Nigerian funk musician William Onyeabor, and a record fair done in conjunction with Brooklyn Flea.
Some more details:
- On May 2 and 3, Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House will host “Atomic Bomb! The Music Of William Onyeabor,” a two-day showcase that features David Byrne, Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke, ex-LCD Soundsystem member Pat Mahoney, and more playing songs by Onyeabor, a visionary of synth-funk.
- The Brooklyn Flea Record Fair takes place at the East River State Park on May 10, and promises DJ sets from Autre Ne Veut, Optimo, Tanlines’ Jesse Cohen, and more.
- The Haxan Cloak will make his debut U.S. performance on May 10 at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, when he contributes the soundtrack to “Lumière,” an audio/visual show by Monolake founder Robert Henke.
- “Hardcore Activity in Progress” takes over the Knockdown Center in Queens on May 16. The show is billed as “a thunderdome of noise from all corners,” and will boast appearances by Tim Hecker, Gunplay, Napalm Death, Wolf Eyes, and many more.
- Panda Bear (who is hard at work on the follow-up to 2011’s Tomboy) will play a gig at Brooklyn’s Warsaw venue on May 18.
- D’Angelo will visit the Brooklyn Museum on May 21 to give an intimate public lecture reflecting on his creative process and career.
- Hudson Mohawke and “special guests” will commandeer Webster Hall for a May 28 performance.
Find additional information on those events and more on the RBMA website. Last year’s NYC showcase highlighted happenings with James Murphy, Brian Eno, and Kim Gordon, among others. RBMA also filmed a documentary, What Difference Does It Make?, during the 2013 festival. The film features interviews with Murphy, Eno, Nile Rodgers, Q-Tip, Giorgio Moroder, and Erykah Badu, and is streaming online.
