Excitement levels were running high last month when it was announced that Norway’s Ulver were the first band to be confirmed for Dark Mofo, the annual festival hosted by Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Now, excitement levels have risen once again with the 2017 lineup now having been officially announced.
Returning for its fifth year, Hobart’s Dark Mofo festival is one of the most talked about boutique festivals in Australia. The winter festival has gained a well-deserved reputation for its intriguingly eclectic lineups, and for its ability to bring some of the most interesting and innovative artists to our fine country.
This year’s festival sees exclusive performances from Scottish post-rock headliners Mogwai, German industrial pioneers Einstürzende Neubauten, and the already announced Ulver performing twice, including a performance of Messe IX-VI.X with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
Other performances of note include experimental outfit Xiu Xiu performing Angelo Badalamenti’s score to the cult TV series Twin Peaks, A.B. Original supported by Thelma Plum, and Ancient Rain, a collaboration between Aussie music legend Paul Kelly, Irish singer Camille O’Sullivan, and pianist and composer Feargal Murray, performing songs inspired by 100 years of Irish letters.
Additionally, metal-lovers may also be thoroughly intrigued by the Hymns To The Dead performance, which sees a number of infamous groups including Taake, British grindcore and black metal group Anaal Nathrakh, Grave Miasma, Barshasketh, and Australian favourites Mournful Congregation, all performing as part of the same performance.
In addition to the eclectic experimentation of the aforementioned acts, art-lovers are also well catered for, with an immense lineup of performance art occurring throughout the event, including performances and works by Chris Levine, Hermann Nitsch, and Mike Parr. Likewise, a mixture of art and music is seen through Borderlands, a musical and cinematic collaboration between Swedsh producer Klara Lewis, ex-Nine Inch Nails member Alessandro Cortini, US musician Grouper, and Australian composer and media artist Lawrence English.
The festival takes place between June 8th and 26th, and is so full of amazing performances that we can only begin to scratch the surface here. Check out the lineup below, but be sure to check out the Dark Mofo website for more information.
Dark Mofo 2017
Mogwai (Scotland)
Einstürzende Neubauten
Ulver (Norway)
Ulver & Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra performing Messe IX-VI.X
Welcome Stranger
Red Bull Music Academy: Transliminal
Ancient Rain
+ Paul Kelly
+ Camille O’Sullivan (Ireland/UK)
+ Feargal Murray (Scotland/UK)
Hymns To The Dead:
+ Taake (Norway)
+ Anaal Nathrakh (UK)
+ Barshasketh (UK)
+ Grave Miasma (New Zealand/Scotland)
+ Mournful Congregation
Buried Country
A.B. Original
Thelma Plum
Sophie Hutchings
Borderlands:
+ Alessandro Cortini (Italy)
+ Klara Lewis (Sweden)
+ Grouper (USA)
+ Lawrence English
Xiu Xiu plays the Music of Twin Peaks (USA)
Luke Howard & Tilman Robinson
Silence: Strings Of The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Art:
Chris Levine (GBR)
Hermann Nitsch (Austria)
Mike Parr
Sound of Silence: Alfredo Jaar (USA/Chile)
Siren Song: Byron J Scullin + Supple Fox
Sleeping Beauty: Victorian Opera & Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Ogoh-ogoh: The Purging & The Burning
The Second Woman: Nat Randall
Radio Gothic
The Dark Chorus: Lucy Guerin Inc
Dark Mofo 2017
June 8th-26th
The festival takes place at various locations around Hobart.
Presale starts Monday April 10 at 10am, tickets on sale Tuesday April 11
Tickets available from the Dark Mofo website.
