Search Results for: festival nrmal

El festival de música independiente celebró su onceava edición.

“La cantidad y variedad de propuestas musicales es, sin duda, una de las grandes virtudes del festival Nrmal, que atrae a una gran variedad de personas que se unen con el propósito de escuchar buena música, descubrir nuevas propuestas y pasar un buen rato.”

“¿Cómo es este festival? La pregunta brota de inmediato. Se trata de algo que se diferencia del resto, más allá de la obviedad. Sus line-ups no cuentan con nombres monumentales, pero siempre tienen proyectos con un culto especial. Aquí no se encuentran letras pequeñas porque el motor es descubrir música nueva, lejos de minimizar talento. Sus marcas son muy pocas y nunca invasivas. También es una experiencia ligera, siempre atenta a los detalles. Es un festival que no lo parece; una celebración a la música y al arte que ha sabido mantenerse cálida al paso de los años.”

“Creemos que en el ecosistema cultural que hay en el país cada festival juega un rol, en el caso de Nrmal juega un rol para el desarrollo de artistas en México y en el resto del mundo, apostamos por música nueva, de raíz. La idea es que seamos un puente entre música que está emergiendo y música que están haciendo con el resto del ecosistema de la música en el país.”

“En su séptima edición, el festival NRMAL celebra su tercer año en la Ciudad de México. Con un cartel de más de treinta bandas repartidas en dos días de presentaciones, que se llevarán a cabo en el Deportivo Lomas Altas el 12 y 13 de marzo. Además del festival los organizadores proponen el programa de actividades NODO, un encuentro de diálogo entre gestores independientes.”

The year started off well for music lovers and Xalapa residents. Festival NRMAL 2016 in collaboration with La Moderna and Ensamble, presented the first showcase in this city.

“Being from the United States, influenced by everything pop-culture feeds us, it was rather refreshing seeing a group of promoters from Monterrey, Mexico not giving a shit about how unknown their line up was. They’re simply in it to create a unique atmosphere that exemplifies what an eclectic line up should look like.”

Festival NRMAL presents the line up for the 2015’s edition.

Festival NRMAL took place in Mexico City and Monterrey over the past two weekends and featured acts such as Blood Orange, DJ Rashad, DJ Spinn, Wolf Eyes, Kelela, the Range, Matias Aguayo, Pure X, Perfect PUSAsy, and many more. Photographer Erez Avissar was there.

Documentaries about Festival NRMAL in collaboration with VICE.

“In a double twister of fate, .gif-fabulous photographer Jaime Martínez presented Throw To Lion, an experimental arts space placed onto Parque del Ferrocarril at Festival Nrmal.”

“Sunday’s Casablanca Pool Party Showcase in Sierra Sagra was, after the all-star Chilean Showcase on Thursday, the one I anticipated the most. I arrived too late and missed Los Vigilantes (what is wrong with me?!) but caught a glimpse of Algodón Egipcio’s set while getting myself an umpteenth campechana.”

“With Festival Nrmal’s vision and professional preparation, I made it to Extasis/Finesse showcase at Chipinque in Monterrey, Mexico from Texas. But don’t worry, Austin, I immediately kept it hella weird, y’all. I danced alone in line, stared into the ground during Zutzut’s set, and spent thirty minutes on a secluded rooftop watching Laurel Halo.”

“It’s no mystery that this site has repeatedly stated its own admiration for Festival NRMAL and the kind of line-ups that they’ve put together over the past three years. I’ll point out the obvious: the curation is so good that it just makes other festivals on the continent look like overpriced crowd-getters where smaller acts have to play in front of a crowd who’s just waiting to see a big band that’s playing in the city for the first time in 10 or 20 years.”

“The whole festival emphasized direct engagement and broken barriers. There were no barricades between stage and crowd, who were invited up during sets by Trash Talk and Mykki Blanco.”

“Festival Nrmal is a rarity in Mexico for costing only $25. Vive Latino, for example, a festival happening next week in Mexico City costs the equivalent of $150. In general, concerts in Mexico tend to be more expensive than they are in the US, indie rock included. Todd says it’s a sign of the classist elitism that pervades indie culture here – and it’s no different in the US, it’s just more obvious in Mexico. “People don’t realize it, but this whole indie thing is very classist at home too,” he says. That’s not to say that Nrmal is an anti-corporate or anti-profit event.”

“Before Festival Nrmal was a reality, it was an idea—the desire of a few friends to create something inspiring when forces outside their control were threatening to fragment their community, inciting fear and alienating individuals.”

“Upon recovering from a come down that lasted well over two weeks, it dawned on me that I had a nice stack of interviews in my friend Luisa’s iPhone that were just waiting to be transcribed. One such interview happened to involve Raka Rich, who was flying solo in Monterrey on behalf of his main project, Los Rakas, for this year’s edition of Festival Nrmal.”

“Now, on to the other highlight of the night. Tony Gallardo II can indisputably be called the best showman of the festival. In his typically charismatic fashion, he made the crowd laugh and dance, all the while opening up the stage to groupies and Chilean pop stars alike. Oh, and the dude from Sonido San Francisco was also there.”

“The perfect closer of the night and the festival’s most enjoyable moment came when Tony Gallardo II and DJ Nombre Apellido (Los Macuanos’ Moih) occupied Panamérika stage. It was past midnight and, while most of the public was watching Los Rakas, us Gallardo hardcore fans were eagerly waiting for his smashing party to begin.”

“After drooling since the final lineup was announced and anxiously counting the hours, the day the third edition of Festival Nrmal would happen finally arrived. Under a cloudy sky, I made my way to Parque Diego Rivera just in time for Dani Shivers’ presentation.”

“Still, this weekend is their crown jewel. Something to look forward to and pUSAh toward all year, it’s a way of showing the world that in Monterrey, culture is important and alive. NRMAL has been hosting events for five years, since 2007. Now, they are thriving.”

Este evento tuvo su primer parpadeo en Monterrey, Nuevo León, hace once años; ahora, es un punto de encuentro entre personas, propuestas de vanguardia y una coexistencia de públicos, gracias al eje conductor: la música del subterráneo.

“Now in its seventh year, Festival NRMAL remains fresh and appealing, thanks to its inclusive communal energy. The fest fosters direct access to its artists, creating a unique space where everyone seems to know and be a fan of each other.”

“Hace siete años, el equipo de Nrmal comenzó la aventura de realizar un festival independiente en Monterrey. Hoy en día han logrado construir un punto de encuentro que va más allá de la música y brinda una oferta real en todos los sentidos.”

“The idea to have a cross-cultural music festival is really important and really cool, getting Americans to play down here for Mexicans.”

“NRMAL was born in 2007 in the city of Monterrey, Mexico out of a need to be part of a flourishing community of people that celebrated emerging art, music, and other cultural expressions. Eventually, we grew to become a music festival that relocated to Mexico City and still supports talent outside the mainstream.”

The eleventh edition of NRMAL took place on Saturday, March 7, 2020, in Mexico City. Juana Molina’s performance at the festival was a definite moment. She tore the stage. A female Latin American artist closed the festival in one of the most emblematic performances in the festival’s history.

Photos from left to right: Juana Molina, NRMAL community, Bush Tetras, Byetone, BEA1991, Wand, and Ruiseñor.

NRMAL: X years celebrating the freshest of the underground. The festival celebrated a decade-long reuniting emerging talents from Latin America with worldwide underground legends.

Spiritualized, one of the acts of 2019’s edition and a band with an important history in music, specifically in the space rock scene, presented a celestial experience. The band led by the talented Jason Pierce is characterized by its emotional performances, creating atmospheres that no other live act is capable of matching.

Other performances like Death Grips, who played in Mexico for the first time in 2019, are considered one of the most important hip-hop acts of the decade.

Photos from left to right: NRMAL X, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Canalón de Timbiquí, Michelle Blades & Los Machetes, Sinjin Hawke & Zora Jones, Rubio, Mathilde Fernández, Mazzy Star, Spiritualized, Musikplatz, Death Grips, and art installation.

“Domingo NRMAL” is one of the best ways to close an amazing festival weekend.

For this edition, the annual festival celebrated one of the most memorable editions with new music proposals and cult acts.

The Canadian artist and songwriter Mac DeMarco has risen to higher reaches of indie rock. His popularity grew after his international touring and consistent musical output. In 2020, he had his first album to appear in the top ten on the USA Billboard number 10. His first appearance at the festival was for the 2013 edition in Monterrey, but after 5 years he came back to celebrate a sold-out audience in Mexico City.

Photos from left to right: MULA, Of Montreal, Cornelius, Felix Kubin, NRMAL 2018 artwork, Pelada, and Mac DeMarco.

The classic party after the festival featuring a curated line up of dance music for those who want to keep up the good vibes.

Reberveration stage in collaboration with Levitation for Festival NRMAL 2017.

British experimental pioneers Psychic TV got weird in Mexico City, their first-ever show not only in the country but also in Latin America. The festival hosted two jam-packed days of music discovery with global acts such as Tortoise and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Artists like Girl Ultra, Jesse Baez, and Camila Moreno were among the acts that played for the first time at the festival.

Photos from left to right: Art by Mauro Bonillo and Disciplina, Porches, NRMAL, Psychic TV, vibes, Psychic TV, Clubz, Dorit Chrysler, Circuit des Yeux, The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

“Bookers could learn a thing or two from Festival NRMAL; in the first Mexican edition of Ruidosa Festival, NRMAL organizer Moni Saldaña explained that the fest set a goal of booking 50 percent male and 50 percent female artists for future lineups, a feat they accomplished in their 2017 edition.”

Before and after showcases, parties, and activities within the framework of Festival NRMAL 2017. ❤️

Slowdive, Deerhunter, and Battles were set to headline the festival, while Latin American acts such as Coiffeur, Los Wálters, and Los Pirañas
hit the stages early on. Empress Of and Föllakzoid, left the audience with high energy for the rest of the day. Other dynamic sets included artists like Ela Minus and Grenda.

From Japan, Acid Mothers Temple left the NRMAL crowd exhausted and in a state of euphoria.

Photos from left to right: Slowdive, A Place to Bury Strangers, Low, Battles, Los Wálters, Jaakko Eino Kalevi, Acid Mothers Temple, Ela Minus.

Before the festival, we collaborated with Indie Rocks to present a showcase featuring fine acts from Helado Negro, Mercedes Nasta, Terr Monsta, Wet Baes, and DJ Nombre Apellido.

One of our collaborations for the festival was with Austin Psych Fest through a showcase before the festival weekend.

Following the success of 2014 album Singles, the American synthpop band, Future Islands, not only had “Seasons (Waiting on You)” named the best song by Pitchfork, but also it catapulted them into viral stardom. The band played for the first time in Mexico in one of the most anticipated acts. Also, Swans, one of the most influential American noise rock bands, played a 2-hour set as one of the most epic and crazy acts in the festival’s history.

As for the Latin American acts, from Brazilian psych-rockers Boogarins, Meridian Brothers to Buscabulla,

Photos from left to right: Boogarins, NRMAL vibes, The Black Angels, Juan Wauters, Rebolledo, Simpson Ahuevo, Kirin J Callinan, Mariel Mariel.

Festival Nrmal 2015 Pre-Fiesta Presented by REMEZCLA & Sonido Inconsciente.

Photography and Editing – Yahir Carrilo

Festival Girl – Adriana Marroquín

Music Credits: Tahres One – “Entre Recuerdos”

Directed by Ashauri López

Festival NRMAL teamed with the Ace Hotel up for two weekends of curated music at Desert Gold. The multi-day event was all about featuring up and coming artists from Mexico and other parts of Latin America. 

Festival NRMAL was back again for 2014 with a multi-day festival in Monterrey (from March 5 – 9). It is known to be one of the most memorable editions not only because of the curated week-long experience, but also from its unique artists’ appearances.

Photos from left to right: Hidrogenesse, Los Blenders, Clubz, María y José, Little Jesus, BFlecha, Kelela, Erez Avissar, No Zu, Los Románticos de Zacatecas, Matías Aguayo, NRMAL vibes, Rashad & Dj Spinn, NRMAL art, Sergios, NRMAL art, 5th anniversary cake with psychedelics.

After five years, the festival expands to Mexico City for the first time. The Mexico City concert featured Blood Orange, Silver Apples, Destroyer, Anika, Wolf Eyes, Merchandise, Pional and more.

Photos from left to right: NRMAL vibes, Blood Orange, stages, Silver Apples, Barn Owl, Pablo Martínez, No Zu, Merchandise, Kelela, Matías Aguayo X Mostro, NRMAL art, Anika, NRMAL vibes, Pional, NRMAL art, Extraperlo.

The festival celebrated a full week of showcases prior the festival with an international and national line-up, always with the main goal of presenting emerging talents with those already established in the global and Latin American scene. During this edition, other genres were included as part of the music curation including metal bands.

Photos from left to right: Art installation, Sky Ferreira, festival at night, Panamérika stage, Mac DeMarco, Mykki Blanco, Sky Ferreira on stage, Lulú, Capullo, Mercadito, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, DJ Sliink, Algodón Egipcio, Mac DeMarco on stage

This edition consisted of three stages (Nrmal, MtyMx, and Panamérika) and presented over 50 international bands, with the MtyMx stage curated by collaborator Todd P.

One of the best memories of this year’s edition is when Claire Boucher (Grimes) played her first time in Mexico at the festival, but after missing her gear she played with borrowed instruments to deliver one of the most wild and commemorated moments in the festival’s history.

Photos from left to right: Javelin, Widowspeak, Juan Cirerol, skate ramp, Grimes, Bruno Darío, DIIV, Dani Shivers, Juan Cirerol, Astro, Festival Nrmal, Total Freedom, Gatekeeper, Girls, Mentira Mentira.

Las Robertas is a band from San José, Costa Rica that plays a very contagious garage-punk. In 2010 they released their debut LP Cry Out Loud [Art Fag Recordings, 2010]. After having been part of the Festival Nrmal (2011), they toured the United States and Europe, passing through SXSW and Primavera Sound.

Hypnomango is the musical project of René Rodríguez, who with the noise pop of his eponymous EP [Nene Records, 2011] has become the favorite of many.

Ratas del Vaticano are Violeta, Joaquin, Dave and Rafael, a quartet from Monterrey that has two albums and played punk for several years.

Photos from left to right: festival crew, Thee Oh Sees, Juan Cirerol, Silje Nes, Goma, Chikita Violenta, Los Macuanos, 3Ball MTY, Frikstailers.

In 2010 when the first edition of the music festival was held, the city was in the midst of an unprecedented drug war, thus resulting in a turning point for the local scene, a cultural shift. The first edition of Festival NRMAL began as a space for music and contemporary art, under a curatorship that reflected a combination of well-known projects from the independent scene with emerging proposals on the way to becoming the next big thing.

From early beginnings, NRMAL has been more than a festival, it is a community that transcends borders and dogmas, that seeks new ways to feel and connect, and is proud to have music as a catalyst for diversity.

The art line up was made up of key collaborators:

– Nuria Mora

– MANO4814

– SIXE

– ELTONO

– Los Contratistas: Fidencio, Huizar, Screw

– Pablo Moreno (PM!)

– Carlos Olvera

– Colectivo Zezontle: Blast, Dose, Sanez

– Project Projections

Photos by Molly, LaPola, Rika & crew, Atti and Manu.

One of the world’s largest psychedelic music festival, held annually in Austin, Texas, expands its lysergic vibes to Mexico City as part of the activities of Festival NRMAL.

Showcase in collaboration with Beyond Psicodelia before Festival NRMAL 2017.

This event was in collaboration with Espacio Arterial / Laboratorio Aural and within the framework of the pre-events of the Festival NRMAL including artists:

AKI ONDA: Electronic musician, composer and visual artist. He is particularly known for his Cassette Memories project—works compiled from a “sound diary” of field recordings collected by Onda over two decades.

MATS LINDSTRÖM: Director of the legendary Elektronmusikstudion (EMS) in Stockholm. Lindström is a composer and musician who works with live electronics, the integration of mixed media, scenic elements, and the visual arts.

ROGELIO SOSA: Composer, sound artist and musical promoter. Through sound creation, his work explores a wide range of aspects related to sound matter, auditory reference structures and performativity, while questioning the notions of noise and music.

Thanks to the support of: Embassy of SWEDEN and JAPAN Foundation.

Special showcase during the week of Festival NRMAL 2013 in partnership with Éxtasis/Finesse Records.

Photo: Daniel Patlán & Weird Magic.

Festival NRMAL showcase with Vale Vergas Discos.

“Festival NRMAL, whose namesake is a small graphic design firm there, takes place on Saturday with more than 40 bands, again split between reasonably well-known American rock and electronic acts (Yacht, Awesome Color, Nite Jewel) and a roster of Mexican bands that reflect the growing popularity of indie rock there.”

“NRMAL’s curation is especially groundbreaking as a result of it equates the artistic worth of Latin American musicians with that of their Anglo-European contemporaries, who are sometimes perceived as artistically superior and extra worthwhile. These prejudices come up throughout the continent in varioUSA levels; in some cases traceable to financial constraints inflicting sure scenes to develop extra slowly, whereas in others a direct product of colonial social constructions.”

To give the last stretch to the post-festival sadness, Castillos en el Aire Presented: Blue Monday NRMAL, a session to remember that there is a year left for the next #FestivalNrmal.

NRMAL presenta: All My Friends Music Festival.

Photo by mmmlunar and art by emilioalgo.