HEAVY FEELINGS

In the organizer's words:

with PERSIAN EMPIRE, MO.GYAH, SMIKI, PARISSA & TANO JACKSON

Heavy Feelings sees itself as a continuous practice between club, listening and artistic exchange. The focus is on building a space in which music acts as a unifying element; supported by community, consistency and an open understanding of alternative sounds. Between events, collaborations and constantly evolving formats, a structure emerges that goes beyond the moment and creates long-term connections between international and local artists. This edition carries this movement forward: a line-up that embodies shared history while bringing it into the present.

LIVE

With PERSIAN EMPIRE (Mannheim), a central part of the extended Heavy Feelings family is back on stage live. As an independent artist, he consciously moves outside of classic production logic and creates his own independent platform with his label Prrrrrrrr Records. His work follows a clear, unique language - free from fixed forms and expectations - and makes him one of the most progressive producer voices in Germany. The connection to Heavy Feelings extends beyond the first joint appearance in 2023 and was recently further deepened as part of the sampling residency at MARKK Hamburg 2024.

TANO JACKSON (Accra/Cologne). His current musical project is being created in close collaboration with HEAVY FEELINGS as a platform; from the idea to the realization, visual productions to the release. This marks a new step: the first time that Heavy Feelings not only curates, but actively acts as a creative production structure. The first single "Brooklyn Bitch" (produced by Die Ottos) has already been released, the next one will follow on May 1st.

DJ SETS

MO.GYAH follows on from this. Behind the project is Rotterdam-based DJ, creative producer and researcher Jack D. Mensah, who has been creating connections between scenes, geographical spaces and cultural contexts for years. His work moves along global sound traditions and their contemporary development.

SMIKI, resident and in-house producer, has continuously honed his sound. RnB and hip-hop remain the starting point, from there his sets open up in the direction of UK garage, jungle and breakbeat. Rhythm, contrast and precise timing create their own dynamic.

PARISSA, founder and curator of Heavy Feelings and Vinyl Selecta, only plays records and follows a ritualistic approach. Her sets emerge from a deep rootedness in diasporic sound traditions and an intuitive approach to genre and medium. The sets develop organically, carried by the moment.