This is the follow up post on this years Roskilde Festival in Denmark. If you missed the previous one, you might want to read that one first, but hey, you’re the one driving. Here is the final post on Roskilde 2009. You’re welcome:

In the previous post, I mentioned a couple Danish artists that had caught my eye during the Roskilde Festival. However I did forget one, since for some reason I couldn’t picture the artist being Danish. I am referring to Rumpistol, whom I then somehow got mixed up with some other artists. I keep thinking of a Radiohead – remix, albeit it does not even exist. It could though. Rumpistol plays with variations of IDM with more experimental elements. His stage performance ranged from from tougher dance to more subtle influences; featuring charismatic bases as well as artistic guitars. The experience was furthermore complemented by guest musicians with their violins and cellos, accompanying the electronica.
MYSPACE: Rumpistol

I must admit, I got confused by another artist as well, that being Cut Off Your Hands. Although the name keeps popping up in circumstances and conversations, the music had somehow got left as an unknown, largely due to the emo – stained name. Since I had a vacancy in my schedule at that point, I managed to witness their show, which left me wondering had I found the best “new” artist this year. The New Zealanders proved to be far more versatile than I had previously imagined, their sounds ranging from popping guitars with vast shoegaze – like sounds, while some songs leaned more on the punk side. At times both elements were present simultaneously, which had me impressed. Later on, on record, Cut Off Your Hands was not nearly as intimate and personal, but the live – experience was the most pleasing I witnessed on the Pavilion – stage.
MYSPACE: Cut Off Your Hands

The Pavilion – stage at Roskilde Festival caters interesting, on the rise names year after year. It is the smallest stage on the grounds with an audience capacity of only 2000 people. The Pavilion – stage has seen many now larger artists performing during the years, including Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear. As is already accustomed, this year the Pavilion featured many artists already known from Pitchfork, like Fucked Up, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Black Dice and The Dodos. The Dodos continued their journey to Finland, but gathered an unusually small crowd there, which one can blame Gogol Bordello for, who may have attracted the same crowd. The Dodos played a slightly tuned down show, but the folk – pop was pleasing enough that I started off my week listening to the artists soon-to-be-released album (Listen to Time To Die) and am not regretting it one bit.
MYSPACE: The Dodos

The Dodos at Roskilde Festival 2009

Sure-thing Party starters
If there is something that I would want to critique the Festival line up on, it would have to be the black hole of artists like Justice, Girl Talk and Digitalism and others that are well known party catalysts. However, there was a lot to move to this year as well. Within those lines I was most excited and hyped up for N.A.S.A and Major Lazer, even though these proved to be nothing like I expected on stage. Diplos and Switchs new project Major Lazer had just released their debut, but instead of serving any of their own specials, they did anything but. The stage show seemed like a hot hipster – party mixed together with some dubstep dance features from a couple years back, but occasionally there were some more eccentric mash-ups. A good example is Hot Chip and Darudes Sandstorm, which worked unexpectedly well together. The show time was unfortunately absolute garbage; Sunday evening just before Coldplay.
MYSPACE: Major Lazer

On the other side of the coin, N.A.S.A was responsible for the best Friday night party. Previously those responsible have been Count & Sinden and Digital Mystikz plus guests – but this year delivered just the same. N.A.S.A got the party crazed with their dj-set and even might have played some of the same songs as Major Lazer, hmm? The highlight of that show was undoubtedly their own hit; Gifted, featuring Kanye West, who had performed the day before. N.A.S.A invited the crowd to join them on stage in celebration of their hit, which had the expected results; it didn’t take long for the whole stage to be clogged, security to get upset and the music to be paused. After a brief moment, until everyone was safely behind the security fence, the party continued until the small hours as the raunchy aliens twirled on stage.
MYSPACE: N.A.S.A

Even though this years Roskilde Festival is now dead and buried, fear not! There will be highlights from Germanys Melt! – festival, which is whole other dimension than Roskilde, although some familiar faces will perform there as well (Animal Collective, Diplo and The Dodos.) Given that we make it back alive and that the laptop also survives, you will receive the inside story on Germanys very own and personal Melt! – Festival. Until then, remember to tie your shoelaces.