The Le Guess Who? Experience: Ben Shemie

As a founder of Le Guess Who? house band SUUNS, Ben Shemie is one of the musicians that played most in the festival. He’ll be performing his solo set for the first time in Le Guess Who?’s 12-Hour Drone program in November. Shemie describes his previous LGW? experience for Bant Mag.

Photo by Juri Hiensch

“Playing at Guess Who? is kind of a homecoming. Each fall, we migrate back to Utrecht to be around our friends. SUUNS has sometimes been called the festival’s house band, a secret badge of honour, as we have played there almost every year since our first appearance years and years ago. There have been a lot of really great moments, incredible performances… Lots of fuzzy late nights – missed flights as a result. What has stayed consistent over the years is our relationship with the Guess Who? crew and the people of Utrecht.  

Now I know that the city is more than a pretty little canal that runs past a fairytale clock tower. It also helps to know, that at any moment during the festival you can dip into a venue and see Swans, James Holden, Shabazz [Palaces], Julia Holter, Eric Chenaux, Total Control, Dean Blunt, Silver Apples, Cut Hands, Laurel Halo, Oneothrix Point Never, Dirty Three, John Maus, Pauline Oliveros… to name a few insane gigs I have witnessed over the years.”

Ben Shemie performs at Le Guess Who? on Sunday, 12  November, together with Perfume Genius, Julianna Barwick, Linda Sharrock, Sun Ra Arkestra, Black Lips, Yves Tumor and many more. Full line-up and tickets can be found at the festival website.

Suuns 2014 (2) by Juri Hiensch
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