Leftfield in Zurich after 25 years for the Lethargy Festival: electronica pioneers with a defining sound. Support: Arthur Hnatek, Swiss drummer and electronica artist.

Leftfield:

The style-defining electronica legends Leftfield are in Zurich for the first time in 25 years - as a prelude to the Lethargy Festival. Concerts by the band are few and far between, with almost no documented appearances in Switzerland. The last one in Zurich was in 2000, the last one in Switzerland in Lausanne in 2015.

There are subgenres and musical styles whose names are based on a record title (e.g. "Chill Out" by The KLF) or track title (e.g. "Acid Trax" by Phuture). Leftfield, however, became the namesake of a genre they founded.

Leftfield was founded in London in 1989 by Neil Barnes and Paul Daley and are regarded as the architects of the UK sound and pioneers of electronic music. Their debut single "Not Forgotten" (1990) introduced style-defining dub elements into British house and created a new progressive house wave. Her first album "Leftism" (1995) was a poetic gesture towards plurality: it combined house, dub, breakbeat,
It combined house, dub, breakbeat, trip-hop and guest vocals from John Lydon, Toni Halliday and others - and was celebrated as a milestone that made album-length electronic music socially acceptable. Mixmag even described it as "the most influential British dance production". Leftism was sound politics, a manifesto for open musical structures.

The follow-up "Rhythm and Stealth" (1999) showed a darker, techno-focused side with elements of Detroit techno, electro-funk and prominent guest contributions such as Afrika Bambaataa. Barnes and Daley parted ways in 2002, before Barnes revived the project on his own in 2010. Then came the return in 2015: Barnes alone, but focused. Alternative Light Source was not a nostalgia product, but a return to essences - undercooled, precise, technoid. This Is What We Do followed in 2022, once again attracting attention with contemporary soundscapes and features such as Fontaine's D.C. frontman Grian Chatten.

Leftfield's influence on electronic music is enormous: they established the concept of an electronic album as a work of art, expanded progressive house boundaries and paved the way for acts such as The Chemical Brothers, Orbital and Underworld. Their live sound set new standards - for example with massive PA systems whose volume damaged the ceiling at the Brixton Academy in 1996. - We hope, of course, that the action hall doesn't have to be repaired afterwards ;)

Leftfield helped to lift electronic music from the underground into the mainstream and into larger venues - with lasting reverberations to this day. Leftfield are not a retro act but a reminder that electronic music can be more than just a function - it can be an attitude.

Arthur Hnatek:

Arthur Hnatek (pronounced Na-tek), drummer/composer/electronica artist has constantly expanded the fusion between electronic music culture and highly technical drumming. In 2022 he was awarded a "Swiss Music Prize".
As an electronica artist, Arthur performs and produces electronic music, exploring the boundaries between improvisation and functional club music with his drums and modular synthesizers. His music has been praised by international critics and has been heard on BBC6 Music as well as in clubs around the world.

In June 2020, he released his first vinyl EP, issued by Mouthwatering Records, followed by a series of singles throughout the year and two full EPs with Taut. One of their latest tracks was named "Best Swiss Electronic Track of 2021" by SRF3 and is often heard on BBC Radio 6.

Besides his work as a bandleader with Melismetiq or the Arthur Hnatek Trio (with whom they won the ZKB Jazz Prize 2019 and released their first full album Static in 2021), Arthur has been seen on stage with many leading figures of the contemporary scene.

Arthur is also a lecturer at the ZHDK (Zurich University of the Arts).
Arthur graduated from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York.
Arthur graduated from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City in 2013, where he studied with Mark Guiliana, Kirk Nurock and many others. Since then, Arthur has traveled the world drumming with pianist Tigran Hamasyan or as part of the Erik Truffaz Quartet. These experiences have led him to develop his distinctive drumming style, which combines minimalist, repetitive music with a virtuoso jazz touch. He will perfectly complement Leftfield's concert as the opening act.

[2023 and 2024, the Aktionshalle was completely closed for repairs due to a studio fire in 2012. A much earlier reopening was planned. But the matter was delayed due to various appeals, all of which were ultimately rejected by the Federal Supreme Court].


Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.