AB is thrilled to present its curators for the 9th edition of BRDCST. This year, AB’s high festival for the musically adventurous will run from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April. This time round, AB welcomes three guest curators, each of whom will create their own distinctive evening: actress/performer Keeley Forsyth, Japanese artist Ichiko Aoba and Stephen O’Malley. Einstürzende Neubauten will bring the event to a thrilling close with a unique aftershow of “alien pop music”.
As usual, the latest edition of BRDCST from 3 to 6 April is an opportunity for musical omnivores to indulge themselves. The festival will again take place at venues across Brussels, and put in an appearance for the first time in the building that houses the impressive Vanhaerents Art Collection. This collection – still largely unexplored territory for the general public – includes works by Ai Weiwei, Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley, David Hockney, Jeff Koons, Paul McCarthy and Bill Viola. In addition to the concerts that will take place there, visitors can admire these works before, during and after the performances.
As was the case last year, BRDCST is also partnering with the arthouse cinema Palace for several film screenings with accompanying live soundtracks. Legendary cult band Xiu Xiu will pay a unique tribute to David Lynch’s macabre 1977 masterpiece Eraserhead, while Claire Rousay – known for her highly emotive, whisper-quiet musical works – will provide a stunning new live soundtrack for the macabre Slovakian animated film The Bloody Lady.
The BRDCST 2026 programme will be devised by three big names: Keeley Forsyth, Japan’s Ichiko Aoba and Stephen O’Malley, who will reveal the line-ups they have brought together specially for BRDCST at the end of January. The festival closes on Monday 6 April with a stand-alone show from Blixa Bargeld’s cult band Einstürzende Neubauten that embodies the spirit of BRDCST.
About the curators:
Keeley Forsyth (UK)
Actress/performer Keeley Forsyth’s baritone voice is often likened to Nico or the dramatics of Scott Walker. In Spite Magazine even compared her live performances to David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway. ‘One of the UK’s most consistently interesting and creatively absorbing performers’ – The Line Of Best Fit.
Ichiko Aoba (JP)
Ichiko Aoba – also a BRDCST guest in 2023 – has been creating her own somewhat nostalgic world since her debut Kamisori Otome (2010). Her blend of folk, ambient and experimental sounds is unfailingly beguiling. Pitchfork: ‘It’s easy to be swept up by the sublime beauty of an Ichiko Aoba song: her crystalline voice and classical guitar are arresting.’
Stephen O’Malley (US/FR)
With his drone band Sunn O))), O’Malley has pushed the boundaries of black metal towards the avant-garde. Orb Magazine: ‘In the realm of avant-garde music, O’Malley stands as a tireless visionary, deeply dedicated to his craft as a musician.’ At BRDCST, he will celebrate the 15th anniversary of his label Ideologic Organ, which focuses musically on avant-garde, drone and contemporary composition.