Sounds Like THIS Festival returns to Leeds in 2020

Sounds Like THIS is created by Leeds College of Music (LCoM), and will run from Monday, March 9, through to Friday, March 20, in venues across the city.

The festival’s headliners represent the breadth of sound and music on show at Sounds Like THIS, from artists who look to the future of music.

Inventive electronic duo Plaid will bring their energetic live AV show to Brudenell Social Club on Friday, March 13.

They stand alongside the likes of Aphex Twin, Autechre and Nightmares on Wax as mainstays of the Warp label, with a career that spans ten studio albums and collaborations with unique voices such as Björk.

Pioneers of modern and contemporary music Ligeti Quartet perform at Belgrave Music Hall on Thursday, March 12.

They have established a reputation as one of the UK’s leading ensembles and will present an exciting programme of compositions from the past 20 years, from a diverse range of composers. The programme will also feature other performers including early career artists who have answered the festival’s call for artists.

In The Venue at LCoM on March 11, innovative pianist Xenia Pestova Bennett will perform an interactive, real-time composition based on JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Gold.Berg.Werk, by Austrian composer Karlheinz Essl.

The performance will be followed by the world premiere of Griet Beyaert’s brand new work, created using Powder Glass Sculptures, voice and creative programming. This piece is the result of a year-long R&D project developing the sounding of her diaphanous glass work and her body.

The festival will also showcase work from the next generation of talent from Leeds College of Music. This will include a brand new opera and the conservatoire’s annual Gala Concert, with a fringe of events alongside the festival.

Festival director, Dr Paul Abbott, said; “We are really proud to announce the fourth annual Sounds Like THIS Festival for 2020 and we look forward to sharing the full line-up of amazing artists very soon. Alongside the incredible headline artists who continue to grow and evolve through their music making we will be presenting fascinating work of quality and ingenuity which has been submitted to our open call.”

In 2018, Sounds Like THIS won a prestigious Drum Experience Award for Best Small Festival, whose panel commended the festival team’s commitment to new and exciting music which is underrepresented in the mainstream.

Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday, November 29, via: soundslikethis.co.uk