Upcoming Venus Fest Programs


Pelada
w Sikh Knowledge
& Edna King


April 04 2024 

St. Volodymyr Cathedral - Basement 


PELADA
Pelada, the duo of singer Chris Vargas and producer Tobias Rochman, broke out of Montreal's underground warehouse rave scene in 2014 after uploading tracks to Soundcloud which caught the attention of the global dance music scene. They spent the next five years touring the globe extensively before signing with Berlin experimental label PAN in 2019. Their collaboration is a blend of urgent Spanish language vocals centered around themes of power, control, social justice with hardware samplers, synths, and drum machines. The unique sound has led them to perform in many different contexts, whether it be entire tours opening for more traditional punk acts like Iceage and Shame, to the exact opposite, performing live during peak times at techno clubs such as Berghain. Both Pelada's sound and ethos translate to a galvanizing live show that will spring dancefloors to action in festival contexts, switched-on club zones, and punk bunkers alike.

SIKH KNOWLEDGE
Hailing from Montreal, Sikh Knowledge (SK) is a celebrated hip-hop, dub & and reggae producer and acclaimed DJ, currently residing in Toronto. Sikh Knowledge’s passion for music began with inspiration from the mixtape era, which is felt in his work spreading across genres like Hip Hop, Panjabi, Reggae and Dancehall. Sikh Knowledge ‘also produced’ for a large roster of artists worldwide working within many genres, He is best known for his signature style and sound along with his extensive catalogue of work spanning over a decade. His distinctions are his masterful emergence of traditional folk music of Punjab with modern musical styles and expansive genres. His labour of love is a preservation and narrative of the Panjabi experience on Turtle Island.

EDNA KING
A classically trained pianist, King honed her skills playing keyboards and singing in Toronto synth-pop bands before venturing into solo electronic production. Her debut EP, Pressurize (2016), introduced listeners to her unique blend of ethereal vocals and industrial noise, setting the stage for her genre-defying sound. Taking her captivating performances worldwide, King mesmerized audiences with her live sets, seamlessly blending poly-rhythms, vocal samplings, and industrial textures, transcending traditional genre boundaries. In August 2021, King debuted her hard-hitting 6-track EP, "Uncomfortable," via Glauben Records (LA/MX), cementing her reputation as an artist unafraid to challenge conventions. Following this success, her EP, "Francine," was released in 2022 through North of Nowhere Records (Montreal/CA), delving deeper into experimental and ambient territories

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History
September 03, 2024


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Bikini Kill is a feminist punk band that was based in Olympia, WA and Washington, DC, forming in 1990 and breaking up in 1997. Kathleen Hanna sang, Tobi Vail played drums, Billy Karren (a.k.a. Billy Boredom) played guitar and Kathi Wilcox played bass. Sometimes they switched instruments. Bikini Kill is credited with instigating the Riot Grrrl movement in the early 90's via their political lyrics, zines and confrontational live show.

The band started touring in June 1991. In addition to touring the US several times, they also toured Europe, Australia and Japan. Bikini Kill recorded and released a demo tape, two EP's, two LP's and three singles. Their demo tape was self-released, while their first two records came out as a full-length CD/Tape and their singles were posthumously collected on CD.

Bikini Kill believed that if all girls started bands the world would change. They actively encouraged women and girls to start bands as a means of cultural resistance. Bikini Kill was inspired by seeing Babes in Toyland play live and attempted to incite female participation and build a feminist community via the punk scene. They used touring as a way to create an underground network between girls who played music, put on shows and made fanzines. This independent media-making and informal network created a forum for multiple female voices to be heard.