Few words sound sweeter to the ears than - Lunchmeat Festival Prague. The annual electronic music and new media festival has been one of our favorite events on the calendar for the past few years and the team behind the fest has been putting on some of the most innovative events in Europe for over a decade now. Always taking place the last weekend of September, this year’s festival occurred during another transitional period. The 2020 edition (which I wrote about here), was obviously during one of the most tumultuous times in history with the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite all of the obstacles, Lunchmeat worked with local health authorities to stage a festival that was as close as we could get while still keeping it Covid compliant.

After last year’s amazing feat, I was definitely excited for this year’s edition. With Europe opening up and restrictions loosening, I knew there would still be some regulations of course, but I couldn’t wait to get back to a bit more normality. As usual, the festival begins on a Monday, with three events taking place at different venues across the city before the main program begins on Thursday.

Embarking from Berlin Ostbanhof on Monday morning, Taylor and I boarded the train and the ride to Prague is still one of my favorite trips. As you weave through the lush greenery of eastern Germany, it is particularly enchanting as you travel along the Elbe - passing through Dresden and various small towns that seem quintessentially German. As we crossed over into the Czech Republic, a familiar feeling washed over me. The last time I was in Prague was just year ago, but seems like a lifetime. With the pandemic in a totally new phase, I couldn’t help but think about last year’s conditions - nearly no businesses open, empty streets come nightfall and a general negative energy about what was happening. This year, spirits were different. By September, so much more had opened up and there was more of a feeling of things “being back”.

After arriving in Prague, we checked in to the Hotel Belevedere, which is a charming, retro hotel originally built at the turn of the 20th century and sits perfectly in the heart of Letná, one of the best neighborhoods in the city. With still some time to kill before night one and an appetite built up after the trip, it was time to revisit one of my favorite Letná spots, Mr. HotDog. Perhaps it’s the American in me, but I am just drawn to a juicy dog in a soft, fluffy bun topped with classic condiments. Mr. HotDog does some of the best I’ve found so far in Europe if you’re looking for New York or Chicago style dogs. After that meal it was definitely time for a nap before opening night.

Chicago Dog at Mr. HotDog *photo by The Brvtalist

As is customary, the first night begins at CAMP Praha. Housed in a spectacular Brutalist structure, CAMP is a center for architecture and urban planning which also contains a great theater space and one of the longest (horizontally) screens I’ve ever seen. For the past few years, Lunchmeat has presented a different audio/visual experience from some of the best names across the world. This year we were fortunate enough to have the 25th anniversary of raster, one of the best known labels across the electronics and a/v spectrums. First up was Frank Bretschneider & Pierce Warnecke present “No Content” (AV live). This was an engaging piece of in your face, anti-consumerist clips, snippets and more which was then seamlessly woven into the duo’s sonic narrative. During the performance I felt like I recognized (in some way) a few of the clips they used and it turns out Mr. Warnecke is also a native Californian so it’s quite possible I did!

Frank Bretschneider & Pierce Warnecke present “No Content” *photo by Jakub Cervenka

The next and final act of the night was the legendary Byetone. One of the leading figure of German avant garde electronics for over four decades, he is a true innovator and an artist who has continued to evolve throughout his career. This night was an electrifying performance, particularly how he implemented the use of lasers during the set. It was incredibly hypnotic and no one could take their eyes off the screen.

Byetone night 1 *photo by Jakub Cervenka

The first night is always just the perfect amount. A sensory upload which also helps you get ready for the week ahead. You need to remind yourself sometimes that Lunchmeat is a full week festival (running Monday - Saturday night!), so it is important to conserve both physical and mental energy as you will be moving and seeing a lot.

The next day, we ventured over the Vltava River into Old Town. Prague remains an incredible example of historic preservation and the views coming down from the Letná side are incredible. After strolling through the luxurious blocks of Pařížská, a trip to the Old Jewish Quarter is always an excellent choice. The story of the neighborhood is incredible and the streets are filled with so much history you can feel it. Then while we’re in the area we visited the grand Old Town Square and ate Greek food (at Fresh Greek) of all things that was actually quite good! I am constantly surprised at the food and flavors in Prague. Even with different cuisines they always seem to get the flavors right. I wish I could say the same thing about Berlin….

Over the Vltava River *photo by The Brvtalist

Old Jewish Quarter. *photo by The Brvtalist

The Brvtalist & Franz Kafka Statue by Jaroslav Róna (Old Jewish Quarter). *photo by Taylor Brittenham

Night two’s venue was the local favorite Ankali Club. Formerly a soap factory, the team behind the space transformed the compound into an amazing club, bar and open air. Radio Laude is also on the premises and since it’s inception, it’s been one of the best spots for forward thinking club and performance. I couldn’t wait to be back and more than anything I was thrilled the space survived the pandemic as well.

The second night began with an unconventional yet hypnotizing DJ set from gertie adelaido b2b KISSTEMPERA presents SCRAWLERS. A set “based on everything that is left unsaid: gertie adelaido (experimental artist) & Kisstempera (visual artist and Creepy Teepee founder Jakub Hošek) work with awkward moments in the melancholic garden, unless the broken thorns will jab you with the smell of heart-breaking fragile realness such as forbidden folk blue sadness, screamo-dreamo, contemporary hybrid tunes...” This is an incredibly apt description of the experience as the pair laid waste to everything you expect from DJs and delivered something totally outside of what you normally hear in a club. Capturing bleak moods somewhere in the realms of alternative rock, post-hardcore, noise-pop and even shades of classic emo. As an opening, it was gripping, surprising, at times uncomfortable and these are all good things in my opinion. Next up was a compelling live from Prague local bílej kluk, who exists between psychedelia, Southern Hip Hop to the current wave of German-Turkish trap.

It was a great set-up for the night’s headliners, Prison Religion. Hardcore punk music for club kids and rap fans, Prison Religion is the collaborative project of Richmond-based audio/visual artists Poozy and False Prpht. Since 2016 they’ve been fusing explosive trap music and devastating bass, drawing inspirations from metal and hardcore punk. While I had heard the name before, I didn’t know what to expect and sometimes this is the best way to go. The venue really filled up for the performance and from the first note we knew we were in for something powerful. Blackened, encapsulating atmospheres drenched in raw, crushing noise and industrial-like electronics, layered with intense vocals and fueled by a high energy performance, the duo was totally insane and it was one of the best shows of recent memories. It’s punk, it’s noise, it’s hip hop, it’s club music, it’s in your face, but more importantly it’s something ELSE.

The night ended with a DJ set from local favorite New Magic Media who continued the genre bending ethos of the night and injected us with her blend of club, punk, soundscapes, left field electronics and a whole host of twists and turns. She’s formerly a VJ and her diverse musical taste definitely comes out in her sets. It was a roller coaster night which saw moods and genres of all kinds. We experienced a higher intensity evening than night 1 and it’s amazing to see the progression of the festival. It was definitely time to head back to the Belvedere but not before picking up a quesadilla from Burrito Loco of course.

Prison Religion live photo by Jakub Doležal

Below from left: gertie adelaido b2b KISSTEMPERA presents SCRAWLERS, New Magic Media by Jakub Doležal

Wednesday began rather bittersweet as I knew it was my last night in town. Unfortunately, I had to leave on Thursday to be back in Berlin for the third and final chapter of the Brvtalist Open Air series, so I couldn’t stay for the entire festival this year. While I was quite sad about it, I was thrilled that parties were back in Berlin and I had dates at a club again. This day was spent soaking up Letná and we visited another favorite spot, Bistro 8. This is a quaint, cozy cafe that serves great food and coffee and it’s really the perfect lunch place. I love their Halloumi club sandwich and even after I leave I find myself craving this. Once you’re in the area be sure to also check out Page Five books, Acid Coffee and more great shops around these blocks.

Back to the festival, night three’s venue was the enchanting Divadlo Archa. A beautiful theater founded in 1994, it is a space for contemporary stage art without regard to genre. Here, you can expect to see anything and everything from the realms of performance and stage and it’s amazing to have such a venue focusing solely on these art forms. First up on the night was Jan Kulka presents Pramítačka 2.0 AV live. Czech filmmaker and inventor Jan Kulka presented a new version of his Archeoscope - a special live-cinema opto-mechanical projecting apparatus created for live film performances which uncovers aspects of film media that have not been technically accessible before. It is capable of projecting all classical film formats as well as a wide range of other materials including, but not limited to, a roll of bandage, adhesive tape, lace, bubble wrap, and more. I think this information is helpful to know to get the full understanding of the performance. While just watching it, it may seem like it’s something you’ve seen before but the hypnotic, constantly changing visuals being generated by the artist’s invention is quite impressive.

The main event of the night was Collectif Coin presents MA AV live. An art lab based in Grenoble (France), Collectif Coin focuses on the production of both monumental shows and intimate installations. Committed to the production of trans-disciplinary work with particular focus on the digital arts, Collectif Coin works around the notions of body, sound and light. For Lunchmeat Festival, they presented their latest project, a mechanical light pendulum. I did not know what this meant but as soon as the show started it was clear. The audience was treated to an incredible performance of man, machine, light and sound, with the light pendulum suspended over the stage and moving in sync with the sound and its multiple arms spinning, it was a beautiful site specific performance that was breathtaking.

So for me it was the end of Lunchmeat Festival 2021, but to those who were lucky enough to stay, it was only the beginning. Thursday night would see the start of the main program at the National Gallery which included Lee Gamble (live), Kode9 DJ set, Dadub & FAX present “Hypersynchronous” AV live (world premiere), Helena Hauff DJ set, Oscar Mulero & Javier Bejarano present “Monochrome” AV live, Lyra Valenza & Signe Dige AV live (world premiere) and much much more.

One of my favorite aspects of Lunchmeat is always the surprises and forward thinking curation. I often don’t know many of the acts playing which is incredibly rare in the monotonous/homogenous European festival scene which is mainly packed with the same names over and over again. One of my biggest disappointments post-pandemic is our industry’s inability to move forward from what we were doing before. During the year+ of lockdowns, there was so much conversation about things that could change - from lineups, travel, focus on local talent and countless other topics that were knew were not sustainable. Since things have opened back up more and parties and festivals have returned, we have seen most of this was all talk and basically nothing has changed. The majority of festivals have returned to their pre-pandmic bookings and big name/high priced DJs continue to travel non-stop, where our success is measured in how many dates you can get.

Lunchmeat Festival seems to exist outside of this paradigm. It’s never been about booking the biggest, hottest acts but presenting something different and progressive. The amazing thing about this year’s edition is that it contained virtually no techno acts. The title of this piece is “Launching Forward” because I believe that’s what the festival did this year. It returned with a unique approach and staged something that is not happening anywhere else and showed that you don’t need big techno artists to have a good festival. The Lunchmeat team also does a fantastic job of focusing on local artists which is definitely something we should be doing more and more. The Czech scene in general is filled with talent and is often overlooked by the rest of Europe and in some ways this makes it even more exciting. Prague also remains a perfect backdrop for a festival such as this with its amazing fusion of historic and contemporary with a constant eye on the future.

Be sure to keep an eye out for other events from the Lunchmeat team throughout the year. For more visit: https://www.lunchmeat.cz/

-JRS