Between the 8th and 11th of August, eight of the most appreciated local rock bands will be playing at ARTmania in the Small Square and in the partner locations of the festival :Alternosfera, Omul cu Sobolani, the Mono Jacks, Coma, Lights Out!, Aeon Blank, Vespera si Dark Fusion. In the next period of time we will communicate the whole schedule of the eighth edition of the ARTmania Festival (2013), which will include concerts, exhibits, workshops, film projections, debates and other creative activities.l
The series of live concerts that will take place in the Small Square will be started on Thursday, the 8th of August, by two of the most appreciated representatives of the alternative-indie rock landscape, The Mono Jacks and Lights Out!, offering a festival opening animated by mature and intense compositions, played with energy and elegance.
Lights Out!, a band which started in Cluj, was remarked since its first chords, becoming a musical project with a fulminant evolution, crowned by success. In 2010, the year in which the band was founded, the band released their first demo and 2 year later, they were invited to play in the opening of concerts for international project such as “We Have Band”, “O.Children” and “Chew Lips”.
The year 2013 marked a deviation when it comes to the band’s sound, as well as style. At the same time, the band released three new song “Noosi”, “Downcast” and “Pleasures” which are being promoted through an international tour, reaching Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
On the 8th of August the young artists Lights Out! will sing in the opening of The Mono Jacks concert, a name that defined the Romanian alternative-indie rock movement .
The history of “The Mono Jacks” started in 2008, when Doru Trascu, the leader of the AB4, laid the foundation for this new project. Their style sheds light on guitar riffs that melt the tension of the compositions, reminding of the sound of bans such as Interpol, Snow Patrol, Editor and even White Lies.
“Now in Stereo” their 2010 debut album, was a great hit and singles such as “Maria”, “Come Back Girl” and “Push the Pedal” stormed the radios and made the band into one of the most appreciated bands in the alternative rock local landscape.
2011 brought about new material, the “Fortunes” EP, consisting of “four tunes”- recorded in only two day, in a year in which The Mono Jacks had numerous concerts throughout the country, as well as on the stages of great festivals such as Sziget and the EXIT Festival.
On Friday, the 9th of August, Alternosfera and Aeon Blank will play live in the Small Square.
The “Aeon Blank” project started in the spring of 2011, at the initiative of Emil Luca and Alex Gabroveanu, both guitar players in the initial band. The specific style of the band was obvious from the beginning: alternative rock with dark wave, metal and gothic-rock influences.
A young band, but with a mature and serious approach, Aeon Blank was quickly taken note of on the stages of Romanian festivals in the year 2012, winning the title of Best Alternative Newcomer after the Metalhead organized competition.
Five track from the “Handmadegods& Godmadedemons”, released in April 2012, were heard on the radio, “Of Gravity and Passion” reaching #2 on the “Top Show” programme, and “Auguries of Innocence”, #3. At the moment, the band is working on their second album, “ Dark Waters”, which will be released at the end of the year.
Alternosfera was founded in 1998. Its members changed, at the moment the band consisting of only two of its original members: Marcel Bostan and Marin Nicoara. The “Wamintirile” track, which won over radio and television stations from Romania and The Republic of Moldavia alike, is found on the band’s debut album “ Orasul 511” (2005).
In 1997, Alternsofera released “Visatori cu plumb in ochi sau ultima scrisoare pentru femeia nordica” and put an end to the period of romantic lyricism in its creation. “Arunca-mi”, “Doua Eve”, “Muta” included on the “Virgula” (2012) album have been broadcasted in heavy rotation on the Romanian radio stations.
In the spring of 2013, Alternosfera released a new album, “Epizodia”, promoted through a tour that took place in 11 Romanian cities, which managed to attract over 10,000 people. Their creative momentum will peak at the end of the year with the finalization of yet another studio album.
On Saturday, the 10th of August, the Small Square in Sibiu will host the concerts of two of the most beloved Romanian rock-alternative bands: OCS and Coma. At the beginning of the 2000’s their original and non-conformist music videos invaded the musical television posts and their songs proved to be contagious for an open demographic, without prejudice and growing in number.
“Coma”, the first band to go on stage Saturday in the Small Square, is preparing a first for Sibiu, an acoustic set. Founded in Bucharest in 2000, the band made itself known quickly through live performances and videos that were filled with dynamism. After a year, the band released its first album, “Somn”, under the A&A Records label. In 2002 it was nominated in the Best Alternative Band category at the Romanian Musical Industry Awards.
“Nerostitele” (2006), a 100% independent produced album, impressed through its instrumental complexity, the quality of the mixes, approaching the old “Coma” sound with more maturity.
The first unplugged album “Coma Light”, released in 2008, was promoted through a series of concerts throughout the country and the Republic of Moldavia. The material combines older songs reorchestrated and reinterpreted, songs that include the contribution of DJ Hefe even if they are acoustic, maintaining their power.
The creation of OCS (Omul cu Sobolani) enriched the Romanian alternative music landscape with a band that would become a symbol of a non-conformist generation. Founded in 1997 in Constanta, at the initiative of the vocalist Dan Amariei and Adrian Albu (a.k.a. Koks), the band is bearing the name of the famous homonymous work whose author is Sigmund Freud. In 15 years of activity, their tracks were always found in the music magazines’ playlists and tops. You couldn’t have missed the music videos of “Cine e de Vina” or “Nu incerca asa ceva acasa “ and you may have found yourself singing the lines to songs such as “Copilul Rebel”, “(Dez)Orientat” and “Oda (In Piata Romana)”.
This summer the members of the band decided to take part in some of the biggest festivals, but to spend the rest of their time in the studio in order to finish recording their new album “ Marea Cautare”, which will be released in October.
Vespera and Dark Fusion add to the concert list two live concerts hosted by the Bohemian Flow club, starting the afterparties of Friday and Saturday (the 9th and 10th of August).
“Vespera” was founded in Cluj in 2005 when Dorin Panduru and Vlad Popovici laid the basis of a power-goth and doom muical project. The end of the year 2007 represents a conceptual and musical transformation for Vespera, as well as a new sound and a new image. Their first album, “Desert of the Real” (2007) combines a great variety of musical genres ranging from industrial, electro and hardcore, to oriental and metal.
In 2012, Vespera won the Posada Rock Festival, qualifying for the GBOB Romania final in its newest form: Dorin Panduru (guitar and vocals), Vlad Popovici ( bass), Andrei Calbajos (keyboard, synth, samples ) Razvan Moca (drums) and Dudu Isabel as the lead singer.
“Dark Fusion” proposes old school metal seasoned with components of the new wave, the band’s style being a combination of thrash with many elements of industrial, hardcore and melodic, groovy in places. Their first album “InFusion” was released in September 2012, the band promoting it through concerts throughout Romania and Hungary.
“Dark Fusion” is working, at the moment, on finishing the recording of their maxi-single “Dark City”, which should be released in November. Furthermore, the band is working on its second studio album which will come out in 2014.
Entrance is free to the events in the Small Square and the partner clubs of the ARTmania Festival Sibiu 2013. In 2013, the ARTmania Festival takes place between the 5th of August and the 11th, providing the public with concerts and alternative events. The ARTmania Festival is supported for the 4th year by Tuborg, a proactive brand in the event organizing industry in Romania, managing to provide young people with unforgivable moments with their favourite artists. Tuborg means inspiration, fun and spontaneity! Follow artmaniafestival.ro and facebook.com/ARTmania to find out the latest news. This is an event cofinanced by the Local Council of Sibiu through the Town Hall and the Cultural House of Sibiu Municipality.
