Lineup
Aiming For Enrike
Complexity alumni Aiming For Enrike is an explosive, ever evolving virtuoso duo from Oslo that manages to create an exciting, eccentric sound by means of one drum, a number of interconnected guitar amps and a series of loop & effect pedals. Guitarist Simen Følstad Nilsen and Tobias Ørnes Andersen (known for his work with Leprous, Ihsahn, Shining) on drums create a universe inspired as much by heavy music and post punk as by jazz, funk and electronic music. Their new album ‘Empty Airports’ will be released on the 20th of January promising an exploration of ambient/minimal infused stretches of hypnotic themes and still danceable parts.
Kayo Dot
Kayo Dot, the mercurial melancholy collective spearheaded by composer and producer Toby Driver, was formed in 2003 by the members of the legendary aetherial ‘chamber metal band’, maudlin of the Well, marking a giant inspired evolutionary leap. Since then, Kayo Dot's muse has shown its face through slow and massive cascades of guitars and violins, craggy broken jazz rhythms, calm West African seashore waves of saxophones and reverb, Bitches Brew-inspired tripped-out goth fusion, hyper-fast angular and atonal suicidal black metal, Byzantine cathedrals of mechanical synthesizer geometry, and more, like an enormous map with land beyond land, always more to be discovered. In this 20th year of Kayo Dot's existence, the group has reconvened its original lineup of maudlin of the Well expats–Toby Driver, Greg Massi, Sam Gutterman, and Terran Olson–to perform their celebrated and timeless 2003 debut milestone of an album, Choirs of the Eye, in full.
Neptunian Maximalism
Belgium's drone orchestra Neptunian Maximalism is a community of “cultural engineers” with a variable line-up, mixing drone metal with spiritual free jazz and psychedelic music. By exploring the evolution of the human species, Neptunian Maximalism question the future of the living on Earth, propitiating a feeling of acceptance for the conclusion of the so called "anthropocene" era and preparing us for the incoming “probocene” era, imagining our planet ruled by superior intelligent elephants after the end of humanity. This group/orchestra will provide you without a doubt the quintessential mystical and psychedelic journey of Complexity Fest 2023.
POUND
No, this is not a reunion show of the legendary Haarlem metal band of the same name, but a forward thinking duo straight outta Seattle, Washington. It’s more than your daily dose of mathcore. Pound is as if Meshuggah, Botch, and Coalesce teamed up to form a new band that pushed the boundaries of each beyond anything they’ve ever attempted before. Songs with off-kilter time signatures, jazzy rhythms and grinding grooves bear titles such as ‘X-.+.+.X-.+.X-.X-.+’ and ‘ X-_-X-_.+._-’, and we can’t get enough!
Tuskar
It’s probably in the water of Milton Keynes, because yet again an awesome band steps to the fore. The heavy-riffing duo Tuskar, consisting of vocalist/drummer Tyler Hodges and guitarist Tom Dimmock, recently released ‘Matriarch’, which marks a change in scope and sound. It captures a punishing level of progressive sludge and savage, sub-world vistas. Soundscapes are shaped by moments of dark brooding doom and relentlessly tight riff-heavy and psychedelically charged movements. Moreover, Tuskar truly is a wall of sound band that needs to be witnessed live.
Birds in Row
After their amazing headline show in november, we invited the French post-hardcore group back to Haarlem and we cannot wait to present them to you yet again. Birds In Row has been at the forefront of the hardcore genre for over a decade. Starting out as a band with a sound that can be compared in subtlety to two paving stones rubbing against each other, the band sets the bar incredibly high with their most recent album ‘Gris Klein’.
Author & Punisher
In the industrial music and metal sculptures of Tristan Shone man and machine melt together. The San Diego-based robotics engineer with a degree in sculpture literalized the idea of sonic sculpture, fusing the ethereal and the physical into a brand new vision. Some of that can be seen in the unique instruments built from electronics and steel he's invented and calls "Drone Machines”. Author & Punisher is characterized by grim soundscapes, pulsing tumors of doom, drone, noise, and, covertly, pop, with his vocals recessed inside demonic sub-bass, concussive percussion, and skirling frequencies which resonate through the body, captured onseveral recordings of which the lauded ‘Krüller’ is the most recent.
Crown Compass
Team Complexity used to be, and still are, huge fan of Dutch progressive metal outfit Textures and that’s actually the reason why we are more than happy to host Crown Compass at this years festival. Crown Compass is the brainchild of former Textures and Illucinoma guitarist Joe Tal, whom linked up with none other than Daniël de Jongh (ex-Textures and CILICE), bassist Robin Zielhorst (ex-Cynic, Exivious and currently with Our Oceans) and drummer Yuma van Eekelen (ex-Pestilence, Exivious and currently with Our Oceans). After two years of teasing, the group finally released their debut album ‘The Drought’ in april. A 9-song juggernaut which is heavy and intricate, while catchy and groovy at the same time.
Iron Jinn
Iron Jinn is born from the chemistry between guitarists Wout Kemkens (Shaking Godspeed) and Oeds Beydals (The Devil’s Blood, Death Alley). Inspired by the San Diego Takeover at Roadburn 2018, the band, completed by Bob Hogenelst (Birth of Joy) and Gerben Bielderman (Pauw, Bieldermann), produce dark and ominous, yet freaky songs, as proven by the first single ‘Soft Healers’. This song is taken from their “frantic double LP” debut, to be released by Stickman Records (Motorpsycho, King Buffalo and Elder) in april 2023. We are very curious to hear more!
Tribulation
The Swedish vampire lords in Tribulation are known for their dramatic and epic mix of death metal, black metal and gothic sensibilities ever since their magnificent third record ‘The Children of the Night’. Music that makes you headbang, dancing in the moonlight and looking for milk white necks to sink your teeth in. On their latest full-length ‘Where The Gloom Becomes Sound’ they do exactly what is implied, resulting in a psychedelic and their most gothic record to date. An album that sounds like Celtic Frost one minute and Joy Division the next from a unique band that has been around for almost ten years. A collective that doesn't seem to play to impress anyone, doesn’t chase trends and instead are playing exactly what they want. Take for example their latest single ‘Hamartia’: an angry gothic tragedy including some sick ’80s-vintage epic solos. We cannot wait till their next album. Let’s hope we can have a little sneak peek during the show at Complexity Fest!
STAKE
Releasing their second studio album ‘Love, Death, And Decay’ last year, we’re more than happy to welcome another band back at Patronaat after a more than memorable headline show: the Belgian atmospheric sludgy, grungy powerhouse that is STAKE. The group is the reincarnation of the well-known Steak Number Eight; the young band that caused a furore with passionate live shows, both at festivals and their own headline shows, as well as supporting Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Deftones and more. In 2019 they took a new direction with album 'Critical Method', on which they show that they are no longer a fresh cut, but have grown into premium dry-aged beef.
YOUFF
One of our Southern neighbors' best kept secrets peeking from out of the underground is the experimental noise group YOUFF. This is that band that people whisper about, after witnessing them putting clubs upside down with a whirlwind of dissonant, absurd hardcore infused droning mantras that remind you of a young Swans in the distance. Add instead of dead seriousness a dose of absurdism and vocal play on top, and we say just undergo this one. A new release is planned for this 2023 and we’re bloody excited!
OATS
In a somewhat tradition, our first spot is usually reserved for an upcoming, talented act from our local backyard. Here comes the young band OATS from Amsterdam: jazzy punk packed with an urgent message, a will to experiment and no fear of delving deeper into colourfull mathcore territories while you hear influences from a contemporary group like Black Midi in the distance. This February will bring to birth the next single ‘Magnolia’ as a warming up for their upcoming EP. Come early to get your muscles loose and mind sharp, plus give ‘em a warm welcome!
Zetra
We are happy to have the enigmatic synth-metal pair Zetra on this years line-up. The duo looks like black metal meets Blade Runner, clad in cloaks, corpse paint and chains. Between them, a guitar, a keyboard and an old Atari sequencer, they sound like Type O Negative gone synth-pop, a goth Pet Shop Boys with deliciously heavy, dark riffs.
KLAKMATRAK
Klakmatrak is a project by the Belgian techno producer and STAKE-frontman Brent Vanneste. Together with his best friend Dreeten Van Maris on vocals, they combine gabber, french-core, speed-core, industrial noise, hardcore, punk, disco and more into their own abstract sound; once called as yoga for brains. Combined with their very-energetic almost destructive live show, we qualified them as the perfect closing act for this years festival, following previous acts such as Otoboke Beaver, The Armed and Otto von Schirach.
Polygorgon
Polygorgon is a Haarlem based producer and DJ who started under the alias Murq in the Bass, House and Techno scenes in Amsterdam. After gravitating towards a wider range of genres a name change was in order. Polygorgon likes to blend elements from dark wave, industrial, italo disco and techno in his sets and productions.
Behringer Escape Plan
Behringer Escape Plan is a two-piece electronic band that has carved out a unique niche in the world of electronic music. Combining the raw power of drums with the versatility of synthesizers, this duo has created a symbiotic relationship between their instruments that has resulted in a truly unique sonic experience. At the heart of Behringer Escape Plan's music is the symbiosis between drums and synthesizers. The duo has found a way to make the synthesizers an extension of the drums, using their percussive power as the driving force for the synthesizers and shaping them into a rich tapestry of sounds that is both organic and electronic. For fans of heavy and experimental electronic music, Behringer Escape Plan is a band that is not to be missed. With a sound that is both fluid and heavy, you can expect wonky grooves, bold bass sounds, and fast melodies.
Curling
While Utrecht-based artist Curling often takes to the stage as a singer in various metal, punk, and noise rock bands (Throwing Bricks, Radar Men From The Moon), he takes a completely different approach in his DJ-sets. The experimental mix of bass, electro, industrial and a dash of EBM recalls the well-known club scene in the first Matrix-film: dark, with an apocalyptic tinge, but mostly highly danceable. Curling has played venues such as TivoliVredenburg, EKKO and Club Smederij and festivals like Le Guess Who? and Etmaal. You might also know Curling from his monthly Flip The Tape show on Stranded FM. It showcases a sonically deeper side of his musical interests, with more room for experimental sounds.