For those who follow left-of-centre pop, electronic music and adventurous club sounds, C2C Festival has long been one of the most exciting festivals in Europe. We went last year, and the experience confirmed what the line-up already suggested: this is a festival with a real point of view. It knows how to bring together big names, cult favourites and more experimental artists without making the programme feel random.

Among the new additions, The Avalanches are one of the biggest surprises. The Australian group, known for their sample-heavy, emotional collages, will play the opening night at OGR Torino. Their appearance comes as they are teasing their next chapter, following their 2020 album We Will Always Love You. And their recent single “Together,” featuring Nikki Nair, Jessy Lanza, and Prentiss, got us particularly excited.

Shygirl is another major addition. The London artist, who has become one of the most exciting voices in electronic pop, mixing club music, grime, R&B, hip hop and hyperpop, will perform in Italy for the very first time.

The announcement also brings Smerz back to the festival. Loyal readers will know that we have been following the Norwegian duo since “Because” in 2016. Their album Big City Life was one of last year’s most significant records, and they were also one of our highlights of the festival last year. In 2026, the duo will perform at Teatro Carignano for a special matinée. This is also one of the key pieces of news from the announcement: the historic Turin venue returns to the programme for the first time in eleven years.

Also joining the bill are Grouper, the much-loved project of Liz Harris, whose intimate ambient folk should make for one of the most beautiful moments of the closing day; ML Buch, one of the most interesting names from the new CPH scene; and Elias Rønnenfelt, frontman of Iceage, who arrives after a very prolific period including his solo album Speak Daggers and lucre, a collaborative project with Dean Blunt that was one of favourite releases of 2025.

C2C Festival 2026 will run from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November. Tickets via DICE.

Kelela‘s New Avatar promises a rich mix of sounds shaped by her early years in the D.C. indie scene while still embracing the electronic textures and experimental sounds she has become known for. The album will also feature collaborations with PinkPantheress, Fousheé, and A. K. Paul. Speaking about the project, Kelela shared: “This album finds solace in confronting. I don’t want the music to be a distraction from what’s really going on in the world; I want it to make sense in this crazy moment while helping people get in touch with the beauty and joy they’re also experiencing.”

Alongside the album news, Kelela has also unveiled the hypnotic new single “linknb”, following the previously released album opener “Idea 1”. Produced by Oscar Scheller, “linknb” blends Kelela’s unmistakably fluid vocals with shimmering guitars that subtly remind us of ML Buch’s dreamy sound palette. In the track, she sings: “It’s not hard to be brave / Easier to give too much away. All I know is that I paved the way, underpaid.” The song arrives with a visually striking video directed by Mischa Notcutt, filled with atmospheric city shots. Watch and support below.

For its 25th anniversary, C2C Festival in Turin has just unveiled the first names of its 2026 line-up and, honestly, there’s no doubt why this festival is considered one of the best in Europe. Headlining this first wave: Robyn, Oklou, Arca, Kelela, Chanel Beads, Joanne Robertson, underscores, Yung Lean & Bladee, BADBADNOTGOOD, Theo Parrish, Crystallmess, KMRU, Chuquimamani-Condori… and this is only the beginning.

We were in Turin last year for the festival, and we can say it without hesitation: this is probably the best place for avant-pop and future-leaning indie music. The curation is on another level. The crowd is international, curious, and deeply tuned in. And the music selection really fits those brutalist, industrial venues.

From October 29 to November 1, 2026, during Turin’s Contemporary Art Week, the C2C Festival will once again turn the city into a global capital of next-gen sound. The full programme is still to come. The Super Early Bird tickets are already sold out, but a new wave of Early Bird passes (limited quantity) will go on sale Wednesday, Feb 4 at 12:00 via DICE.

25 years ago today, in 1997, Janet Jackson released The Velvet Rope, an ambitious record that marked simultaneously her highest and lowest point in her life at that time. Today, it is obvious that a lot of modern R&B artists would not be the same had they never listened to this masterpiece, which was both a commercial blockbuster and a very personal record. When Janet recorded it, she had just signed an 80 million dollars contract with Virgin, which was, at that time, the biggest contract in the history of the recording industry. A consequentially massive budget was injected in the creative process, which reflects in the luxurious and super sharp production. Comprising 23 songs without any interruption, the 75-minute-long record is hard to digest, but contains no milligram of waste. Apart from being a hit with the critics, The Velvet Rope also contained her some of her biggest singles and sold 8 millions copies worldwide.

Sound-wise, The Velvet Rope foreshadows many trends. Besides its obvious bangers, like like « Together Again », « Got ‘Til It’s Gone », « Go Deep » or « I Get Lonely », it is a true broth of sonic hybridization. It also deconstructs traditional pop structures, abounds with futuristic-yet-sensual jams, and introduces forward-thinking textures like electro funk and trip-hop beats, ambient layers, and other cyber details.

While it sounds like a musical triumph at first, The Velvet Rope is also a tour de force of darkness and introspection. Janet was facing big emotional challenges when she recorded it: depression, eating disorders, distorted body image, self-esteem problems… Described as “a triumph of the spirit, a declaration of joy and healing that comes from examining the past while energizing the present, […] exploring the mysteries of sexuality even as it addresses the problems of prejudice », the record is both surprisingly dark and personal, unlike most of the mainstream pop releases of the MTV era. Years later, this diaristic and somber tone, with an ethereal, nebulous envelope, would become a genre on its own, with artists like The Weeknd or Kelela rising to stardom. On top of its personal tone, The Velvet Rope also holds significant social resonance, addressing sensitive topics such as sex and BDSM, homosexuality, domestic abuse and the AIDS epidemic. 

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this visionary project, Janet reissued the album with a bunch of remixes. Not gonna lie, I did not listen to any of them, but it was a pleasure to dive once again into the original version, which remains one of my favourite pop releases of all time.

Kelela‘s “Take Me Apart” was one of our favourite albums of 2017 so we’re glad to learn that the Ethiopian American singer and songwriter will release a new project with 20 remixes and updated versions with exciting artists such as Kaytranada, Serpentwithfeet, LSDXOXO or GAIKA. She has also unveiled a first track, the fierce “LMK (WHAT’S REALLY GOOD)”, where she invites Princess Nokia, JunglePussy, CupcakKe and Ms. Boogie (fka Jay Boogie). This announcement also comes with a statement from Kelela:

[su_quote]This project has been evolving in my mind since I was deep in recording Take Me Apart. I obsessed over production choices on the album and my only solace was knowing that the songs would be reimagined in this way. So, it’s not just a bunch of remixes…it’s how my worldwide community of producers and DJs communicate through difference. It’s also about the camaraderie that we experience when we find the overlaps. The same songs get to exist in these alternate realities which means different people get to have a relationship with the music. maybe even with each other.[/su_quote]

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The Sims-inspired visuals were directed by Claudia Matè and Mischa Notcutt. The video showcases everything you can expect from a dramatic R&B song except that the action takes place in a virtual world. About the video of “Frontline”, Kelela detailed:

[su_quote]With this Sims-like video, I was able to tell my story in a light-hearted but dramatic way. It’s about leaving your ex with the wind in your hair while acknowledging a curiously complex feeling of pain that he has left you for a white woman.[/su_quote]

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Kelela‘s “Frontline” is taken from her debut album “Take Me Apart” out now via WARP. It’s the third video rendition from the album after “LMK” and “Blue Light“.

Follow Kelela on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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100. CITY FATHER – “Coquette”

99. BILLIE EILISH – “Bellyache”

98. SABRINA CLAUDIO – “Belong To You”

97. PETRA GLYNT – “Fell In A Hole”

96. HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR + SHARON VAN ETTEN – “Omnion”

95. GIRLI – “Hot Mess”

94. THE SOFT MOON – “Burn”

93. J.I.D – “Never”

92. ACE TEE + KWAM.E – “Bist Du Down?”

91. CRALIAS – “Hope You Are”

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90. CHROMATICS – “Shadow”

89. RUN THE JEWELS – “Legend Has It”

88. CARDI B – “Bodak Yellow”

87. YELLOW DAYS – “Hurt In Love”

86. JFDR – “Airbone”

85. SUSANNE SUNDFØR – “Undercover”

84. TOM TRIPP – “Aurelia”

83. SUPERORGANISM – “Something For Your M.I.N.D.”

82. KAN WAKAN – “Still Feather”

81. NILÜFER YANYA – “Baby Luv”

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80. WAKE CHILD – “In The End”

79. JAJA BU – “Sweetness”

78. ALVVAYS – “Dreams Tonite”

77. KIDÄ – “Bone Mother”

76. HÅN – “The Children”

75. ULYSSE – “Mañana”

74. SHY GIRLS – “You Like The Pain Too”

73. GOURMET – “Delicious”

72. SORCHA RICHARDSON – “4AM”

71. MILLIE TURNER – “Underwater”

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70. NABIHAH IQBAL – “Something More”

69. KEDR LIVANSKIY – “Your Name (имя твоё)”

68. MORGXN – “xx”

67. GRIZZLY BEAR – “Mourning Sound”

66. DANIEL CAESAR + KALI UCHIS – “Get You”

65. DILLON – “2.KIND”

64. COUCOU CHLOE + SEGA BODEGA – “Flip U”

63. THE TRP – “Soda”

62. JAY SOM – “The Bus Song”

61. GFOTY – “Tongue”

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60. SELENA GOMEZ -“Bad Liar”

59. ELA MINUS – “Juan Sant”

58. EMPRESS OF – “Go To Hell”

57. SHE Major – “Please Don’t”

56. VAGABON – “Cold Appartment”

55. NADINE – “Ultra Pink”

54. SONDER – “Feel”

53. RINA SAWAYAMA – “Alterlife”

52. SEGA BODEGA + SHYGIRL – “CC”

51. GOLDLINK + BRENT FAIYAZ – “Crew”

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50. CRATER – “Unearth”

49. QUAY DASH – “Decline Him”

48. YELLE – “Romeo”

47. GABRIEL GARZÓN-MONTANO – “Fruitflies”

46. WESLEE – “Bathwater”

45. FOREST SWORDS – “The Highest Flood”

44. KENDRICK LAMAR + ZACARI – “LOVE.”

43. ALEX CAMERON + ANGEL OLSEN – “Stranger’s Kiss”

42. SMERZ – “Oh My My”

41. SASSY 009 – “Are You Leaving”

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40. CHARLI XCX – “Roll With Me”

39. TESSA DIXSON – “Prayer”

38. TOMMY GENESIS – “Tommy”

37. SSION – “Comeback”

36. PIXX – “Romance”

35. DANNY L HARLE – “1UL”

34. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – “american dream”

33. LANA DEL REY – “Love”

32. KING KRULE – “Dum Surfer”

31. SAMPHA – “(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano”

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30. MAKTHAVERSKAN – “Vienna”

29. CCFX – “The One To Wait”

28. KLLO – “Downfall”

27. KELLY LEE OWENS + JENNY HVAL – “Anxi.”

26. BLUE HAWAII – “No One Like You”

25. FEVER RAY – “Wanna Sip”

24. JULIEN BAKER – “Turn Out The Lights”

23. LIL PEEP + LIL TRACY – “witchblades”

22. FAKA – “Uyang’khumbula”

21. TR/ST – “Bicep”

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20. SARO – “Eyelids”

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19. BROCKHAMPTON – “Summer”

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18. TYLER, THE CREATOR + KALI UCHIS – “See You Again”

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17. O-SHiN – “A Revelation”

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16. ionnalee – “SAMARITAN”

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15. Vince Staples – “Crabs In A Bucket”

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14. WWWATER – “My Hands”

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13. Björk – “Blissing Me”

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12. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Cut To The Feeling”

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11. Big Thief – “Mythological Beauty”

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10. SZA – “Drew Barrymore”

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9. Frank Ocean – “Chanel”

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8. Wy – “Bathrooms”

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7. SOPHIE – “It’s Okay To Cry”

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6. Moses Sumney – “Doomed”

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5. Kelela – “Onanon”

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4. Arca – “Desafío”

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3. Lorde – “The Louvre”

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2. Perfume Genius – “Slip Away”

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1. Yaeji – “Raingurl”

Listen to the 100 tracks of 2017 according to the HighClouds‘ staff via Spotify, Youtube and Deezer.

20) Gabriel Garzón-Montano – Jardin

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19) Pixx – The Age of Anxiety

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18) Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.

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17) Makthaverskan – III

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16) Fever Ray – Plunge

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15) Vagabon – Infinite Worlds

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14) SZA – Ctrl

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13) Big Thief – Capacity

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12) BROCKHAMPTON – Saturation II

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11) Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens

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10) Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory

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9) Björk – Utopia

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8) wy – Okay

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7) Moses Sumney – Aromanticism

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6) Julien Baker – Turn Out The Light

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5) Kelela – Take Me Apart

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4) Arca – Arca

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3) Perfume Genius – No Shape

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2) BROCKHAMPTON – Saturation

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1) Lorde – Melodrama

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