Concerts in Geneva: Face Z deals in the basement with the pop of the future

It all started in 2006, when a local musician, double bassist Vincent Bertholetlaunched its funny festival, baptized with a funny name. Face Z sounds like the title of a science fiction film, or a political thriller. As a reference, its creator was inspired by vinyl records: traditionally, on side A there is the hit, the tube, the song to please everyone. While on the other side, on side B, we put something a little more daring. Even very daring. Face B will therefore be, in 2006, the first edition of Face Z. Simple!

In 2024? I counted on my fingers and even twice: that makes the nineteenth edition. Titled Face T. Really very simple. Historically, everything started on the Usine side, in its charming theater, before the event migrated to another theater, that of the Perfumery on the banks of the Arve. Will follow la Cave 12a mecca for the sound avant-garde in Geneva. The stage is set up in a former bicycle garage, rue de la Prairie. Gray walls of raw concrete, with their authentic period graffiti, as well as the markings on the ground to demarcate the parking spaces for two-wheelers.

Finally, Face Z, which logically reached the letter L after eleven years of existence, was a new playing field: the Vélodrome. Where the City, in its great leniency, has relocated a number of artists removed in order from the Artamis site, this industrial wasteland which was the last heyday of alternative cultural life.

Hop! All at the Vélodrome, another industrial site, long dedicated to craftsmen. Today, music groups, choreographers, micropublishers and other various creators work there, just like Geneva can be when it’s in a good mood. Large basement structure on rue du Vélodrome, a stone’s throw from the Junction. In which you can, if necessary, return with a truck. The public, more commonly, enters on foot.

“Unknown and wonderful”

Let’s head to Face T, from December 4 to 8 at the Vélodrome, a little to Cave 12 too – from one concrete site to another, we get along well. The motto of the programming is readily borrowed from the festival: “Introducing unknown and wonderful artists and rediscovering the rare gems that all enthusiasts are looking for.” Phew bam.

Gender? Purpur Spytt (Thursday, 9 p.m.), from Geneva, plays punk with three pieces of string (well adjusted), Terrine, from France (Thursday, 10 p.m.), creates a techno that is no longer techno, broken glass in as drums, gurgles and crackles instead of violins. It’s fascinating. L, from Glasgow, screams like no other. “Spoken word, metal, jazz, noise and art rock” is written on the presentation sheet (Friday, 11 p.m.). Amazing and more.

Did you like Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark, the roaring twenties of “Enola Gay”, the synth new wave, the high-pitched boy voices? Eye, alias of Laurène Esposito, also French, puts a little of that in her style, but in a “minimal” version (Friday, 10 p.m.). Not far from there, Naomie Klaus (thanks for the play on words) shares a few points in common with Beck, from the “Loser” period, for a heavy and muddy result that promises (Saturday, 11:15 p.m.). We will also go see Titica (Friday, midnight), trans lady from Luanda, Angola, militant voice, and widely acclaimed as they say, of kuduro – of hardwhich means “hard ass”. It can be danced, yes, and not just a little.

Wonderful line-up, absolutely, because it doesn’t just focus on future pop seekers – which in itself is already great. At Face Z, in fact, we have a taste for all kinds of explorations. Less expected example, although perfectly in the highlights of the festival for regulars, traditional music: see in the case of Shaban Zeneli, precious voice of Albanian polyphonies, who will perform in Geneva within a vocal sextet (Thursday, 9 p.m.) .

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