Music, art, technology, gastronomy, and fashion – there are many ways to feel the current with this year’s Electronic Beats Festival during October 15-18. Presenting high-voltage concerts, exhibitions, workshops, and more at multiple venues across Budapest, this international event is a collaboration between local and global artists to showcase cutting-edge creativity with varied happenings spanning four days.

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Telekom’s international music festival arrives in Budapest this week after recently electrifying Bucharest and Podgorica, but unlike in previous years, this won’t be a one-night-only program here. Electronic beasts should mark the three As of Electronic Beats on their map, as A38, Akvárium, and Anker’t will be the festival’s most important meeting places, hosting concerts, installations, and more. However, other sites across downtown Budapest will also be electrified – apart from DJ sets, club nights, and concerts, there will be displays inspired by sampling techniques, synesthesia, and the rich history of electronic music.

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A38

The lineup of A38 will showcase the diversity of what can be called pop music. It includes Andy Butler’s panerotic house-disco collective, Hercules & Love Affair, which is famous for its unique live shows. Omar Souleyman – the Syrian wedding singer who is currently the biggest name in the world-music/folktronica scene – mixes traditional Arabian music with throbbing techno, complemented by the Howling duo of an Australian folk singer and a German techno producer. Fatima & The Eglo Live Band will bring the soul to our modern world, along with Nozinja (who mixes South African traditional music with Warp’s vision of the dance music of the future, and tours with a group of dancers) and Ten Fé, playing epic indie-dance music. The list of Hungarian performers include the Volkova Sisters, playing something that can be described as darkwave with shoegaze influences, while Bergi and Seres will keep you movin’ with their DJ sets.

Tickets for Friday and Saturday are still on sale.

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Akvárium

Club performances will dominate at Akvárium, with names like Nina Kraviz or Kiasmos standing behind the decks. The latter is the minimal-techno project of Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen, and let’s not forget about one of the iconic acts of German electronic music, Âme. You’ll also have the chance to peek into the world of up-and-coming techno producer S. Olbricht, while iamyank will play his songs with a full band, and Crimson and Subotage will also dig deep into their record bags.

Tickets for Friday and Saturday are still on sale.

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Anker’t

The Telekom Electronic Beats Exhibition at Anker’t during October 16-18 links music, culture, art, and technology with an interactive audio installation titled Floating Sounds. This unique display is a collaboration between the Berlin design studio flora&faunavisions and electronic-music artist Julian Ganzer, creating a walkable audio-visual experience in which projections are layered on multiple semi-transparent surfaces. The immersive piece was inspired by the art of sampling, synaesthesia, and the rich history of electronic music. Sounds and visuals are generated based on each visitor’s interaction, thus creating an individually unique experience. The installation is accompanied by Hit The Beat, a physical drum machine created by Lorenzo Bravi that transforms any object into a musical instrument. The project originated as a workshop for children in Milan, and turned into an interactive investigation of music and sound. The exhibition is free and open to the public from 4pm-10pm on each day of the festival.