This year marks the 18th edition of Lublin’s Different Sounds and the 12th as part of East of Culture: a project by the National Centre for Culture, funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, linking the eastern Polish cities of Lublin, Białystok, and Rzeszów  

At the heart of every edition of the festival is a spotlight on a unique music label — one that opens a window onto different ways of releasing music, different business models, artistic philosophies, and cultural contexts. These curated showcases often highlight specific genres or regional scenes, offering a deeper sense of time and place through sound.
In 2025, that honour goes to Stone Tapes — a label that has swiftly established itself as a leading voice for the most adventurous and revered sounds in the global avant-garde scene. a label that has swiftly established itself as a leading voice for the most adventurous and revered sounds in the global avant-garde. This New York be, now a hub for iconic figures from the global alternative scene of the past five decades, is the Stone Tapes label, which we will encounter this July in Lublin.  

Stone Tapes

Stone Tapes is a New York-based independent music label founded in 2022, helmed from its inception by Yonatan Gat – a guitarist, composer, and producer known notably from the cult trio Monotonix and the Medicine Singers project. The imprint began its journey as a sub-label of the renowned Joyful Noise Recordings, with whom Gat is also involved. This Indianapolis-based label releases luminaries such as CocoRosie, Deerhoof, David Yow, and Tropical Fuck Storm, firmly placing it at the forefront of global alternative music.
As for Stone Tapes, in just a few years, the New Yorkers have not only released a series of outstanding albums but also assembled a collective of exceptional artists. Today, Stone Tapes’ roster includes Lee Ranaldo (co-founder of Sonic Youth), Laraaji, Maalem Hassan Ben Jaafar, and Mamady Kouyate, among others. Crucially, the label’s artistic explorations focus equally on groundbreaking alternative sounds and original ethnic music from diverse cultural backgrounds. As a result, the label’s catalog offers a full stylistic spectrum – from raw guitar noise and North African futurism to Saharan textures, niche, ambitious electronics, and music from Indigenous North American traditions.  

The Lublin showcase will feature three extraordinary concerts, each curated and presented by one of these exceptional artists: Laraaji, Lee Ranaldo, and Yonatan Gat. Each possesses a unique, signature approach to music and sound, which will be the central theme of their dedicated festival performances.  

As part of the label’s presentation in Lublin, there will also be a meeting on the New York independent scene with Yonatan Gat and musicians active in Stone Tapes. 

Laraaji – A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and brilliant pianist and improviser, also known for his use of traditional instruments such as the zither and mbira. He is equally fascinated by Eastern culture and mysticism as by contemporary ambient music. One of his landmark works is the album ‘Ambient 3: Day of Radiance,’ released by Brian Eno in his legendary ‘Ambient’ series. In the 1970s, Laraaji also gained renown for his street performances across various parts of New York City, solidifying his place in history as one of the city’s musical legends. In 2023, Pitchfork magazine named him one of the most important figures in New Age and ambient music. His concerts are true sonic journeys, often resembling meditation.
Additionally, through his artistic collaborations within the Stone Tapes label, he plays a prominent role as a member of the Medicine Singers.  

Lee Ranaldo – is an iconic figure in the American independent music scene — a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and a key leader of countercultural music movements of the past 50 years, spanning alternative rock, experimental avant-garde, no wave, and noise. As a co-founder of Sonic Youth, a band that reshaped the course of music history, his influence is both vast and enduring.

   
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #33 on its list of ‘The Greatest Guitarists of All Time,’ and in 2012, Spin magazine placed him — alongside Sonic Youth bandmate Thurston Moore — at #1 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists. n 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #33 on its list of ‘The Greatest Guitarists of All Time,’ and in 2012, Spin magazine placed him — alongside Sonic Youth bandmate Thurston Moore — at #1 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.       
Lee Ranaldo is a person of many talents, and each of his concerts, whether solo or in a collaboration, is always a profound experience. Beyond his masterful guitar technique, the artist is also fascinated by the world of contemporary art, the use of multimedia, and field recording.   

Yonatan Gat – is a guitar virtuoso and one of the top artists in the avant-garde music scene of New York. Alternative music fans know him primarily from the cult trio Monotonix, which captivated the world with its explosive, wild concerts. He also consistently collaborates with musicians from renowned formations such as Sonic Youth, Swans, and Godspeed You Black Emperor, as well as masters of ethnic music like Maalem Hassan Ben Jaafar and Mamady Kouyate. Beyond composing and performing his own music, Yonatan Gat is also actively involved in releasing other artists. To this end, he established his own label – Stone Tapes, which we are extensively showcasing during this year’s Different Sounds.  

Who else is set to take the stage at Different Sounds?

Earlier, we have unveiled the artists set to perform at this year’s edition of the festival. Here’s a taste of what’s to come:

• Voivod – The legendary Canadian metal band that’s been going strong since 1982. With deep roots in thrash metal history, they made a game-changing pivot towards progressive metal, earning their place as one of the genre’s most influential acts.
• The EX – Hailing from the Netherlands, this iconic group has long been a beacon of European counterculture. One of the most important punk collectives in the history of alternative music
• A Place to Bury Strangers – A powerhouse trio from the U.S. known for their intense blend of noise rock, shoegaze, post-punk, and free improvisation. Expect a wall of sound and raw energy.
• The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis –an instrumental trio formed by members of the legendary Fugazi, now teaming up with the phenomenal saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis for a bold, genre-bending collaboration
• PETBRICK – A high-octane duo featuring Wayne Adams (head of London’s Bear Bites Horse Recording Studio) and Iggor Cavalera, the iconic drummer best known from Sepultura and Cavalera Conspiracy. Prepare for a sonic explosion.
• Maria W. Horn –A Swedish composer and sound artist whose haunting, exploratory work places sound at the heart of her creative journey.
• Butch Kassidy – A post-rock outfit from London, rapidly rising as one of Europe’s most exciting names in heavy guitar-driven music. 
• Zamilska – A Polish artist and producer operating within the broadly understood realm of electronic music. .
• Raphael Rogiński & Iztok Koren – A duo formed by experienced artists united by their courage in seeking new musical challenges, technical mastery of their instruments, and phenomenal creative imagination.
• Ivo Shandor & The Gozer Worshipers – A new Tri-City (Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot, Poland) formation that moves freely at the intersection of jazz and improvisation, guitar noise, and psychedelic trance.
• Mitsune – An absolutely explosive blend of Japanese folk mixed with European punk, psychedelic music, krautrock sounds, classic film soundtracks, and even ritual music.
• MaidaVale – A Swedish group founded in 2016 by four women, whose unique style is a culmination of psychedelia, indie rock, trance grooves, and catchy melodies.
• Emmeluth’s Amoeba – A Danish-Norwegian instrumental quartet, combining the best of the Scandinavian approach to jazz and improvised music.

A major highlight of this year’s edition is the fruit of the festival’s collaboration with Cryptic Glasgow and Scotland’s Sonica Festival, developed within the framework of the UK/Poland Season 2025. This international partnership allows us to showcase exceptional projects right here in Lublin, featuring:

• Ela Orleans – a Polish composer and audiovisual artist living between Glasgow and Paris. In Lublin, Orleans will present one of her signature works: the acclaimed Night Voyager. This atmospheric project weaves together the haunting sounds of synthesizers, theremin, violin, and voice, layered with archival NASA recordings from the 1969 Apollo moon mission.
• Dopey Monkey and guests – a bold and boundary-pushing duo of Scottish composers and musicians, Martin Lee Thomson (euphonium) and Danielle Price (tuba), are known for blending musical worlds with flair. Their sound floats between funky grooves, jazz, experimental textures, folk influences, and classical foundations. For the East of Culture – Different Sounds festival and the UK/Poland 2025 artistic season, Dopey Monkey has teamed up with Lublin-based artists from the collective Zielona Girlanda and multi-instrumentalist Tomasz Graczyk.   
• Sing the Gloaming – a bold and boundary-pushing duo of Scottish composers and musicians, Martin Lee Thomson (euphonium) and Danielle Price (tuba), are known for blending musical worlds with flair. Their sound floats between funky grooves, jazz, experimental textures, folk influences, and classical foundations. For the East of Culture – Different Sounds festival and the UK/Poland 2025 artistic season, Dopey Monkey has teamed up with Lublin-based artists from the collective Zielona Girlanda and multi-instrumentalist Tomasz Graczyk.

About the festival  

Each year, the East of Culture – Different Sounds festival takes audiences on a musical journey to a realm where sound defies convention. It’s an invitation to discover artists who challenge genre boundaries, address meaningful issues, or simply evoke emotions and experiences that linger long after the final note fades,

In a world where music festivals often chase fleeting trends and popularity metrics, Different Sounds remains a space for seekers—those in search of genuine encounters and musical epiphanies. It’s a refuge for true music lovers and a rare opportunity to connect with artists from around the globe for whom music is more than entertainment—it’s a profound form of expression.

This year marks the 18th edition of Lublin’s Inne Brzmienia festival, organised by Workshops of Culture, and the 12th edition held as part of Wschód Kultury—a unique cultural project led by the National Centre for Culture, funded by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and brought to life across three cities in eastern Poland: Lublin, Białystok, and Rzeszów.  

Admission to the festival remains free, with more announcements coming soon!

More info: www.innebrzmienia.eu and https://nck.pl/projekty-kulturalne/projekty/wschod-kultury

East of Culture – Different Sounds              
3–6 July 2025   
Lublin, Błonia near the Castle
Admission free

Organisers: The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, The National Centre for Culture, the City of Lublin, Workshops of Culture in Lublin.             
East of Culture – Different Sounds Festival is actively championing gender equality in the music industry as part of the Keychange network.