Coming up this weekend is the Only Connect Festival of Sound 2014 in Oslo – a festival inspired by the works of influential English novelist J.G. Ballard, and featuring a performance from Quietus favourites Carter Tutti.  

Renowned for his dystopian fiction, Ballard’s published fictional works include Crash, Empire Of The Sun and High Rise. The festival sets out to “explore the Ballardian universe of dystopian cityscapes, urban disintegration and futuristic architecture, through concerts, performance, film and talks”. Only Connect describes the city of Oslo as a city “five minutes into the future”, and therefore functions as the perfect environment to celebrate Ballard’s eerily prophetic work. 

  The festival bill boasts sets from a cluster of cutting edge music talent. Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti will be performing a newly commissioned Carter Tutti piece called Impulse Response II. Also playing is experimental avant-jazz guitarist Stian Westerhus, who’s just unleashed a new record, Maelstrom, with his newly-formed band Pale Horses.   

The line-up also includes a set from Jenny Hval, who released her remarkable new album, Innocence Is Kinky, in April last year. Kode9 is kicking off an extensive touring cycle with his appearance at Only Connect, gigging internationally afterwards until September.     

Only Connect offers a myriad of art, music, film and photography events across venues such as the The Thief hotel, Kunstnernes Hus and the parking garage beneath Oslo Concert Hall. British writer and filmmaker Iain Sinclair will be appearing via Skype, talking about his psychogeographical work, London Orbital. 

  Check out more details about nyMusikk’s Only Connect festival here.