Semibreve lit up Braga, Portugal, with exploratory electronic music and digital art. The fifteenth edition of Semibreve gathered musicians, artists, and audiences from around the world for a unique programme that was both challenging and accessible. Set in stunning site-specific locations and world-class venues, the festival resonated with the sounds and visions of both emerging and established artists, echoing through its vibrant international community.
This year Semibreve hosted TIMES co-curations together with Unsound, Nuits Sonores, Le Guess Who? and Sonar.
Co-curated with Unsound:
Heinali and Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko set a spectacular tone for the festival’s opening with their performance of ‘Гільдеґарда’ (Hildegard) in the magnificent Basílica dos Congregados.
This contemporary reimagining of Hildegard von Bingen’s music. Heinali (Oleh Shpudeiko) stands beside his modular synthesizer, shaping waves of sound through intricate modulation, while vocalist Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko channels the power of Ukrainian folk tradition, her voice reverberating through the church in haunting, timeless echoes. Together, their interplay of electronic textures and human expression created a powerful soundscape—a distant mirror reflecting the wartime experience and deep emotion of the Ukrainian duo.
Co-curated with Nuits Sonores:
Visual and sonic artist Jan Moravec (ID:Mora) collaborated with Mike Paradinas (µ-Ziq)—renowned producer, DJ, and founder of Planet Mu—to perform Paradinas’ latest album, Grush. Marking the 465th release in the Planet Mu catalogue, this collaborative performance became a vibrant celebration of both the new record and the legacy of the label.
Co-curated with Le Guess Who?:
Lebanese multi-instrumentalist Yara Asmar performed Stuttering Music, her deeply personal project exploring memory and sound. Playing her grandmother’s accordion, she wove echoes of her own and her family’s history into the instrument’s fragile tones.
Layer by layer, she looped the accordion’s voice, intertwining it with delicate electronic textures and other instruments. The result was an intimate, spellbinding atmosphere that enveloped the audience, with the old hall resonating in harmony with her music.
Co-curated with Sonar:
In the central location of the festival, Theatro Circo, another amazing duo took to the stage. Legendary musician Suzanne Ciani joined forces with Darren Cunningham aka Actress, one of the UK’s most unique electronic musicians, performing their collaborative work, Concrète Waves.
