The MENT Festival in Ljubljana is one of the leading showcase festivals and music conferences in Central and Eastern Europe, and the largest event of its kind in the region. It’s an award-winning event, jam-packed with musical discoveries. Along with the conference, MENT offers musical acts from all over Europe the chance to perform in front of international music professionals. This year, Austria will be sending four young, creative acts to the festival, happening from February 18-21.
Beaks
“She’s since shared the single ‘Dirty Girls’, a track that features a dark atmospheric slice of post-punk with a hypnotic groove and presence that feels like a blend of Sorry and Wet Leg, with a distinct sharp edge to it that kicks off right at the getgo.” –Will Oliver, We All Want Someone To Shout For
The Viennese poet-turned-songwriter Anna Francesca translates her poetry into clipped, lucid song fragments, where language itself becomes a powerful instrument. Her debut single ‘I dropped the bottle’ from 2023 introduced a voice both fragile and fearless, and her latest single ‘Dirty Girls’ from 2024 drifts between dreaming and awakening with a Lynch-like sense of disquiet, asking “How do dreams work? Will I wake up if I die?”. With lyrics that balance confession and observation, Beaks sketches the quiet drama of everyday life.
Performance: Thursday, time TBD
Gardens
“I had things that I wanted to do today, important stuff that I needed to be alert for. And now, look at me. Sinking ever further into this beanbag accompanied by the voice of a Viennese dream-pop singer.” – Ben Forrest’s housemate, Far Out Magazine
The Viennese band makes music that feels warm, direct, and a little rough around the edges ─ bright guitars, soft synths, and melodies that stick without trying too hard. Their sound drifts between indie pop, dreamy folk, and gentle garage energy, grounded in honest, quietly catchy songwriting. On their 2024 debut album Flaws, released by the Austrian label Siluh Records, the quartet leans into this blend even further: tender, fuzzy, playful songs about growing up, messing up, and finding your way through it all.
Performance: Friday, time TBD
Supported by Liveurope. Liveurope is co-financed by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Gordan
Austria/Germany/Serbia
“Gripping, like something ancient being born.” – The Wire
Gordan mirror the mysticism of legends and stories from the Balkan region, creating a music that stretches between expressiveness and abstraction, tradition and the avant-garde. The visceral vocals of Svetlana Spajić (Marina Abramovic, Robert Wilson, Antony and the Johnsons, Lenhard Tapes) are both rooted and deeply interpretive. In turn, drummer Andi Stecher (STECHER, Billy Bultheel, Orchestre Les Mangelepa) and Guido Möbius on bass and electronics employ sonic strategies that steer the songs in unpredictable directions. Tapping into minimalism, noise and the rich singing tradition of the Balkans, they create something radical, and entirely their own.
This performance is supported by UPBEAT.
Performance: Friday, time TBD
Lino Camilo
“Lino Camilo’s new single ‘shut the fuck up’ is an answer to a busy society, a noisy mind, and a cathartic outlet for pent-up aggression and transgression.” – TUNEDLOUD
Terminally online and up for almost anything, Lino Camilo, a child of the Viennese underground, is a self-taught producer, singer, and songwriter who fuses warped basslines, wailing guitars, and distorted harmonies. Inspired by Jadu Heart, Lana Del Rey, Fontaines D.C., and Mannequin Pussy, she is currently working on her debut album and promises a coming-of-age record that playfully mixes soft and surf rock with indie alternative and new wave, all under the indie sleaze revival banner.
Performance: Friday, time TBD
Stay tuned for updates!