Czeching: exporting Czech music abroad for the second time

Czeching follows on from last year’s Shootout – Special Edition, a ten-month project, the aim of which was to find the most promising contemporary non-mainstream Czech song for export. The winning band, selected on the basis of nominations and points awarded by music journalists and music programmers, promoters and publishers, was given the opportunity to record their “most promising” song, together with three other songs, in Czech Radio’s music studio. After that, the songs were sent to European radio stations associated with the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) network.

We believe that this is only the first step in providing long-term support to Czech non-mainstream music by bringing it to an international audience. In 2013, Shootout – Special Edition awarded this exciting opportunity to the Czech project by Sára Vondrášková, Never Sol. Their recording met with interest on radio stations in Austria, Denmark, Germany, France, Sweden and Slovakia.

Again this year, we will continue our quest to find the best Czech song for export. On Czech Radio Vltava, you can follow this journey from 3 September 2014, 7:00 pm, when the first Czeching session will go on air as part of the Čajovna (Tea Room) show.

What is new this year:
The name has changed: Shootout – Special Edition is dead. Long live Czeching!
We have composed a new panel of experts and jury members, who, this year, will nominate songs that are very likely to succeed abroad.
The choice of nominees for this year’s edition has been reduced – only songs by bands may be nominated. This means that the winning band will get the chance to fully exploit the potential of Czech Radio’s recording studio.

What remains unchanged:
Again this year, we want to launch one talented Czech band onto the world stage (and onto European radio stations), and then to support its musical journey abroad.
Experts will nominate songs on the basis that they have not yet been heard abroad nor have met with international success.
Čajovna will feature four hour-long sessions, presenting the project in its entirety. A two-hour recap of Czeching 2014 will be broadcast on Czech Radio Vltava on the Páteční večer (Friday Evening) programme.

Guests and jury members of Czeching 2014

Jana Grygarová (nee Kačurová) aka Apačka – co-founder, until 2013 editor-in-chief, and now senior editor of the printed music journal, Full Moon, member of the Vinyla Awards Committee, concert promoter with the umbrella collective, Keep Your Eyes Open, presenter and author of radio programmes, fan of Arsenal, Arabic countries and good coffee.

Pavel Kučera – author of articles on cultural affairs for the most prominent Czech periodicals, author of TV and radio music programmes, currently an external editor of Reflex weekly and one of the founding members of the Apollo Awards jury of Czech music critics as well as a member of the Vinyla Music Awards jury in 2013, and a regular at the Nudný otec club in Prague’s Letná.

Libor Lisý – music artist manager, radio presenter, contributor to practically all the printed periodicals in the 1990s, and a hugely experienced talent scout. Since 2000, a collaborator with EMI – currently associated with Warner Music.

Bára Šubrtová – head of programming at United Islands, a festival livening up Prague’s islands – she has been a co-organiser of the festival since 2009. Promoter of the Exit Music concert series. She deejays under the nickname, Miss B, turns into a keen snowboarder in the winter, and finds a good sci-fi novel hard to put down.

Pavel Turek – music publicist, worked for the cultural editing department at Aktuálně.cz, contributor to Respekt weekly since 2009 (mostly music reviews), member of the Vinyla Music Awards jury in 2013. He likes photography – a field he pursued at the TV and Film School of the Academy of Performing Arts.

Tomáš Zdeněk aka Lorenzo – operator and head of programming at the Prague’s Cross club, which offers a crossbreed of cultures, genres and approaches and presents bands and DJs from all over the world.

Czeching Sessions in Čajovna

Czeching Vol. 1: Wednesday, 3 September, 7:00 pm - Roundtable debate on the possibilities of exporting Czech music abroad
Music journalists, promoters, heads of programming at music clubs and festivals and members of expert music juries will discuss the successes of Czech non-mainstream music abroad and the obstacles and incentives which may affect the futures of non-mainstream Czech talents abroad. The guests of the first Czeching session will include Jana Grygarová (Apačka), Pavel Kučera, Libor Lisý, Bára Šubrtová, Pavel Turek and Tomáš Zdeněk (Lorenzo).

Czeching Vol. 2: Wednesday, 1 October, 7:00 pm - Survey to discover the most promising contemporary Czech non-mainstream song for export
Members of the expert jury will nominate, introduce, review and award points to Czech bands and projects, which they believe are most likely to become successful abroad. At the end of the project, the winning song from the survey will be announced. The guests of the second session of Czeching will again include Jana Grygarová (Apačka), Pavel Kučera, Libor Lisý, Bára Šubrtová, Pavel Turek and Tomáš Zdeněk (Lorenzo).

Czeching Vol. 3: Wednesday, 5 November, 7:00 pm - Winner to appear on Czeching
The author and performer of the most promising Czech song for export will be the guest of the third session of Czeching.

Czeching Vol. 4: Wednesday, 3 December, 7:00 pm - Brand-new recording to be sent to European radio stations
The winning band will be given the opportunity to record four songs at the Karlín Czech Radio Music Studio and the recording will then be sent to European radio stations associated with the EBU network. You can hear them during the 4th session of Czeching, broadcast as part of the Čajovna show.

Czeching 2014 - Profiles of Nominated Bands

Kaplan Bros – Cyril and Kryštof Kaplan didn’t have to think twice about the name for their band. They form half of the experimental sensation, Vložte kočku band, but their independent project pushes musical limits even further. Their mostly instrumental compositions stem from the fusion of digital and analogue electronica accompanied by live drums. The post-rock duo’s debut album is to be released by the end of 2014 in collaboration with Full Moon magazine.

Adrian T. Bell – Last year, the frontman of the popular post-punk formation, The Prostitutes, decided to look into his drawer full of unreleased ideas, departing from the band’s regular output. The result is his high-quality and highly acclaimed solo album, “Different World.” The Englishman, who has been living in Prague for many years, manages to seamlessly combine elements of country, soul and sophisticated pop, while also catering to the tastes of mature and informed listeners.

Klara. – This singer, blessed with a wide range of technical and vocal expression, is known to her Czech audience primarily as the frontwoman of the pop band, Toxique. Twenty-nine-year-old Klára Vytisková also forms one half of the more alternative project Montage and flexes her talents as a quick-witted presenter. She intends to finish her own soul-inspired album by the end of the year, before leaving the stage to attend to a more maternal role.

Manon Meurt – This young quartet from Rakovník first made their musical presence felt last spring when they played support to My Bloody Valentine. Manon Meurt pay tribute to their Irish icons through their sound and instrumental arrangements – but their talent, youthful enthusiasm and media recognition means this shoegaze discovery has a very promising future.

Wild Tides – Although this Prague surf-punk trio have already been catapulted to the attention of the general public and a wide range of music experts mainly thanks to their rough-and-ready concerts brimming with sweat, spontaneity and cheeky asides, the band also appeals to new fans by offering free downloads of their recordings. Led by Jakub Kaifosz, the band attracts a distinct and loyal listenership.

Worldhood – This well-formed Prague punk quartet have had quite a few notable achievements during their four years together – they’ve released three EPs that are available to download online for free or for purchase on 7-inch record and tape, offered live support to several genre-specific mega-icons, and given a series of concerts in the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and Slovenia, plus two tours in Switzerland.

Visit the official website of the Czeching project here.

Mgr. Martin Vejvoda
International Relations Specialist
Phone: +420 221 551 252
E-mail: martin.vejvoda@rozhlas.cz