Death metal group Vulvathrone from Murska Sobota has replaced many memberssince its creation. The band in the form of a quartet has performed with bands such as Dying Fetus, Napalm Death, Nile, Incantation, Lividity, Abrasive, Sanatorium and others. They have performed at festivals, the likes of Metaldays, Metalfest, Austria, Rockmarathon Hungary, among others.

The four-piece band Prismojeni profesorji bluesa (Wacky Blues Professors) play a high-powered version of blues that tends to deviate into psychedelic rock or pulsating funk. The band’s specialty is the inclusion of distorted harmonica, whose sound elevates the already high-spirited and forceful music and transports the audiences into raptures of joy. When played live, the duration of a composition, and consequently a gig, usually depends on the band’s mood. Although a piece has a certain predetermined running time, its duration will be doubled and even tripled in size, provided the vibes are good, but never curtailed. While mostly performing self-penned music, the band’s playlist occasionally includes covers of foreign artists – their role models –, most notably the legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix and blues giants Freddie King and Muddy Waters.

Slovenian techno dons and modular enthusiasts Lifecutter and Shekuza join forces on a new project dedicated to the exploration of industrial, techno and dark ambient sonics. The former left a mark on the local scene with his “power electronics meet blackened techno” approach, while the latter secured his position as underground mainstay with two outstanding modular techno releases for the Ljubljana netlabel Kamizdat. Warhorse is a love child of their shared passion for tissue-mutilating frequencies and noisy techno—an ode to punchy and punishing dance music that will please fans of names like Perc, Scalameriya, Surgeon and Blawan.

An electronic project by producers, DJs & queer activists Nina Hudej (2018 SHAPE artist) & NinaBelle, which explores forward-thinking club and experimental electronic music.

Wasserdicht is a hardcore punk band from Ormož, formed in the early 1990s. After more than a 20-year hiatus, they reunited in 2021 and returned with new energy.

Wild Strings is a collaborative music project between Slovenian ethno guitarist Aleksander Kuzmić, Slovak jazz violinist Petra Onderufová and French classical cellist Toby Kuhn. Taking inspiration from Balkan and Celtic traditions, jazz and classical music, and of course flamenco, the trio has created an informed and energetic blend of styles that intrigues and delights audiences everywhere. They have performed around Europe and also as far as Iran and Uzbekistan. The trio feels at home both in concert halls, jazz clubs and on festival stages. Their debut “Lost Weekend” was released in 2016. It was followed by their sophomore album “Bendjistan” in 2019.

The wind quintet Slowind was established 22 years ago, and has become the most active new music ensemble in Slovenia. As well as performing practically all of the works of the standard wind quintet repertoire, the members of Slowind have developed a reputation as uncompromising performers of contemporary music, from the classics of the avant-garde to works by the youngest composers, many of whom are not yet established but are very promising composers of our time. 

Within Destruction is a Slovenian metal band formed in 2010 in Jesenice. Initially focused on melodic death metal, they later embraced deathcore with millennial humor. Their album Void and the Sickness Descends on Europe Tour brought international attention. Known for global touring, including the UK and North America, they’ve played with top genre acts like Disentomb and Arsis. They are one of Slovenia’s most internationally visible metal bands.

XSKULL8 is a Slovenian hard rock band known for their powerful music forged from heavy post-grunge riffs with a modern twist. Originally formed as Captain Morgan’s Revenge in 2015, they rebranded to XSKULL8 in 2020. Their debut album, “From Sin to Sinners,” was released in 2021, featuring singles like “Leaves Are Falling,” which reached the Top 20 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Indicator Chart. The band comprises vocalist Rokk, guitarists Johnny and Uroš, bassist Nejc, and drummer Klemen.

YANU (Jan Tomšič) is a multiinstrumentalist, who left an indelible mark on the Slovene music scene together with his band Caminoigra. He is a pioneer in co-creating the musical style of world music in Slovenia. With his new band, he currently creates authored music, blending blues, funk, jazz, afro groove and improvisation