Superorganism, Pale Waves and more kick off 2018 in style at Eurosonic Noorderslag

Even in the face of an almighty flight-stopping storm, icy minus temperatures and a torchlit protest against gas excavations, the 32nd edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag somehow overcomes all the obstacles in its way while showcasing an exciting snapshot of the music year to come. Spread across the rainy city of Groningen, Netherlands, the mid-January four-dayer offers performances from hundreds of bands and artists from the worlds of rock, indie, pop, electronic and everything in between: it’s a European version of The Great Escape Festival, essentially.

While the main action takes place at venues dotted around the city from the early evening, there are conferences, workshops, talks and intimate cafe/record store performances in the daytime. The overall aim of the festival, though, is to champion Europe's hotbed of musical talent.

If there’s one thing that’s immediately obvious from this year’s ESNS, it’s that the Danes are smashing it right now. Phlake deliver cinematic, sensual “rhythm and balls” R&B-pop, Velvet Volume bring angsty punk-with-pop, Scarlet Pleasure’s infectious synth-y hits are not dissimilar to Years & Years, School of X’s atmospheric soundscapes are made for movies and elusive producer Vera’s futuristic yet sophisticated take on dance music - swapping big drops for saxophones and acoustic guitars - is unlike any other artist playing this weekend.

As the focus country of this year’s festival, Denmark is putting itself on the musical map; and there’s one band that embodies that energy with their rave-inducing live show. Off Bloom’s takeover of the Grand Theatre - a high-ceilinged industrial space with exposed brickwork - is full of energy and quickly turns into a wild party by the time the ravey synths of ‘Golden Dreams’ hit. Acoustically, ‘Falcon Eye’ and ‘Love To Hate It’come alive in the large room - though they can still pull off ballads, like on the emotive ‘Sorry Not Sorry’. Having supported Dua Lipa on tour already, the party-loving trio are destined to have a massive year.

Denmark isn’t the only Scandinavian country worth mentioning, though; Finland’s ascending green-haired queen of pop, Alma, packs an indoor tented stage with her catchy chart hits ‘Chasing Highs’ and ‘Phases’, while Norwegian ‘club boyband’ Rytemekluben bring PC Music-style hyper-pop to a midnight party and Sweden’s Skott delivers a hauntingly powerful rendition of ‘Glitter and Gloss’.