Winners of Czeching 2016 – Himalayan Dalai Lama and Ba:zel

The competition was a real cliff-hanger. For the first time this year, Radio Wave’s music export project Czeching culminated with the showcase concert of all nominated bands and a performance by Dutch-Iranian singer and producer Sevdaliza in Czech Radio‘s parking space. After the showcase, the Czech members of the expert jury cast their votes and the final scores were calculated on the spot.

Based on the scores awarded by the 19-member international jury, composed mainly of radio experts, the overall winners are electronic music producers Himalayan Dalai Lama nominated by Bára Alex Kašparová, editor-in-chief of Artikl magazine. The band will now receive Czech Radio’s full support and assistance needed to venture abroad. Himalayan Dalai Lama will have at their disposal a professional recording studio, music director and a technician to assist them in recording their new EP. In December, the EP will be released digitally as well as on tapes and it distributed to radio stations associated with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The Brno-based duo will also appear at the largest European showcase festival and conference, Eurosonic Noorderslag, introducing themselves mainly to music professionals and establishing international contacts. Czech Radio will equip the winner with event-specific promotional materials.

Czeching 2016 listener poll reported enchantment with the hypnotizing electronic sounds of Ba:zel. The poll’s winner will appear in Bratislava as part of Radio Wave and Rádio_FM Audioport’s joint project and supplied with tailor-made promotional materials.

Last year, the international jury was most impressed by the R’n’B duo VR/NOBODY. This year’s edition of Czeching indicates that instrumental electronic music can easily subdue the alternative pop scene.
Himalayan Dalai Lama’s debut Lama released in February by progressive Slovak label Gergaz commanded the Czech music production. Originally a punk duo, Kryštof Matěj and David Novotný founded a project called Luis Buñuel. In 2015, they set out on their on their DJing path, but were more and more pulled towards instrumental music, finally creating Himalayan Dalai Lama, a fusion of electronic dance music, chill wave, indie-pop, trap elements and live drums and bass free of samples. The Brno-based production duo is known for tweaking their beats with, for example, a hit song. In a rather short time, Himalayan Dalai Lama managed to build a reputation as a band that is able to keep up with international trends, yet not becoming a mere imitation of contemporary sounds. Their shows often turn into one hell of a party.

Czeching was launched in 2013 as one of Radio Wave’s talent scouting projects supporting promising Czech bands and producers.