Pitchfork London 2026: The Avalanches

2026’s Pitchfork Music Festival London was an exploration of the very best up-and-coming acts tearing across the scene at the moment, but there were plenty of moments to celebrate the established groups who have influenced the new wave. The Avalanches are a perfect example of such a group. The duo are global pioneers of sample-based electronic music. Their latest album, No Bad Memories, is a continuation of this sound, but with a modern twist and a plethora of internet references. For Pitchfork Festival, the pair headed to a sold-out Roundhouse for an evening of joy and pure bliss.

The evening began with a DJ set from Debit. The Mexican-American producer blended traditional Latin sounds with bassy, industrial beats to warm up the crowd. Next to take to the stage were Panda Bear and Sonic Boom, of Animal Collective and Spacemen 3 fame respectively. In 2022 they released collaborative album Reset, and they followed it this summer with A ? of WHEN. Their harmonised voices were woven together over wonky psychedelia in a peaceful and entrancing experience. Each song built slowly yet boldly, and shimmering instrumentals led the way as they beautifully crafted each track onstage.

The Avalanches’ headline performance was an audio-visual adventure. The set teemed with visual snippets and soundbites referencing the new record, while colourful visuals depicting outdated “Y2K” technology took over the large screen behind the duo. The bass was turned up to the max, with unbelievable drops wowing a crowd that was half starstruck, half moving carefree to sublime rhythms. The joyous audience jumped, danced and sang along throughout 90 minutes of bouncy, lively, boundless fun. New tracks (like ‘Every Single Weekend’) landed just as hard as classics (like ‘Subways’), as did the excellent mixes. Motifs from other tracks were threaded through as constant reminders, so that when the tune did come around, it hit big.

Alongside their original material, the pair mixed in The Beach Boys’ ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ and Queen’s ‘I Want To Break Free’. These mashups came to the fore in the second half of the show before a selection of heavy hitters. ‘Because I’m Me’ featured the distorted, static sounds of a theremin, which segued into their biggest tune, ‘Since I Left You’, before The Avalanches left the stage. A twinkling glitter ball illuminated the room, gleaming across happy faces as the duo returned to close the night. They ended their encore with perhaps the best new song of the year, ‘Can’t Get Over Losing You’.

An Avalanches concert is simply euphoric. The energy in the room was electric from start to finish, and the party did not relent. The new album works incredibly well in a live format, and it did a great job accompanying their long-time hits. It was all killer, no filler. Over the last three decades they’ve refined their sound, and they’re still at the top of their game. Their show at Roundhouse was testament to their skill as musicians.