Neon Marshmallow Fest takes place at Chicago’s Viaduct Theatre over the period August 19-22. The line-up is ridiculous.

You won’t find Roxy Music or LCD Soundsystem here, but as a showcase of experimental and outsider talent, NMF’s bill is peerless. Brooklyn’s Excepter, who rarely play outside of the United States, are one of the headlining acts; Ohio synth dream-weavers Emeralds, who released one of this year’s best albums in Does It Look Like I’m Here, are also on point, as is godfather of the US synth underground Keith Fullerton Whitman.

Neil Campbell’s mighty Astral Social Club – whose mingling of noise, drone and atavistic techno is quite something to behold in the flesh – are scheduled to perform twice, the second of these sets being a collaboration with Carlos Giffoni, who has recently been garnering much acclaim for his shows and recordings as No Fun Acid.

Julian Lynch, fresh from releasing his fine Mare LP via Olde English Spelling Bee, is on board, along with Burning Star Core, doom ambient demi-god Burial Hex and hypnagogic maestros Dolphins Into The Future and Ducktails.

If we hadn’t spent all our money on records by these artists, we’d be booking our flights to Chicago now. For the festival’s full line-up and more practical information, click here.