Live. Music. Culture. February 2020
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Dear reader, Editor-in-Chief / Sales Loki Lillistone loki@instereomag.com
After a small break, we’re back at you monthly – bringing with us events, albums and chats with the artists who inspire us. February sees Berlin explode with all of the above, and it’s our pleasure to be part of it.
Deputy Editor Francisco Gonçalves Silva
Needing no introduction, Caribou leads the charge this month ahead of his fantastic new album, Suddenly, out via the Berlin-based City Slang. He explains the diaristic nature of this new output, owing in part to the significant life events experienced since 2014’s Our Love.
Sub-Editor Jess Partridge Sub-Editor Dave Rowlinson Events Editor Thomas Evans Creative Director Larissa Matheus
We also put some time aside to speak with Berlin artist, Tara Nome Doyle. It’s hard not to feel jealous as we trace her progress from hyper-musical child to the artist behind a sublime debut such as Alchemy. BiS cult artist favourite, Black Marble, also plays Berlin this month. We speak to Chris Stewart about his relocation from NYC to LA, and how it’s spelled RIP to his previous MO. One of our ones to watch for 2020, Beabadoobee also comes in to explain the equally enviable and unenviable task of touring the world when you’ve barely finished school.
Out Deh (BIFF)
Contributors:
Kezia Cochrane, Geoff Cowart, Georgia Evans, Jon Kean, Thomas Hannan, Nick Mee, Robin Murray, Gemma Samways, Ari Sawyer, Simone Skilbeck, Harriet Taylor, Albert Testani, Katie Thomas, Lee Wakefield, Tim Kuhnert Cover photo by Mathew Parri Thomas, typeface by Lucas Le Bihan ( Velvetyne ). 4
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New Sounds
Tara Nome Doyle
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Beabadoobee
Black Marble
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Caribou
Releases
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Events
Full Listings
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Thoughts
In Berlin Caribou
Loki: Georgia – 24 Hours
Staff on Repeat:
Francisco: Σtella – The Break Jess: Amindi – Love Em Leave Em Dave: Megan Thee Stallion – Diamonds Thomas: Música Esporádica – Música Esporádica Larissa: Igorrr – Very Noise 5
New Sounds by Francisco Gonçalves Silva
One Room Hotel
Top Ten: New Sounds Lyra Pramuk – Tendril Soccer Mommy – circle the drain Sally Dige – It’s You I’m Thinking Of Katerinha – Trippin Celeste – Stop This Flame Magdalena Bay – How To Get Physical Georgia – The Thrill Lexodus – Off The Wall Guest Singer – Think Face Dan Deacon – Become a Mountain
Sally Dige
Get more new music from Francisco Gonçalves Silva every monday at: berlininstereo.com 6
One Room Hotel Feeling lonely? Then listen up, because One Room Hotel is exactly what you need for your seasonal downer. Noach Engelhard sings his heart out, carrying with him a natural knack for descriptive observation. Think Casiotone For The Painfully Alone meets Cohen and Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads with a more tender approach to matters of the heart. His second EP, Just Another Jewish Guy, takes the Tel-Aviv poet and composer onto another chapter. They say you can never know someone’s reality until you walk a mile in their shoes. Tinged in cigarette smoke from Neukölln bars, Engelhard tells his story without fear of emotional exposure. As he whispers his fears and desires with a very accentuated baritone (fitting, right?), he portrays the perspective of a Jewish man craving affection. And while his strength comes from observing life’s intricacies, his music is honest and humble, even when conspiring against rejection, emotional haircuts, cold coffees, bad internet connections, or horny animals in wet forests. Love, music’s most exploited topic, does take its toll on self-expression, and for better or worse, for One Room Hotel it’s an enabler – one that allows Engelhard to create freely and develop a persona with a taste for romanticism, well-tailored suits and soft melodrama. Track: Love Turns You Into A Fool @one_room_hotel
Ebow
Ebow On the scene for a while now, but fresh from a blistering collab with Balbina, Ebow embraces a cause by the neck and twists it on her own terms. Women of colour are so often misrepresented in rap music, and on her recent album, K4L, the musician embraces the community and gives people a voice while rapping against sexism, racism and homophobia – envisioning solidarity in an open and equal society. A trailblazer as a solo act, and previously part of rap group, Gaddafi Gals, Ebow isn’t here to be complacent; she’s here to show you how it is, with her message of togetherness the only course of action. Track: Weit Weg (with Balbina) @ebowsbazar @ebow.mp3
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Tara Nome Doyle words: Geoff Cowart photography: Sonja Stadelmaier In pop music, bigger is better. That’s the view of fast-rising Kreuzberg singer and songwriter, Tara Nome Doyle.
Vision 3 in Berlin, the city provides a fitting background for her powerful singing and surreal lyrics.
Reflecting on her early musical start in life, the 22-year-old Berlin native says she took up the piano aged seven. This quickly evolved into covering singers such as Adele, Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys. “I just wanted to play cover songs. It seemed like fun,” she said. By 11, she was writing her own compositions. “I’m lucky that I started when I was very young. Writing music never seemed like a big deal.”
Born to a Norwegian mother and an Irish father, Tara often spends her summers in Norway, writing some of her newest songs in a remote blueberry field. Returning to Germany, the backing tracks for Alchemy were laid down in a studio in Buch, while she recorded many of her vocal tracks in Kreuzberg.
Listen closely and you can hear some of the blockbuster techniques employed by her idols appear in her own haunting tunes. “I do love the melodrama of a good pop song,” Tara admits with a laugh. “But I was no Christina Aguilera. The songs were just so epic. I had a gut feeling and I wanted my voice to sound natural.” After becoming the go-to name for a wide array of Berlin artists, both live and in the studio, the bubbly singer has now moved centre stage, with the soulful songs that adorn her debut album, Alchemy. “I have a huge thing for the big tunes,” she says. “And not just for the sake of it. I really want to convey the emotions.” Tara’s video for recent single, ‘Neon Woods’ is a fantastic example of her ability to conjure up a vibe. In her most elaborate production to date, she’s pictured roaming through a moody maze of urban walkways, parties and lifts as she croons enigmatically: “We watched the last train move to the streets/ Like a caterpillar moves to Belize.” Shot with a 16mm Kodak 8
Despite confessing to being an “introvert”, an ambitious German tour looms in March. Her transition from a bedroom chanteuse to headliner feels “weird”, she says. “When you’re backstage and see artists you listen to, nothing seems so distant anymore.” Nevertheless, she confesses that performing live is one of her greatest joys. “Live music is very special for me. It changes my mindset. I like to share that with other people. It’s both social and emotional – which is good for the brain. “I really try and give everything I can. I hope people can feel the energy I feel when I perform. It’s very comforting to be out of control and let things happen. I get into a bubble where anything is allowed.” Sharing is hardly proving difficult for Tara. She’s racked up more than 1.5million streams on Spotify with just a handful of tunes, while her videos have attracted hundreds of thousands of views. But despite these impressive numbers, she’s not getting ahead of herself. “Those are just numbers on a screen,” Tara says. “It doesn’t do anything for me. I’m honoured, but there’s a huge gap between streams and getting people to come to a gig. There’s no personal interaction in a stream.”
“I’m lucky that I started when I was very young. Writing music never seemed like a big deal.”
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“Live music is very special for me… It’s both social and emotional.”
As for her upcoming German tour, Tara says, “I’m very honoured to be given this opportunity. Previously, when I’ve performed as a support act, my role was clear. Prove yourself. Win the crowd over.” While headlining gives her a whole new “freedom and confidence”, she adds, “I feel much more connected with the audience. They’ve come to see you. That’s amazing.”
With Alchemy only hitting shelves in late January, the consummate musician is already focussing on her next project. “It will have a different set of sounds,” she promises, “and be more theatrical.” That’s partly down to her recent singing lessons, which have “opened up different areas” of her voice, she says. “And it’s important to have a healthy way to sing.” The future for Tara is looking very healthy, indeed.
Currently, her favourite venue to perform is closer to home – the Silent Green complex in Wedding. “It has great acoustics for singing. It both sounds and looks beautiful,” she said of the former crematorium.
Alchemy was released on 24th January. Live: Roter Salon der Volksbühne, 6th March
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@taranomedoyle
@taranomedoyle
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Beabadoobee words: Georgia Evans
She may have only just finished school, but Beabadoobee is on her first world tour, supporting fellow Gen Z star Clairo across the States before heading over to the UK for a string of shows with her label, Dirty Hit. With her ever-changing hair colour, grunge aesthetic and affinity for the 90s, the 19-year-old (real name Bea Kristi) has carved out her own brand of bedroom pop on her most recent EP, Space Cadet. “I love Pavement and Sonic Youth, that’s kind of what I listened to a lot,” Bea says, as she discusses her early influences over the phone from Washington. “Growing up, it was a lot of The Cranberries, Suzanne Vega – who’s incredible – and a lot of my mum’s music that she used to show me. And Keane. I grew up on Keane and Maroon Five’s first album, Songs About Jane,” she giggles while radiating a kind of slacker coolness reminiscent of her heroes. Echoes of these can be heard in her uncomplicated, soothingly melodic chord structures, which glide between folk and punk influences. Therefore it comes as little surprise that she notes Green Day’s Dookie as the first CD she ever bought. “I still bang out that album to this day,” she says. “It’s just crazy, the chords are so powerful, and that’s so sick. I guess I get inspired by that album a lot because all of mine are super simple, but you know, Billie Joe just finds an amazing way to carry it.” However, what really makes Bea’s music particularly gripping is her honest lyricism. Touching on themes of depression, anxiety and insomnia, it’s relatable, not just to Gen Z, but to anyone who has experienced those feelings. The response to this is why she chose to pursue music as a career. 12
“I ju music take s from
“Seeing so many people relating to the things I say motivated me so much,” she says. “I just write music to kind of take stuff away from my brain.” Particular moments of poignancy within her third EP, Space Cadet, derive from this candidness. One example being ‘Sun More Often’ with lines like, “In your head / You’re scared / So just sing along / To the song / In your head.” Bea points out this track as embodying what she hopes to achieve within her music. “It’s sentimental, because it pulls heartstrings, but you can rock out to it,” she explains. “I wrote it when I was really sad and I was telling myself to go see the fucking sun more often, because I was depressed all the time.” Nevertheless, there are flashes of defiance within the five-track collection. The song ‘I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus,’ is a direct homage to one of her heroes, which champions owning your uniqueness. It was meeting the Pavement frontman at one of her shows (his children happen to be fans) that Bea recognises as a highlight of the past year. “He pulled out his hand and I just went in for a hug. I was like, ‘oh my god, you’re amazing, I love your music,’” she chuckles.
ust write c to kind of stuff away my brain.�
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“It’s sentimental, because it pulls heartstrings, but you can rock out to it,”
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This has not been the only encounter Bea has had with an idol, as she’s found a somewhat unlikely kinship with labelmate Matty Healy. Ever since they bonded over feeling ‘out of place’ at the London Fashion Awards, they now regularly hang out together, and she even steals his clothes. The best piece of advice he’s given her? “I literally have so many text messages,” she ponders. “But one time he told me to just always make music for myself and not for other people.” Having released what she refers to as her ‘favourite songs ever’ and embarked on a global tour moments after completing her A-Levels, Bea shows very few signs of slowing down. “I’m currently writing an album and I’m
obviously going to be touring a lot,” she says. “I can’t say much, but basically new music and more shit is coming.” It’s a partnership with a unique sense of balance. No Home Record is a spectacularly taut, ill-disciplined project, but it’s also one constructed with enormous precision – Beabadoobee is one of our ones to watch for 2020. Listen to: ‘I wish I was Stephen Malkmus’ @radvxz
@beabad00bee
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“I’m lucky that I can do things on my terms.”
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Black Marble words: Harriet Taylor photography: Ashley Leahy / Black Marble After trading in a bustling New York for the ‘City of Angels’ three years ago, Chris Stewart continues to reinvent himself under the Black Marble moniker. Continuing as sole member, his latest release, Bigger Than Life sees the project emerge into brighter new territory. Splashes of colour now seemingly pervade on its breezy aural template, proving almost radio-friendly against the shadowy elements of It’s Immaterial that preceded it. So for context, I ask Stewart about his relocation, those three years, and how that time has influenced his latest creation. “Los Angeles almost seemed like the antiNew York,” Stewart begins. “I wasn’t trying to go somewhere that I thought would be the greatest place on Earth; I was more or less just trying to get away from the things that had become grating about New York.” Whilst the bustling hub of city life is something Stewart insists he couldn’t live without – a small town person, he is not – the atmosphere of the mighty concrete jungle had worn him down over time, and change was necessary for his own career growth. “The backdrop to my life here is just more pleasant,” he explains, whereas working in New York “would feel like a hostile environment that’s constantly trying to eject you.” From an outsider’s perspective, this seems entirely believable, but there are still things he undoubtedly misses about the home he left behind. He tells me it “has this branding and reputation,” which in the early days of the project seemed exhilarating, inhabiting a city of world-renowned peers. “Every year you make it there would feel like some kind of a small victory,” and “even if you’re not
excelling, you still feel like you’re a part of that environment.” Yet it’s hard to do this without getting swallowed up by the “hard-working, passé, no BS vibe” of the city. Thus, LA won out as a place he could get “a little more return on [his] investment for the same amount of work” and no longer had to “beat [his] head against the wall” while working on Bigger Than Life. Yet interestingly, on this subject of relocating, Stewart briefly touches on class politics in his old home – and the US in general. He speaks affectionately about those who emigrated from Europe several generations prior, in the early half of the Twentieth century, seeking a better life and working hard for it, which then steers into how class politics affects art. It’s “more discussed in the UK than it is in the US,” he begins before elaborating, “It should be more of an issue here.” “The only people who can really afford to put in the amount of time it takes to have success are from wealthy backgrounds. […] That’s going to have a [strange] effect on the kind of art that people are making and the experiences they’ll be bringing to their work.” This is probably why Stewart relates heavily to those less prolific, underground synth pioneers. “In the same way that punk was a reaction against more trained musicians, […] it almost feels like they didn’t really care whether or not anybody was listening to these records.” He goes on to explain, “the spirit of DIY, doing something completely on your own terms, and being accepted or rejected based on that [alone]” is what Black Marble is all about, and perhaps how the project has managed to sustain itself against the classist elite. 17
Having signed to Sacred Bones to release the new album, he jokes, “I’m definitely like on the overground part of the underground.” Stewart feels comfortable to diversify his sound with the security that an established audience can now afford him, but is nonetheless humble about his position in the music community. “I’m lucky that I can do things on my terms and when I finish a record, there will be an audience for it.” Being in the driver’s seat has left him relatively optimistic for the longevity of Black Marble, and free to take the project wherever he desires without clinging tightly to past iterations and expectations, claiming that what he already has in the works next sounds nothing like Bigger Than Life. 18
“I’m just trying to come up with sounds that I respond to, that make me see pictures in my head, or feel a certain way. You can cycle through a hundred different sounds and not really feel anything, but then you’ll hit one and you’ll be taken somewhere. I think I’m just trying to do that.” Black Marble play Berlin this month, with Bigger Than Life out now via Sacred Bones. Live: Bi Nuu, 14th February @ blackmarblenyc
@blackmarblenyc
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Caribou words: Katie Thomas photography: Mathew Parri Thomas
It’s midsummer in Muskoka, Ontario, or, as Canadians affectionately refer to it, cottage country. Two friends, headphones on, sit side by side on the dock, looking out over the lake as family and friends socialise behind them. The friends are Jeremy Greenspan and Dan Snaith. Snaith, the man behind Caribou and Daphni, is listening to new Jessy Lanza music that Greenspan (Junior Boys) has been working on. Jeremy is listening to a new Caribou album, one that was finished and sent off for mastering just days before the pair arrived in Muskoka for their annual summer holiday. “You can probably tell I’m a water person,” Dan chuckles as we chat over coffee before this cover shoot on the Walthamstow Wetlands. The wind is bitterly cold today, but Dan is undeterred. By the water — like his yearly retreat to the lakes of Muskoka — is Dan Snaith’s happy place. His landmark 2010 record was called Swim, and the cover of this new project (Suddenly lands on February 28th) is of bright, inviting blue water. In Dan’s words, it’s calm, tranquil, and reflective - an image that represents the music. It’s been five years since the release of Our Love, a period during which Dan and his family have experienced great change. His family has grown, with the birth of his second daughter, now three. And his family has been struck by loss, with the passing of his brother-in-law. Second single, ‘You and I’ is a tribute, an ode to the relationship between son and mother. In this sense, Suddenly is a diary, reflecting in the record’s tone and lyricism the things that have been happening in Dan’s life, and in the lives of 20
“Sometimes studio and I’m myself, ‘I can’t this at a f
s I’m in the m thinking to t wait to play festival.�
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those close to him. It’s a diary told in the most intimate way — with his voice, for Suddenly sees Dan’s vocal at the forefront more than ever before. The album also chronicles his listening, a diary of discovery, so to speak. For Dan, who considers himself a fan first and music maker second, Suddenly brings together “everything that follows my excitement about the music I’ve been hearing.” Where Swim was informed by London’s bubbling late-night landscape at the time — Theo Parrish in Plastic People, Floating Points, Hessle Audio — Suddenly takes inspiration from a world of woozy, spacious R&B and hip-hop production that’s grown from Drake’s OVO Sound label. On his new record, Dan seeks to strip away familiar rap cadences, leaving behind the “weird, ethereal bits.” There are plenty of weird, ethereal bits: Suddenly is littered with fuzzy keys, dissonant melodies and affecting string sections. And as we’ve come to expect from all Caribou music, the record glows with a familiar warmth and softness. Even when Dan Snaith is at his most reflective and melancholy, still he wants for optimism and joy. “That’s what music is for me,” he says gratefully, “it’s to get that feeling of release, and euphoria and happiness.” Dan might find happiness of his own when he’s making music, but he also delivers moments of euphoria for his listeners too — ask anyone who’s experienced a live rendition of ‘Can’t Do Without You’ as the sun dips over a festival site. We anticipate many more of these moments as Caribou set off on their next string of live shows. With crisp, grooveled percussion, soaring synths and catchy riffs, ‘Ravi’ and ‘Never Come Back’ are custom-built for a festival crowd. Look for those slightly-sunburnt faces, belting the words as if their hearts might burst. “It’s always better when I’m with you,” goes the former. “You and I were together/ Even though we both knew better,” goes the latter.
“Sometimes I’m in the studio and I’m thinking to myself, ‘I can’t wait to play this at a festival,’” Dan says. Whilst he makes Caribou music alone in his basement studio, the band has become one of his favourite things about being a musician. The Caribou live show informs, to a point, what Dan creates in the studio, but he’ll never leave something off a record on the basis it may not work in a live capacity. “I’ve made this deal with myself,” he explains. His method is to produce many (and by many, we mean upwards of 900 for this record alone) thirty-second clips, each representing a potential blueprint for an album track. He ranks the clips in vague order of preference, and then starts to flesh out the ideas, from half a minute to a fully-formed track.
“There’s such potential for me to get lost in the wormhole.” Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet, is a crucial part of this process, often, Dan says, rescuing ideas from the bottom of the pile. “There’s such potential for me to get lost in the wormhole,” Dan admits, before jokingly mimicking Kieran’s aghast exclamation of “Dan! Finish this fucking track!” ‘New Jade’, a shimmering cut with wicked drums that speaks of optimism and new beginnings, is one of three or four tracks on the album that Kieran literally saved from the trash. “It’s amazing that we found each other,” Dan says. “He’s like a brother to me.” Dan Snaith has a PhD in Pure Maths, but he wonders if that gives people a misinformed view of the way his brain works, or indeed the way he makes music. The mathematics we learn in school is logical, methodical, black and white. But beyond school, maths is wildly abstract, a playground of ideas. It’s the kind of mathematician that Dan associates with most. “They’ve got some kind of beautiful, weird thing going on in their heads,” he says. 23
And speaking of beautiful and weird, Dan has an especially heartwarming story to tell about Colin Fisher, the Canadian multiinstrumentalist and improv-virtuoso who has contributed to Suddenly on guitar and tenor saxophone. Dan affectionately describes him as looking like the Buddha, with a crazy hyena laugh. One weekend in the summer, Colin came to stay with Dan to work on the album, picking up a Turkish flute on a stroll down Stoke Newington High Street. Dan’s eyes light up as he recalls a scene in his garden, Colin playing a flute, one daughter bouncing on the trampoline, and the other running circles in the grass. “It made me so happy, to be making music with this wise, amazing person whose ideas I value so much,” he smiles, “and also just for my kids to have this life, where it’s normal for these wonderful, unusual people to drop into their lives.”
still so high to climb,” he sings. Julia grew up vulnerable and isolated in 1950s Britain, later coming out as trans whilst touring with the band. “It was this amazing flowering of her personality,” Dan recalls of her experience. “‘Magpie’ is a letter to Julia, reflecting on how much the world has changed with regards to trans rights and the awareness of trans issues. It would mean so much to her.”
People come into our lives, and they leave our lives too. Sometimes they are taken, and it’s painfully untimely. Such was the case with the late Julia Brightly, who worked with Caribou as their sound engineer for a decade. It’s now been almost six years since Julia passed away, and Dan has written the album cut ‘Magpie’ for her. “So much has changed, so much is new, and now/ And yet there’s
It’s Dan in a nutshell really: collect lots of shiny ideas, methodically arrange them into a list, deliver something luminous.
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There’s a point in our conversation where Dan refers to himself as a magpie, referring to his tendency to pick up on music from all different times and places. A magpie is extraordinarily intelligent, and, of course, known as a bit of a kleptomaniac with a penchant for shiny things. At first glance, the bird is black and white, but look more closely and the black feathers glow with an almost iridescent hue of purples, blues and greens.
Suddenly is released on 28th February via Merge/City Slang. Live: Spandau Citadel, 15th August @caribouband
@cariboumusic
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Pet Shop Boys Hotspot x2 Records/Kobalt 24th January
Album Reviews Jae Tyler Jae Tyler Digest Street Pulse Out Now Threading itself between lo-fi pop, trash rock anthemics and general lunacy, Jae Tyler unleashes his full his vision via a debut album that’s full-bodied with wit, banter and observation. It’s a crop of decidedly atypical songs, where the Kansas native doesn’t refrain from expressing (quite literally) whatever he feels like, with the results ranging from gripping to downright confusing. But Jae Tyler Digest is exactly that: an amalgamation of stimuli that don’t add up, but convey a lot, all in a way only he can. Once this clicks, you can stop intellectualising and start actually enjoying it. ‘Too much’ is exactly the amount you need from Tyler, a dose of twisted reality that wraps itself with optimism and humour. Who’d expect normality, anyway? We’re not in Kansas anymore… Francisco Gonçalves Silva 26
What exactly do you want from a Pet Shop Boys record in 2020? Because, if the answer is “another synth-tastic pop-romp, please,” Hotspot has you covered. Recorded in Berlin’s Hansa studios, made famous by Bowie during his Berlin period, the studio’s influence seems mostly that it’s sonically less ‘digital’ than its predecessor, 2016’s Super. Which is not to say the duo have gone full analogue, (as if). There’s one acoustic-y number, the sublime ‘Burning The Heather’ (featuring Mister Bernard Butler on jangly guitar duties). As Neil Tennant croons about how he’s “just the singer of the song…,” we can just be glad he is, as the track itself is a reminder that, for those of us who love Tennant’s yearning, emotive vocals, he can still envelop you like an old favourite cardigan. It’s a feat he constantly repeats on Hotspot, whether hanging out with Years and Years on ‘Dreamland’, or on the more wistful ‘Hoping For A Miracle’ (think ‘Kings Cross’ and you’re kinda there). The title of ‘Will O-The-Wisp’ might evoke childhood memories of Mavis Cruet for those of us old enough to remember the 80s teatime cartoon (which probably has nothing to do with it, but thanks for the memory anyway), but also seems to contain momentary fragments reminiscent of ‘It’s A Sin’. It’s just in the opening few seconds (before it transforms into an absolute belter), but it’s surely deliberate, designed to remind you that, in the past, present and hopefully future, Tennant and Lowe remain genuine National Treasures. Simone Skilbeck
HAAi Systems Up, Windows Down EP MUTE 14th February
Australian-born, London-rooted producer, HAAi – real name Teneil Throssell – links with legendary imprint Mute for a new EP, and it refuses to disappoint. Six tracks of sweaty, cramped, digital hedonism, it matches her predilection for working the room with a penchant for sound design that pairs industrial tones with something rather more playful. Opening with ‘Don’t Flatter Yourself Love’ - its spacious arrangement akin to a soundsystem slowly leering into life – the EP moves through warped heads-down techno chuggers, Aphex-leaning atmospherics, and the subtle dub-inflected sparsity of ‘6666’. Probing yet lightspirited, HAAi refuses to be hemmed in. Ending with that magnificent title track, she is truly laying down a marker, following those soughtafter London residencies with a fine, nuanced, and endlessly exhilarating new EP. Robin Murray
Relatiiv Places EP Self-Release 7th February
Berlin casts a light on many genres outside the spectrum of club-oriented electronic music. When it comes to R&B and soul, Relatiiv – comprised of Laura Lloreta and Markus Ehret – shape a glowing example of what’s happening in the local scene right now. The duo merge elements of electronic R&B, nu-soul and downtempo hip-hop with a deeply confessional expression. Title track, ‘Places’, dissects episodes of anxiety, mental health and guilt, the so-called struggles of the 21st Century. Showing in a bold manner their end goal of wholeness, this EP is a purging process, but also a demonstration of love, honesty and true, long-lasting friendship – something we hear loud and clear. Francisco Gonçalves Silva
Beach Bunny Honeymoon Mom+Pop 14th February
Scattered with power-pop remnants of decades passed, Beach Bunny’s forthcoming debut marks a fresh and optimistic take on love. Aptly set for a Valentine’s Day release, Honeymoon branches away from predictable, woe-is-me songwriting, opting instead for a hopeful and unapologetic approach as vocalist Lili Trifilio embraces the positivity of love. While ‘Cuffing Season’ and ‘April’ deal with the process of recovering from a broken heart and learning to be alone, the latter half of the record turns towards excitement, heart-bursting crushes and opening ourselves up to new possibilities. From the hazy melodies of ‘Promises’ and ‘Ms. California’ to the stripped-back intimacy of ‘Rearview’, Honeymoon is empathic and confessional, presenting love and romance as a blissful awakening, without falling into the trap of lyrical cynicism. Ari Sawyer 27
Nicolas Godin Concrete And Glass
Poliça When We Stay Alive
Because Music 24th January
Memphis Industries 31st January
Godin’s follow-up to Contrepoint is less complex and classically minded than its Bachinspired predecessor, but is again motivated by a single theme, that of architecture – Godin is a graduate in the field and has composed a site-specific tribute to modernist structures. But shorn of its sense of place, does it work for a listener inhabiting, say, a Barratt semi? If they favour the sonorous ambience of Godin’s primary band, Air, then probably, though this album’s layered electro-pop is slighter.
Carrying on is hard to do. Physical and emotional trauma can leave us cynical and world-weary at best. The idea of totally shedding your skin and approaching life with unbridled optimism after the fact is a common lie passed about way too freely in pop culture. Which is why When We Stay Alive feels more truthful than that. At the heart of the album lies acceptance: examining the curious relationship of embracing pain over total resilience and sometimes surrendering the belief that you have control under the whims of natural chaos.
Guest vocalists include Alexis Taylor and, on the catchy ‘Back to Your Heart’, Kate NV, while Godin’s overuse of the vocoder taints ‘The Border’s ethereal drift like a garish paintjob on a minimalist façade. It’s the album’s instrumental infrastructure – its taut beats and warm synths – that give most pleasure: firm foundations, at least. Nick Mee
Moses Boyd Dark Matter Exodus Records 14th February
The contrasts between Channy Leaneagh’s ethereal hyper-pop vocals and sardonic lyrics steeped in cryptic metaphor are exquisite – an aural to-and-fro that seems to epitomise this whole process of realising one’s vulnerability. Definitely their finest, most fully realised album to date. Harriet Taylor
Jazz is alive and well in London. Want proof? Look no further than Catford drummer, Moses Boyd. Already a well-known name on the scene thanks to collaborations with tenor saxophonist, Binker Golding, his debut album represents a chance to test his own vision and chops. With previous sessions with Gary Crosby and Nubya Garcia under his belt, his jazz credentials are assured. Yet Moses can also claim mixes from Floating Points and Four Tet. Now, these 10 tunes offer a delicious fusion of his highly-syncopated drumming with some exquisitely lush grooves, topped off with an electronic flourish. Think Weather Report jamming with an African Highlife lounge band in Rye Lane and you’re getting close. Guest vocals from Poppy Ajudha, Obongjayar and Nonku Phiri add another, slicker dimension. Geoff Cowart
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The Flavians Ordinary People in an Ordinary World Self-Released 31st January
2019 was a kind year to The Flavians. The band went from complete strangers to sharing notable stages, from small venues and bars to supporting Catfish and the Bottlemen, Ten Tonnes and making their Glastonbury debut. The four-piece, originally from several corners of Europe, fuse elements of 60s psych nostalgia with an indulgent Berliner attitude. Conceived as a concept album, OPIAOW narrates tales of modernday life in bizarre proportions. From the dysfunctional husband to the adulterous postman, these characters come to life in songs rich in endearing harmonies from three diverse, distinct voices. The Flavians are gifted with a fantastic sense of wit and their debut provides both joyful banter and social critique, all disguised within a multitude of sordid layers. Francisco Gonçalves Silva
Squirrel Flower I Was Born Swimming Full Time Hobby 31st January
Candice Gordon The Sacramental Traffic Lights Proper Octopus Records 7th February
What noises have you made when pleasantly overwhelmed by the power of new music – when you expected it to be good, but you didn’t expect it to be quite so good? Whatever quirky sound you made, be prepared to emote that way again when you blast (please, please play it loud) I Was Born Swimming by Squirrel Flower. Why turn the volume up on this album? Because it is so sensitively produced. You can hear hand movements along guitar frets, as on ‘Headlights’. Its moments of quiet have a profound atmospheric depth and a high emotional volume. ‘I-80’ and ‘Red Shoulders’ provide a breathtaking opening. Later, when she sings, “My body’s buzzing as I start to dance” on ‘Street Light Blues’, yours ought to follow suit. Jon Kean
Kicking down doors with her tenacity and ever incisive with her poetic writing, Irish singer-songwriter, Candice Gordon isn’t here to please. Rather, to apply the impactful change we need. Her recent single, ‘The Kids Are Alt-Right’, caused some commotion, having her arm herself against the extreme right movement with truth bombs and opening a dialogue against hypocrisy. On her new EP, however, Candice has opted for a softer approach, one she equally suits, having her inner-gloom expressed through tender folk melodies. Take ‘The Song of Wandering Aengus’, via a poem by W.B Beats, as an example, or ‘The Thinnest Veil’, reprising noise and layers of reverb while reflecting on mortality and existentialism. Change is encouraged when it best reflects our most honest truths. Francisco Gonçalves Silva 29
Best Coast Always Tomorrow Concord / Virgin 21st February
Throughout their first release since 2015, not including their 2018 children’s record, Best Kids, Bethany Cosentino oscillates between self-assurance and the THC-tinged self-deprecation that Best Coast are known for. This record is not a move back to the poppy surf-rock that broke them into the mainstream in 2010. However the first single, ‘For the First Time’, again uses a laid-back, poprock foundation to examine the slacker’s paradox of whether actual change is happening in your life or if it’s just another song about trying to move on. ‘Everything Has Changed’, and Always Tomorrow in general, might be as heavy as surf-rock can sound and the best resolution you can get is that self-improvement and happiness are relative. Albert Testani
Destroyer Have We Met Dead Oceans 31st January
Have We Met is a refinement of the shimmering indie-pop Dan Bejar’s Destroyer perfected on 2011’s Kaputt, and while there’s little to be found that will surprise anyone who’s followed his career trajectory over the past few decades, there is more than enough that will delight. Continuing the tradition of there really not being any bad Destroyer albums, Have We Met has a number of peaks that put it among Bejar’s best. The gorgeous ‘It Just Doesn’t Happen’ is one of his most rewarding compositions, and of course it’s peppered with the sort of turns of phrase that see him regarded as one of rock’s most skilled lyricists (“The television music supervisor says ‘I can’t believe what I’ve done’…” being a favourite). Thomas Hannan
Okay Kaya Watch This Liquid Pour Itself Jagjaguwar 24th January
Considering it took Kaya Wilkins five years from her first SoundCloud upload to release an album, it seems doubly surprising to receive the follow-up less than a year later. Upon listening, however, the alacrity of the NYC-based-Norwegian makes total sense. Characterised by brutal candour that’s often dredged through gallows humour, Watch This Liquid Pour Itself is very much a companion piece to 2019’s Both. Impressively, it’s even more droll, dissecting sex and bipolar depression in wicked soundbites like, “What if the pills I take will stop me getting wet?” and, “Netflix and yeast infection.” Wilkins is more adventurous in her arrangements this time round too, dabbling in woozy disco (‘Mother Nature’s Bitch’) and Cate Le Bon-ish indie (‘Psych Ward’), via an a capella hymnal with disconcertingly Nicoesque vocals (‘Zero Interaction Ramen Bar‘). Gemma Samways
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Riki Riki
ALLIE X CAPE GOD
Dais Records 14th February
Twin Music Inc 14th February
One could say that the 80s have always been somewhat cool, whether through music, daring fashion, politics or other waves of experimentation, with the decade having opened many doors we still rely on today. Now under the wing of Dais Records, LAbased musician and visual artist, Niff Nawor, has picked up the shimmering elements of darkwave, along with touches of Neue Deutsche Welle and post-punk, and is reworking them as her own. Her self-titled debut is an addictive gateway into 80s nostalgia with songs of courage, physicality and romance, her lyrics dangling in and out of devotion and despair. In the hit and miss world of 80s synth-pop revivalism, Riki committed completely and, with the odds in her favour, succeeded brilliantly. Francisco Gonçalves Silva
‘Fresh Laundry’, the first track on Cape God, is also the earliest taste we had of new Allie X material. Confronted by unnerving versions of herself against a backdrop of moody electronic growls and the unshakeable hook of “I want to be near fresh laundry; it’s been too many years of not folding,” it’s visually astounding and sounds phenomenal.
Beatrice Dillon Workaround PAN 7th February
Consider it a tone-setter, because everything on Cape God resembles only the most infectious, sleekest cuts of pop. Highlights come thick and fast: ‘June Gloom’ is reminiscent of Prince at his funkiest; the Mitski-featuring ‘Susie Save Your Love’ is a shimmering ballad and the exhilarating ‘Life of The Party’ and ‘Super Duper Party People’ go for the throat. 2020 should be dominated by Allie X. Lee Wakefield
Unfurling with meditative intricacy, Workaround proffers an infinitely textural, explorative sonic fauna. Illustrating Beatrice Dillon’s creative dexterity and far-reaching inspirations, her debut full-length fully encompasses and demonstrates Dillon’s ingenuity and innovation as an artist. Whilst Workaround captures the hypnotism of sultry, dusky nights in the club, drawing on the spaciousness of dub and experimental electronica, it’s also an incredibly intimate record, deserving of attentive solitary listening. It’s not surprising that these compositions were inspired by choreographer Rudolf Laban and the abstract drawings of Tomma Abts or Jorinnde Vogt, amongst others, given the innate tangibility to Dillon’s work. Each note feels like a vibrant brushstroke and each beat fabricates the complex architectural structures of her sonic world, and Workaround demonstrates exactly why Dillon’s such a revered musician and DJ. Kezia Cochrane 31
Events by Thomas Evans
Berlinale 20th Feb. - 1st Mar. at multiple venues Berlin might not offer the same glamour (and weather) as Venice or Cannes, but it does share one thing: it’s home to one of the biggest, most prestigious film festivals in the world. The Berlin International Film Festival, or Berlinale, is the world’s most publicly attended film festival, pulling over half a million Kino lovers to its screens each year. World premieres are the order of the day here, and there are plenty of them this year, including Agnieszka Holland feature, Charlatan, Nanette Burstein’s docuseries, Hillary, Tilda Swinton-narrated sci-fi project, Last And First Men – from Oscar-nominated Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson – Jia Zhangke’s doc, Swimming Out Till The Sea Turns Blue and Matteo Garrone’s Pinocchio. Get the full programme at berlinale.de
Annie O (Torture Garden)
Berlin Independent Film Festival 25th - 29th Feb. at Babylon Mitte On the other side of the glamourous, star-studded Berlinale is the Berlin Independent Film Festival. Running separately to the Berlinale, this festival at Babylon cinema, Mitte, champions low-budget filmmaking in Europe by giving new directors the opportunity to screen their work and swap ideas. The competition spans several categories including documentary, sci-fi/ horror, LGBT, short film, animated short and music video. All films are in English or with English subtitles. 32
Out Deh (BIFF)
Strom 7th - 8th Feb. at Philharmonie
Clarlatan (Berlinale)
If you ever felt like electronic music could use a more dramatic setting than the usual clubs and festivals, then Strom might be your answer. Set in the prestigious Philharmonie Berlin, the classical music venue is hosting its first ever two-day festival of electronic music. Curated by DJ and producer, Stefan Goldmann, the lineup includes seasoned names like Nina Kraviz, KiNK, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Ryoji Ikeda and Robert Henke.
Tanzolymp
Torture Garden
13th - 17th Feb. at multiple venues
29th Feb. at Metropol
If your idea of dancing in Berlin goes beyond the sweaty excess of the city’s nightlife offerings, then Tanzolymp might be for you. The annual international dance festival hosts young talent from around the world with workshops, seminars and competitions. Exceptional talents will be awarded with scholarships for leading international ballet schools, as well as rewards such as contracts, cash and press prizes. Tanzolymp is considered a hub of the best talents by those in the know, and for many, the start of an international career in dancing.
Established in London in 1990, Torture Garden is the world’s largest fetish club. And this year it marks its 30th birthday with a debut in Berlin. Taking place at the exquisit, recently reopened Metropol theatre, the organisers promise it will be “a unique fusion of the world’s leading fetish club, from the world’s fetish capital, in unison with the world’s largest, most diverse and hedonistic capital city, where pushing boundaries is not only permitted but expected by Berliners.” The Torture Garden website also features a paddle for a mouse cursor. So extra points there. 33
Full Listings early
late
Prices are for advance tickets where applicable and may be subject to fees.
Saturday 1st February Bruital Nights vol. X Loophole / 21:00 Get Together Badehaus / 10€ / 20:00 Tristan Brusch Maze / 22,70€ / 19:30 CTM 2020: Bbymutha, Teto Preto, Sicaria Sound, Hibotep & more SchwuZ / 19€ / 22:00 Altered Soul Experimenr: Raphaël Top-Secret OHM / 23:59 Blank Generation: Stanislav Tolkachev, Harsh Mentor, Benedikt Frey ://about blank / From 12€ / 23:59 Hi-Res: Ceephax Acid Crew, Cosmin TRG Salon Zur Wilden Renate / 12,50€ / 23:59 Klubnacht: Benjamin Damage, Brawther, Ron Albrecht Tresor / 23:59 Klubnacht: Floating Points, DJ Hyperactive 4-trk, DJ Pete Berghain / Panorama Bar / 23:59 34
Studio 69 KAKE / 10€ / 23:59 Trap or Die #31 Streetz Need Me Gretchen / 23:00 Sunday 2nd February CTM 2020: Dan Deacon Heimathafen Neukölln / 21€ / 20:00 CTM 2020: Jacob Kirkegaard – “Opus Mors” Silent Green / 21€ / 14:00 Protect Ya Rap Badehaus / 5€ / 19:00 Ride + Crushed Beaks Lido / 36,25€ / 20:00 Stereophonics + Nadia Sheikh Huxleys Neue Welt / 39,15€ / 19:00 Sunday Club: DJ Drink Ticket + Claire Hex + Sunday Club DJs KAKE / 12:00 U-Bahn + Lassie Urban Spree / 13,20€ / 19:00 Monday 3rd February Editors Velodrom / Sold Out / 20:00 Hatari Lido / 22€ / 20:00 The Murder Capital + Junior Brother Musik & Frieden / 21,40€ / 19:00 TuneUp Session Badehaus / 3-5€ Donation / 21:00
Electric Monday: Eric D Clark, Die Phil, Frankie Flowerz KitKatClub / 10€ / 23:00
Tresor New Faces with Esther Duijn, Niamh, Lilith. B2b Objector Trax Tresor / 23:59
Tueday 4th February
Thursday 6th February
Altin Gün Astra Kulturhaus / 19:30
Daniel Norgren Heimathafen Neukölln / 24,90€ / 20:00
Amplify Berlin: Rabih Beaini + Fanis Gioles + Laure Boer ACUD MACHT NEU / 5€ / 20:00
DRAMA Kantine am Berghain / 21,40€ / 19:00
Seba Kaapstad (Mello Music Group/D/ZA) Gretchen / 19:30 The Swag Jam Badehaus / 5€ <22h, 8€ after / 21:00 Wednesday 5th February Kate Davis Monarch / 9,90€ / 19:30 Madanii & L:Lucid + Mentrix Kantine am Berghain / 13,20€ / 19:00 Mutant Disco: artfwo + Shai + Marina Key Loophole / 21:00 VANT Privatclub / 18,30€ / 20:00 Gobsmacked X Dirty Minds - Silo Rave: DAVE The Drummer, Irregular Synth Griessmuehle / 10€ / 23:59 Mittwoch Home Again: Sweely, Thabo, Thalo Santana Watergate / 23:59
Kliffs Maze / 13,90€ / 20:00 Mary Broadcast Madame Claude / Donation / 21:00 SCHWARZ Badehaus / 20,50€ / 19:00 The Felice Brothers Lido / 26€ / 19:00 The Spyrals 8MM Bar / 9,50€ / 19:00 B/YOND POP Badehaus / 3€ / 23:00 Expeditions N016: Florian Meindl, Sylvie Maziarz, Daniel Heinrich, Roegli ://about blank / 23:59 Liber Null: Cardinal & Nun l.i.e.s, NGLY l.i.e.s, Nullam Rem Säule / 22:00 Mango: Project Pablo & Friends Griessmuehle / 10€ / 23:59 Friday 7th February Freya Ridings Metropol / Sold Out / 20:00 35
Gender Roles + Lingua Nada Musik & Frieden / 12,80€ / 20:00 Kevin Devine + CATT Silent Green / 18,60€ / 19:00 Strom Festival – Day 1: Kruder & Dorfmeister, KiNK, Robert Henke Berlin Philharmonie / From 21€ / 20:00 Young M.A Bi Nuu / 23,40€ / 19:00 Afrohaus: Marsoul + DJ Premps + DJ JC + Chris K + Afrohaus Soundsystem Gretchen / 23:00 Atra Scientia - Winterdance Badehaus / 23:00 Begrime X Dark Real Dark: Jamakabi, Jlsxnd7rs, Sun People Burg Schnabel / From 8€ / 23:00 Finest Rekids Berghain / Panorama Bar / 23:59 Four Play: Annett Gapstream, Tripolitan, ANRI, Deepneue KitKatClub / 15€ / 23:00
Octubre.tv x CODEX CLUB: BORA + Ciccone + Chago + Nøn-Oxymorøn + LCTRTC Loophole / 21:00 Pictures Badehaus / 12€ / 19:00 Staub 7 Years ://about blank / 10:00 Strom Festival – Day 2: Nina Kraviz, Ryoji Ikeda Berlin Philharmonie / From 21€ / 20:00 Sua Onda: Marian Tone + Rena Volvo Monarch / 21:30 The Pilton Stage Berlin 2020 Cassiopeia / 18:00 2Y Savour The Moment: Brame & Hamo, Park Hye Jin, Elkka Salon Zur Wilden Renate / From 12.50€ / 23:59 BalkanBeats Love Affair Lido / 6€ / 23:00 Queer Arab Barty 3 ACUD MACHT NEU / 10€ / 22:00
Aitch Burg Schnabel / Sold Out / 19:00
Recycle ft. Guidance Berlin - Box1: Ulterior Motive (Metalheadz) + Rockwell (Shogun Audio) + more. Box 2: ED 2000 + Vela + Soulhunter (Dangerous Drums) Gretchen / 23:30
Imminence Bi Nuu / 22,40€ / 20:00
Shut Up and Let Me Dance Badehaus / 6€ / 23:00
Lubomyr Melnyk (Late show) Silent Green / Sold Out / 19:00
Wrong Era Diskothek Melancholie 2 / 10€ / 23:00
Saturday 8th February
Lubomyr Melnyk (Matiné show) Silent Green / 23€ / 16:00
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Sunday 9th February
Tuesday 11nd February
Handmade Moments + Adam Wendler Monarch / 13,41€ / 19:00
Erik Truffaz Quartet Gretchen / 19:30
Kendrick Scott Oracle (Blue Note Record) Gretchen / 19:30
go.Play: Luca (Circle Berlin ) & Juliet Minimal Bar / Free / 18:00
Lewis Capaldi Verti Music Hall / Sold Out / 20:00 Self Healing with Sound: a Meditative Ambient Session Studio dB / 10€ / 19:00 The Maine SO36 / 26€ / 20:00 Monday 10th February Efterklang Admiralspalast / 32€ / 20:00 Moddi Badehaus / 18,30€ / 19:00
Iris Gold Musik & Frieden / 18€ / 20:00 Lennon Stella Columbia Theater / 29,45€ / 20:00 Liesel + Baby Alligator Madame Claude / Donation / 21:00 Pisse Berghain / Panorama Bar / Sold out / 19:00 SAINt JHN Lido / 28,90€ / 20:00 The Swag Jam Badehaus / 5€ <22h, 8€ after / 21:00
MOLLY + MARX Loophole / 8€ / 20:00 Moonchild Privatclub / Sold Out / 20:00 Nerija (Domino Records Gretchen / 19:30 Squirrel Flower Curfew Bar / 17,20€ / 19:00 Twin Temple + HEXVESSEL Bi Nuu / 19,85€ / 19:00 House of Waxx with Federico Molinari, Ali Nasser, Robert Drewek Tresor / 23:59
Efterklang (10th, Admiralspalast) 37
Wednesday 12th February
Tim Baker + Nico Paulo Prachtwerk / 17,20€ / 20:00
Ék European Tour - Elkvilla Badehaus / 10€ / 19:00
Tiny Meat Gang Huxleys Neue Welt / Sold Out / 20:00
Hibou + I DREW BLANK Urban Spree / 15€ / 20:00
B/YOND POP Badehaus / 3€ / 23:00
Mikal Kronin + Shannon Lay Kantine am Berghain / 17,60€ / 19:30
Eclectique x Art Bei Ton: Electric Indigo Live, Andrea Cossu ://about blank / From 10€ / 23:00
The Band Camino Bi Nuu / 17,90€ / 19:00 Haven X Fold: Miley Serious, Keepsakes, James Newmarch B2B Voicedrone Griessmuehle / From 8€ / 23:59 Mittwoch: Nautilus with Nachtbraker, Laurence Guy, Friedrich Raphael Watergate / 23:59 Thursday 13th February Alcest + Birds in row + Kælan Mikla Heimathafen Neukölln / 30,45€ / 21:00 Brenk Sinatra Badehaus / 12€ / 19:00 Current Swell Musik & Frieden / 24,90€ / 20:00 Hot 8 Brass Band (Tru Thoughts) Gretchen / 19:30 Indianizer 8MM Bar / 19:00 Pi’erre Bourne Burg Schnabel / 25€ / 19:00 Silverstein + Hawthorne Heights SO36 / 34,30€ / 20:00
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Operate: Low End Activist, DJ Swagger, TMSN, Ben Mono Griessmuehle / 23:59 Säule: Clara Cuvé, False Witness, Hadone, Schacke Berghain / Panorama Bar / 22:00 Friday 14th February Babymetal Huxleys Neue Welt / Sold Out / 19:00 Black Marble + Panther Modern Bi Nuu / Sold Out / 21:00 Candice Gordon Badehaus / 13€ / 19:00 Me & The Monster Cassiopeia / 8€ / 20:00 Máni Orrason Musik & Frieden / 17,70€ / 19:00 Napalm Death + Eyehategod + Misery Index Astra / Sold Out / 19:00 Climate of Fear: Powder, Bambounou, Samo DJ ://about blank / 15€ / 23:59
Finest Friday: Axel Boman, Joel Mull Berghain / Panorama Bar / 23:59
Mop Mop (Agogo/!K7) Gretchen / 19:30
Four Years SYNOID Weekender: R_1, SNTS, Shlømo, Hector Oaks Griessmuehle / 23:59
Patokai + Divina Encarnacion Madame Claude / Donation / 21:00
Grounded Theory 50: Efdemin, Kyoka, Pessimist, Schwefelgelb Tresor / 23:59 HITS DON’T LIE - Best of 00s Hits Badehaus / From 6€ / 23:00 Lilipad Fundraver vol. II - Party for Charity! ACUD MACHT NEU / 22:00 Pressure Gretchen / 23:30 Vaagner Two Year Anniversary: Instruments of Discipline OHM / 23:59 Saturday 15th February Borshch Magazine presents Rrose, Animistic Beliefs Trauma Bar & Kino / 20:00 Borshch Magazine presents Rrose, Animistic Beliefs, and more Trauma Bar und Kino / 20:00 Female Trouble I: Velvet Two Stripes + Suzan Köcher’s Suprafon + Verita VI Kantine am Berghain / 17,20€ / 20:00 Jenny Hval Hebbel am Ufer (HAU) / 19:00 La Roux Metropol / 35,45€ / 20:00
SPH Music Masters Stadtfinale Badehaus / 8€ / 17:00 ://Elements: Alva, Forest Drive West, Diwa ://about blank / 15€ / 23:59 The Culture Collective presents: TroyBoi & Friends Gretchen / 23:59 TOP90s Party Badehaus / 10€ / 23:30 Sunday 16th February Jenny Hval Hebbel am Ufer (HAU) / 19:00 Patrick Salmen Heimathafen Neukölln / 17,50€ / 20:00 Subshine Kantine am Berghain / 21,40€ / 19:00 Monday 17th February Jenny Hval Hebbel am Ufer (HAU) / 19:00 Plexus + Alex Rapp Madame Claude / Donation / 21:00 Slipknot Mercedes-Benz Arena / From 63,90 / 19:30 Violetta Zironi Prachtwerk / 16,35€ / 19:30
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Yacht (DFA Records) Gretchen / 19:30 House of Waxx: Eliott Litrowski, Natascha Kann Tresor / 23:59
Joe Armon-Jones (Brownswood) + Dorian Concept (Ninja Tune) Gretchen / 19:30 Mary Komasa Kantine am Berghain / 16,80€ / 20:00
Tuesday 18th February
Morioh Sonder Wild At Heart / 21:00
Alice Boman Kantine am Berghain / 16,50€ / 19:30
Tycho Huxleys Neue Welt / 28,30€ / 19:00
Kelly Finnigan & The Atonememts (Colemine Records) Gretchen / 19:30 The Swag Jam Badehaus / 5€ <22h, 8€ after / 21:00 Wolf Mountains + Ghost Pony Loophole / 20:00 Wednesday 19th February Carly Rae Jepsen Astra / 42,05€ / 20:00
Thursday 20th February 3Teeth + STAKE Cassiopeia / 16,70€ / 19:00 Bad Hammer 8MM Bar / 20:00 Daniel Casimir & Tess Hirst (jazz:re-freshed) Gretchen / 19:30 Finna + Babsi Tollwut Monarch / 11€ / 19:00 Hundredth + Ryan Caraveo Musik & Frieden / 21,40€ / 20:00 LUT Barkett / 20:30 Mädness Badehaus / 25,70€ / 20:00 Stormzy Columbiahalle / 35,55€ / 20:00 B/YOND POP Badehaus / 3€ / 23:00
Stormzy (20th, Columbiahalle) 40
Monochrom: Talismann, Viscerale, Miran N, Ika Duchna ://about blank / 23:59
Samsara Sessions presents Aleksi Perälä OHM / 8€ / 22:00 Säule: Swarm Intelligence (live) Berghain / Panorama Bar / 22:00 Friday 21st February 5 Years of M&M: Magic Island + John Moods + Discovery Zone Urban Spree / 13€ / 20:00 City and Color Tempodrom / 47,65€ / 20:00 James Chatburn + Rbsn Badehaus / 9,90€ / 19:00 META_ + Club Alpino Madame Claude / Donation / 21:00 Oehl Kantine am Berghain / 18,30€ / 20:00 Polyphia Cassiopeia / 21,63€ / 19:00 Aguaelulo’s & Panorama Colombia Berlinale Party 2020 Gretchen / 23:00 Casual Gabberz Labelnight Griessmuehle / 15€ / 23:00 Loser: Mountain People, Skudge, Martha Van Straaten, Stojche Salon Zur Wilden Renate / 12,50€ / 23:59 Saturday 22nd February (Sandy) Alex G + Pet Shimmers Lido / 16,50€ / 19:00
Aeris Roves Burg Schnabel / 17,35€ / 19:00 Amigo The Devil Cassiopeia / 17,20€ / 18:00 Banglist - ‘Turn the Lights Down’ SingleLaunch Badehaus / 12€ / 19:00 Che Sudaka + Doctor Krápula SO36 / 19,80€ / 20:00 Digitalism Festsaal Kreuzberg / 27,10€ / 20:00 Georgia Musik & Frieden / 18,30€ / 19:00 Georgia (Domino Records) Gretchen / 19:00 Riches of the Poor + Steine + Panxi Loophole / 20:00 Wheel 2020 Maze / 21,40€ / 19:00 1Y Floppy Drive: Lone, Telephones, Tommy Holohan Salon Zur Wilden Renate / 12,50€ / 23:59 A Night with Jubilee - Box1: Jubilee + Jamz Supernova (Future Bounce/BBC 1 Xtra) + Bambii + Delfonic Gretchen / 23:59 Booka Shade: Blaufield with Rodriguez Jr., Animal Trainer Ritter Butzke / 15€ / 23:59 DANCI DANCI Badehaus / 10€ / 23:00 Klubnacht: Relaxer tranquility, Claudio PRC 012, Donato Dozzy Berghain / Panorama Bar / 23:59 41
Sunday 23rd February
Wednesday 26th February
Petrol Girls Kantine am Berghain / Sold Out / 20:00
Mezerg Gretchen / 19:30
Monday 24th February
Mister Misery Maze / 18,30€ / 20:00
Alfa Mist Festsaal Kreuzberg / 20:30 Arlo Parks Kantine am Berghain / 17,95€ / 20:00 Aṣa Heimathafen Neukölln / 29,45€ / 20:00 Lady Lamb Badehaus / 19:00 Electric Monday: Karina, Luigi Rossi, Ricardo Rodriguez KitKatClub / 10€ / 23:00
Unimportant People + Soft Crystals + Scar Polish Loophole / 20:00 Selected: LVTL & Shaleen Griessmuehle / 23:59 Thursday 27th February Al Doum & The Faryds 8MM Bar / 6-8€ / 19:00 Amour Fou + Lucy Kruger Prachtwerk / 10€ / 19:00
Tuesday 25th February
Cage the Elephant + SWMRS Astra / 39,15€ / 20:00
Dance With The Dead + Das mörtal Musik & Frieden / 22,70€ / 19:00
Die Arbeit Badehaus / 9€ / 19:30
Moses Boyd Privatclub / 20,25€ / 20:00
Evripidis and His Tragedies Madame Claude / Donation / 21:00
Poliça + Dustin Zahn Columbia Theater / 23,70€ / 20:00
Gengahr Maze / 18,30€ / 19:00
Seafret Bi Nuu / 21,40€ / 19:00
L’impératrice Festsaal Kreuzberg / 22€ / 20:00
The Swag Jam Badehaus / 5€ <22h, 8€ after / 21:00
Little Hours Musik & Frieden / 19,40€ / 20:00 Yeah But No (Sinnbus) Gretchen / 19:30
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B/YOND POP Badehaus / 3€ / 23:00 RAWE: Souci b2b Tamila, Parand b2b M.A.R.E.C Diskothek Melancholie 2 / 5€ / 23:00
One Night for Dilla - Never Forget the Goat: The Swag + more Gretchen / 23:30 Saturday 29th February
Säule: MCR-T LIVE live from earth klub, David Goldberg Berghain / Panorama Bar / 22:00
Alle Vögel sind schon Dada: Ill Till + Pastor Leumund + Dada Rap Connection Gretchen / 19:30
Friday 28th February
Emika + James Heather Zeissplanetarium / 30€ / 19:30
13 Crowes Cassiopeia / 17€ / 20:00
Helping Hands Allstars 2020 Badehaus / Donations / 19:00
Emika + James Heather Zeissplanetarium / 30€ / 19:30
Isaac Delusion Bi Nuu / 21,20€ / 19:00
Get Together Badehaus / 12€ / 20:00
Jeremias Musik & Frieden / 17,20€ / 19:00
HMLTD Urban Spree / 16,40€ / 20:00
We Love Dancehall Gretchen / 23:59
Post Animal Maze / 17,20€ / 19:00 Pouya Heimathafen Neukölln / 25,60€ / 19:00 Sam Fender Columbiahalle / 36,70€ / 20:00 Disobedient Circumstance #11: Ana Helder, B.Traits, ://about blank / From 9€ / 23:59 Hard Trade 003 OHM / 23:59 Neo Violence Label Night Paloma / 22:00 Arlo Parks (24th, Kantine) 43
O U T N O W AT J U S T M U S I C , T H O M A N N & M O R E
T H E U LT I M AT E S O N G W R I T I N G H A N D B O O K
THE MOST PRACTICAL BOOK TO GET STARTED WITH SONGWRITING Teaches the key knowledge using practical tips, with 68 easy-to-understand modules and example songs used in each one.
A HANDS-ON GUIDE INCLUDING: Hooks, Riffs, Chord Progressions, Topline, Lyrics, Song Structure & Sections, Arrangement, plus lots more...
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Thoughts ... by Aliena Haig Classical:NEXT
The classical music world is set to spend 2020 celebrating the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven. Born in Bonn, Germany’s very own musical genius is being honoured across the globe. It’s a pretty big deal. I mean, the guy went deaf and didn’t give a fuck, right? (Listen to Ali in the Jungle by The Hours). Dun-dun-dun-duuuun. We have much to thank the greats of classic‑ al music for. Classical music, after all, serves as the basis for modern Western music education and training and stands at the beginning of the modern-day musical timeline. All classically-trained music students will know that Beethoven was a key player (pun intended) as the classical era turned romantic, a provider of the soundtrack to the changing times. But as the world celebrates this iconic figure, are we also celebrating classical music itself? Can it hold its own in today’s popular culture? 1770 (Beethoven’s birth year) obviously didn’t have the multitude of artists and musical genres available to stream as we do now, but when
thinking about what the soundtrack to 2020 would and could sound like, would fragments of classical music even feature? Can it compete with the many styles that fill the airwaves, or rather, playlists of today? Symphonies don’t stand a chance in an age where the shorter the track, the greater the number of streams. Yet classical music remains the fourth most popular genre among music consumers, with more fans worldwide than R&B and hip hop
(see Ludwig Van Magazine – not being ironic here). Germany alone has around 130 publiclyfunded professional orchestras, more than 80 permanent opera companies and billions in subsidies (Deutsche Welle). The annual global gathering of art music professionals, Classical:NEXT, proves that classical music is alive and well, and not just in Europe where classical music originated.
The industry is a healthy one, but it is faced with a number of uphill battles to stay current with today’s rapidly-changing music scenes. Those working in the industry are driven to fight those battles and it’s platforms like Classical:NEXT that help to optimise what the art form can be. So, as we transition into the new decade, we undoubtedly carry classical music along with us. With fads and trends set to end, there is assurance in knowing that classical music remains the one anchor among the ever-shifting tides of music. That is certainly something worth celebrating. Aliena Haig represents Classical:NEXT, a global gathering for all art music innovators, produced by Berlinbased Piranha Arts AG. Read more at classicalnext.com 45
in Berlin with Katerina Stanishlevikj Badehaus
When did you move to Berlin? August 9th, 2013. Who is your top Berlin artist at the moment? My all-time favourite artist whom I have the pleasure to manage - Àbáse. Tell us your go-to places to eat and drink. Turkish Breakfast places anytime. I also like Datscha (Russian) and Nyom (Vietnamese). Berlin’s events take place in different venues, galleries, basements, living rooms, stores, clubs and whatnot, so that’s where I do most of the drinking! In the summer, though, my goto place for drinking is definitely the Späti and whichever park is nearby... What’s the best way to spend one really good day here? A good way to spend a winter day out of the house is going to a museum/exhibition or looking out for a daytime event. There are markets, workshops and shows happening all the time. It’s Berlin: you can even go to a club in the early morning. In the summer, all you need is a bike and an open mind and things just happen. What’s your favourite thing about the city? That the moment you start judging someone for anything superficial, you automatically become the least cool person in your surroundings. I think that’s what maintains freedom in Berlin.
What’s the secret to run such a successful, diverse venue like Badehaus? We’re open to giving a stage to many different artists, as long as they are not promoting values we consider negative (right-wing shit, discrimination of any kind, homophobia, sexism etc). Even if I or my colleagues personally don’t listen to some genres, we think everyone that has a vision should have a stage to share it on.
And your least favourite? The lack of sun right now!
Being so diverse, it is very challenging in order to keep a regular crowd, but we like the challenge and are happy to keep ourselves busy with it. Sometimes we have metal, jazz, pop and Afrobeat in one week. We’re proud to have one of the best sound systems for our size and are happy to have as many live performances as possible.
Top venues? OHM, Lido, Silent Green, Artistania, Panke and obviously Badehaus.
Situated in the RAW-Gelände, Badehaus is one of Berlin’s most iconic small venues. Find out more at: badehaus-berlin.com
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