Stream: CTM Festival Preview on BCR

20 Jan 2014 — Henning Lahmann

It's safe to say that without certain cultural events happening, there would be no way whatsoever to survive a Berlin winter. We are not talking about that negligible thing called fashion week, nor do we mean the Berlinale (though to be fair, that one helps to stay alive as well). Of course, what we are referring to is CTM Festival, formerly called Club Transmediale, which we consider the best of its kind in Germany, and still one of the most interesting and engaging music festivals in all of Europe, too. The 15th edition of the event is going to start this week on Friday, January 24, and run through Sunday, February 2.

This year's festival theme is Dis Continuity, as CTM will make the attempt "to explore and map fragments of an alternative or neglected history of electronic and experimental music that still waits to be fully written". In other words, the festival's curators set out to shed light on more forgotten or even neglected undercurrents and narratives in the history of adventurous, forward-minded music, be it Maryanne Amacher's oeuvre, the work of American composer Phill Niblock, or Parisian Groupe de recherches musicales. Juxtaposed with some of the most exciting contemporary experimental and electronic music, CTM will investigate hidden interconnections and offer new interpretations on the history of the showcased genres.

It would be both too much and unnecessary to reproduce the whole schedule of concerts, exhibitions, panels, and workshops here. You will find everything you need on the festival's website. Suffice it to draw your special attention to the two NFOP-approved labels that will be blessed with a special focus during the week, Bill Kouligas' PAN imprint and Editions Mego. Other highlights include performances by Phoebe Kiddo, Samuel Kerridge, Helena Hauff, Concrete Fence, Moiré, Actress, patten, Lucky Dragons, and Boddika.

In anticipation of the festival, we did a preview special on our show on Berlin Community Radio on January 10, playing some tracks of artists we are particularly looking forward to see, with a particular focus on the Opal Tapes showcase on the final club night at Stattbad Wedding. Listen to the show in full right here, and check out the tracklist below.

Tracklist

(1) Actress "Grey Over Blue"
(2) Moiré "Real Special"
(3) Helena Hauff "Micro Manifesto"
(4) Concrete Fence "Caulk"
(5) Rashad Becker "Themes I"
(6) patten "Sixth Seven"
(7) Basic House "Caim in Bird Form"
(8) Lumisokea "Eleven"
(9) Karen Gwyer "Free Food / One Men Striper"
(10) 1991 "Celebrated As Difficult"