Beyond proud to present the upcoming Germany tour of one of our favourite contemporary composers, Berlin-based pianist Nils Frahm, starting this coming Saturday in Rostock. Below, you may watch a short video of him explaining the concept of this "Recording Tour" (which basically means, you guessed it, setting up a proper recording session on stage). On top of that, check out Frahm's latest release on Erased Tapes, the wonderfully restrained and low-key Screws, which was recorded while recovering from a broken thumb (an incident obviously incredibly unfortunate for a pianist), nine songs played with nine fingers. Besides still being available as a free download, you may also hand in your own rework or reinterpretation of one of the pieces – go here for more details.
In a world redundant with laptop-generated music made by aloof loners, there probably is nothing more clichéd than the notion of 'bedroom music'. Still, occasionally you come across songs that enunciate a sentiment that cannot escape a certain connection to both intimacy and alienation that so archetypically throw us back to that safe haven as such, irrespective of genre pinpointing or indeed the actual place of recording. It is that sort of music that immediately makes you feel that distinctive kind of isolation, be it under constraint or not, eventually reaching a level of cathartic introspection that leaves you questioning anything that only hours ago appeared to be certain and settled. In that way, it makes no difference if it happens in a cabin northwestern Wisconsin or in a Neukölln apartment; we’ve all been there, and just as the sentiment itself, such music is essentially placeless – and it is that exact feeling that the music of Yule FM is all about.
Bless Us Everyone, the third album by the local solo project (with a little help from friends in live situations), features twelve fragile, restrained compositions of strikingly conceptual chamber pop, containing a more than remarkable level of musical sophistication in terms of arrangement and production, yet without ever trying too hard or being overly obvious about it; if anything, it's rather quite the opposite. Before any song risks becoming even feebly epic or expressing any sort of grand gesture, it will already be over again, as if being reluctant to unveil what is actually going on. Yet it is this sincere hesitation that will leave its mark on the listener, as the indeterminacy indeed seems to be key in all of Yule FM's work; every note on Bless Us Everyone might breathe melancholy, but there is and always will be a door out of the bedroom, out of isolation: "Let's Not Be Alone", the artist quietly sings halfway into the LP. We should probably take that advice to heart.
Bless Us Everyone will be out very soon via Berlin and Portland label/artist collective H as in Records, at the outset sold in a very limited edition of hand designed t-shirts that come with download codes, other physical formats set to follow. Highly recommended.
Yule FM will play live as part of the Cartouche #03 Release Party at Antje Öklesund on February 15, with us DJing. Go here for more details and the full line-up.
If you love our Video Sundays, then you'll certainly love this: As some sort of prequel to the first edition of the Boddinale independent film festival, happening at Loophole on the eponymous Boddinstraße in Berlin Neukölln between February 7 and 17, our friends at Noisekölln have initiated another premiere event: their very own Music Video Awards. We're proud to be media partners of the NMVA, and even more proud to be part of the jury that will announce Neukölln's best music video on the day of the Boddinale closing ceremonies on February 17. However, all participating videos will be shown tomorrow at Loophole, starting at 8.30pm sharp. Entrance is free, go here to see a list of all contending submissions. The night will be completed by some live music courtesy of Orphan Fairytale, Free Choice Duo, and Savage Republic. Capacity is limited, so make sure to be there on time.
So well, we're closing up to the finest line-up of CTM this weekend, except for yesterday's excellent showcase curated by PAN Records, and obviously tonight, with our San Francisco-based crush Holly Herndon, playing Berghain Panorama Bar alongside Kuedo, d'Eon and Forest Swords. Tomorrow stands yet another impeccable line-up before our eyes and ears, and we're personally starting the night over at the Musicmakers Showcase at Berghain Kantine, curated by Berlin locals Peter Kirn of Create Digital Media and Cassette BLN, and led by Travis Stweart, better known as Machinedrum.
We're obviously very excited to have our own Montreal duo Solar Year on the roster too, who recently released a 7" on our new imprint Stratosfear. A handful very exciting names will also join the full line-up, amogst them the genius Tim Exile, audiovisual composer Tarik Barri and Science Fiction Children, as well as live music sessions with Laurel Halo, Sam Barker, Easton West and more. Machinedrum, XI, Kode9 and Lando Kal will make sure to keep the beat going after 02:30, just in case you feel like having a break from the intense dancefloor at Berghain Panorama Bar nextdoor.
We're also very excited to announce the first European tour with Solar Year, dates below.
01.02 Berlin, Germany - Berghain Kantine 07.02 Paris, France - L'Espace B 08.02 Lille, France - Le Rouge 15.02 Oslo, Norway - Skuret 16.02 Berlin, Germany - Urban Spree 22.02 Prague, Czech Republic - Final 23.02 Leipzig, Germany - Null Unendlich
On Monday, Berlin's uniquely engaging CTM Festival heads into its 14th edition (called CTM.13, because, you know, it's 2013), this time proceeding under the theme "The Golden Age", which aims at reflecting today's underground and adventurous music culture, which "displays a greater diversity than ever before, and is therefore increasingly stretching the limits of differentiation, genre ascriptions, and the capacities of human perception," as the festival's curators explain in their convincing and exhaustive remarks on the topic:
No tensions, frictions, and dichotomies exist in the "Golden Age" of antiquity. The term describes a state of harmony and peace, and this is precisely what makes it so obviously suspect; few people nowadays are able to put much faith in unconstrained peace and harmony. CTM.13’s "Golden Age" reveals itself to be at least as ambivalent, but takes the diametrically opposed viewpoint, namely that nothing but tension, intensity, and friction is ever able to put a shine on its gold and bring forth from the tired, purely quantitative pluralism of indifferent juxtaposition, a pluralism appreciably rich in diversity and potential. Tension here does not mean only affect, speed, contrast, and a rejection of rationalism and conflict. Peace, languor, and contemplation likewise create spaces that allow for such intensity to build.
While the festival officially starts next week with the official opening concert at HAU1 on Monday night featuring AtomTM, Marc Behrens, and Matmos, the CTM exhibition "In That Weird Age" opens its gates at Kunstraum (Mariannenplatz 2 in Kreuzberg) tonight already. Moreover, there's a bunch of more or less unofficial, CTM-related events happening over the weekend, most notably tonight's "CTM Preglow" with Pete Swanson, Sensate Focus, and PAN mastermind Bill Kouligas, tomorrow's Greco-Roman curated "CTM Warm-up" (oh those names) featuring Renaissance Man, Millennium (exciting new project, more on that next week), and Full Nelson; both events take place at our ever-beloved Horst Krzbrg. Also on Saturday, we've got "Noisekölln x Sameheads x CTM Vorspiel" (oh) at Neukölln's Sameheads, with performances by NFOP darling Sean Bowie aka Teams, plus the debut (?) appearance by elusive Montenegrin project Time Wave Zero. Last, we'd like to recommend "Geek Out!" at Neukölln mainstay Das Gift on Saturday, an event that not only has Richard Scott and Erik Dower performing live, but also a workshop in the afternoon where you can learn how to build your own Quäkmonster (don't ask, just head over here for more information).
But as we said, that's only the (inofficial) beginning. You'll find the NFOP-approved guide for the festival's program below. Did we mention that we're excited?
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We've said it before but to be sure, we'll say it again: These are solely our recommendations, i.e. that sort of stuff that we'll most likely attend or try to attend ourselves (so if you see us, say hello!) – for the complete program, head over here.
Monday, January 28
As mentioned above, things officially kick off with AtomTM and Marc Behrens performing their Bauteile radio play prject, and Baltimore duo Matmos premiering their upcoming album The Marriage of True Minds, which is out February 19 via Thrill Jockey. The concert happens at HAU1 and starts at 7.30. More info here. Below, take a listen to "Teen Paranormal Romance", the first track off the full-length:
Tuesday, January 29
On Tuesday, things get a little darker and dirtier at Berghain for the first time, with Opium Hum, Diamond Version, Emptyset, TM404 (the new project of Mokira's Andreas Tilliander), and others exploring and testing the sonic capabilities of the sacred halls of stone. 8pm, more info and timetable right here.
Meanwhile at HAU1, you may witness the German premiere of Myrninerest, a newly formed project centered around David Tibet together with guitarist James Blackshaw, joined by a couple of musicians on stage. The group is set to perform their debut album “Jhonn”, Uttered Babylon, which is focused on 'the life and death' of Coil's Jhonn Balance, who had been a friend of Tibet. It probably won't get any more riveting and absorbing the whole week, so you might consider attending. We highly recommend that anyway. No need to say more:
During the day, there's a bunch of very interesting artist talks happening at Kunstquartier (Mariannenplatz 2, Kreuzberg). Electronic Beats editor Max Dax will have a conversation with AtomTM (2pm), before The Wire's Jennifer Lucy Allen takes over to talk to Heatsick (3.30) and Matmos (5pm).
Wednesday, January 30
Wednesday should become the day when the magic happens: First, we got Hamburg's finest Hendrik Weber aka Pantha Du Prince performing together with his Bell Laboratory at HAU1 at 8pm. Though we haven't really figured out yet how to come to terms with the project's brand new work Elements of Light (we guess it's awesome, we're just not sure), seeing the whole thing life will surely put it on a completely different level. Plus, he will always be our God anyway. More info here. Note that due to the overwhelming demand, there has been another show scheduled for the night after (which might be sold out already as well).
At Berghain, starting at a neat 8pm, last year's (rightfully) most critically acclaimed label, Berlin-based PAN, will have its long-awaited showcase featuring some of the imprint's crown jewels, including Heatsick, Jar Moff, Mark Fell, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Florian Hecker, and of course Lee Gamble, who is (as you'll know) responsible for this writer's favourite album of 2012. The staggering line-up is completed by recent Houndstooth signee Call Super. Go here for more details and the timetable.
No chance to slow down one day later, when things centre upon Berghain proper and its adjacent Kantine. At Berghain, contemporary electronic music's vanguard holds court, with a line-up that can only be called mindblowing and that features both the artist who's made our staff's favourite track of 2012, and the artist who has achieved the same as regards the editors. Besides Holly Herndon and Kuedo (who will be visually joined by MFO), the night will host Forest Swords and d'Eon. No, really. Here's the proof.
Next door at Kantine things will get decidedly grittier and gloomier, with performances by reliq, the very exciting Wife aka Irishman James Kelly, Reznik, Oneirogen, and of course Iceage, who will start at 1am – which most likely means that you won't need to worry about missing some of Kuedo's show, which is set to start half an hour later at Berghain; you'll easily make it in time (unless, of course, you got beaten up by the band because you made an attempt to take a photo of the singer).
As for the discussions and talks, there's some exciting things happening on Thursday as well: Jennifer Lucy Allen will have a conversation with Holly Herndon at 2pm, which should be fun, followed by Lisa Blanning (ex-The Wire, newly recruited by Electronic Beats) and Adam Harper (The Wire, Dummy, and author of our personal Bible Infinite Music) discussing "The Pop Art Of The Virtual Plaza" at 3.30.
Friday, February 1
A lot of things happening on Friday, so let's keep things brief by highlighting this one true highlight, our man Dean Blunt performing another of our favourites of 2012, his mixtape-cum-album The Narcissist II, at HAU1, 8pm. Details here.
Apart from that, which you shouldn't dare to miss, there's a lot of stuff at Berghain as well, namely performances and DJ sets by such illustrious figures as Shackleton, DJ Sprinkles, Shed, EVOL, or Andy Stott. Yes. If you don't seem excited enough about this insane night, it's because we don't see ourselves drinking enough Club Mate to actually make it there after Wednesday and Thursday. But we'll see.
Friday is also packed with terrific discussions at Kunstquartier, most notably a Resident Advisor "Live Exchange" with PAN's Bill Kouligas at 12pm, two talks on "The Death of Rave", the first focusing on the UK, featuring Mark Fisher, Lee Gamble, Alex Williams, and Steve Goodman aka Kode9, moderated by Lisa Blanning (1.30); the second centred on Berlin, with our friend and original raver Alex Droener, Ulrich Gutmair, Johnnie Stieler, Felix Denk, and Tom Lamberty. If you're able to read German but haven't read Der Klang der Familie yet, do so immediately, and then attend that panel at 3.30. If you happen to have enough energy for a fourth talk, look no further, at 5.30 smart folks will elaborate on "Virtual Futures: The Future Of Music".
Saturday, February 2
If you still want more, Saturday will serve another multitude of awesomeness, starting with d'Eon performing his acclaimed Music for Keyboards (not sure which one, actually) at HAU2 at 8pm; highly recommended.
Demdike Stare and Gatekeeper will share the bill later at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (which is a pity, as it's not all that easy to get there in time), with a world premiere and a German premiere, respectively. Later, there's complete craziness happening at Stattbad Wedding (again, a bit off) with The Midas Touch/#gHashtag/Purge, featuring quite a few of our friends such as BlackBlackGold, xorzyzt, and Half Girl / Half Sick, plus a bunch of amazing artists including Mykki Blanko, EAN, Anika, and Simian Mobile Disco. Yes. So it's probably worth to go all the way up to Wedding after all.
Sunday, February 3
CTM.13, "The Golden Age", ends on Saturday with something golden indeed, if pitch-black on the surface: The great Sunn O))) performing at Astra, starting at 8pm. We don't think we need to go any deeper on that. And honestly, if you've made it there considering the week's program: kudos to you. So have fun, and see you somewhere around next week.
We're beyond proud to present a very special event happening at Haus Ungarn (previously .HBC) on Friday with the Ukranian pianist Lybomyr Melnyk, who is now finally receiving the credibility he deserves as a legendary piano ambient composer; having recently joined forces with our friends at Erased Tapes Recordings. Even with cassette and vinyl releases dating back to 1975, Melnyk has pretty much been a well-kept secret for decades, secretely praised within the minimalist scene only by word of mouth, but claimed to be one of the most unique pianists of the 20th Century. Behind the immersive waves of sound lies a quite peculiar, highly complicated technique that Melnyk has suitably named "Continious music", sustaining the speed of over 19.5 notes per second in each hand (simultaneously!), composing mighty, cinematic pieces that float into one another, at most via 93,650 notes an hour, giving him the title as one of the fastest pianists in the world.
If this alone isn't enough to get you excited, we might also mention that Efterklang's Peter Broderick helped record and produce his upcoming album on Erased Tapes, as well as label mate and Ólafur Arnalds collaborator Nils Frahm, whom will be joining the concert.
To celebrate, we're giving away 2x2 tickets to a few lucky Berliners, and if the term "Berliner" unfortunately doesn't fit your residentional description, then you might want to keep your eye up on our NFOP Sessions page in the not so far away future. To enter the contest, simply just leave a comment or share this link via Facebook.
After the excellent visuals for "Anywhere", we're happy to host the premiere of the video for the second single from Rough Days For Diamond Trade's lovely debut EP Somehow. On "Okay", Berlin via Copenhagen solo artist Frederik Sølberg continues to follow the road towards perfectly crafted, melodiously lush yet distinctively dark and sombre pop, with aptly impressionistic lyrics that are drowned in decay and reverb. The stunning, uncanny video was made by Simon Højbo.
The Somehow EP is out next week via Looking Forward. Together with Nordic By Nature, we're presenting the release party on Wednesday, December 12, at Kreuzberg's Monarch. RSVP over here.
This Saturday, together with our friends at Noisekölln, we proudly present the Berlin edition of Jef Barbara and Femminielli's Eurotour 2012, as part of a night full of madness at +-0, an abandoned train house adjacent to Postbahnhof in Friedrichshain. On the two other floors of the old industrial landmark, Sameheads and OCVLTO are going to stage their own pre-Christmas nightmare, all melting together into one of this year's finest nights of deranged music and related lunacy. As we believe that both artists are well known amongst the readership of these pages, no further introduction appears to be necessary, so just watch those two gems of Franco-Canadian synth extravaganza below, and be sure to be there on Saturday.
For more information on the whole night and RSVP head over here.
