EXBERLINER Issue 148 April 2016

MUSIC
FRI, APR 8, 23:59
Leisure System Live in Surround Sound
“Life takes place in
surround sound,” is
the motto behind this
exploratory electronic
night, for which Berghain’s
legendary Funktion-One
sound system is being
reconfi gured to accommodate
immersive 3D
performances from three
live acts (Aleksi Perälä,
Max Cooper and Monolake). With music ranging from
ambient to IDM to techno and Leisure System residents
Barker, N>E>D, and Gonsher behind the decks, this special
night at the Big B is perfect for both die-hard partiers
and tech heads alike. KC Berghain, Am Wriezener
Bahnhof, Friedrichshain, S-Bhf Ostbahnhof
SAT, APR 9, 22.00
Guido Möbius
”Music should be
surprising – I’m bored
the minute I know what’s
happening next”, the
Berlin-based multiinstrumentalist,
music
publisher and promoter
Guido Möbius has said,
and he himself seems to
live life according to this
mantra. His main instrument
might be the guitar, but he is no stranger to bass,
mouth harp, banjo, percussion, keyboard or glockenspiel,
which he likes to send through samplers and various
effects creating a teasing, industrial sound that never fails
to keep listeners on their feet. NB Urban Spree, Revaler
Str. 99, S+U-Bhf Warschauer Str.
FRI, APR 15, 21:00
Xiu Xiu Plays the Music of Twin Peaks
“Where we’re from, the
birds sing a pretty song...
and there’s always music
in the air…” Whether
you’re still grieving over
Laura Palmer, eagerly
awaiting the third season
of the 1990s cult classic
or just a Lynch fan looking
for a quick fi x, Xiu Xiu’s
dissonant and electric
interpretation of Angelo Badalamenti’s iconic soundtrack
(commissioned by the Gallery of Modern Art in Australia)
is a one-way ticket back to the dark and mysterious world
of Twin Peaks, made just that little bit darker and more
mysterious by the ex-crematorium setting. KC Silent
Green Kulturquartier, Gerichtstr. 35, S+U-Bhf Wedding
WED, APR 27, 20:00
Aziza Brahim
Dancing between traditional
Sahrawi music and
Western music traditions
like jazz and blues, fl a-
menco and folk, Brahim’s
music is an apt representation
of her life. A refugee
from the deserts of
Algeria, the musician has
gathered infl uences and
experiences from Cuba
and Spain and infused those moments into her music,
rife with dense, danceable rhythms and lyrics that extol
the heartbreak of a search for home. With refugee rights
on the tips of everyone’s tongues, Brahim’s music is more
relevant than ever. KC Yaam, An der Schillingbrücke 3,
Friedrichshain, S-Bhf Ostbahnhof
MARTIN-KURTENBACH SHAUN BLOODWORTH
GUILLEM MORENO
INTERVIEW
A chat with... Liima
Last year, the Danes of Efterklang
joined up with their friend, Finnish
percussionist Tatu Rönkkö, to form
new supergroup LIIMA, coming to
Berghain this month. By KEVIN CHOW
Efterklang went on hiatus in January 2014 to
“explore new musical territories”; judging from
their collaborations with everyone from Vincent
Moon to the South Denmark Philharmonic and
their current project, which combines guitars
with looping electronics and Rönkkö’s inventive
percussion, they’ve been doing just that. Debut
record ii came out last month, and the foursome
hits Berghain on Thursday, April 21.
What inspired the new project?
TATU RÖNKKÖ: We have a “residency” concept
behind this band – we wanted to compose all
the music from scratch in a new place. The
first residency was in summer 2014 in Finland,
then Berlin in autumn 2014, Istanbul in January
2015 and Madeira in May 2015. Four different
environments; four different seasons. We did a
lot of field recording and sampling: a traditional
Finnish instrument, the sound of a grilling steak
or some ice cream bells in Istanbul. It felt like
a natural way of making music. All the songs on
this debut album are from these four residencies.
What’s the meaning of ‘Liima’?
TR: It means ‘glue’ in Finnish. Liima started at a
chamber music festival in South Finland. They
invited Efterklang to do a collaboration with me,
so we called ourselves Efterklang + Tatu Rönkkö
but after half a year it sounded silly. So then we
were rehearsing here and we found the name
after a lot of suggestions.
MADS BRAUER: It’s a hard task. The music comes
LIIMA Thu, April
21, 20:00 |
Berghain, Am
Wriezener Bahnhof,
Friedrichshain,
S-Bhf Ostbahnhof
naturally to us, but everything with names and
titles is difficult. All good band names are taken!
Do you take any influence from Berlin
techno?
CASPER CLAUSEN: Yeah. I go occasionally to
Berghain. In order to really understand Berlin
you have to go to these places. You could hang
out at the Brandenburger Tor if that’s your thing,
but these places are what’s really happening.
Obviously, this electronic element which we’ve
always had in our music gets coloured by where
you are. A lot of the songs on our album have a
lot of this Berlin techno-ish vibe to them; in the
vein of Apparat or someone like that.
Would you say the band fits into the Berlin
electronic music scene?
TR: We don’t think about categories or trying to
fit into a particular scene. Whatever you do here,
there are a bunch of geeks that will come and see
you. Some venues have a very clear stamp of the
scene around them – like Berghain, for example.
CC: What we realised here in Berlin is that we
wanted to make more physical music – music you
listen to with other people, not just by yourself
with headphones in the U-Bahn. That’s what we
want with our live concerts – to get people to
gather around and move their bodies!
TR: In Berlin, we figured out that we might
want to explore this danceable, rhythmic music.
Not like, “Let’s make EDM”, but music with a
danceable quality. Maybe it’s the techno influence
at the back of our minds. Being at a place
like Berghain, it’s a kind of ritual where all these
people dance together or dance on their own but
together in one space. It’s really inspiring to see
them react to your music. n
THOMAS M. JAUK
38 • APRIL 2016