Festival Editions
New Turf
YAAM I, An der Schillingbrücke, 10243 Berlin → MapTickets: 18 € (includes YAAM II & YAAM III)
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SatThe main floor at YAAM, presented by Carhartt, features fresh new takes on dancehall, hip hop, and other bass- and rhythm- heavy forms.
Like many artists in the world of Flex Dance Music (FDM), Hitmakerchinx and DJ Aaron are both dancers and producers – and in these roles they’ve worked with the likes of Rihanna and Madonna. Flexing, an offshoot of dancehall & reggae dance styles, evolved in the Caribbean neighbourhoods of Brooklyn after legend and innovator Bruk Up relocated from Kingston in 1995. The music to accompany it, originally known as "flex tunes", has also grown into a genre of its own with club-ready beats and obscure samples – now known as FDM. In their CTM performance, Hitmakerchinx and DJ Aaron will both move between the decks and the dance floor, where they’ll also be supported by a collaborative force between OG hob dot, one of the leading pioneers and creatives of the bone-breaking flex style, and the female flex dance phenomenon Susie Q.
Kingston, Jamaica avant-dancehall collective Equiknoxx have made big waves with their prismatic, forward-thinking, shimmy-mandating latest releases, Bird Sound Power and the Colón Man, on DDS. Their CTM performance will feature three core members: riddim producers Gavsborg & Time Cow and vocalist Shanique Marie.
Uganda’s Nyege Nyege Tapes, a Kampala-based label and festival showcasing outsider music from East & Central Africa and beyond, will bring the new project Nihiloxica, in which four percussionists, one live drum kit, and analogue synths investigate Buganda & Busogo drumming from novel and euphoric angles.
UK MC and self-described tomboy/feminist/rebel/misfit RoxXxann will take her no-nonsense lyrics to grime-informed backdrops, and internet sensation Bad Gyal punctuates dancehall, reggaeton, and Atlanta-style textures with fresh, DIY musings in English, Spanish, and her native Catalan language.
DJ and No Shade co-founder Hunni’d Jaws will expose roots in bass and grime but also introduce new outgrowths in the directions of hybrid techno, noise, and even ambient.
Beatmaker for a.o. Lgoony and frequent Swan Meat collaborator DJ Heroin will drop heavy, earnest instrumentals as epic and vast as the internet, bringing the legacy of trap and hip hop into the brainy realm of the cloud.
Equiknoxx ft. Shanique Marie[JM]
Equiknoxx is a forward-thinking production outfit from Jamaica known for its distinctive take on dancehall. The crew has released on Demdike Stare’s label, DDS, and Swing Ting.
Hunni'd Jaws[US/DE]
Hunni’d Jaws’ sound embodies an enthralling, no-boundaries approach to club music in which the ugly is embraced alongside the sublime. The DJ and producer is half of Berlin Community Radio’s Call Dibs and a founding member of collective and tutorship programme No Shade.
Nihiloxica[UG]
The new live project Nihiloxica brings together the indigenous percussion group Nilotica Cultural Ensemble, the British drummer Spooky J, and an analogue synth player for a contemporary, hybrid take on traditional Buganda and Busogo sounds from the Kampala region of Uganda.
Bad Gyal[ES]
In the past year, Bad Gyal has had continued success after becoming an internet sensation. Singing in English, Spanish, and Catalan, she is a unique figure in the contemporary club world.
RoxXxan[UK]
UK MC RoxXxan brings her ruthless, pointed bars to Berlin for CTM 2018. After taking a brief hiatus from music, she returned with singles such as “He Said She Said” and “G CODE”, which tells the story of personal struggles that led her to take a break from her music.
Hitmakerchinx & DJ Aaron[US]
Producers/DJs/dancers Hitmakerchinx and DJ Aaron are two of the most prominent figures in flexing, an offshoot of dancehall & reggae dance styles that evolved in the Caribbean neighbourhoods of Brooklyn. At CTM they will perform with two of the scene’s standout dancers, Shellz and OG hob dot.
DJ Heroin[DE]
With a broad spectrum of influences ranging from hip hop production to experimental club music to a variety of other compositional styles, the 20-year-old DJ Heroin continues to carve out his very own lane in contemporary music.
