Festival 2020
Programme
Vortex Merge
Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin → MapTickets: 18 € (incl. Panorama Bar, Säule) on the door only
31
FriDon Zilla is studio manager of Boutiq Studios at the heart of Kampala—a staple in Uganda’s vital music scene. In a unique commission between Uganda’s Nyege Nyege Festival and CTM, Gabber Modus Operandi are joined by Wahono (of Uwalmassa, a Jakarta-based project that explores connections between contemporary electronics and traditional Indonesian sounds), and Uganda’s Nakibembe Xylophone Troupe, one of the few remaining groups that perform on the embaire—an extremely rare and gigantic indigenous wooden xylophone that is simultaneously played by eight musicians. Glorifying discomfort through a torrent of nu-gabber is Astrid Gnosis, the London-based multi-disciplinary artist, producer, and DJ. Squarepusher, aka Tom Jenkinson, is the drum & bass and IDM maverick, who performs live on the release day of forthcoming LP, Be Up a Hello. Straddling a fine line between anxiety and ecstasy is Virgen María, the captivating artist whose work offers a potent synthesis of spirituality and sexuality. Hailing from New Mexico is !luuli, America’s rising psycore star, known for releases such as The Psycore Trilogy EP1. Brutaż and Jasna1 resident VTSS is the Discwoman-affiliated DJ and producer storming through techno, known for releases on Intrepid Skin and Repitch.
Gabber Modus Operandi ft Wahono x Nakibembe Xylophone Troupe is co-commissioned with Nyege Nyege Festival and supported by the Goethe-Institut International Coproduction Fund. Also presented with Nusasonic.
Virgen María and VTSS are supported by SHAPE, which is cofunded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Nakibembe Xylophone Troupe[UG]
The Nakibembe Xylophone Troupe hails from Uganda, known for singing and performing on a large ensemble instrument called the embaire, crafting hypnotic, joyful music. Having greatly expanded their audience following an acclaimed performance at Nyege Nyege Festival, they are one of the few remaining groups playing the embaire.
Astrid Gnosis[ES/UK]
Glorifying discomfort through a torrent of nu-gabber is Colombian-Spanish Astrid Gnosis, the London-based multi-disciplinary artist, producer, and DJ who “makes the weird and wonderful both engrossing and bizarre.” (Kalt Blut)
Gabber Modus Operandi[ID]
Gabber Modus Operandi is an accidental project founded by Kasimyn and Ican Harem. Born out of a shared obsession for all sorts of high-octane, fast-paced sounds, they explode an extensive range of influences into vibrant, outrageous productions.
!luuli[US]
Hailing from New Mexico is !luuli, America’s rising psycore star. Earlier this year, she released The Psycore Trilogy EP1 via Texan label Absolute Shit, before contributing a production mix to Boiler Room’s Hard Dance series.
VTSS[PL/DE]
Brutaż and Jasna1 resident and Säule regular VTSS is the Discwoman-affiliated DJ and producer storming through techno. With releases on Intrepid Skin (run by SPFDJ) and Repitch (curated by Ascion, D. Carbone, and Shapednoise), VTSS has cemented herself with a reputation for unrelenting, suffocating takes on EBM, electro, acid, techno, and occasionally even hardcore.
Wahono[ID]
Wahono is an artist from Jakarta, Indonesia, whose practice involves physical and nonphysical audiovisual forms. He is the founder and creative director of DIVISI62, a sound and visual arts label that explores identity issues, Indonesian history and the cross-pollination of world heritage. He actively performs and produces music with the group Uwalmassa.
Don Zilla[UG]
Don Zilla is a Ugandan producer and DJ creating multi-dimensional music. In 2016, he joined Hakuna Kulala and released his first EP, From the Cave to the World, showcasing “viscous groove full of shadow-boxing drums and gutter bass distortion on the cusp of dubstep rave and halfstep D&B.” (Boomkat)
Squarepusher[UK]
Tom Jenkinson, better known as Squarepusher, has been a stalwart of the British electronic music scene for over twenty years. His name has become near synonymous with Warp records. Fusing drum & bass with IDM and jazz, Squarepusher’s live performances are known for immersive visuals and frenetic virtuosic bass, played by Jenkinson himself.
Virgen María[ES/UK]
Virgen María is the musical and performance alias of Spanish artist Maria Forque, who spent much of her formative career in Madrid. As demonstrated on her debut EP on Perth Records, G.O.D., her music is an intoxicating blend of trap, reggaeton, hardcore, and techno, through which she explores spirituality and sex positivity.
