Festival artwork

Berlin Atonal 2018 surprises with an adventurous and exciting lineup, full of diverse genres ranging from adventurous new age to industrial.

[social_warfare]

End of August in Berlin is just the right time to appreciate a good variety of experimental sounds. The summer is still in the air, but subtle hints of autumn begin to emerge - the Secret Thirteen crew can’t wait to visit this year’s edition of Berlin Atonal. Last time we went was 2016, and we really enjoyed that edition (detailed report can be found here). The vast Kraftwerk space with its industrial grandeur and monumentalism should fit so well with the crisp flow of kaleidoscopic sounds that await us this year.

The line-up is already surprising and there are still some acts to be announced. We will go over some of the ones we are most excited upon. On Wednesday, the first day of the festival, Astrid Sonne will present her exclusive Ephemeral a\v show. This young Danish producer is affiliated with Posh Isolation and Escho labels and with her glassy and digital emotionalism she adds up to the pattern of producers exploring sensitivity and colder digital spaces. Gabor Lazar will bring the cyber complexities of his new release, Unfold. It is really pleasant to see Jay Glass Dubs. Undoubtedly his melancholic and moody take on dub will be much appreciated. Lucrecia Dalt’s performance resonated well with the botanical gardens in this year’s LEV Festival. It will be interesting to hear her organic experimentation within the concrete walls of Kraftwerk,

Thursday’s audiovisual performance of Alessandro Adriani, Mannequin Records boss, dj and producer, will probably be one of the more ambitious creative statements. Iona Fortune’s wonderful Tao And I album was a brilliant piece of experimentation with new age and oriental sounds inspired. She will explore this further in her live performance. Klara Lewis and her carefully-crafted deep drones are always a welcome addition to the line-ups. Among Friday’s favourites is Japanese experimental industrial/electro duo group A and their collab with Dead Slow Ahead, and especially Hiro Kone, one of the most exciting artists these days with wonderful recent releases on Geographic North and this year’s brilliant joint EP with Drew McDowall.

On Saturday there will be an unexpected meeting of Peder Mannerfelt and technohead Pär Grindvik. The two Swedes will perform as Aasthma. Actress’ recent experiments with chamber sounds warrants enthusiasm for his live show as well. We have not heard anything for a while from Konx-om-Pax, a Glaswegian who merges distorted and hazy rave nostalgia with hauntological ambience and surreal soundscapes. It makes him a really surprising addition. Sunday’s program will present another rare act - Outer Space, a project from Emeralds member John Elliott, emanating kosmische new age pulsations. Prequel Tapes with their nostalgic lo-fi collages will be a no less interesting proposition for the end of the festival.

The full line-up and most recent updates on Ohm, Null, Tresor and Globus programs can be accessed here: https://berlin-atonal.com/