Image from festival's archive

For its fourth edition, Katharsis brings an eclectic and exciting line up full of old favorites and some unexpected choices.

[social_warfare]

In just a few weeks, Amsterdam's Warehouse Elementenstraat will once again become a site for “purification of the soul through art“, the annual rave that is Katharsis. Like the last years's edition, the programme is split over two nights, bringing together various forms of harsher electronics and striking alien sounds with a good balance of live performances and dj sets.

Alongside iconic festival staples such as Adam X or Paula Temple, the programme will feature two live incarnations of Ancient Methods – his solo performance and his Eschaton collaboration with Orphx. The latter will also play a set at the festival on Saturday. Industrial techno magician Domenico Crisci will also return to the festival, while the new names of the banging techno portion of the programme include Tresor resident REKA and the EBM-infused KONKURS (a highly energetic collaboration between SARIN and Blush Response).

Noise artist Puce Mary will present yet more extreme sounds, where raw deconstruction of the self meets limitations of intimacy, while Prurient brings his raw power to the stage on Saturday.

The more experimental sonic tendencies will be represented by the likes of Peder Mannerfelt, Roly Porter, the unpredictable live explorations of SØS Gunver Ryberg and the poetic techno duo Lakker with their stunning A/V performance. One of the most versatile artists in electronics, Dasha Rush, will perform her Indashtrial set. Another thrilling A/V set will be brought by Mick Harris performing as Fret and visual artist Stromfield - another great project in a long line of conceptual and stylistic meanderings, from Napalm Death to Lull, this time arising in ominous irregular structures.

The dancefloor-oriented part of the programme also brings many surprises. AUX 88 will perform their playful techno/electro blend on Saturday, following the sensual, noisy dark electronics of Annanan and a b2b set from eclectic innovators Mumdance and Sunil Sharpe.
On a more psychedelic note, creative freaks Volruptus and Galaxian will perform live on Friday, presenting their different takes on combining the traditional ant the alien. Container closes the programme in Room 2 with his industrial breakbeat, while J-Zbel bring their brassy post jungle to the stage on Saturday.

Sets by Pessimist, Black Merlin and Lee Gamble are equally nice surprises. Each of the artists is known for an inteligent and tentative approach to various forms of electronic music, from ambient, techno to drum n bass, dub, jungle or italo.

This year's edition of Katharsis seems to have broadened the scope of featured styles and artists even more, making space for playfulness, diversity and inclusion. Katharsis is one of the annual gatherings organised by Reaktor Events and it will take place from August 3rd to August 5th 2018 at Warehouse Elementenstraat.