Weekend one of the Berlin Atonal Festival 2023 proved yet again why this festival is a mecca for lovers of avant-garde electronic music and visual art. Set against the industrial backdrop of Kraftwerk, Ohm, Globus and Tresor, the environment was a synthesis of the raw, brutalist architecture and the cutting-edge music, making for a sensory experience unlike any other.
With 5 stages, Atonal’s Weekend 1 was abundant with energy that left us speechless and craving for more. The lineup promised an experience impossible to forget and undeniably delivered on that promise. W1 showcased a diverse array of talent that spanned across the spectrum of music, with each performance bringing a unique flavor to the stage, ensuring that there was something for everyone. The thunderous exhibition of Gqom from one of the sounds pioneers DJ Lag had the foundations of Globus shaking.
Aho Ssan + Sevi Ivo Domochevsky’s Rhizomes, AV took the audience on an enthralling journey. Blending ethereal soundscapes with intricate visuals, their set was a mesmerizing dance of lights and sound, much reminiscent of their previous performances that interwove both narrative and experience.
Caterina Barbieri + Space Afrika provided a highly anticipated set. Barbieri’s modular synthesizer and acoustic guitar compositions, combined with the ambient soundscapes of Space Afrika, produced a sound that was both introspective and expansive. It’s no wonder their collaboration has been receiving rave reviews in the past. although this performance was not quite up to the standard of the hype preceded it and a few friends mentioned feeling slightly underwhelmed.
Our new discovery of Barcelona duo Dame Arena was another reminder that Atonal’s curation has the strength to have you arrive at a stage with no idea what is in store and leave with a new favorite live act. Their mix of riot grrl shouts, heavy industrial techno and live percussion had the whole room sharing a collective energy of excitement and awe.
Florentina Holzinger’s Étude For Church was a revelation. Melding the reverent with the radical, Holzinger’s presentation was both a nod to tradition and a push against it – a theme seen in her previous works, but magnified in the cavernous expanse of Kraftwerk.
Holy Tongue delivered their signature fusion of ancient and modern, weaving together traditional sounds with electronic beats to create a tapestry that felt both timeless and timely.
Honour’s THE BLOOD (2TEARS & A $UCKET) was a visceral sonic experience. The intensity of their music, combined with the raw energy they bring to their live shows, was truly captivating. It was a performance that grabbed you by the gut and didn’t let go.
Laurel Halo’s Atlas was a standout, with its nuanced electronica and atmospheric sounds. Always one to push boundaries, Halo’s set was a beautiful journey through a landscape of sound that felt both familiar and alien.
Rainy Miller’s A Fugue State explored the spaces between sounds. The ambiance he crafted was hauntingly beautiful, providing moments of reflection in the midst of the festival’s sonic onslaught. The audience followed Rainy crawling on the floor amongst them, unleashing auto-tuned vocals to deconstructed trap beats, only to later appear around different spaces of the venue, keeping the crowd on their toes in anticipation for what might come next.
Sandwell District lived up to their reputation as techno maestros. Their set was a masterclass in building tension and release, driving the crowd into a dancing frenzy.
The collaboration between Shackleton / Zimpel, Siddhartha Belmannu + Pedro Maia in In The Cell Of Dreams was a breathtaking fusion of sound and visual. Their unique blend of styles created a surreal atmosphere that felt like stepping into another realm.
All in all, weekend one of Berlin Atonal 2023 was a triumph. It’s no wonder this festival has such a dedicated following. For those who seek the boundaries of what music and art can be, Berlin Atonal is the place to be. Atonal feels like a unique gem in the soundscape of Berlin’s club scene. While space is carved out for electronic music and performance art, it feels rare to have the scale of experience the you get at Atonal. As the city grows, and talent from around the world migrate to it, there is a hope that the city can adopt and make space for new sounds, rather than a continuation of the sonic norms.
The crowd itself was a diverse tapestry of music lovers united by their shared passion for experiential culture. Although never feeling empty, the venues offered a lot of space for music to be enjoyed. One thing we would love to see implemented in future years would be the introduction of more interactive and exciting elements outside of the performances themselves to keep audiences engaged in the space. As a city that has so much to offer, Berlin Atonal does well to introduce a diverse sonic and visual experience that serves to expand Berlin’s horizons. We look forward to seeing Atonal continue to build it’s legacy long into the future.
