[Microsound-announce] berlin again

[Derek Holzer]

Hi Amir,

since so few people who live in Berlin (and almost none of the people in
the art & music scene) actually come from Berlin, it's a pretty quiet
place between Christmas and New Years, as you probably already figured
out. You can even find a parking space these days! I moved here myself
at exactly this time of the year a while back, and it took me more than
a week (of empty clubs and bars) to finally figure out what all the fuss
about Berlin was for. Don't worry, it picks back up after New Years.

You might want to get on the Echtzeit mailing list for "serious"
improv/experimental concerts:
http://www.echtzeitmusik.de/

Also watch the calender of Ausland (or subscribe to their mailing list)
for more minimal improv and assorted other flavors:
http://www.ausland-berlin.de/

For more noisy stuff, check the Le Petit Mignon/Staalplaat list:
http://www.lepetitmignon.de/

CTM/DISK/General Public has lots of events and a mailing list, as well
as a huge week long festival at the end of January that's worth a look:
http://www.clubtransmediale.de/

NBI has IDM (if you can stand that kind of stuff):
http://www.neueberlinerinitiative.de/

and M12 has lots of electronic music (and Mika Vaino's dubious DJ sets)
on the weekends:
http://m12.visomat.com/m12.php

Lots of things are happening at the Festsaal Kreuzberg (Skalitzer
Strasse 133, Kotbusser Tor) and also in their basement, but since
different people run these events it's hard to get info from one
source.... Le Petit Mignon list is probably best source, although bigger
events (recently Circle, Ghost, Crippled Black Phoenix, The Ex...) get
postered around town.

Rinus van Alebeek runs Das Kleine Field Recording Festival as well as
things in spaces I've usually never heard of before or again:
http://www.myspace.com/rinusvanalebeek
http://kleine-frf.blogspot.com/

OHMNoise/Dienstbar does lo-fi noise in out-of-the-way places like Wedding:
http://www.myspace.com/ohmnoise

Wendel (Schlesische Str.) has a weekly jazzy improv session with Andre
Vida/The Instrument:
http://www.nstp.de/

Hair Entertainment seems to favor booking the kind of North American
"freak folk" that The Wire were falling all over themselves about a
couple years back:
http://www.hairentertainment.com/

BATTISTON82 book stuff that sounds like Lightning Bolt or Ariel Pink in
different places around town:
http://www.myspace.com/battiston82

Jason Forrest/Donna Summer and some other kooky French expats runs the
ultra-trashy Birthday Party series:
http://www.birthdaypartyberlin.com/

West Germany (Skalitzer Strasse, Kotbusser Tor, Kreuzberg) book things
as well, but have no real website nor proper mailing list to speak of.
Mostly, you're left looking for photocopied posters, or if you're lucky
then one of the more outgoing promoters I've mentioned here might send
you an email about it. In the same building (an old doctor's office
complex) are two of Berlin's trendier/trashier lounge/bars: Monarch and
Paloma. The gay/lesbian version of these places is across the road in
the Moebel Olfe building.
http://www.citylifeberlin.com/?p=83
http://www.moebel-olfe.de/

This week only! The Chaos Computer Club has it's 24th annual meeting at
C-Base:
http://events.ccc.de/congress/2007/Main_Page

And lastly there's the Salon Bruit sessions, for electronics, noise and
improv:
http://www.kliklak.net/mailman/listinfo/salonbruit_kliklak.net

Just strikes me that this is a pretty good list for people trying to get
booked in Berlin as well. Just be prepared for the Berlin performer's
cut of the Berlin door money. Is it enough for a taxi home? Another
drink? Doner-kebap and the greasy fist? Hmmm.....

On the other hand, a few very good venues have shut their doors forever
here in Berlin in the last year: the Zentrale Randlage, Tesla, Scherer8
and Alt Stralau all called it quits. RIP. The Ballhaus Naunystrasse and
the Volksbuhne will soon change their artistic leadership and/or
profiles as well, quite possibly getting rid of the kind of concerts
people like us dig in the process, and the Bastard will also close in
2008. Is this the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning?

As for modern composers? I haven't met one yet...

best,
d.


Amir Gafner wrote:
> anything going on here? im having difficulties finding anything- please
> send me any invitation for the next two week as long as music is
> considerd. also do they play any modern composers here at all?


-- 
derek holzer ::: http://www.umatic.nl ::: http://blog.myspace.com/macumbista
---Oblique Strategy # 166:
"Use an unacceptable colour"