Ikeda has designed the white room and the black room as counterparts, not only physically (brightness, color), but also conceptually and perceptually.

The project is a composition in which time and space are shaped through the most minimal use of sound, light and visual elements. It is the artist’s first solo exhibition in Germany.

Since the mid-1990s, Ryoji Ikeda has been among the foremost international composers and artists in the realm of cutting-edge digital technologies and their integration into visual and acoustic presentations.

His works are based on spatiotemporal compositions in which the musical and visual material is reduced to a minimum: sine waves, sound pulses, pixels of light and numerical data.

He investigates sound, time and space on the basis of mathematical methods and transforms them in his concerts and installations into an intense experience for the audience.

Photos by courtesy of Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (Top / Foto: Ryuichi Maruo) & Freunde Guter Musik Berlin (Middle and bottom / Fotos: Uwe Walter).
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“Ryoji Ikeda – DB”  Exhibition
presented by Freunde Guter Musik

Saturday, 28 January 2012 – Monday, 09 April 2012
Hamburger Bahnhof | Invalidenstraße 50-51 | 10557 Berlin/Mitte

ryojiikeda.com | hamburgerbahnhof.de | freunde-guter-musik-berlin.de
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In their attempt to avoid the classical visual image, which would mean to “hang pictures on the wall”, the artists re-interpret this gesture in a new way. Even when their works do not produce something visual, an image appears to be their only possible form.

Sanela Jahić | Fire Painting

Both sound sculptures and performances that include many amenities, fire-spectacles or housefly-installations experimenting with controlled “randomness”, all these works deal with the movement of drawing, letting this technical spectacle become the ultimate image itself.

Within these subjects, the role of the artist gains more and more importance. The different interpretations of the observer not only provoke the question “Who is the artist?”, but also reiterate it over and over. In this constellation the image neither represents a result nor a starting point.

It appears to be much more a “porous membrane”, both present and obsolete; dominant and invisible at the same time. In this manner, the exhibition focuses on the artist and not primarily on the artworks, expatiating upon the whole system as machinery.

With works by Sanela Jahić (SI), Takahiro Yamaguchi (JP), Julius Stahl (DE), Daniel Franke (DE), David Bowen (US).

The exhibition DRAWING IN THE AGE OF ELECTRONIC EXPRESSIONS is part of the Transmediale & CTM’s Vorspiel, January 26-29.
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Exhibition Opening: Drawing In The Age Of Electronic Expression
presented by LEAP & CTM.12

Saturday, 28 January 2012 | 20:00 CET
LEAP | (Berlin Carré, 1. Floor) Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 13 | 10178 Berlin/Mitte

drawing in the age … at transmediale.de  |  leapknecht.de
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The Mindpirates will celebrate with Lionel Williams, a hippie sun child from California, during the greyest of days of Berlin winter 2012. Lionel William’s art, his bright, imaginative world of colors, forms and mystical sensationalism is an exploration into the ancient wisdom and sacred locations of Egyptian priests, Sufi mystics, Indian philosophers, Mexican healers, Asian Buddhists, occultists and many more of the planet’s religious and visionary peoples.

Vinyl Williams | Open Your Mind

His music (produced under the moniker Vinyl Williams) is an attempt at creating “sonic matrices,” which are combinations of sounds that beneficially affect the body. The effects are released at the points where frequencies intersect, where certain tones, chords, and patterns come together to tap into the human psyche.

You are invited to share his stunning artwork — collages on paper and film — and to come together with a musical community for a seven-night series of one-off jam sessions.

For each of these seven nights a great pool of musicians and artists has been invited, like Raz Ohara and the Odd Orchestra, Jochen Arbeit (Einstürzende Neubauten), Verity Susman (Electrelane), Manfred Kage, Jens Zygar, Valerie Renay (Noblesse Oblige), Travis Stewart aka Machinedrum, Miguel De Pedro aka Kid 606, Infinite Livez, Sergei, Anika (Annika Henderson), Hopek Quirin, Sneak-Thief and more.

During the course of the week, all the musicians will join and jam with Lionel Williams and the Mindpirates, leading a trip into the undefined beautiful nowhere.
Session 1: Sun, 22nd / 18:00 – with LW, Jens Zygar & Manfred Kage
Session 2: Mon, 23rd / 19:00 - with LW & Raz Ohara and the Odd Orchestra
Session 3: Tue, 24th / 19:00 – with LW, Sergei & Anika
Session 4: Wed, 25th / 19:00 – with LW, Jochen Arbeit & Noblesse Oblige
Session 5: Thu, 26th / 19:00 – with LW, Machinedrum & Kid 606
Session 6: Fri, 27th / 20:00 – with LW, Infinite Livez & V. Susman (Electrelane)
Session 7: Sat, 28th / 21:00 – with LW, the Mindpirates, Sneak-Thief & friends
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Exhibition: Lionel Williams – Let The Sun Shine In
presented my the Mindpirates

Opening: Sunday, 22 January 2012
Exhibition: 22 January – 28 January 2012

Sunday, 22 January 2012 | 18:00 CET
Mindpirates | Schlesische Strasse 38, Haus F (3rd Hinterhof) | 10997 Berlin/Kreuzberg

lionelwilliams.com | mindpirates.org
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In addition to a comprehensive music program at HAU, Berghain, Passionskirche, Gretchen, Kater Holzig and Horst Krzbrg, a discourse series developed in collaboration with the philosopher, psycho-historian and author Andreas L. Hofbauer will address the festival’s theme by pursuing questions concerning art, theory, and music.

Jana Winderen | Isolation/Measurement

A few of the many highlights are:
30 years of Touch: a birthday celebration of experimental music’s most forward-thinking imprint with Eleh, Jana Winderen, Hildur Gudnadottir (photo below), Charles Matthews, Marcus Davidson and The Eternal Chord.

A revisitation of the Zodiak Free Arts Lab with Works by Conrad Schnitzler, Wolfgang Seidel and his Free Arts Lab project, Qluster (Hans-Joachim Roedelius + Onnen Bock; photo below), Borngräber & Strüver and Köhn.

Nurturing open experimentation between music, art, and performance in the late 1960s, the Zodiak Free Arts Lab provided one of the crucial focal points for the musical awakening of artists and bands such as Kluster, Ash-Ra Temple, Tangerine Dream, Human Being, and more.

The multi-day program will begin by highlighting several of the Zodiak’s key figures and includes Wolfgang Seidel performing Conrad Schnitzler’s “Cassette Concert”, as well as Schnitzler’s rarely presented automated performance on disklavier, the “Piano Works”.

Later on in the week, other contemporary artists with a similar experimental rigour will transform the HAU 2 venue into a special listening environment: Grouper & Jefre Cantu Ledesma; Catherine Christer Hennix and the Chora(s)san Time-Court Mirage, Pre-Cert Home Entertainment (photo below).

Also performing: Mouse on Mars, Mohn (Wolfgang Voigt aka GAS & Jörg Burger aka The Modernist), Ben Frost with Borgar Magnason and Shazad Ismaily, Sendai (Peter van Hoesen + Yves de Mey), Éliane Radigue, Balam Acab, Tim Hecker and many many more. Check out the whole program on the CTM2012 website.
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Club Transmediale 2012 – CTM.12 – Festival

Monday, 30.01.2012 to Sunday, 05.01.2012
Different Venues | Berlin

ctm-festival.de
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Madlib, J Dilla (RIP), 3 Chairs, 4 Hero, Mark Ernestus, ?uestlove, François K, Flying Lotus – the list is endless – have all blessed the turntables. It’s no surprise that Theo Parrish has his only EU monthly residency there. Floating Points too.

Floating Points | Sais

All this has been made possible thanks to the vision of one man, Abdul Forsyth – better known as Ade, almost 2 decades ago. Originally from Nigeria, the Plastic People owner is an incredible DJ too.

Highly respected and renowned for his unique style, playing a Jay Dee or Moodymann record together with some obscure avant-garde jazz or beautiful rare Ethiopian soul.

So to give a proper tribute to a place that had a huge influence on our musical choices, we are more than blessed to welcome Abdul Forsyth together with the young and talented producer, Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points for a special back to back session on the 21st January.

Besides the night, a selection of some of the legendary line-ups and greatest artworks made by the designer Ali Augur for the London club will be exhibited from mid-December at HHV Record store.
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Plastic People Special – with Floating Points & Abdul Forsyth  LIVE
presented by J.A.W.

Saturday, 21 January 2012 | 23:00 CET
Festsaal Kreuzberg | Skalitzer Str. 130 | 10999 Berlin/Kreuzberg

soundcloud.com/floatingpoints | plasticpeople.co.uk | festsaal-kreuzberg.de
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If any of this seems appealing to you, it might be worth checking out Network Awesome, a virtual TV station with four to six hours of old TV programming each day that’s nostalgic, entertaining, informative — and thrown together by a team of dedicated curators.

Pulgasari | Trailer

The site launched in early January 2011 as the brainchild of Berlin-based electronic musician Jason Forrest aka Donna Summer and his partner Greg Sadetsky, who does most of the coding for the site.

Since launch it has mostly relied on word-of-mouth to grow its daily viewer base, but viewers are catching on, with the site posting record traffic last Friday.

All the broadcasting is curated from YouTube. The Netwpork Awesome system stitches the various links together and presents it linearly to the viewer.N-A’s intent is to show something about TV culture as a whole.

This can manifest itself in a classic kids cartoon from the 30′s, an interview from the 60′s or a undiscovered movie from the 80′s. The main purpose of Network Awesome is to surface content that is otherwise difficult for nostalgic fans to find online.

Now, we want to celebrate NETWORK AWESOME’s first anniversary with an incredible party in the beautiful Sophiensaele in Berlin, with a “Greatest Hits” video screening, a Chuckamuck live performance and a DJ set by Monsieur Bonaparte. It’s gonna be incredible, don’t miss it!

We are giving away 2 x 2 tickets for NETWORK AWESOME First Anniversary Party. Just send a mail to win@digitalinberlin.de with “NETWORK AWESOME” as the subject.
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Network Awesome Birthday Party with Chuckamuck  LIVE
Dj: Monsieur Bonaparte

Friday, 20 January 2012 | 20:00 CET
Sophiensäle | Sophienstr. 18 | 10178 Berlin/Mitte

networkawesome.com | myspace.com/therealchuckamuck | sophiensaele.com
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For all the severity of the fast paced assault of Sun Worship, they also create a spacious and strangely pretty atmosphere with their music. For being a band that, as far as we know, only have two songs on Bandcamp and a casette out, they combine brutality and beauty in a way that surpasses a lot of their more experienced colleagues – both in skill and energy.

Hanno Hinkelbein is Berlin royalty and a long time scenester and techno hero with ties to classic venues like Tresor. With a wicked smile he’s been in the business of dishing out dirty pounding acid and evil bassed out beats, for longer than you’ve lived here.

Ancient Methods | Fourth Method

The PURGE Allstars BlackBlackGold (GucciGoth), Xorzyzt (BL4CK M4G1CK) and Tom Ass (Gegen) give you their own brand of satanic dance floor incantations. BlackBlackGold gives his sickest bass heavy attack step. Xorzyzt mixes sick drones with sicker beats. Tom Ass kicks the industrial shamanism. Nobody is safe.
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Ancient Methods, Sun Worship  LIVE

Djs: Hanno Hinkelbein & Purge Allstars

Friday, 09 December 2011 | 23:00 CET
Chez Jacki | An der Schillingbrücke | 10243 Berlin/Friedrichshain

ancientmethods.com | sunworship.bandcamp.com | chezjacki.com
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“Faux Images” is organised by Andreas Fischer & Mate Steinforth in cooperation with the Lab for Electronic Arts and Performance (LEAP) and WeAreChopChop.

Faux Images | Trailer #3

“Faux Images” will take place quarterly in LEAP at Alexanderplatz in Berlin.
Admission is free.

With contributions and talks by ROBERT SEIDEL, FONS SCHIEDON and BEN & JULIA.
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FAUX IMAGES IV
with talks by Robert Seidel, Fons Schiedon and Ben & Julia

Tuesday, 13 December 2011 | 20:00 CET
LEAP | Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 13, Berlin Carree, 1st floor | 10178 Berlin/Mitte

fauximages.de | robertseidel.com | fonsschiedon.com | benandjulia.com | leapknecht.de
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Over the years Nathan Fake has taken the electronic music industry by storm. With releases on James Holdens Border Community and numerous radio plays, Nathan has earned his title as the UKs master of electronica. Producing timeless releases such as The Sky Was Pink, which had producers fighting to remix, Nathan will be sure to bring powerful performance to the Berghain.

Nathan Fake | Stops

After a busy year on the production front and with a third upcoming album on Honest Jons, Darren Cunningham aka Actress will be bringing his unique deep, heavily compressed electronica to Leisure System. Actresses drive to create his own sound of music led to the development of his underground record label Werk Disc, which has been home to some of the most diverse electronic sounds of now, such as Lone, Lukid and Zomby.

One of the UKs hottest female artists, Ikonika has sprung onto the scene with the” Contact, Love, Want, Have” album. Growing up in London on a diet of r&b, hip hop and garage, it is no surprise Ikonika relays these influences into her productions. Ikonika’s music can only be described as a concoction of melodic synth patterns, driving drums, melancholic sub bass and unorthodox song structures, with the backing of Warp, Hyperdub, and Planet Mu, she makes a creative and influential brand of british funk.

Leisure System’s very own residents will then be taking to the turn tables, Sam Barker who is set to release on the Leisure System label this winter and DJ N>E>D.
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Leisure System .14: Dj Funk, Nathan Fake, Actress, Ikonika, Sam Barker & Dj N>E>D

Friday, 02 December 2011 | 23:59 CET
Berghain | Am Wriezener Bahnhof | 10243 Berlin/Friedrichshain

dj-funk.net | nathanfake.co.uk | werkdiscs.com | Ikonika at planet.mu | berghain.de | leisuresystem.net
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That combine the inherited procedures from European contemporary music with the violence and energy that came from the United States in the form of Free Jazz. The perfect blend is still being sought, with and without direction or conduction, and within this process of investigation lies the point of bringing together so many people to play almost from scratch, without scores.

Splitter Orchester | Live at Wabe Berlin

For Clayton Thomas and Clare Cooper, Australian musicians who have lived in Berlin for years, it seemed, as free improvisers, that the most natural thing in the world was to bring together 24 likeminded musicians resident in the German capital and form a new improvisers orchestra. The Splitter Orchester was born last April with the support of the Ausland club, one of the centers of experimental creation in the city.

The 24 players chosen by Thomas and Cooper are currently some of the best improvisers on the European scene – names like Axel Dörner, Hilary Jeffery, Burkhard Beins, Ignaz Schick, Sabine Vogel and Clayton Thomas himself. The diversity of nationalities that makes up the group mean it is very heterogeneous but that does not detract from the discipline, as seen in the concert, to generate their own collective sound without a conductor.
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Splitter Orchester  LIVE
presents MASS APPEAL – Sounds of Gravity and Group Reflex

Saturday, 26 November 2011 | 21:00 CET
Wabe | Danziger Str. 101 | 10405 Berlin/Prenzlauer Berg

www.berlinsplitter.org | www.wabe-berlin.de
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Austin, Texas trio Pure X play languid, dreamy, noise pop that floats on a raft of thick, distorted guitar sounds, carried along by a current of simple but determined rhythms.
Aligning themselves with the like-minded bands on Austin’s Light Lodge Records label, Pure X began releasing a steady stream of 7″ and cassette releases; their favored recording technique was to cut everything live to tape, with no overdubs and minimal editing. After receiving encouraging reviews for their initial releases and live shows, Pure X came to the attention of Acephale Records, who released the band’s first full-length album, Pleasure, in the summer of 2011.

Pure X | Easy

Sleep ∞ Over was formed in early 2010 in Austin TX. With a few rough demos recorded live on a handheld tape recorder, the band (consisting at the time of Stefanie Franciotti and former members Christa Palazzolo and Sarah Brown) quickly attracted the attention of the esteemed Night People label who released the first Sleep ∞ Over EP on cassette. Although the tape came during a flood of hazy lo-fi releases, Sleep ∞ Over’s melodically-driven aesthetic rose to the top of the saturated genre.
Distant and dreamy, Sleep ∞ Over’s music often sounds like a chopped-and-screwed homage to the Cocteau Twins.
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Kometenmelodien #7: Pure X & Sleep∞Over  LIVE

Tuesday, 15 November 2011 | 21:00 CET
Kantine am Berghain | Am Wriezener Bahnhof | 10243 Berlin/Friedrichshain

pure-x.info | www.sleepoverforever.com | berghain.de
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Recorded live without overdubs, Francesconi’s solo acoustic guitar creates a surprisingly rich sound that hints at his extensive musical interests – American bluegrass, Baroque lute music, traditional Bulgarian folk and jazz improvisation among others.

Francesconi embarked upon his first solo tour of Europe early in 2011, spellbinding hushed rooms across the continent and picking up press acclaim along the way (see below). Since then he’s been working on new music for his next album (slated for completion this year), and developing his duo work with fellow Joanna Newsom band member Mirabai Peart (violin). This one is for quiet rooms and reflective souls.

Ryan Francesconi | Parables

“One of the most awe-inspiring musicians I’ve known … it is nearly impossible to believe he’s picking those strings with just one hand. This is solo music that sounds like an ensemble an ecstatic and measured reconciliation of West-African/ Balkan/ Baroque/ bluegrass influences, which ultimately resembles nothing I know” – Joanna Newsom

“The acoustic guitar carries with it so much cultural baggage that it’s refreshing to hear it almost anew … these eight questing tracks radiate a kind of eloquent calm that recalls fellow guitar travellers such as James Blackshaw” – The Observer

“Sparkling ornaments that recall Toumani Diabaté’s kora … although Francesconi undeniably has great technique, he doesn’t go in for grandstanding or flashy sprints … a beautiful album, carried off with poetic aplomb” – The Wire

Digital in Berlin highly recommended! We are giving away 2 x 2 tickets for “Ryan Francesconi”. Just send a mail to win@digitalinberlin.de with “Ryan Francesconi” as the subject.
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Ryan Francesconi  LIVE

Saturday, 19 November 2011 | 20:00 CET
Monarch| Skalitzer Str. 134 | 10999 Berlin/Kreuzberg

http://are-f.com | http://www.myspace.com/aref
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The music of the FBO is on one hand very calm and meditative, on the other hand it has a very powerful physical presence, which bears resemblance to natural forces. It is a slow rolling stream of vibrations, frictions and walls of sound, in which tones and harmonies consistently dance around each other, attracting and rejecting in a magnetical alliance.

Das Feedbackorchester | On different locations

Beside the quiet moments the music can also be rendered in a hefty volume, which due to its soft flowing character is still mostly perceived as pleasant and soothing. The orchestra is always positioned in a circle, to allow for a close atmospherical contact between the players. The audience is encouraged to freely move around the circle, to find their favourite spot to listen.

The FBO prefers to play on curious and unusual places like churches, basements, old mills, water tanks, ship lifts,  former secret police headquarters and the likes.

Kulku was founded by Wenzlovar and Johanna Riska and has since played in various constellations with other musicians in the underground music scene of Berlin. The band is using mainly Wenzlovar´s collection of acoustic instruments to produce a surreal home of sounds accompanied by odd stories about dogs as spiritual advisers.

Kulku play minimalistic music that relates to primitive music – many of the instruments can produce only one single tone. The musicians are (voluntarily) restricted to a limited sound but rising a complete universe out of it. Kulku play with acoustic, partly self-made instruments like xylophones, organ pipes, kettles and pots and create a magic mix of primitive music, drones and hoodoo blues.
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Das Feedbackorchester & Kulku  LIVE

Sunday, 20 November 2011 | 19:00 CET
Theaterkapelle | Boxhagener Str. 99 | 10245 Berlin/Friedrichshain

feedbackorchester.de | myspace.com/kulku | theaterkapelle.de
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Originally formed by baker in 2003 as a solo endeavour, buckareff joined in 2005 to bring nadja out of the studio & into a live setting. they have since released numerous albums with several different labels & have toured extensively in around the world.

Nadja |Stays Demons

Classically trained in flute, he is self-taught on guitar, drums, and various other instruments. As a solo artist, Baker explores the deconstructive sonic possibilities of the electric guitar as a primary sound source, creating music that ranges from experimental to post-rock to contemporary classical.

[sic] has earned her medals though video/film work, photography and painting.

If rumors are to be believed, as of late, she can be spotted designing god knows what and messing with some rather disconcerting sounds in the intimacy of her private studio. [sic]’s, music is a travelogue through spontaneous landscapes and an electronic re-interpretation of the patterns and random order of organic principles.

[sic] | Live at LUFF, Lausanne

A re-indexation of the extraordinary and the mundane elements that constitute our daily lives.
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NADJA (Aidan Baker & Leah Buckareff ) LIVE
[sic] LIVE

Wednesday, 23.11.2011 | 20:00 CET
Marie Antoinette | Holzmarktstrasse 15/18 | 10179 Berlin/Mitte

www.nadjaluv.ca | squirrelgirl.com | Marie-Antoinette at Last.fm
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Demdike Stare present at today’s kick-off their audio-visual live set with occult and dusty sound collages that are situated between oriental dub and ritualistic ambient techno while their visuals evoke memories of the heyday of the exploitation and horror cinema.

Emptyset | Awake

Along with them comes Andy Stott, explorer of a twisted and dense house music sound. Emptyset from Bristol present their heavy, tectonically-rhythmic industrial sound. They are supported by Joanie Lemercier, who is with his AntiVJ collective onre of the most important video artists of recent years.

The concert part of the evening will be opened by Tropic of Cancer, a duo from Los Angeles, which has dedicated itself to a misanthropic post-punk sound. All these performances are framed by DJ sets from Raim, Milton Bradley and Opium Hum.

Andy Stott | New Ground

Digital in Berlin highly recommended! We are giving away 2 x 2 tickets for the not equal night. Just send a mail to win@digitalinberlin.de with “≠ (not equal)” as the subject.

≠ (not equal) with Demdike Stare, Tropic of Cancer, Andy Stott and Emptyset
presented by Berghain and Digital in Berlin

Djs: Milton Bradley, Raime, Opium Hum

Friday, 11 November 2011 | 23:00 CET
Berghain | Am Wriezener Bahnhof | 10243 Berlin/Friedrichshain

berghain.de | www.modern-love.co.uk