To open our month-long summer series at DAS MINSK in Potsdam, we present two trios from disparate corners of the world: Cairo’s masterful improvisers The Dwarfs of East Agouza and Chicago’s string players and vocalists Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl, Macie Stewart.
Founded in Cairo in 2012 by Maurice Louca, Sam Shalabi and Alan Bishop, The Dwarfs of East Agouza make free-spirited music that touches upon jazz and krautrock, combined with influences of Arabic and Egyptian Shaabi music.
On stage, the trio embrace their improvisational dynamic, resulting in exciting and spontaneous shows that allow them to take whichever musical direction they feel like playing. Writing about their 2023 appearance at The Hague’s Rewire festival, Beats Per Minute said they “rival the great Wolf Eyes as tried-and-true noise psych outlaws.”
The Chicago trio of Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl and Macie Stewart create an organic, intertwined sound from their three voices and three string instruments — viola, cello and violin. The trio combine completely free improvisation with careful production, using multiple tape machines and effects to reimagine improvised material as collective compositions.
Their recent debut album BODY SOUND, out on International Anthem, “reaffirms the pleasure of collective music-making in contemplative improvisations that are both patient and restorative,” writes Pitchfork.
Watch the sunset with us on Potsdam’s scenic rooftop terrace between live shows with DJs and our rotating selection of wines. DAS MINSK is easy to reach from Berlin’s city centre in under 30 minutes by public transport.
