It’s 1997, and Berlin is becoming increasingly trendy. But the fact that we’re recording two concerts there doesn’t happen every day…
Okay, maybe it wasn’t our team that was in Berlin. It was the Amsterdam-based collective STEIM (Studio for Electro-Instrumental Music), which has been experimenting with cross-genre electroacoustic music for years, that came to play at Berlin’s Podewil.
Berlin has a strong reputation when it comes to electronic music. For many years, it has been a hub for dancing to various subgenres of techno. However, Podewil is not a club or disco; it’s a cultural temple for contemporary art. And that’s exactly the kind of music you can expect to hear here. On the first day, a composition by the director of STEIM, called Et Loubna, was performed. It was inspired by the highly relevant Dutroux case at the time. A monument had been erected for all the victims of this child murderer. However, one name had been overlooked: that of Loubna Benaissa. Here, a tribute to her. We will also hear a solo by Bob Ostertag. On the second day, it was Laetitia Sonami’s turn, who became known for the ‘Lady Glove’ (a kind of bionic hand with which you manipulate music) and other self-built, curious electronics. She demonstrates that even with the most modern workstations and laptops, you cannot create all possible sounds, and that with your own devices, you can leave a very distinctive mark in electronic music!
Playlist
1. Michel Waisvisz – Et Loubna
2. Bob Ostertag – Solo
3. Laetitia Sonami – Has/had
4. Laetitia Sonami – What happened 3
5. Laetitia Sonami – She came again
6. Eric Chasalow – Over the edge (encore)
