In a year which made impossible the now highly anticipated annual unveiling of new projects and collaborations that usually accompanies Berlin Atonal, the festival has put together an artist-led collection featuring new music, art prints and garments.
The centre-point of the campaign is a major selection of new works by a range of artists from across the advanced musical landscape. Entitled MORE LIGHT the compilation traverses the vast spectrum of musical energy which the festival radiates, from 19 different projects, representing 14 nationalities and over 30 years of musical experience.
French producer Aho Ssan has smelted the vocals of Exzald S into a multi-layered track that gestures towards a future language for computer-produced music. New York’s Hiro Kone pairs with group A’s Tot Onyx to debut their collaboration with an outstanding showpiece of groaning power-surge electronics, while legendary futurist Gerald Donald (Drexciya, Dopplereffekt) contributes a track under his XOR Gate alias.
Speculative widescreen-electronics protagonists Roly Porter and Paul Jebanasam unveil the first recorded track of their collaborative Altar project, while Nkisi hones in on a section of her Atonal 2019 set ‘’Initiation” and reworks it into a brawling, bleak, hard-edged trampler. These tracks sit beside a transformational collab between Abdullah Miniawy and Carl Gari, evocative synthesised works from Caterina Barbieri and Laurel Halo, unclassifiable post-ambient from exael and Kazakh-British violinist Galya Bisengalieva and much much more.
The festival’s legendary revived imprint which has previously hosted contributions from Cabaret Voltaire, Psychic TV, Marshstepper and others now has a monumental new chapter. The compilation is released over 5 x 12”s available to pre-order (with immediate digital downloads), as well as a complete box set packed in an exclusive slipcase.
An additional release on the label comes from the late Mika Vainio and his celebrated set at the 2016 edition of Berlin Atonal. Between crisp, upfront sonic assault and backset rhythmic work, this pared-down, sensitive, and serious music has no parallel. The 2LP release is accompanied by the artwork from Vainio’s personal archives. All profits from the sale of the record will be donated to the Alpha School for Boys in Kingston, Jamaica.
Also revealed is a special new collaboration between Berlin Atonal and iconic streetwear and lifestyle brand Perks And Mini. P.A.M has created for Berlin Atonal two exclusive tees which carry forward the label’s penchant for artistic collaboration and psychedelic graphic innovation.
Ezra Miller has also designed for the campaign a T-Shirt and custom Nalgene water bottle. Berlin Atonal will also release some high-quality limited edition prints from visual artists who have exhibited at the festival in the past; Anne de Vries, Sasha Litvintseva + Beny Wagner, D.R. Boysen, Pedro Maia, Stéphanie Lagarde as well as a special photograph of the 2018 performance of Actress at the festival by Helge Mundt.
