With Vol. XII, A L’ARME! will be celebrating its last edition – its grand finale. For more than a decade, the festival has offered new perspectives on jazz and experimental music, paved the way for undreamed-of collaborations, and influenced a generation of listeners.
Since 2012, the festival has held a magnifying glass up to the latest trends and amplified contrasts. The vision of its founders – Karina Mertin and Louis Rastig – has made it an international point of reference for transdisciplinary improvisation with a lineup of music, art, and performances that have captured the spirit of the times and always remained ahead of the curve. In 2023, the Europe Jazz Network presented A L’ARME with the Award for Adventurous Programming – and that’s just the latest example of the festival’s prestigious reputation, which extends well beyond Berlin.
The final chapter will begin on August 8 at Radialsystem, right on the banks of the Spree. It will be a tale of encounters and evolution, transgression and transformation. Keiji Haino represents the festival’s unique approach of presenting artists from various perspectives and in different constellations: he will be performing twice at the festival – once accompanied by a baritone sax and drums, and once as a soloist with just a guitar and a microphone.
At an electric bass summit, Caspar Brötzmann and Farida Amadou will continue the festival’s tradition of musical first encounters between renowned artists. Legends like Mette Rasmussen and Paal Nilssen-Love, who have become A L’ARME! residents over the years, will once again perform in new formations. The final evening will be dedicated to Monika Döring and will feature a line-up filled with innovation and energy in honor of the legendary concert organizer, curated by her longtime friend Karina Mertin.
A L’ARME! is a grounds for testing the limits of what’s possible – both aesthetically and socially. A festival for anything but the status quo or a false sense of security. It pushes the boundaries between improvisation, experimentation, noise, and performance in order to ultimately tear them down. And now, A L’ARME will be doing this to itself. With Vol. XII, we will have one last chance to make room for something new.
A L’ARME! Vol. XII FINALE
W/ ANTUMBRA: ELIAS STEMESEDER (AT/DE)+ CHRISTIAN LILLINGER (DE) / ARA (DE) / BYETONE (DE) / CASPAR BRÖTZMANN BASS TOTEM (DE) / ELECTRIC INDIGO (AT) / EPHEMERAL FRAGMENTS & 1:∞ GORDOA – CZERNIAWSKA / FARIDA AMADOU (BE) / FRANK BRETSCHNEIDER (DE) / GRISCHA LICHTENBERGER (DE) / GUDRUN GUT (DE) / HÄK/DANZEISEN (DE) / I LIKE TO SLEEP: AMUND STORLØKKEN ÅSE (NO)+NICOLAS LEIRTRØ (NO)+ ØYVIND LEITE (NO) / JAN JELINEK (DE) / KEIJI HAINO (JP)/ LEILA BORDREUIL (US) / LUCAS GUTIERREZ (AR) / MIEKO SUZUKI (JP/DE) / NAALJOS LJOM: ANDERS HANA (NO)+MORTEN JOH (NO) / ØKSE: SAVANNAH HARRIS (US), VAL JEANTY (US)+METTE RASMUSSEN (NO/DK)+PETTER ELDH (SE/DE) / PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE (NO) / ROBERT LIPPOK (DE) / STEFFI NARR (DE)+OLIVER STEIDLE (DE)+ SAOU TV (JP/DE) / SVEN-ÅKE JOHANSSON (SE/DE) / YEXXEN: SOFÍA SALVO (AR/DE) +CLAIRE NICO (CA/DE)+GUIDO KOHN (AR/DE)+BOBBY GLEW (UK/DE) & MUCH MORE.
