DRILL : BERLIN is the latest incarnation of Wire’s very own small festival series, the first to be held in a non-English speaking country. The concept is as simple as it is colourful: in addition to the post-punk legends themselves, the specially-curated lineup consists of well-known Berlin bands, in order to reflect the multi-faceted nature of the city’s local music scene. Unique, yet shaped by artistic affinities, the focus is on the divergence of influences and of artistic generations – in Berlin, this is particularly reflected in Colin Newman’s love for German electronic music, whose kraut-ish roots can be traced back to the seventies with bands such as Can and Neu! – and which, since the late nineties, sees a non-decaying, completely sovereign Renaissance with Berlin its center.
In addition to the dubby, analog rhythms of Automat and Cummi Flu/Raz Ohara’s organic-psychedelic downbeat electronics on the main stage, Roter Salon opens its doors for Camera’s repetitive guerrilla beats and spherical sound surfaces, and last – but certainly not least – Tarwater, the carefully-crafted music of Bernd Jestram and Ronald Lippok.
Forty years following their first concert on April 1st 1977 at the Roxy Club, Wire present not only a new festival, but their latest offering – their fifteenth album Silver/Lead. Presenting itself as a contemporary hybrid between psychedelic and post-punk, the album resorts not to nostalgia but to something radically relevant. While Robert Gray’s drums encircle the production with percussive minimalism, Colin Newman and Matt Simm’s guitars add a versatile, melancholic – yet, in moments, sometimes optimistic – grounding between guitar pop and dreamy rock anthems, providing the engine for Graham Lewis’ carefully-worded lyrics. Having inspired generations of bands in the alt-rock lexicon – Blur, Sonic Youth, R.E.M, Savages – Wire will seek to provide an evening of inspiration, thrill and ambition.
Hören: DRILL : BERLIN. Wire, Cummi Flu/Raz Ohara, Automat, Camera, Tarwater
DJs at Sternfoyer: Ronald Lippok & Bernd Jestram
Sunday, 07.05.17
Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz | Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz | 10119
http://drillfestival.com/ | Event @ Facebook
