This summer, the Kiezsalon takes its first trip to Potsdam, setting up at DAS MINSK every Thursday evening in June. For our opening we feature Romanian synth pop outfit K not K (formally known as Karpov not Kasparov) and renowned German composer Sven Helbig.
Sven Helbig composes music for choir, orchestra and chamber ensembles. The multi-instrumentalist mixes classical composition techniques with experimental electronics. His work is characterised by the combination of tradition and modernity, whereby he is always looking for new paths in music. Sven grew up in Eisenhüttenstadt, a planned town in East Germany. There he discovered music between brass bands, his parents records and the few radio stations he could receive with his home-made radios. His early passion for electronics remained an element of his later music.
Since 2017, Sven Helbig has hosted his weekly music special Schöne Töne on radioeins in Berlin, in which he shares his extensive knowledge of music history and presents new music. Sven Helbig was honoured with the Dresden Art Prize and is a Maestro of the National University of San Marin in Buenos Aires.
Chess is math and like chess, K not K’s (formally known as Karpov not Kasparov) sound is a mathematical fusion of electronic music, an early 80s sound and some jazzy-oriental flavours. Their live performance was praised by Rolling Stone as “the best kind of playful electronic you’ll hear.”
Their record ‘The Vocal Edits’ was declared Best Romanian Electronic Release of 2016 by Scena9.ro and stamped “probably the best Romanian electronic album in the last 30 years” by the journalists of musical blog Muzici&Faze. ‘Memory EP’, from 2021, was featured on BBC 6. We look forward to welcoming them to the Kiezsalon stage once again, after their lively show in 2019.
Bask in the evening sunlight with us this June on Potsdam’s scenic rooftop terrace with international DJs and curated fine wines. DAS MINSK is easy to reach from Berlin’s city centre in under 30 minutes by public transport.
