With its debut in May 2014, XJAZZ Festival has become Berlin’s biggest Jazz festival straight away – with 48 bands and almost 10.000 visitors. XJAZZ incorporates existing structure and venues and brings together musicians who develop joint performances and play together.
With its international reputation, Berlin is made for confident programming which is why XJAZZ puts a particular focus on the Berlin music scene. 75% of the line-up consists of local artists which is unique. The contemporary understanding of jazz music includes electronic improvised music as well as new classic music and singer/songwriter. We will introduce you to a few acts, for the whole lineup and a detailed timetable, visit the website: xjazz.net
http://https://youtu.be/XvDBXO3fCr8
AH! KOSMOS is the moniker of Istanbul-based producer and instrumentalist Başak Günak. Her last album is called “Bastards” and was released on Bochum based experimental label Denovali last april. Albeit Bastards are not orphans, they are freed from models or possessions and reckon no top or bottom, no right or wrong. In these interstices, a band of un-mastered sounds and voices are composing a brotherhood of a new kind.
Spaced-out layers of beats and blissed-out sounds and textures create a sense of slow, echoic wonder that eventually builds to a multi-rhythmic universe of its own. Başak Günak has also composed and created sound design for contemporary dance and plays, short-flms and site-specifc performances / installations in several art spaces.
http://https://youtu.be/iipABG_AGHM
Alien Ensemble is comprised of bandleader and Notwist founder Micha Acher (Trumpet; Indian Harmonium), who is joined by Notwist’s Karl-Ivar Refseth (Vibraphone) and Andi Haberl (Drums), as well as Mathias Götz (Trombone; Harmonium), Stefan Schreiber (Bass Clarinet; Saxophone) Oliver Roth (Alto flute) and Benni Schäfer (Bass) ,all of them long-time friends and frequent collaborators of Acher’s over the years.
Unsurprisingly, the chemistry of this group and how they interact is quite unique: Alien Ensemble is a group of friends with a common goal – they want to explore sonic territory, break new ground, and ultimately create their own musical language. It’s an all-acoustic line-up, devoid of electronic enhancements. And even though all members have a background in jazz, this is no classic “jazz music” either – there’s simply no need to show off technical skills…
http://https://youtu.be/jP53JQuRQwo
In 2012, musicians and friends Casper Clausen (DK), Greg Haines (UK), Francesco Donadello (IT), Martyn Heyne (DE), and Peter Broderick (US) founded THE GROUP in Berlin, Germany. They realised, while each being full-time musicians making records and touring extensively, that they never actually created or played music together.
Since then, the intention of bringing together musicians, and now artists from other fields, has developed into an ever-evolving formation of diverse people, many of them renowned for their own projects, entering and exiting The Group. THE GROUP is currently based around and curated by Casper Clausen (Efterklang, Liima), Greg Haines, and Francesco Donadello (record producer & engineer Modeselektor, Mouse on Mars, Efterklang etc)
Presented by Digital in Berlin. Check out our Facebook page to win tickets.
XJazz Festival 2016
Thursday, 05.05. – Sunday, 08.05.2016
Various locations | Berlin
