Berlin Atonal

Overview

Originally staged at SO36 in Kreuzberg by Dimitri Hegemann, the early years of Atonal fostered revolutionary and innovative musical acts such as Psychic TV, Einstürzende Neubauten, Test Dept, 808 State, Die Haut among many others. Throughout the 1980s Berlin Atonal was at the vanguard of the progressive electronic and experimental music and art scenes in Berlin. The festival closed in 1990 with the fall of the Berlin wall as Hegemann went on to open the legendary techno club Tresor.

In 2013, Berlin Atonal was relaunched at a new location - a massive abandoned powerplant in Berlin-Mitte - under the direction of Laurens von Oswald, Harry Glass and Paulo Reachi. Since this date the festival activates the powerplant for a week each year, featuring site-specific performances and installations, world premiere commissions and collaborations, screenings and workshops. Among the artists who have produced new work for the festival, or contributed with a specially devised project are; Cabaret Voltaire, Outside the Dream Syndicate with Tony Conrad, Jon Hassell, Glenn Branca, Peter Zinovieff, Death in Vegas, Moritz von Oswald, Ensemble Modern with Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, Murcof, Monoton, Alessandro Cortini, Mika Vainio, Drew McDowall, Porter Ricks, Shackleton, David Borden, Roly Porter,John Elliot, Cut Hands, Bruce Connor, Clock DVA, Biosphere, Donato Dozzy, Ike Yard, Tim Hecker, Pierre Bastien, In Aeternum Vale, Lustmord, Ben Frost and many others.