Pop Kultur, Author at Pop Kultur Archive 2019

Pop-Kultur Live: Further acts / start of application phase »Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs«

Dear Friends of Pop-Kultur,

The second half of our live programme is complete! Among the recent additions are Die Türen and Karen Gwyer. The former will present new music for the first time in years with the project »Exoterik«; the latter will perform electronic music of an unheard kind (we’re staying vague here on purpose) in the vaulted cellar of the Kulturbrauerei, which has until now never been accessible to the public. Neneh Cherry‘s last performance in Berlin was in 2015 at the Halle am Berghain as part of Pop-Kultur. This summer, in the festival’s fourth year, she will grace us with a performance of her new album in the Kesselhaus of the Kulturbrauerei, and this makes us very happy.

Our programme includes 15+ in-house productions, called »Pop-Kultur Commissioned Works«. The musical works will be developed by 21 Downbeat / Automat / Die Türen / Ein Hit ist ein Hit / Henrik Schwarz & Alma Quartet / Hope & Moritz Majce / Karen Gwyer / Kat Frankie / Pan Daijing / Staatsakt / Sophia Kennedy.

Further works dealing more with spoken word, moving image, and fine art will be announced on June 19th.

40+ concerts will be given by the artists and bands Ace Tee & Kwam.e / Agar Agar / Anna von Hausswolff / Ava Bonam / Boy Harsher / Carmen Villain / Chelsea Wolfe / Dan Michaelson / Die Mausis / Die Nerven / Drangsal / Ebow / Flohio / Gaddafi Gals / Ghostpoet / Gwenno / Haiyti / International Music / Islamiq Grrrls & oOoOO / John Maus / Kedr Livanskiy / Laura Perrudin / Lisa Morgenstern / Malik Djoudi / Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force / MIAHUSH / Ms Banks / Munsha / Myrkur / Nadine Shah / Neneh Cherry / Nilüfer Yanya / Noga Erez / OY / Pranke / RÁN / Richard Dawson & Band / Shopping / Shortparis / Stockelborn / Swutscher / The White Screen / Valerie Renay / Vivien Goldman / Voyou / YGG.

Detailed information on all of our announced programme elements can be found on our website as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

Any readers of our newsletter looking for an entry point into the music industry or interested in receiving useful tips about their music career from established colleagues should apply for our workshop programme »Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs« before June 12th. How about a feminist rap workshop with Lady Bitch Ray? Or an intensive discussion with the producer Henrik Schwarz, whom we’ve commissioned to write an elaborate piece for the festival? Want to pick the brain of Tocotronic and Beatsteaks producer Moses Schneider? The workshops, talks, and lectures will provide inspiration, clarify urgent questions, and encourage participants to continue making their way in the music business. This year’s live programme includes three »Nachwuchs« alumni: Ava Bonam, Hope and MIAHUSH.

Click here to buy our festival pass for the price of 60€ plus fees.

Warm regards,

Pop-Kultur

Photos: Richard Dawson, Neneh Cherry by Kim Hiorthoy, Ms Banks, Karen Gwyer by Jackie Dewe Mathews

»Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs« 2018: Applications open now!

»Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs« 2018: Applications open on 25 April

Are you a young musician, producer, or DJ? Do you work in music management or booking, or run your own label? Are you looking to establish yourself as a video director, PR manager, or journalist?
If you already have some initial experience in these fields, apply now to »Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs«, a workshop programme run by the festival »Pop-Kultur« (15.-17.8.2018, Kulturbrauerei), which will take place for the fourth year in a row in Berlin — we have 250 spots available!

The workshops, talks, and lectures, which are given in either German or English by musicians and professionals from the national and international music industry, will be held on August 15th and 16th, 2018 in the Kulturbrauerei, followed by a new networking format on August 17th. The participants, who come to us from all over the world and are selected by a jury of experts, can choose between over 40 different courses.

How about a feminist rap workshop with Lady Bitch Ray? Or an intensive discussion with the producer Henrik Schwarz, who has been commissioned to write an elaborate piece for our parallel festival? Fascinated by New York underground legend Lydia Lunch? She’ll be giving a course about spoken word, the results of which will be presented on Friday in the festival’s main live programme! Want to pick the brain of Moses Schneider, the producer for Tocotronic and Beatsteaks? Or are you curious how iMusician can help you get your own music onto Spotify?

The workshops, talks, and lectures will provide inspiration, clarify urgent questions, and encourage you to continue making your way in the music business. Selected participants will also be able to present their music as part of the main evening programme on the »Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs« stage.

Participation in the »Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs« programme costs 40 Euros including drinks, lunch, and access to Pop-Kultur’s networking area for professionals.

The application phase begins on April 25th
at www.pop-kultur.berlin/2019/nachwuchs
and ends on June 12th, 2018.

We look forward to receiving your applications!
Contact:
Stella Roeber, Manager »Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs«
nachwuchs@pop-kultur.berlin

Pop-Kultur 2018: The first 27 artists and bands

Hello, dear friends of Pop-Kultur!

It’s time to announce the first 27 artists and bands! Anyone who’s been following our ›Countdown‹ on Instagram and Facebook over the last several weeks already knows that Sophia Kennedy, John Maus, Haiyti, Henrik Schwarz & Alma Quartet, Drangsal, Noga Erez, and Kat Frankie will be performing at our festival between 15 and 17 August 2018 at the Kulturbrauerei. Both you and we liked the Kulturbrauerei so much last year that we’ve decided to stay — after one-off affairs with Berghain (2015) and Neukölln (2016), we’ll be in Prenzlauer Berg for the second time in a row.

Kennedy, Schwarz, and Frankie are currently all chipping away at their respective ›Commissioned Works‹ (CW) for the festival. More than 15 pieces will be available to hear and see for the first time ever. And the other musicians announced above will present their latest, au-courante programmes for the stage.

And now for the 20 artists, bands, and projects that have been kept secret: Agar Agar, Anna von Hausswolff, Ava Bonam, Boy Harsher, Chastity Belt, Chelsea Wolfe, Ebow, »Ein Hit ist ein Hit«, Flohio, Ghostpoet, Hope & Moritz Majce (CW), International Music, Islamiq Grrrls & oOoOO, Kedr Livanskiy, Lisa Morgenstern, Myrkur, Nadine Shah, Pan Daijing (CW), »Rausch Royal« mit 21 Downbeat (CW), and Vivien Goldman. You can find detailed information about each act on our website and — yes, exactly – on Facebook and Instagram.

On our Facebook and Instagram pages you’ll also find interviews and entertaining articles about the acts. In addition to that, 1. every Wednesday, we’ll post a specially-composed fanfare by one of our performing acts; 2. every Thursday, we’ll digitally continue last year’s exhibition »Keller« by the Berlin-based concert photographer Roland Owsnitzki; and 3. every Friday we’ll introduce comic strips by Rattelschneck and Hauck & Bauer, ›Commissioned Works Online‹!

And now we’ll pass the mic over to our boss, Katja Lucker, Managing Director of Musicboard Berlin and organiser of Pop-Kultur: »We’re especially looking forward to our collaboration with RambaZamba Theatre, which will make its majestic stage available for the commissioned works by Sophia Kennedy, Pan Daijing, and Hope. Our programme will also feature a special RambaZamba-Pop-Kultur co-production in the form of the piece ›Rausch Royal‹, which the theatre will develop together with its house band, 21 Downbeat!«

And what do our Pop-Kultur curators have to say? »From sombre folk to sparkly pop, we’re representing all of the styles that, for us, sum up the status of pop in the year 2018«, according to Christian Morin. »We’ve tried to assemble as diverse a programme as possible – we want to be inclusive rather than exclusive«, says Martin Hossbach.

We’ll announce the second half of our ›Live‹ programme on 2 May, and details about our talks, panels, and film screenings will follow on 19 June.

We’ve already introduced »Pop-Kultur lokal«, our festival’s newest building block, elsewhere, but we’ll remind you here of the first associated event, which will feature East-African music. »Feast From The East « by DJ Mixanthrope will take place on 26 April in the Kreuzberg club Monarch.

If any of our newsletter readers are looking for an entry into the music industry or would appreciate tips about their music careers from renowned colleagues, please pencil 25 April into your calendars! That’s the start of the application phase for our workshop programme »Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs 2018«. For some impressions from last year’s programme, click here.

So. That’s it for now. Except – ah yes, tickets! Passes! Our festival passes can be bought here for the price of €60 plus fees. Depending on availability, we’ll also offer day passes starting on 2 May.

Warmest Greetings!

Pop-Kultur

Photos: John Maus by Shaun Brackbill, Ebow by Magdalena Fischer, Haiyti by Tim Brüning, Ghostpoet by Steve Gullick

Pop-Kultur lokal: Call for Concepts

Dear friends,

dear organiser,

This year, »Pop-Kultur« will feature a brand-new element, »Pop-Kultur lokal«. »Pop-Kultur lokal« is a funded music event series held monthly from mid-April to mid-July, each time in a different location, and hosted by four different local event organisers and venues. It will focus on live performances, although combinations with DJ sets or talks are also possible. The selection of funded events will be made by a five-member jury (Kathrin Müller, Pop-Kultur, Alexandra Bondi de Antoni, i-D Magazine, Mary Ocher, musician, Dominique Schweizer, cultural manager, Anton Teichmann, Off-Kultur), in cooperation with the curators of »Pop-Kultur«. Information about »Pop-Kultur lokal« will be included in official festival communications and supported by the festival both promotionally and financially.

A festival like »Pop-Kultur« would not be possible without the local cultural agents who organise events every day – and our new »lokal« programme has been developed in collaboration with Dominique Schweizer and »Off-Kultur« in order to acknowledge and recognise this fact. With this project, we’d also like to prioritise the local promotion of young talent as well as the production of a diverse range of live concerts and additional musical activities not yet represented within »Pop-Kultur«. Participating artists must reside in Berlin.

We hereby announce an open call for all interested organisers to submit a one-page application containing a short programme description, date suggestions, and a simple financial plan by 10 a.m. on 7 March 2018, as a PDF via e-mail. The grant for concept, artists, and realisation is €2,000 per event. The events themselves should be free and unticketed.

As far as content goes: female artists must comprise at least 50% of the proposed programmes. Applicants are requested to make the event barrier-free. Efforts should likewise be made to integrate people with disabilities into the line-up, and preference will also be given to applications that explicitly address diversity and in particular take steps to strengthen the LGBT and POC communities.

The events should be scheduled to take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. Preference will be given to venues and organisers who have not previously been supported by the Musicboard.

Applications should be sent as a PDF to info@pop-kultur.berlin (please specify whether you are applying as a private organiser or as a GbR, club, GmbH, etc).

Pop-Kultur 2018: Tickets!

Dear Friends of Pop-Kultur,

Pop-Kultur wlll take place for the fourth time from August 15th-17th, 2018. Because our guests and everyone else involved loved the Kulturbrauerei so much last year, we’re excited to announce that we’ll be able to call it home once again this coming summer during the festival.

As a first-time special, we are offering heavily discounted tickets, called »Pop-Kultur Advantage«, to those willing to buy before we announce who will be performing, singing, dancing, presenting, and discussing with us this summer. We reward your confidence in our programme with an unbeatable low price. The festival ticket »Pop-Kultur Advantage«, which is valid for every event on all three days, is available in our ticket shop from 7.2. until 9.4. for the meager price of 40€ plus fees.

Pop-Kultur 2017 is over: A Thank You

Thank you! Thank you for visiting Pop-Kultur 2017 and for making the Kulturbrauerei even livelier than it already is. Thanks for jumping up and down at Little Simz, for starting a mosh pit at IDLES, and for making music together with Erobique. Thanks to ABRA for her hypnotic dance with a specially designed avatar, to Arab Strap for the power of nostalgia, to Evvol for a truly unique commissioned work, and to Lady Leshurr for delivering the amount of female power that is needed these days. Thanks to the Berlin label institutions Shit Katapult, Karaoke Kalk, and Monika Enterprise, which despite celebrating their cumulative 60th birthday party SKM60 at Pop-Kultur have stayed fresh and young. We’d likewise like to thank all the artists in the programme for the music, the exchange, and the open hearts and ears.

Thank you for the exciting conversations about gender quotas, vocoders, religion, depression, krautrock, and even about the importance and unimportance of our festival itself. It was a compelling struggle for new perspectives and ideas. Thank you to all of the collectives that agreed to show their work in the context of Pop-Kultur: ausland, We Make Waves, Berlin Community Radio, and Antje Øklesund.

‘The event remains one of the most carefully curated in Germany.’

(Süddeutsche Zeitung)

Thank you to the State Minister of Culture Prof. Monika Grütters and to the Mayor and Senator for Culture and Europe Dr. Klaus Lederer for finding clear words in light of the recent boycott attacks against »Pop-Kultur«. We also thank everyone once again who has engaged in dialogue and continues to believe in the unifying power of art, creativity, and culture beyond all borders. That was never as important as it is today, and we will continue to emphasize its importance in the future. In the arena of gender equality, the slightly better but still-unacceptable results of the new FACTS survey by female:pressure confirms that there is still much work to be done.

Last but not least, we’d like to say a very special thanks to the 250 participants of our »Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs« programme, all of whom have made us excited about the future with their unbridled spirit of discovery.

Pop-Kultur Nachwuchs Workshop mit Circuit Des Yeux (Photo: Annett Bonkowski)

Pop-Kultur will return in 2018, once again different and surprising but with the same aspirations, values, and hopefully once again with you. Stay in touch via social media and newsletter, and don’t forget to celebrate pop for the other 362 days of the year, too. We’ll be doing that, in any case.

See you soon,
Your Pop-Kultur Team

Additional photos can be found in our press area.

Statement: BDS Campaign against Pop-Kultur

17.08.17

The international BDS (»Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions«) Movement has identified Pop-Kultur as one of the targets of its global campaign. The goal of the movement is wide-reaching boycott against collaboration with Israeli artists and intellectuals as well as boycott against any artistic performances in Israel.

We have Israeli artists in our festival programme, just as we have artists from Tunesia, Syria, Russia, Poland, the UK, and other countries. The culture department of the Israeli Embassy in Germany contributed a 500 (five hundred) Euro grant towards travel costs for artists. For this reason, the embassy is listed on our website, as are the rest of our cultural partners.

The BDS campaign has put an enormous amount of pressure on all the Arabic artists in our line-up. At this point, four artists from Arabic countries have cancelled: Abu Hajar, Emel Mathlouthi, Islam Chipsy & EEK und Hello Psychaleppo. Artists from Germany, other countries in Europe, and the USA have also reported that they have received emails, Facebook comments, or Twitter messages from BDS activists. We therefore assume that all artists or their agents have been or will be contacted. The BDS Movement claims that Pop-Kultur has been »co-organised« or «co-financed« by the Israeli state, which is not true.

We believe that the only way to deal with conflict in this world is through critical discourse and dialogue. As artists and cultural workers, we in particular have the responsibility for building relationships and networks across borders, even if we disagree on certain points.

UPDATE 17 – 20.08.17
Annie Goh and Iklan featuring Law Holt have cancelled their performances at Pop-Kultur 2017.

UPDATE 23.08.17
In the meantime two more bands have cancelled their performance at Pop-Kultur: Oranssi Pazuzu and Young Fathers.

A list of the cancelled artists can be found right here.

Information about artist cancellations

14.08.17

The artists Abu Hajar, Emel Mathlouthi, Islam Chipsy & EEK, and Hello Psychaleppo have cancelled their performances at Pop-Kultur 2017 due to the partnership of the Israeli Embassy with the festival. The Israeli Embassy partly contributes to the travel expenses for artists performing at the festival.

Pop-Kultur offers a platform for artists from different territories across the world, regardless of religion or culture, encouraging exchange beyond all borders. Partners and sponsors of Pop-Kultur do not have any influence on the programming of the festival. Therefore we regret the cancellations of the artists above.

An extended statement about the issue is available right here.

UPDATE 23.08.17
The following artists won’t be part of the festival: Abu Hajar, Annie Goh, Emel Mathlouthi, Hello Psychaleppo, Iklan featuring Law Holt, Islam Chipsy & EEK, Oranssi Pazuzu and Young Fathers.

The complete programme of Pop-Kultur 2017 can be found right here.

We have to talk: Pop-Kultur 2017 presents diverse talk-, film-, and exhibition programmes

Dear Pop-Kultur audience,

Once again, Pop-Kultur looks forward to an extensive programme outside of our live concerts and new Commissioned Works. It’s about time that we introduce our talk programme and everything beyond that. The big themes are pop, culture, art, creative spaces, role models, future, and past.

The opening talk on August 23rd features Berlin’s cultural senator Dr. Klaus Lederer, Anke Fesel, and Christian Reckmann of the festival »Zurück zu den Wurzeln«. It will focus on the importance of the city’s creative free spaces. Aside from that, we’ll speak with Yeşim Duman, Hengameh Yaghobifarah (Missy Magazine), and shooting star Ilgen-Nur about the ever-current topic of gender, though from a special perspective. Diana McCarty, co-founder of the international art radio station reboot.fm and Mo Loschelder and Bettina Wackernagel of the festival »Heroines of Sound« are all too aware of the persistence of a »Gender Gap«, and they call for an urgent appraisal of this situation. Other topics in the talk programme address the relationship between religion and pop music, the pop-cultural significance of the vocoder, and, in a collaboration with Off-Kultur, the essential question: »Pop-Kultur – Is This Even Necessary, Anyway?«

Dr. Klaus Lederer, Ilgen-Nur, Sky Deep, Max Dax

More than any previous edition, Pop-Kultur 2017 is united through recurring themes that facilitate interdisciplinary exchange and new perspectives. A special installation will resurrect the Berlin club Antje Øklesund, which was sadly demolished in 2016. Pop-Kultur 2017 will also join forces with female:pressure to present the results of their now-third FACTS survey for the first time, and then together with journalist Christine Kakaire, researcher Annie Goh, producer & label owner Sky Deep, and curator Marlene Engel will discuss the steps that need to be taken next.

Fans of qualitative pop documentation will get a glimpse into the world of the Sleaford Mods (in the film »Bunch Of Kunst«), the comeback of THE THE (in »The Inertia Variations«), and the colourful world of the female electronic music scene in Berlin (in »Raw Chicks.Berlin«). All film screenings will be followed by a discussion.

Sonic Youth (Kim Gordon) im Kino Sputnik, Wedding, 17.04.85 als Teil der Ausstellung »Keller – 80 Fotos aus den 80er Jahren« von Roland Owsnitzki

We’d also recommend taking a close look at our exhibition programme, which will be presented on the grounds of the Kulturbrauerei. The photographer Roland Owsnitzki introduces his exhibition »Keller – 80 Photos from the 80s«, which gives a comprehensive glimpse into the concert culture of West Berlin before the fall of the Wall – crazy hairstyles and outfits included. In addition, an exhibition curated by Tim Tetzner about Hype Stickers awaits you in the gallery of the cinema. Right, exactly: those are the ones stuck on your record sleeves and CD cases – the things you were never quite sure if you should take off.

And there you have it. As you can see, plenty of variety awaits you. The complete Pop-Kultur 2017 programme can be found here . And you can buy festival passes as well as day tickets for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday right here.

Foto-Credits /// Klaus Lederer (SenKultEuropa), Ilgen-Nur (Pressefoto), Sky Deep (Alexa Vachon), Max Dax (Luci Lux)

Want a Little More? Pop-Kultur 2017 Announces New Programme Elements

Dear Friends of Pop-Kultur,

It’s about time to pick up the pace. That’s why now we’re giving you even more reasons to say ‘I like‘ to Pop-Kultur 2017.

1. More Programme

We’d like to welcome the following new acts to the roster:

Alex Cameron / ANDRRA / ANNA VR / AUF / David Laurie & Simon Price / Decadent Fun Club / Gaika / Happy Meals / Hello Psychaleppo / How To Dress Well / IDLES / JACASZEK / Jakuzi / Jens Balzer / Jessica Pratt / Ilkan featuring Law Holt / Lenki Balboa / LeVent / Liars / Little Simz / Lucidvox / Manuela / Michelle Blades / Miss Natasha Enquist / Oligarkh / Oranssi Pazuzu / Piano Wire / Rouge Gorge / Shirley Collins & Ian Keary / SKM 60 (incl Barabara Morgenstern, Gudrun Gut, T.Raumschmiere and more) / Smerz / Soft Grid / Throwing Shade / Tobias Bamborschke

They join a programme of over a dozen already-confirmed concerts, DJ sets, talks, and other events. A complete overview is available here.

New on board: T.Raumschmiere, Smerz, Little Simz, Liars

2. More Tickets

No more confusion à la “when exactly does Arab Strap play?” – starting now, our lineup is sorted by day and there are separate passes available for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. And for those who’d like to experience more of the entire programme, we’d recommend the full festival pass. It’s all available for purchase here.

3. Mehr »Commissioned Works«

You’ve already heard quite a lot about our commissioned works, but now there’s even more info regarding these in-house productions. Balbina envelops things in white, rapper Abu Hajar and Jemek Jemowit aka Ausländerbehörde connect Arabic hip hop with European techno, Jens Balzer and Tom Krell of How To Dress Well deliver a lecture-performance, and Circuit des Yeux builds a ‘Big Black Box’ in the courtyard of the Kulturbrauerei. We guarantee an extraordinary programme. Find out more about the »Pop-Kultur Commissioned Works« here.

4. Mehr Linien

For us, it’s not just about the performances themselves but also about everything else that can happen in connection. Various cross-programme thematic lines play more central of a role this year than ever before. Henryk Gericke addresses the topic of Ost punk in several events unified under the heading “Too Much Future.” Messer frontman and author Hendrik Otremba leads visitors into “Typewriter-Klangwelten” [“Typewriter-Worlds of Sound”] and looks for intersections between text, music, and speech together with distinguished collaborators like Andreas Spechtl of Ja, Panik! and Annika Henderson. What’s more, we are dedicating an entire evening to the “Secret Queen of England,” as Shirley Collins is often called. She will join us for a talk and an exclusive acoustic performance at Pop-Kultur. And those are just a few of the events outside of our concert programme. With the project SKM 60, which takes place over three evenings, the festival celebrates the birthdays of the Berlin labels Shitkatapult, Karaoke Kalk, Monika Enterprise, which each turn 20 and together turn 60. For the entire overview, click here.

Legendary Shirley Collins is just once of many new highlights

5. Mehr für die Talente

Attention all you young people crazy about creativity! You too will be a part of Pop-Kultur 2017. The application phase for our Nachwuchs programme has begun, and we’re already excited to welcome about 250 talents from across the globe. Yes, that’s right! This applies to songwriters, producers, booking agents, event organisers, or journalists – everyone who loves art is welcome and can apply here until June 14th.

And? Have we convinced you? Then quick! Grab a ticket of your choice, and spread the word to family and friends – the more the merrier. After all, Pop-Kultur is for anyone and everyone!

See you there! Yeah? Yeah!!!!