seven

maschinenfest '02 was my first maschinenfest experience after missing out on the previous festivals for the past three years.

I am very fortunate to have gathered up some funds and time to finally witness one of the best festival situations that brought together so many musicians that I have admired over the past years. I finally met many of the labels, organizers, and friends that I've known only via the net. I was extremely impressed by the diversified line-up of performers that was chosen and presented over a three day period at this year's event in aachen, germany. I can easily say after witnessing so many concerts in the past years in the states, that this event in general presented many of the musicians in the best possible lighting and sound situations they could ever have obtained. maschinenfest held some of the best professional situations i have ever encountered for these directions of music and approached it with full dedication to the fans, ensuring that they all got something from the event. for me personally, this was an opportunity of a lifetime to witness so many of my favorite musicians in a stellar stage environment for once, an opportunity to meet and talk to so many musicians and label managers that i have supported and known throughout the years, a chance to purchase all those rare and brand new goodies from the many great labels that helped make this event actually happen, and last it was a motivation for me to finally make a trip to germany for the first time in my life.

: day 0 :

as many already know, day 0 was a small pre-party gathering of many locals, djs, organizers, artists, and fans alike that got a chance to hang out, meet, enjoy music and prepare for what awesome things where about to happen within the next three days of festivities in the bunker. I was very impressed by the set lists that consisted of all familiar rhythmic noise, dark ambient, and other new experimental forms of electronic music provided by the djs (such as p.a.l, for one). i enjoyed meeting a few musicians and organizers from the states, as well as chatting with a few artists and labels managers for the very first time. this night was almost a dream night as to what i would love to have as a regular club night. the evening contained all the elements that i have so eagerly wanted in a club: an excellent sound system, enthusiastic crowd, excellent new and older material from such great labels as ant-zen, hymen, hands, spectre, pflichtkauf, ad noiseam just to mention a few. although there was only a fraction (approximately 100 people) of the overall maschinenfest audience at this free club night, it was a nice ice-breaker for what was to come within the next three days.

: day 1 :

day 1 consisted for me of the following: overwhelming number of familiar faces of friends and artists, spending almost all the money i had brought with me on various music-related items, witnessing some of the very best performers of the entire weekend, and sweating it out until almost 6am in the morning, leaving with complete contentment for what i experienced.

after making three trips to the ibis, each time with a (hymen) bag full of merchandise, i finally managed to witness the last four tracks of sonic dragolgo's set. still retaining somewhat of a mixed feeling about his work, i have to say that it was a lot more fun to actually witness this energetic man from japan on stage, as he was dancing around in a goofy manner and crowd-surfing alongside his maniacal and quirky rhythmic noise. it's tough to say whether he should have been up on stage, actually tweaking and creating music - i have to say that the approach to presenting his music was quite appropriate, and it was definitely suited for a nice bottle opener or knee-bender for what intensities would follow.

synth-etik was the second act (and the only one from the US), performing for the first time at maschinenfest. after seeing him at this year's festivity in providence, i have to say that he has improved vastly in past few months. he presented the audience with an entirely new set of unreleased material that made his providence show look like a sound-check. although his material was not the most innovative that evening, it provided plenty of dancefloor opportunities, presenting a good example of catchy rhythmic noise. it was quite nice to notice a 12" by his side-project ativ on the hands merchandise table.

being pleased with at least half of s.i.n.a.'s directions taken over the past years on hands, it was quite nice to finally witness this aggressive little woman on stage, as she presented her audience with a set of heavy ebm-ish rhythmic noise from both new release back in stereo and the previous snapshot. she performing new mixes of such tracks as "how long" as well as newest "die your life." this is when i started to witness how extreme some fans were, when one of them jumped on stage towards the end of the set, screaming unmercifully into the mic, as harsh head-bashing rhythmics hit the crowd of at least 400+ spectators. it is also when i started to notice how incredibly hot the venue could get, with all the people confined into non-air conditioned environment; two large fans on stage and two fans outside of the performance area were my the only means for a safe recovery from the relentless temperatures that built inside the concrete walls of the bunker during the night.

next came the very alluring, and surreal dark eminence known as squaremeter. composed of two very fascinating stage presences (one being mathis mootz, aka panacea, and the other unknown), these performers provided the audience with one the most impressive sets that evening, next to klangstabil. i have to say that i have never witnessed such immense bass dynamics before. it was so dense, that it literally vibrated my drink (as well as everyone's bodies), as i walked from closer to the stage. it made me think again how it could have been used as a crowd control device. m2 performed brand new material, as well as mixes, plus a track or two of the latest release the bitter end. one could see both performers actually working with their gear, it was such a captivating experience, especially so when mathis used a chaos pad, sensitive theremin-like device, to control some stellar noise drones and frequencies. next to vromb's & klangstabil's sets, this was definitely one of the most dynamic live performances in general. this was an obvious uniform opinion, confirming that just about everyone in the bunker was blown away by this rich and full sound during. i can't wait to see these guys again, hopefully a US tour?

klangstabil featuring s.alt followed with an absolutely overwhelming audio and visual performance that proved to be simply one the best highlights of the whole weekend. this was the second time this year i have got to witness the intensity of maurizio & boris on stage. their work is always so fiercely emotional, beyond any descriptions, something that must be witnessed live. for this first time performance with s.alt, klangstabil created a very ambivalent mixture of deep heartfelt, almost disturbing, melodic textures that were slowly engaged with quantum rhythmic textures and drone sensibilities. using an array of sampler devices in link with two very large glowing tube sound mechanisms, their performance displayed how electronic music, performance, and art could be combined, revealing future possibilities. captivating and volatile spontaneity of boris with maurizio's and s.alt's complete sense of focus, concentration, and force was definitely something to witness. these performances is what makes any trip overseas worth the while. klangstabil's track on maschinenfest '02 compilation is merely a glimpse at their live set.

next came the band that i have wanted to see for the past few years, the band that I have admired to the utmost degree for their relentless drive that consistently pushes the envelope of dark electronic music - somatic responses. the healy brothers, shrouded in an array of scattered green and blue lights, performed a number of stellar tracks - both unreleased and those off the past three hymen releases. working with erratic assaults, lurking, evasive string melodies, and overwhelming rhythmic breaks, somatic responses were definitely one of the most innovative acts of the entire weekend. i was glad to finally witness on stage these very easy going (yet very serious on stage) chaps from wales, as well as meeting up with them after so much talk via the internet. they certainly deserve to be a part of maschinenfest every year, always approaching their live set with creativity and innovation, escaping any monotony that some other bands seem to fall into after first twenty minutes on stage.

next was patrick stevens of hypnoskull with very heavy and concentrated mix of older and newer rhythmic tracks that made many fans swelter for almost an hour. although i am not a huge listener of hypnoskull in general, i do like the powerful nature of his live sets, this being my second time i have witnessed him (first was in washington dc two years ago with noisex). if you are going to listen to hypnoskull, see him live, this is where he is at his best. a nice highlight towards the end of the set was meike and panacea's appearance. they have performed classics like "no exit," as well as newest tracks such as "operation tough guy." i think this is when my hearing started to go, right during meike's hostile screams.

the evening did not end quietly at all, as winterkälte entered the stage. being one of my personal favorites when it comes to rhythmic noise, they got me to sweat for an hour of unmercifully layered and immensely entangled rhythms. this is when i decided to give up taking photos for the evening, due to the unmerciful heat conditions within the venue; my glasses and camera lens were fogging up constantly, with sweat blinding my eyes. i decided to dance to winterkälte, like i so eagerly wanted to at the toronto show, but could not manage due to my focus on taking photos. it was nice to hear new directions in their set, as well as best material off previous releases. unfortunately many have left before and after hypnoskull, and many of those that stayed where already completely worn out; only a small group of us were dancing to winterkalte. i personally did not mind the fact that many acts have played over their time slots, with set-ups taking a little longer than expected, but for most it was impossible to stay at the club until almost 5:30am in the morning.

: day 2 :

next evening i caught only half of config.sys (a pflichtkauf's new signing) performance. what i did see of their set was not anything all that special or fresh in the rhythmic noise genre, but nevertheless i did not mind their very catchy rhythmic grooves. this is definitely a band i will be following in the future, seeing that they've got so much room for improvement and a potential for a distinct sound.

tarmvred went on next with a totally improvised set that was even more impressive, considering that he had lost most of his new tracks out of a stroke of bad luck on his trip over to aachen. he started with some very twisted dark atmospheres, assisted by frederick playing actual theremin (a very nice touch!). the set then transitioned into some slowly evolving remixed compilation pieces ("a light & hectic place" and others). this is the second time i have witnessed jonas & frederick on stage, and i enjoyed this performance just as much (if not more at times) as i did in chicago (awesome sound and lighting at the bunker being the main advantage). tarmvred is another brilliant innovator in the world of dark power electronics, and it was good to see him chosen as one of the performers (hopefully for years to come). his continuous progress is obvious, considering many upcoming collaborations after so much touring this past year.

roger rotor was another artist whose set I partially missed. by the time I arrived, he already managed to stir up his very interested and attentive crowd. being really only familiar with his recent telerotor project, i have to say i was impressed with the effective simplicity of his work. stylistically simple, it is produced and mixed very nicely; the bass loops and catchy 4/4 beats are very enticing for those who like to move on the floor. as for stage presentation, there really wasn't much to speak of, but then, it probably was not that necessary. good material overall, something to look into, but not as a result of his live performance.

i tried to watch placid for the duration of almost two tracks, but could not get over their annoying raw metal guitars and poor vocals. i have never been a huge fan of proyecto mirage as it is, but even then I would rather see placid without the guitarist & male vocals. placid just did not fit not only as a live performer at maschinenfest, but as a part of hands label roster. perhaps all these american junk noise bands that i witnessed throughout the years got me tired. at the same time others i talked to felt the same.

panacea vs. needle sharing. ah yes, this is where things got a little crazy saturday evening. heavy, hard, glossy, and just plain out fun live; one can hardly describe what this duo did to its fans. nicolas and friends of ad noiseam got the crowd pumped up for this one, and i was right in the middle of it. much like i felt about hypnoskull, this is another performance that is best experienced live. if you were looking for some serious gear manipulation on stage, forget about it - these guys are just about pushing you to dance your ass off and have fun. for once i enjoyed breaking away from my camera and grooving to some floor-stomping almost rave-like remixed material from both artists. even tarmvred, meike from tunnel, and patrick from hypnoskull came later into the set to make things even hotter. it was quite nice to see how loud everything could actually get and how much the crowd enjoyed it. at the same time i wish that needle sharing would have performed darker and more aggressive material, like he did on the split with tarmvred & panacea. the same goes for panacea live, i want to hear the timeless stuff off low profile darkness and twisted designz. now that would be an unmerciful set.

next i finally got to see a band i have been wanting to witness for so many years - the legendary klinik. this was a treat for me, even though i have heard many gripes from various people, accusing klinik of being too monotonous and trancy. i have been following evolution of klinik's sound since early 90s, and i can trace this new style back to blanket of fog in 98'. now with the latest release on hands, they have stripped down their sound even further and went straight into very hypnotic tribal goa-trance textures. i actually enjoy the new release and was happy to see that they were chosen to perform. it was yet another artist that organizers picked to break away from people's expectations, creating a nice balance and diversity, providing almost required relaxed pace after the panacea vs. needle sharing performance. it was nice to see live synthetic drum kits played in time and the occasional trombone thrown into the mix. i have the utmost respect for what klinik has contributed to the scene over the years, and their new sound was a good thing waiting to happen that was long overdue.

it's funny, but i was about to leave after klinik, all the walking, dancing, being on my feet for days, and lacking much sleep took its toll. but it was a good thing i endured, because i witnessed another surprisingly incredible old-school act that has come back for a one-time special performance. ars moriendi originally was one of the very first bands to be released on ant-zen so many year ago. now consisting of p. münch, t. kniep, s. pügge, a. schramm, and a. burner, the band presented very dark and disturbing set that many would mention to others the next day, as something that should not have been missed. it was one of the most spontaneous and completely "live" events i had witnessed throughout the weekend. i honestly do not think there was hardly one preset or preprogrammed sequence in their set; everything was very much live and very raw. it was an incredible experience to see how each of the performers could play just about any instrument, whether it was playing guitars, tackling the vocals, or playing rhythmic parts on the large steel cans. it seemed that everyone knew their place and executed the material with precision and exact timing. for me it was also an opportunity to witness a rare direction live, something i have missed out on in the years past. it was almost like witnessing skinny puppy before they got too big. i am very glad i stayed, and I only wish i had brought more film with me.

: day 3 :

unfortunately i missed die neue sachlichkeit that opened day 3. it turned out to be a good thing actually, because i got to witness another p. münch side project called rorschach garden which is on his very own label bazooka-joe bubble gum. he performed all the material he has ever recorded plus a few new tracks of this brilliantly fun old-school electro project that he has kept quite low-profile over the past 14 years. it was great to witness this, since i have been listening to so much dark electro and disco electronica lately. I was so impressed to see all head-nodders move closer to the dj area as he performed soft-sparkling and catchy electro tracks with synapscape partner tim kniep who also did a few additional backing vocals. this was definitely a treat to witness, and i immediately picked up his latest clear yellow 7" at the ant-zen booth (with a few helpful hints from oliver moreau) - great stuff and a nice contrast to all other p. münch's projects.

next was this morn' omina (and again i missed about half of their set and do regret it, since what i heard when i came in was absolutely amazing). it was so much better than what i remember from them many years ago. they have progressed tremendously and moved into some very nice directions which i must seek out now. their music is dark and hypnotic, with distinct ritualistic sensibilities; it builds perfectly, gradually unfolding. hopefully I will see these guys again in the future; they are one of those projects that has been overlooked throughout the years.

xabec followed; I have been anxious to see his performance after hearing so many good things about his live shows in the past (and being a fan of his work in general). he performed two tracks from his upcoming release on hands (the electric mandala) and a mix of various other tracks from his two earlier releases. he used many found-sound devices including rocks, marbles, and other metallic and mechanical tools mixed with deep rhythmics from his modular-synth. this was another incredible performance, much in the vein of squaremeter - rich, dynamic and fascinating.

mimetic changed the pace considerably, preparing me for the craziness of venetian snares. i enjoyed what jerone had presented live, not expecting his set to be so rhythmic. this is some of his best material to date, compared to many of his side-projects. although I wish I could have seen him perform his intense percussive work live on a kit, i still enjoyed hearing what he had presented with the aid of a mixer and a sampler.

I intentionally missed mental destruction. i still do not understand why they played instead of so many other great acts such as ah cama-sotz, hybryds, or iszoloscope. i heard nothing good about their set from anyone.

next came the most hostile and eruptive acts of the evening, venetian snares. i was so impressed with aaron's set of absolutely sick, erratic and dark chaotic relentlessness that made his darkside IX set I witnessed last year look like a child's play in comparison. this was the set that i was waiting to witness from this breakcore maniac. he performed his most viscous and disjointed tracks from doll doll doll and other older and newer, unreleased material. for being the most aggressive, erratic, and disturbing, venetian snares gets my vote. this is one artist that no one should ever miss if they have the opportunity to witness. as for fanny (that did not do a vs. set, as announced), i still have mixed feelings about his work. his set got monotonous too fast. i can take fanny's material in small amounts at a time, and I do like his full-length mirex cd better than the live set. too bad rachael of hecate was not able to perform with these guys, it would have been an interesting set to experience.

imminent. need i say more? always excellent, always innovative, and super-cool on stage. this time around j. sellekaers and the synapscape crew came up on stage later on to perform an even more mondo set of familiar tracks that they collaborated on screenwalking release (it reminded me of their set two years before in new york). they have performed quite a few new tracks that i have never heard before. anyone that has followed these four musicians for a while, will be able to imagine how incredible this live collaboration was for anyone who appreciates more innovative side to power electronics. they even did a demanded encore after the audience went crazy (of course no one matched vromb's triple encore!).

at last was the genius entity (hugo girard), better known as vromb. this is the second time i have got to witness him on stage since his appearance in toronto two years earlier. he performed a mix of mainly unreleased tracks from his latest ant-zen release le tourne-disque, as well as others from interlüder. when it comes to live performance, the sheer hypnotic power of his music and engaging nature of rhythms is unsurpassed. this is one artist that never disappoints the audience and always provides and ever-enticing set. we did not let hugo leave for the evening, making him perform three additional encores (s.alt had to push him towards the stage for the final track!). it was truly a great finale of this event. besides all the memories, photos, impressions, this weekend of restlessness left me with sore feet and an upcoming trademark "maschinenfest cold" that hit me hard in the days following the festival. in fact, i am still sick one week later, as i finish this last sentence.