THE ARTISTS

Elyas Khan (BBE Music) – Elyas Khan is an art rock composer and performer. A powerhouse on stage, “taking the spiritual and making it gleefully profane”, Elyas Khan draws influences from his UK-Indian heritage and his creative upbringing in NYC art and music scene to create a dark, sensuous mass of sound, invoking a post punk, Led Zeppelin, electro / folk / funk / urban / nomadic freak-out! His primal instrumentals, ancient vocals, electronic chaos, and bass heavy grooves generate music as at home beside classics like Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart as it is with contemporaries like Flying Lotus or Caribou.

Mad Kate (Hyenaz/Springstoff) – Mad Kate, aka Kathryn Fischer is a musician, performance artist and writer integrating elements of punk, butoh, prose, pan-African dance, ritual, folk and conceptual costume. She has performed extensively around the world pioneering a unique style that is outspokenly feminist, genderqueer and honest. Her performative artistic and sexual selves are integrated in a wide variety of contexts and are in constant dialogue with each other. She has toured extensively as a performance artist with fluffy punk circus Bonaparte and as one of two front singers of punk cabaret band Kamikaze Queens. Since 2014 she has focused on her two duo projects, the electronic performance project HYENAZ and performance art-rock duo Mad Kate the Tide.

Ahmad Larnes (Schwarz Don’t Crack/Nettwerk Music Group) – One half of Berlin duo Schwarz Don’t Crack, Ahmad’s prophetic vocals soar through the skyline creating a passage where only your soul is connected to the source of its longing. As a listener you always remain a little disoriented, trying to arrange the music, but you can never really get it. It lies between John Carpenter, the soundtrack to the film Drive with its gloomy, glittering metropolitan electronics and the queer R&B singer Frank Ocean.

Snax (Random Records) – Singer, songwriter and synth wizard Paul Bonobo aka Snax is no stranger to the Berlin music scene after having moved from America in 2004. His high octane performances deliver provocation, sleaze and fun resulting in an unwavering connection with his audiences. Various collaborations over the years have included Jamie Lidell, Peaches, Terranova and Joey Arias. Snax has also toured extensively with the Scissor Sisters as their opening act on their 2010 Nightwork Tour. To date, releases have included ‘From the rocking chair to the stage’ (2004), Love Pollution (2006), Special Guest Start (2010) and is currently mixing his yet untitled fourth record due for release later this year.

Milly Blue (Duchess Box Records) – Born and raised in Manchester, England, whilst spending a considerable amount of time in London, Milly Blue now calls Berlin home. Her music career started as a guest vocalist for Basement Jaxx and has supported Little Dragon, L7, Bonobo and Beck (as part of Guillemots). Milly has also toured with the likes of Scissor Sisters, Bright Light Bright Light and Gary Numan. There is a sincerity and immediacy to Milly's music. Alone onstage, live-looping close, soulful harmonies and accompanying herself only with ukulele you are drawn into her world by the timbre of her voice and the truthfulness of her lyrics. At once colourful, melancholy, witty and intimate she draws on her wide experience as a performer and songwriter to tell stories that hypnotise the audience.

The Feminists (Berlin) – An accident of total chaos happens when 5 hyperactive musicians from Thüringen, Germany and an overtly pompous she-man from England put on ladies’ dresses and go berserk. As yet there are no songs written but an endless stream of consciousness addressing the female principle exists, pursuing its respect and worship. As an onstage entity The Feminists only exist in order to whip audiences into a loving, righteous frenzy. They have played all over Germany and the UK leading to many amusing incidents of stolen shoes, pissing down staircases, and risqué scenes involving all of the clichés. Basically, they’re a herd of long mained horses trying their hand at endurance racing but almost every time ending up in the stables chasing mares . Who could possibly ask for more than that?

The Hoo (NDYD) – The Hoo are a 3 piece French-Italian outfit exploring intergalactic electro- funk. The group was founded in 2012 after band members Anthony Malka (Keyboards/Beats) and Tristano Pala (Vocals/Flute) met for a jam session forming the then two piece. The band eventually recruited guitarist Andrea Puddu with a live drummer stepping in for certain shows. Those shows have included stints at Fusion Festival (DE), Earfood Festival (DK) and Global Future Festival (IT) to name a few. Releases to date include the long players My Degeneration and remix album My Regeneration from 2013, the New Transition EP from 2014 and the latest single ‘Guêpe Ride’ released on Frankfurt based Nu-Disco label NDYD Records in 2016. The band are currently recording and mixing their as of yet untitled new album due for release later this year.

More acts to be announced shortly.

THE DJ’S

Digital Norman – Since becoming a fan of the purple Yoda at the tender age of 12, Norman has earned himself a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable German Prince nerds in the international fan community. After getting in touch with Paisley Park in 2010, Norman’s radio show “Sounds Outta Range” on ByteFM was chosen by Prince himself to be the forum for 3 official German radio premieres - of songs that to this day remain unreleased. After Prince’s passing, Norman has been hosting Prince themed radio specials and DJ’ed at various purple tribute nights. Even when playing his usual DJ sets of wonky electro funk and futuristic bass beats under his “Digital Norman” moniker (with residencies at Hamburg’s Golden Pudel Club and Mojo Club) or performing as part of the slow house duo “Paradise Hippies”, he likes to sneak in obscure tracks from MPLS whenever he can. For tonight, he has prepared a hard- hitting Prince-only set filled with funky rarities from the Vault. Please enjoy your experience.

AusgehDörte – It was all the way back in 1984 when young ausgehDörte saw the trailer for “Purple Rain” in a small cinema in her hometown of West-Germany when she realised that all she ever wanted was to be purified in the waters of lake Minnetonka. Now, 33 years and 3121 records of Prince, Apollonia 6, Wendy & Lisa, Vanity 6, Sheila E, Jill Jones and Ingrid Chavez later, she’s ready to pay her tribute to his royal badness and to say those magic words:

“Rain is wet and sugar is sweet, clap your hands and stomp your feet. Everybody! “

Dickey – Over the last decade and a half, DJ Dickey has established an international reputation, from headlining the Castro Street Fair in San Francisco, to the infamous Wigstock in New York, to Horse Meat Disco in Berlin, his home base. After building up a career as a vital fixture in Vancouver’s nightlife, Dickey has fulfilled booking requests in London, Los Angeles, Gran Canaria and Toronto, bringing his blend of house and disco sounds to new audiences.

His Love Bizarre with Prince and company began immediately upon seeing Purple Rain as a child. Already an active record collector, he rushed out to buy any record that had anything to do with the purple genius. “The biggest turn on for me was how talented the musicians he aligned himself with were and the sheer intensity and madness I saw, first hand, at the best concert I have still to date ever witnessed, The Love Sexy tour!”

S.U.O.P – S.U.O.P has been a regular fixture on the Berlin music scene for the past ten years playing records and producing his own brand of eclectic music. He was introduced to Prince by his brother at the age of 13 and has followed his magnificence ever since, anticipating every release and hunting down every bootlegs and obscurity that he could get his hands on. Expect personal favorites, B-sides, extended mixes and wicked edits.

CHARITY

This is a charity event. All proceeds going to GSBTB - Open Music School which support the integration of refugees and less-privileged newcomers into Berlin’s music scene.

Since September 2013, Give Something Back To Berlin has been running musical collaborations with newcomers. Like several other GSBTB projects, it began at the self-organised refugee rights protest movement at Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg. By connecting with the people living there and asking for their wishes and needs, one of the things that was raised was the possibility to play music as a creative outlet, to forget the difficulties of the refugee situation and spread the word about refugee rights through music. Based on that wish they started building up various forms of music-related activities and connections.

It started with casual jamming as an activity for refugee musicians and neighbours. Soon GSBTB connected them with more established Berlin musicians and other famous artists, such as the Swedish band The Knife, who supported them with knowledge, instruments and rehearsal spaces.

The initiative grew organically and people met regularly to jam, play and share music and culture, resulting in the formation of two bands: Wulaba – Refugees Voice and, more recently, G.R.V. – Global Refugee Voice. The two collectives have been a mix of old and new Berliners from countries including Senegal, Sudan, Mali, Syria, UK, France, USA and Germany. The bands have played at Berlin events such as the East Side Music Days, many smaller festivals and are advocates for refugee rights in the local and international scene.

Since 2013 GSBTB’s projects and engagement with music have grown a lot. As their work and communities consist of people from both Berlin’s creative scene, as well as different migrant communities, this meant that they could create a link between the local music scene to newcomer musicians. Over time they’ve supported various artists like the world famous 143 Band – a feminist hip-hop duo from Afghanistan, Babylon Refugee Orchestra, the Wind-up Penguin Theatre, traditional Lebanese folk bands, Syrian indie rock musicians and many more as well as connecting many individual hobby musicians to concerts, events and other bands.

GSBTB believe in the power of music to create meaningful relationships that crosses cultures, while encouraging healing, self-expression and community engagement. They don’t believe that learning a musical instrument is only for those who can afford private tuition, or that performance opportunities should only exist for those who know the “right people”. They see value in every individual as part of a community, and if music is something they wish to pursue, they want to encourage that.

More information can be found at: http://production.gsbtb.o...en-music/