ostgutcd03

Various Artists
Shut Up And Dance! Updated

With „Shut Up and dance! Updated“ the Berghain is exploring new terrains as a venue and homebase for the Ostgut Ton label. On june 27th, the Staatsballett Berlin will celebrate the premiere of „Shut Up and dance! Updated“ in co-production with the club: five members of the Staatsballett will perform choreographies developed to electronic music especially composed for this occasion. The musical results equally work outside of the venue. Regular guests like NSI. (aka Tobias Freund and Max Loderbauer), Sleeparchive, Âme, Luciano and the 7th Plain (aka Luke Slater) have adjusted to the unfamiliar perception of their music and have contributed both exceptional and fascinating pieces. Their spectrum ranges from NSI.’s low frequencies and abstract sounds, Sleeparchive’s icy minimalism, Âme’s epic, repetitive arrangement reminscent of Philip Glass, to Luciano’s humorous House grooves and last but not least Luke Slater’s beatless Ambient track under his The 7th plain moniker. Considering the variety of all tracks, they work astonishingly well as an album. Every artist developed his music completely autarkic. There were no instructions on how the music had to sound. Eventually, they all opted for a calmer, hypnotic sound (the most club friendly track, Luciano’s „Drunken Ballett“, will be released on vinyl including a Moritz von Oswald remix in september). This is how Luciano describes his approach: „Before I started producing the track, I brought the dancers to mind: how they merge with the sound, how their bodies move to the music and what kind of music should come out of the speakers. I wanted to put dance mujsic in relation to modern dance and I wanted to make physical movement and music correspond to each other.“ The flirt between high art and entertainment has been perceived as very inspiring and enriching by everyone involved.

“Shut up and dance! Uptdated” Choreographers in their own words

Xenia Wiest - Choreography für NSI. „Bridge And Tunnel People“

I listen to the track every day and more and more images spring to my mind. For choreographers, the music is the main source of inspiration, just as it is in my case. And the dance itself, as well. It is quite a challenge and I like it. The career of a dancer is pretty short. Thus, it is important to try all sorts of things at an early stage. I feel an extreme urge to try new things and „Shut up and Dance“ provides me with the right opportunity.

Martin Buczkó - Choreography für Sleeparchive „Perspective“

The big stage at our opera house offfers a completely different set of poosibilities and solutions, if you want to express something particular. The initial situation at Berghain is very different. The situation at Berghain encourages my own creativity and innovative drive regarding the realization of my ideas.

Ronny Savkovic - Choreographie für Âme “Fiori”

Dancing between those old and high walls, is something completely different from what I’m used to on the vast stage at the opera. It really is a unique thing to work with the music of some of Berghain’s best known artists. I really think it is exciting to present new facets of our work in a new setting to our classic audience.

Kathlyn Pope - Choreography for Luciano „Drunken Ballet“

To me, Berghain’s architecture is the most appealing bit about it. The choreography really uses the space and its possibilities. It creates new forms of movement fitting the ambience and the music. It is very different from what I’m confronted with normally. I really like the music I’m doing my choreography for. It is very casual and humourous. After listening to it, I immeadiately had a lot of images in my head. I think my work will have a lot of humour as well.
Nadja Saidakova - Choreography for The 7th Plain „Symphony For The Surrealists“

What really is appealing to me with this project, is the advancement of the physical form of expression. It’s all about finding new ways to express oneself, about testing one’s boundaries and about exploring a new way of physical self control.I guess, the audience will expect choreographies that fit the place perfectly. And it has to be something special as it is a Staatsballett production.

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