Pop-Kultur 2023 – Performance Playlist

5 Minute Read

Art & Culture

The festival kicks off tomorrow in Berlin – we spotlight some of the artists and performances we feel most excited for.

It’s not long now until one of the most interesting and diverse festivals of the calendar opens its doors. Tomorrow will mark the return of Pop-Kultur – a festival which has become symbolic for showcasing the experimental, leftfield and avant garde which circumnavigates mainstream Pop music and the associated culture.

Pop-Kultur has always offered a vision for what a truly innovative, unique counter culture to the modality of chart music could look like inviting some of the most exciting artists and creatives from across a breadth of genres and spheres to showcase their artistry in Berlin.

Taking place across a number of venues and locations in the city – this year there a number of wider conversational points of focus set as a backdrop to the music and arts.

“The Pop-Kultur Diskurs programme will take a critical look at the current state of the music scene, learning from the past and thinking about a better future. Because just as pop culture would remain at a standstill without discourse, Pop-Kultur as a festival could not continue to develop without it. Topics like gender equity and social criticism, accessibility and awareness, inclusion and integration are not only issues that we want to discuss but also experience directly on site.”

The full timetable of events and performances can be seen HERE.

We’ve put together a selection of what we’d like to suggest is worth a visit…

Topics

Pop kultur

LISTEN

Junior Boys

The group remains one of the most interesting in the new wave, synth and progressive pop scene. Over the years they have released music on the likes of Domino, City Slang and Jialong with Jeremy Greenspan fronting. Their music sounds as perfect in a dark room as it does a sun kissed summers day and their live show is hypnotic. Catch them at Kesselhaus on the 30th of August at 21:20.

Junior Boys

The group remains one of the most interesting in the new wave, synth and progressive pop scene. Over the years they have released music on the likes of Domino, City Slang and Jialong with Jeremy Greenspan fronting. Their music sounds as perfect in a dark room as it does a sun kissed summers day and their live show is hypnotic. Catch them at Kesselhaus on the 30th of August at 21:20.
Casey MQ

Delicately poised melancholy from a musician on the rise. An elegant voice is paired intricate vocal patterns and beautiful melodies on an acoustic piano which reverberates and echos with poignant emotion. One for quiet reflection. At Maschinenhaus on the 30th of August at 22:00.
Mulay

Slow moving ambient r’n’b with a pensive edge. The Berlin based musician is one to watch as we expect big things in the near future for a musician who is already operating at an incredibly high level with a visual presence and persona to match. At Maschinenhaus on the 31st of August at 23:20.
C'est Karma

Futuristic hyperpop with rough synths, distortion and vocoders. Playful, dark and twisted all in equal measure – C’est Karma uses her music to explore and challenge the narrative of womanhood and voice experiences in the process. At Alte Kantine on the 31st of August from 20:00.
Free Love

The Glaswegian couple bring their soft and sophisticated dream pop and new wave to Berlin for a rare show. The pair have released music on the likes of Optimo Music and Lost Map. Their music can be as fun on the dancefloor as it can be nostalgic and haunting when alone. Catch them at Frannz Club on the 1st of September from 21:00.
Kwam E

The German rapper is set to send off the festival with a bang on the final night. Drawing upon his Ghanian roots he has grown in prominence across Europe with hard flows and styles which span an array of genres including hip hop, drill and beyond. At Frannz Club on the 1st of September at 00:20.