Böse Musik

Odes to Violence, Death & Demons

Curators

Detlef Diederichsen & Holger Schulze

Concept

“The evil has no songs,” or so goes an old German saying. Yet an English saying contradicts this point of view: “The devil has all the best tunes.”

More than any other art form, music seems to tend to romanticize violence, be it in gangsta-rap, death metal, mafia songs, the rembetiko, warrior songs, or old ballads in praise of murderers. Besides addressing these musics, “Böse Musik” (Evil Music) will also look at Muzak, sonic warfare, and Nazi rock. Here, the intentionality of humanity is studied using a musical example: what drives people? Why do they marvel at lawbreakers? Why do we find violence sexy? What music sounds evil from the point of view of which morality or lifestyle?

Participants

Ale Dumbsky, Lars Brinkmann, Bundespolizeiorchester Berlin, Dietmar Dath, Ebba Durstewitz, Anke Eckardt, Erlend Erichsen, Michael Farin, Steve Goodman a.k.a. Kode9, Julia Meier, Peter Ohlendorf, Paul Paulun, Francesco Sbano, The Schwarzenbach, Robert Stadlober, Silke Wenzel, Zeitblom and others

Program

All performances, lectures & panel discussions

Cooperations

berliner gesellschaft für neue musik

Location

Haus der Kulturen der Welt
John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10
10557 Berlin

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