Krake festival:
“DIY from the core”

The concept for Krake began life as a series of parties under the name Killekill. Starting in 2008, Killekill held a weekly Wednesday residency at Berghain Kantine and went on to host parties across Berlin, finding a regular home at Suicide Circus. The programming centred on house and techno with an experimental twist, and prided itself on becoming a hub for artists and enthusiasts alike, helped in part by
the personal atmosphere of the Kantine’s 200-person dance floor.

After two successful years at Berghain Kantine, Killekill called it a day to focus on the label offshoot of the party – releasing the likes of DJ Spider and Bill Youngman – and transporting its curatorial ideas to a festival. Nico used Killekill as a springboard for Krake. “I met a lot of people, we booked four artists an event for two years, so 400 artists at that time. Now with the ongoing monthly event it’s just a huge network of performers, and I’m bringing them all together for the festival.”

While it seems strange that a legendary sea monster of epic proportions would inspire a proudly low-key festival, the now yearly event bears the Kraken as a mascot of sorts. References to the creature rear their head often: the Kraken is said to rise again each year, bringing with it challenging electronic music from the depths of the international underground. From the cult electronics of previous years’ guests DMX Krew and Dopplereffekt to the bold exhibitionist statements of their recurring Bodies installation, all acts on offer have one thing in common. As Nico enthuses, they are all “artists who dare to step off the beaten track.”

Despite growing in size over five years, this year taking place across Urban Spree, Berghain Kantine and Suicide Circus, the event steers clear of big name acts doing the rounds on the festival circuit. “We’re avoiding the usual headliners which fill every festival, which of course makes it a bit difficult, but it’s what we want to do,” Nico explains. “If it gets quite complicated and there’s some asshole agency involved, we just don’t do it, it’s as simple as that. It’s DIY from the core, so it’s easy to maintain.”

True to his word, this year’s line-up boasts the likes of Cassegrain & Tin Man and Peter Van Hoesen alongside a selection of off-kilter noisemakers, including a debut A/V show from Untold, Berceuse Heroique newcomer Ekman and Bintus, whose breakneck electro and acid has found its home on his own excellent Power Vacuum label.

There are also plenty of installations to get your teeth into, including the Bodies performances. “In electronic music the body is the central part,” Deuster says. “The installation centralises this concept. They’re really strong, last year there was one performer sat totally naked with her legs open and it was super extreme and super impressive.” Certainly something “off the beaten track”, this bold exhibitionism neatly reflects Krake’s ethos: a vision that’s incredibly vivid, engaged, and assured.