Photo courtesy of DICE Berlin. Catch Ami Dang and her sitar at Dice Conference, Oct 31-Nov 2, at Bi Nuu and Taborkirche, Kreuzberg.
In its quest for the meaning of music, this year’s Dice Conference dishes up a substantial line-up.
While most Berliners should have little problem seeking out concerts and club nights, few among us take the time to think about how, and crucially why, these events are put together. The second edition of the Dice, a festival dedicated to female, trans and non-binary artists, gives us exactly that. This year’s theme “Overtime” reflects on that constant effort, by artist, promoter and listener – asking us to question what the role of music is in our lives. Delivering Nadeh El Shazly as a striking example, Dice promises music as a driving force for social justice and artistic innovation. The Cairo-based artist expertly blends traditional Egyptian sounds, acoustic instruments and electronic beats to create a one-of-a-kind sonic tapestry. Joining her on the sitar is Ami Dang, whose sound takes cues from ancient Indian classical music, as well as Punjabi and Bollywood popular music, with retro electronic expressions thrown into the mix. Scandi pop princess Tami T. will be adding her saccharine eurotrance sound. In residence for the club nights is ‘the First Lady of Beatdown’ Lady Blacktronika. Her line of California house comes dripping in ironic vocals, woozy blunted bass and honest-to-god floor filling-drops. Q-Bra closes out the live programme at Bi Nuu. The Istanbul-based LGBTQIA+ DJ’s post-genre sets are subversive, challenging and demand attention. Any music, when done well, has the potential to nourish and advance the listener. As far as Dice is concerned, this should be the intention. With even more artists to be revealed, and the daytime conference at Taborkirche, this one looks set to be pretty special.
Dice Conference | Bi Nuu and Taborkirche, Kreuzberg. Oct 31 – Nov 2.
