- If you're reading this, it's likely you already have an opinion about SOPHIE. His music was everywhere in 2015, thanks to a well-received full-length on Numbers (the one that came with the option of a "Silicon Product") and that TV commercial for a popular fast-food brand. Both, it's fair to say, caused quite a stir.
Unlike most, though, I was still on the fence before Wednesday night, when the controversial, multi-disciplinary artist performed in Berghain's main room as part of his current tour. The Berlin club doubles up fantastically as a concert hall, with grand pillars, high ceilings and space enough to fit a large, temporary stage. But even with all the familiar trappings, this wasn't like any concert I'd ever been to.
Mssingno and Koreless were also on the bill. As Mssingno kicked things off, the venue was plunged into darkness. The soundsystem sounded louder than I've ever heard it before, and the audience, who had until now been chatting among themselves, began slowly shuffling forward. The grime producer demonstrated his exceptional ear, picking out R&B tracks defined by their choppy, rolling instrumentals, occasionally punctuating his performance with some heavier bits of trap and techno.
When the lights came up for the first interval, I noticed that the venue had filled considerably. Koreless opened with "Sun," a soaring blend of rich and resonant strings. A number of strobes, firing at almost-eye-level, flashed and spat as the young Welshman steered into more leftfield territory. A magnificent nosedive into the beginning of "TT," from 2015's TT / Love EP on Young Turks, was a definite highlight. He managed to pack most of his productions into the 45-minute slot, making for one of the most fluid sets I'd heard in ages.
SOPHIE went next, and what followed was something a little less understated. The music was maximal and the dancing outrageous. Flashing floodlights gave the performance a stadium-like feel, while the amount of people screaming as he entered the stage was almost comical. But then again, isn't that SOPHIE's appeal? Blurring the lines between performance and parody doesn't make the music any less meaningful. Hearing the likes of "Hard," "Lemonade" and "L.O.V.E." through Berghain’s ridiculous system was one of my favourite moments of 2016 so far.
