- Curated by Berlin-based promoters Daniela Seitz and Anja Weigl of Creamcake, the third annual 3hd Festival revolved around the theme "Whatever You Thought, Think Again." A multidisciplinary affair aiming to explore intimate stories of empowerment, adversities conquered and feminist and community discourse, 3hd dove deep into the viability of rebellion through a mix of panels, workshops and performances. Instead of exploiting diversity as a branding tool, the festival focused on the experiences and expressions of those fighting to be seen and heard in a society where political, economic and ecological disasters billow in the toxic wind of xenophobic populism. It also brought into question the sustainability of insurgent thinking, as well as grappling with the vast promises and pressures that have been placed on art as an expected antidote to oppression.
I walked past the line of young Germans winding through the courtyard from famed techno den Tresor to find OHM, the small white-tiled club where half of 3hd's programming took place. Waiting in the hallway before doors opened, I listened in on a conversation mostly in Russian, picking up on every fifth word as two women eagerly discussed techno feminism in the media, online electronic music database female:pressure and the despicable behavior of so many men in the industry. Then a towering bald bouncer grilled us on our knowledge of the lineup. Inside, Mexico City-based producer Mya Gomez was playing a remix of Justin Bieber's "Where Are You Now?"
Much of the festival's essence was captured in these first ten minutes: radicalism as casual conversation mixed with classic elements of Berlin club culture and the prevailing boldness to appropriate the mainstream as fuel for something distinctly underground. Gomez went on to play a set heavy in Latin pop, distorted top 40 hits (I spotted a pitched-up rendition of Drake's "From Time") and her own productions. Despite the set's energy, the sparse audience looked more like they were at a Christmas party than a club. Things went in a completely different direction with UCC Harlo, whose ambient set of vocal loops was immersive and beautiful, though it felt out of place among the crowd's continual conversation. The highlight of the night was Cameroonian musician AMET, whose core inspiration comes from a speech made in 1963 by former Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah on African unification. Including spoken word poetry, live instrumentation, distortion and heavy noise, her intense, political performance was captivating to watch.
Friday evening's showcase, titled "Voicing Resistance," went down at Hebble am Ufer, a performing arts theatre that was 3hd's secondary venue and which hosted the four-day long exhibition "Whatever You Thought, Think Again." This group show focused on similar themes to the festival. It included a new M.E.S.H. composition played on loop in the venue's red-lit elevator and a small research experiment by physician Anna Willert called "Tell Us How You Really Feel," which explored our relationship with technology from a variety of perspectives.
The programme in the theatre on Friday featured three vocalists who intersect the personal and political in their work: Lyra, Farai and Abyss X with Maria Skoula. Each blurred the lines between mighty battle cries and songs for healing or emboldening. Lyra, who's based in Berlin, delivered the night's most stunning performance. Accompanied at points by lute player Charlie Zhang, she displayed all sides of her musical repertoire: classical vocal training, piercing lyricism and live production techniques. Most notable was a rendition of her own "Elevate." Lost in resilient dance and surrounded by four long strips of vanity lights, she delivered lines of poetry like, "When he immediately sends you a picture of his dick it is an assertion of his power, the power he has been expected to assert over others since he was a boy."
3hd's closing event, which featured City ≠, Flora Yin-Wong, Prince Harvey, Rui HO and stud1nt, was back at OHM. The club was packed and boisterous, with more of a party atmosphere than the week's previous events. Rather than focusing on a specific genre or approach, the artists were chosen based on their musical fluidity. This resulted in a broad range of sounds, from Yin-Wong's loud reinterpretations of Cantonese temple sounds and Discwoman affiliate Stud1nt's masterful web of '90s hip-hop, to Shanghai-via-Berlin artist Rui HO's contemporary club set, which balanced popular cuts like R. Kelly's "Ignition (Remix)" with rattling dissonance. The dance floor was full of familiar faces, with club kids, musicians and artists rubbing shoulders with PhD candidates and activists. This variety of backgrounds was a reflection of the topics and issues covered by 3hd, a festival that encouraged the crossing over of many different worlds.
Photo credit /
Aiko Okamoto & Kai Yoshizawa
Much of the festival's essence was captured in these first ten minutes: radicalism as casual conversation mixed with classic elements of Berlin club culture and the prevailing boldness to appropriate the mainstream as fuel for something distinctly underground. Gomez went on to play a set heavy in Latin pop, distorted top 40 hits (I spotted a pitched-up rendition of Drake's "From Time") and her own productions. Despite the set's energy, the sparse audience looked more like they were at a Christmas party than a club. Things went in a completely different direction with UCC Harlo, whose ambient set of vocal loops was immersive and beautiful, though it felt out of place among the crowd's continual conversation. The highlight of the night was Cameroonian musician AMET, whose core inspiration comes from a speech made in 1963 by former Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah on African unification. Including spoken word poetry, live instrumentation, distortion and heavy noise, her intense, political performance was captivating to watch. Friday evening's showcase, titled "Voicing Resistance," went down at Hebble am Ufer, a performing arts theatre that was 3hd's secondary venue and which hosted the four-day long exhibition "Whatever You Thought, Think Again." This group show focused on similar themes to the festival. It included a new M.E.S.H. composition played on loop in the venue's red-lit elevator and a small research experiment by physician Anna Willert called "Tell Us How You Really Feel," which explored our relationship with technology from a variety of perspectives.
The programme in the theatre on Friday featured three vocalists who intersect the personal and political in their work: Lyra, Farai and Abyss X with Maria Skoula. Each blurred the lines between mighty battle cries and songs for healing or emboldening. Lyra, who's based in Berlin, delivered the night's most stunning performance. Accompanied at points by lute player Charlie Zhang, she displayed all sides of her musical repertoire: classical vocal training, piercing lyricism and live production techniques. Most notable was a rendition of her own "Elevate." Lost in resilient dance and surrounded by four long strips of vanity lights, she delivered lines of poetry like, "When he immediately sends you a picture of his dick it is an assertion of his power, the power he has been expected to assert over others since he was a boy." 3hd's closing event, which featured City ≠, Flora Yin-Wong, Prince Harvey, Rui HO and stud1nt, was back at OHM. The club was packed and boisterous, with more of a party atmosphere than the week's previous events. Rather than focusing on a specific genre or approach, the artists were chosen based on their musical fluidity. This resulted in a broad range of sounds, from Yin-Wong's loud reinterpretations of Cantonese temple sounds and Discwoman affiliate Stud1nt's masterful web of '90s hip-hop, to Shanghai-via-Berlin artist Rui HO's contemporary club set, which balanced popular cuts like R. Kelly's "Ignition (Remix)" with rattling dissonance. The dance floor was full of familiar faces, with club kids, musicians and artists rubbing shoulders with PhD candidates and activists. This variety of backgrounds was a reflection of the topics and issues covered by 3hd, a festival that encouraged the crossing over of many different worlds. Photo credit / Aiko Okamoto & Kai Yoshizawa