At the end of the season, the Deutsche Oper Berlin will once again be transformed into a techno club: for the third time, the Playground Festival will take place at the opera house, a rave that has become a small tradition for the theatre and its enthusiastic audience. On this evening, apparent opposites are brought into symbiosis: electronic music and classical-acoustic instruments, club culture and opera, ball gown and rave outfit. After last year's festival took place on the stage of the opera house, the next edition will once again be held in the intimate atmosphere of the Tischlerei. The line-up promises a compilation of particularly varied acts and is a journey through different worlds of handmade electronic music. The string trio toechter will whisk you away to spherical soundscapes, AFAR will enchant you with hypnotic sounds between electronica and rock. The trio AGGREGAT brings a danceable sound between avant-garde and electro and Ströme promises a special club experience with modular synthesizers at the end of the evening - where nobody will be able to stand still.

As a special opening act, Veronika Ferrari und die Flammen will set the mood for the evening with a fusion of techno, pop songs and chansons in the Tischlerei courtyard, accompanied by cool drinks and fine weather.

Playground Festival 2024 Line-Up

Ströme
Ströme combine musicality and technology in an impressive way. In their performance, two analogue modular synthesizers become the centre of their creative work, without the aid of computers or samples. This allows the two musicians to constantly reinterpret their songs and combine them with improvisation and spontaneous compositions. The band is at home both at festivals and in clubs. Since their formation in 2015, they have performed at more than 300 concerts in Germany and abroad, including at the Fusion Festival (Turmbühne), the Echelon Festival, Sisyphos, Ritter Butzke and Blitz Club. Ströme are among the most important representatives of modular synthesiser music and take the audience on a journey from the beginnings of electronic music to the present day and beyond.

AGGREGAT
AGGREGAT do not play by the rules, but by ear. André Wittmann (analogue synthesizer), Arian Robinson (drums, electronics) and Daniel Sorour (cello, sound effects) combine their classical education with a passion for minimal music, avant-garde and electronics. Based on sonic experiments, the band produces rousing compositions without catering to pop clichés. It is not for nothing that they call themselves AGGREGAT: the ability, indeed the will, to constantly change is their leitmotif. Over the past few years, the trio has toured techno clubs and concert venues, including stops at the Boom Festival in Portugal, the Lethargy Festival in Zurich and broadcasts on Arte Concert from Eurosonic in Groningen.

AFAR
The duo AFAR combine raw synthesisers, drum machines and electric guitar with enchanting vocals. From majestic ballads to almost industrial dance music, AFAR create their own world of analogue electronica that can probably best be described as Krautwave. Joseph comes from the electronic music scene, Elena from the jazz / soul, krautrock and singer songwriter music world. Together they developed a new style of music that unites these worlds. Soon after their formation, they began performing at festivals and concerts in and around Berlin. Their performances are more than just a concert. It is always exciting to watch the two of them create the soundscapes by using many different instruments. Beyond the sound, their enormous stage presence and powerful performance make the concert a work of art in itself.

toechter
The toechter phenomenon unfolds at the interface between experimental pop and electronics. Katrine Grarup Elbo, Lisa Marie Vogel and Marie-Claire Schlameus use exclusively analogue sound sources (such as violin, viola and cello, voices), which are processed electronically. However, this strict requirement in the production process - which applies both in the studio and on stage - does not result in any conceptual overhang, on the contrary: toechter's feel for melodies and sensitively designed soundscapes is at least as pronounced as their will to abstraction. After toechter's debut album "Zephyr" has already been honoured with the German Record Critics' Award, the album "Epic Wonder" will now follow, which will be released in February 2024 on the Berlin label Morr Music. Another step by the trio to rediscover the world of string instruments.

Special Opening Act: Veronika Ferrari und die Flammen
Veronika Ferrari und die Flammen's mission is to bring the best pop songs and German chansons to club culture - enhanced by their own gems. The fusion of vocals, jazz trumpet, clarinet, piano and electronic music makes the band unique. The quartet appeals to lovers of good music and takes all hearts by storm. Veronika Ferrari und die Flammen have already had the honour of playing on renowned stages such as the Nationaltheater Weimar, the event location ZENNER in Berlin, the Garbicz Festival and the Nation of Gondwana.