On June 21st, Summer Solstice arrived and with it Krake Festival 2023 officially opened. Coinciding with Fete de la Musique, the annual celebration of music, it was the perfect time to kick off the festival with talks, BBQ, DJ sets and of course, live music.

Wednesday commenced in the summer heat with breezy DJ sets by Balearic Banana and Purita D, while the grill was fired up just outside of Berlin's House of Music, located in the always bustling RAW complex. It served as the perfect location where music lovers could gather out front for the DJ sets and inside, studio spaces were open offering a look at electronic music instruments and equipment and the lobby hosted the evening's festivities starting with the film Crip Camp - A Disability Revolution.

The film set the mood of the event which centered around inclusion in music and in clubs. Artists and club goers with disabilities are perhaps the most forgotten group of people in the scene. With endless talk about inclusion and safe spaces, few people realize how few opportunities are provided to those with disabilities. Co-hosted by Resident Advisor, the much anticipated panel for the day featured a diverse array of journalists, artists, promoters, bookers and state funders to discuss the state of things. One of the most striking revelations was the fact that the vast majority of Berlin clubs to do not offer accessibility to handicap persons. In addition, the moderator pointed out how there was almost no disabled artists in popular electronic music. The talk was an insightful look at the current realities but also at what can be done in the future including more artist funding, bookings, accessibility in clubs and more.

*opening photos by Peter Lorenz

After the panel, the stage was cleared and set up for the live acts and first up was Belgian combo Choolers Division, who delivered a mesmerizing display of mumble rap meets experimental electronics. Next up was a live performance by Bläck Dävil, whose hardware based performance fused everything from techno to rhythmic noise. Be sure to check the artist's Schnäll Schnäll EP, which is being released on Killekill in July.

The opening was a great introduction to Krake Fest. For 12 years now, Krake (and Killekill) have been an integral part of the Berlin music community, always showcasing various forms of electronic music and supporting inclusiveness and diversity long before these concepts were seemingly just trends. After a few years of the pandemic where the festival went digital, last year saw the return of still a scaled down version of the fest which took place at Anomalie. This year however, feels a bit more back to business as we saw the great opening night on Wednesday and this weekend Krake comes full force with 36 hours of DJs, live performances and more and Berlin's About Blank.

Taking place June 24 + 25, you can find big names, young up-and-comers, punk, techno, house, electro, ambient and everything in between. Krake believes punk and techno go well together and starting Saturday at noon in perhaps Berlin’s most beautiful club garden, 21 Downbeat from Rambazamba, Wellen.Brecher, the band behind this year’s inclusive summer hit Tierisch Verboten, and Pisse, probably the hottest punk band in Germany right now will grace the stage.

At night, the garden turns into an enchanted dreamland, with artists like Vivian Koch, Daniela Huertra and Museum Of No Art providing infinite ambient soundscapes. Meanwhile inside the club, all floors are open in classic Krake style. Drag Syndrome, a British collective of drag artists with down syndrome, sets the scene. They are followed by both legends and today's brightest up and comers like The Hacker, Imogen, Luz1e and Acidfinky. Save some energy though and be sure to come back to the garden on Sunday morning, as DJ Stingray 313, Detroit In Effect, Alienata and Nite Fleit and more finish off the festival with a big closing rave that is surely one not to miss.

From left: DJ Singray, IMOGEN (by Romy van Zutphen)

It’s great to see Krake back with such a great lineup as well as continuing to push their core values and create a festival that is truly for all. For more information + tickets visit: https://krake-festival.de/