Happy Island. A night with Laura SCHEN

 

Laura Schen (Photos by Davide Faranda)

Das Madame Claude ist eine nette, verwinkelte Kellerbar in der Lübbener Straße in Kreuzberg, in der auch unsere DJ Nuit Noire (Marie Germinal) ihre Stammlocation hat. In einem Nebenraum im Keller finden auch öfters kleinere Konzerte statt. Am Samstag, den 7. September gab es hier ein beeindruckendes Konzert der aus Italien kommenden Electro-Künstlerin und Sängerin SCHEN.

Während erschreckend große Teile der sog. 'schwarzen Szene' darüber jammerten, dass das Urban Spree in Friedrichshain erfreulicher- und dankenswerterweise ein ursprünglich dort für den selben Abend geplantes 'Military-Pop'-Konzert (der Name ist Programm!) mit der rechtslastigen französischen Band Dernière Volonté abgesagt hatte, verpassten sie in Kreuzberg einen wunderbar großartigen und phantastischen Auftritt einer beeindruckenden Frau: Laura Schen. Selbst schuld!

Addicted to blue: SCHEN after her concert

Madame Claude is a nice, labyrinthine cellar bar in Lübbener Straße in Kreuzberg, in which our DJ Nuit Noire (Marie Germinal) also has a regular spot. A side room of the cellar is frequently used for smaller concerts. On Saturday, the 7th of September there was an impressive concert of the electro-artist and singer SCHEN from Italy.

While frighteningly large parts of the Berlin Gothic scene were whining over the gratifying cancelation of a 'Military-Pop' concert (just what it says on the tin!) with right-wing orientated French band Dernière Volonté by the Urban Spree in Friedrichshain where the concert had originally been planned to take place that evening, in Kreuzberg they missed out on the wonderfully great and fantastic gig of an impressive woman: Laura Schen. Their own fault!

Happy Island @ Madame Claude

Memories, faces
Fire, come with me
Fire help me

Schen live at Madame Claude (7th Sept. 2013)

Im Keller des Madame Claude performte Schen mit glasklarem Sound (großartig abgemischt von Olivier alias Oberst P. von Velvet Condom) und einer grandiosen Stimme eine Art Record Release Konzert ihres ersten Albums mit dem aufgrund der recht düsteren Klanglandschaften etwas irreführenden Titel "Happy Island".

In the cellar of Madame Claude Schen performed a kind of record release concert of her first album with the slightly confusing - due to the quite dark soundscapes - title "Happy Island". With crystal clear sound (brilliantly mixed by Olivier alias Oberst P. of Velvet Condom) and a superb and terrific voice.

CD-Cover: SCHEN - Happy Island

Hören wir doch gleich mal rein, in Whirl, den letzten Song, aus dem auch die hier verstreuten Textauszüge stammen.

Let's just listen to her music. This is Whirl, the last song, from which the lyric quotes scattered over this post are taken.

 

Schen - Whirl

Konzentriert am Laptop... hingebungsvoll im Gesang...

Focussed at the laptop... devoted while singing...

I look the fire, fire

And I feel the blood in my veins

I see the eye of the fire

I feel my energy

I see behind the flame

                  

                        ...tiefgehend...                                                                                                           und grazil...

                            ...deep...                                                                                                               and gracile...

 I'm burning for the passion

I'm burning for the visions

I see the magic city

Oh fire, look at me, oh fire guide me, oh fire help me

Oh snake, wrap me

Sounds & Gestures

Auch wenn ich nicht traurig war, dass der den 'Neuen Rechten' in die Arme laufende 'schwarze Mainstream' dem Konzert an diesem Abend ferngeblieben ist, war ich doch sehr traurig, dass auch meine lieben Freundinnen den Weg nicht mehr geschafft haben. Das holen wir nach!

Das Schen-Konzert beeinhaltete das komplette erste Album (weitere Anspieltipps: das tanzbare Plays Of Light und das schöne Instrumentalstück The Sea), wobei Laura nicht nur Laptop und Keyboards bediente, sondern wie bei Ihren Konzerten üblich bei einigen Songs auch zusätzlich Akustik-Gitarre spielte (siehe Photo weiter unten). Neben der sehr atmosphärischen Musik mit ihren beeindruckenden Klanglandschaften und Sounds schön anzusehen auch ihre eindrucksvollen Gesten und sparsamen, aber sehr ausdrucksstarken Bewegungen. Wow!

'Though I wasn't particularly heartbroken that the 'Gothic mainstream' running into the outstretched arms of the 'New Right' (Nouvelle Droite) didn't show up that evening, I was rather sad that my dear friends didn't make it to Kreuzberg. Another time!

The Schen-concert included the complete first album (check out the danceable Plays Of Light and the beautiful instrumental pieceThe Sea), with Laura not only working on the laptop and keyboards, but also, as is usual at her concerts, playing acoustic guitar on a couple of songs (see photo further down). Apart from the very atmospheric music with its impressive sonic landscapes and sounds, her striking gestures and economic yet very expressive moves were a sight to behold. Wow!

Earlier

Laura ist Autodidaktin und hat sich den Umgang mit Synthesizern, Keyboards, akustischer Gitarre und Musikprogrammen in Italien selbst beigebracht. Vor kurzem ist sie endgültig nach Berlin gezogen.

SCHEN live at Circolo Ribalta in Vignola (Italy), 17-03-2013, in blue tights and a blue jacket

Laura in an autodidact and has taught herself the use of synthesizers, keyboards, acoustic guitar, editing and mixing software. She recently moved to Berlin.

 

SCHEN at the keyboards live at Eschschloraque (Hackescher Markt / Berlin), November 2012 in a blue satin top

SCHEN singing and playing acoustic guitar live at Eschschloraque (Hackescher Markt / Berlin), November 2012

Easy to spot that Laura is a big fan of David Bowie

Afterhours

Laura Schen after her concert in Madame Claude. She has a nice taste in accessories, too.

Nach dem Konzert hatten wir eine großartige Zeit in der Bar des Madame Claude, wo ich auch Olga und den Photographen all dieser Photos, Davide Faranda, kennenlernte. Wie Ihr seht hatten wir riesigen Spaß - und Davide hat auch das mit seiner Kamera festgehalten... ein wunderschöner Abend und ein ganz großes Konzert!!!

After the concert we had a great time in the bar of Madame Claude, where I also got to know Olga and the photographer of all these pics, Davide Faranda. As you can see we had lots of fun - and Davide even captured this with his camera... a wonderful evening and a very great concert!!!

Sign SCHEN!

What shall we do, Davide?

Olga strikes a pose... (^.^)

All photos in this post by Davide Faranda (except the one from the concert in Vignola by Fabrizio Arletti). Davide's photography page is here:

www.facebook.com/pages/Davide-Faranda-Fotografo/316048035206505

Like a ballerina...

Please like Schen on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/pages/Schen/144113279067460

 

 CD-Cover (back): SCHEN - Happy Island

SCHEN will be performing live again at STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 4 during Berlin Fashion Week on

Friday 17th January 2014 at Urban Spree

♥

More about SCHEN in this blog:

More nights with SCHEN

Introducing DEGENEROTIKA fashion

A glamorous & international family... ♥

The Sea by SCHEN wearing a harness by DEGENEROTIKA

SCHEN live wears DEGENEROTIKA

(all from January 2014)

CONFLICT! CRASH! STRIKE! FIRE!

 "It's ooops so quiet... so let's start a riot!!!"

CLEA CUTTHROAT performing BLACK BOULEVARD lingerie (photo: E. Tanev)

CONFLICT!

Every second of this evening of STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 3 in the beautiful garden of Chalet Club has been absolutely perfect: from the beginnings in the afternoon with lovely lilies by JARKA SNAJBERK and our super nice LITTLE MARKET through the breathtakingly wonderful performances by MARIA KALEDENKOVA and LILIYA CHIKOVA doing rhythmic gymnastics, EVILYN FRANTIC being our sweet mermaid, NAMJIRA the geisha dancing Asia Fusion and CLEA CUTTHROAT performing Alice in the earlier evening to the fantastic live concerts of NORA BELOW and VELVET CONDOM during dusk and into the night. Between the shows we had a perfect DJ with MARIE GERMINAL / NUIT NOIRE and we had such lovely and sexy guests, too...

Only one thing has been a bit strange in the background the whole day... part of the nice and competent staff of Chalet Club have not been in that good mood of our lovely and wonderful event... Why? We got to know that most of our partners we were working with that day and evening were kicked out by a new club management! STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 3 has been their last working day before being thrown out, ironically exactly before the club's 'birthday celebrations' of 'One year Chalet Club' starting right after our event at midnight. WTF!!! Though we never like managements kicking out their employees, you still could say, it's not our business or problem... but unfortunately things took a different turn!!!

 VELVET CONDOM performing KNOTH KOUTURE (photo: Jarka Snajberk)

CRASH!

Seconds after 10pm - the agreed time for the end of the live concerts - the new boss arrived at the DJ desk, shouted at the Chalet technician to immediately stop the live concert of VELVET CONDOM just at it's height, during the last or penultimate song of their amazing performance... and then he tried to pull out the cables in a both very aggressive and ridiculously stupid manner (DJ headphones included!!! *lol*), but no way...

... after pulling out every cable existing, live music stopped and there was a horrifying silence in 'our' garden for minutes... a shocked technician, a shocked light guy, a shocked me, a shocked band and a shocked audience... no sound at all, not even a microphone left for me for communication, nothing...

Originally, right after the concert, CLEA CUTTHOAT should have been the next and final performer in a wonderful white dress by fashion designer LILY CUT, doing a very bloody Grande Finale zombie show. This should lead over to a nightly DJ MARIE GERMINAL party and dance set inside the pavilion, celebrating our glorious evening right before Berlin would sink into chaos at last... (^.^)

STRIKE!

STYLE! IT! TAKES! was born out of experiences of alienated wage labour.
STYLE! IT! TAKES! started after deciding to never work again.

(from our Manifesto, chapter Birth)

CLEA CUTTHROAT performing Alice earlier that evening (photo: E. Tanev)

Waiting just around the corner for her cue, CLEA CUTTHROAT directly has been watching that disgusting situation - opening eyes about the sometimes fucked up arrogant Berlin art and club situation and maybe (this has been stated as the official 'reason') some ridiculous neighbours calling the police because of something different happening on a noisy Saturday night in Kreuzberg... (we are not sure if we should believe this and even if, we are talking about some minutes live program left and the club DJs were going on all night anyway without any police arriving...)

Both the Chalet club's sound guy and I had been fighting against this attack on Berlin underground culture, but no chance...

...and then our wonderful friend CLEA looked at me and said:

"Kersten, you are such a lovely person and this is such a great event, I appreciate what you are doing so much, but I will NEVER perform for such douche-bags treating artists like shit!!!"

So CLEA CUTTHROAT went on the first STYLE! IT! TAKES! strike - and I strongly felt that this was the very right decision and absolutely coherent spirit!!! ♥

Not knowing who was comforting whom, that must have been the moment when CLEA and I fell into each other's arms for quite a long time...

XXX, ♥♥♥ 

FIRE!

So I think we both missed this... EVILYN FRANTIC took over spontaneously in this situation without music (at least: not our music!), getting naked and playing with fire... ♥♥♥

Burlesque dancer EVILYN FRANTIC starting her fire show at the pond, in front of our rhythmic gymnastics pavilion (photo: Jarka Snajberk)

EVILYN FRANTIC night show at Style! It! Takes! # 3 (photo: Jarka Snajberk)

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

"So when the hurting starts / And when the nightmares begin / remember you can fill up the sky /

You don't have to give in / You don't have to give in / Never give in"

(The Cure - Fight, 1987)

While I was wandering around trying to personally inform as many people as possible about what happened here in the background, suddenly our music started again. :-) It came out that our fantastic DJ MARIE GERMINAL / NUIT NOIRE reinstalled the DJ desk shortly after being cut off and fought back her place together with the dismissed Chalet technician (thank you, this was super nice and you did such a great sound and mixing job the whole evening - hope you find a new place to work, you deserve it!!! Everyone knowing something about mixing was very satisfied and impressed by your sound...) for another round of her great DJ sets!!!

This courageous intervention has been another situation showing how great our artists have been throughout this amazing evening... thank you so much, NUIT NOIRE!!! ♥♥♥

  

DJ Marie Germinal / Nuit Noire earlier that evening (pictures by me)

So even this disgusting situation was turned by everyone involved into something amazing:

a strike keeping head-held-high against disrespectful treatment of artists in Berlin club culture,

a fantastic spontaneous sexy fire show in the garden which helped over the sudden silence and our DJ fighting successfully with solidarity by kicked out technicians to get back her place and finish what was promised to her by us and by the club!!!

I'm deeply impressed by all of you and your amazing actions: thanx so much, Clea Cutthroat, Evilyn Frantic and Marie Germinal!!! Thanx so much, too, to Velvet Condom who showed great style in getting disrupted and to our great audience, who had so much understanding and showed such a great solidarity!!!

We love you all!!!

XXX, ♥♥♥, yours truly, 18th of August 2013

Kersten aka Magenta for Style! It! Takes!

p. s.: I want to say loud and clear that ALL of Chalet club's old personnel has been absolutely nice, helpful and competent during the whole evening: starting from the cleaning people in the afternoon fulfilling all our (partly complicated and stressy) wishes to all of the bartenders, the super nice barbecue man to the great sound and light technicians and many others. Also, the former boss was pissed off and sorry for the unneccessary and aggressive break-up only some minutes before the end of the concert. So no complaints, everyone working for this club till that night did a fabulous job!!!

p. p. s.: Still, we feel very sorry for Velvet Condom not being able to finish their great live set, for Clea Cutthroat being unable to perform her and our planned 'Grande Finale' in an acceptable way, for fashion designer Lily Cut since Clea Cutthroat has been wearing a wonderful white dress by her for her blood show and for Marie Germinal who has still been cut off of one hour party time (orginal schedule had been till midnight, but she had to stop at 23 h). Also we feel sorry for our later guests, partly not knowing what had been happening at all... but having that great evening in mind, everyone felt happy in the end - no chance for the 'douche-bags'!!! (^.^) ...

We simply are larger than life!!! ♥

Please check out all of this amazing summer evening in pictures, videos and stories:

http://style-berlin.blogspot.de/2013_07_01_archive.html