DIET: LIVE AT THE STASI-PRISON (ROSTOCK) - 23.03.25
We were approached by friends for this performance. Isabella Trybula had heard the beginning of our clinic set from Bulgaria and wanted a similar sound for her own performance. Since we had not yet accompanied a performance and were also very interested in experiencing the reverb of the prison, we agreed to participate.
For the music of the performance, we reused the performance strategy from the clinic set in Bulgaria. Instead of using free improvisation on the keyboard, we worked with samples that were played alongside a drum machine programmed during the performance. As usual, the drum machine was processed through a modular synthesizer.
Some of the samples came from Isa, who had recorded her voice in preparation for the performance. Others were recordings made in the prison or recordings of a modified version of the AUTOMATISM modular synthesizer.
For the audio recordings, we once again set up an ambient microphone, which was later mixed into the recordings as reverb. The microphone was placed on the second floor of the prison, while our equipment and the speakers were set up on the ground floor.
The context of the event raised various questions for us—some of which we couldn't answer, and others we deliberately left unanswered. One central issue was the former Stasi prison and its relation to present-day prisons or emergency shelters. However, due to a lack of time and space to engage with these topics in depth, the questions remain unresolved for us as well.
Being part of an art show funded by the federal state also felt somewhat uncomfortable—especially because the payment was far too low!
Nevertheless, it was an exciting experience, and we especially enjoyed the evening of preparation in the prison.
