Synästhesie Festival Is The Psych-Rock Retreat Berlin Never Knew it Needed

A Place To Bury Strangers. Photo by Ebru Yildiz

Here is a little glimmer of hope for all of those in Berlin who do not get excited over pumping techno beats. In the middle of the capital of electronic music and techno parties, the Synästhesie festival creates an island of refuge for the ones among you who prefer to get their eardrums bashed by a crashing guitar riff rather than a core-shaking DJ set.

30/10/2019
by Liv Toerkell

The small festival grew out of the 8MM bar, a beloved local venue that has been a safe haven for rock fans in Berlin for a long time – among their regulars the punchy rock band Gurr who we met this summer. The Duo regards Synästhesie as filling a niche in Berlin, which has long been overdue. However, in Berlin the genre still remains one for underdogs with its garage-y style so the festival’s line-up reaches beyond the German borders inviting old and new gems from the international psych-rock circles.

This year, the rendition of the festival will be held at the Kulturbrauerei, a venue complex, which has served several other festival well. Like last year, Synästhesie will take over the place for two whole days and spread their impressive program over the weekend. From big names like the avant-pop band Stereolab hailing from London and A Place To Bury Strangers, who have been pleasing – or tormenting, from your doctor’s point of view – their listener’s ears with noisy outbursts for more than a decade. The other two headlining bands are both Atlanta exports, the trippy synth-rock from Deerhunter, as well as, the garage rockers Black Lips, who are known for their impressive live shows. Sticking to the overall theme of garage and psych rock, Synästhesie’s line-up is as picky as it is well-curated catering to a unique taste.

Welcome to the Synästhesie Family

Their niche-character allows the curators, to focus on the bands that mirror their musical passion making for the perfect community-building event for all the genre fans. This is a festival for those who share a passion for rock, as well as, synth-heavier interpretations. Folk fans will probably feel rather lost, yet that gives the festival its special character. By uniting the people who love the same type of music, it turns the audience into one big networking family, where you will see the band you have always wanted to see while getting turned onto many other acts, which fit your taste, like the Synästhesie regulars and Berlin-based rockers Jealous and singer Laura Carbone.

And who ever said the bigger the better?! This cozy festival knows exactly what they like and who they invite to present a line-up, which will make every hard rock fan’s heart beat faster. Still, they leave room for exploration by reserving a fair amount of spots for smaller acts. The neighborhood houses better watch themselves, because it is bound to get loud on the 16^th and 17^th of November. Join us at the Kulturbrauerei for the heavy psych-rock retreat Berlin never knew it needed. We are excited! Tickets are selling out fast, so make sure to grab yours right here.