Ed Davenport plays live for Contort

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  • The Berlin-based artist will show his experimental side at this month's edition of the free series.
  • Ed Davenport plays live for Contort image
  • Ed Davenport will headline the next edition of Contort, taking place at Mindpirates Vereinsheim in Berlin on May 20th. Contort is a free Sunday daytime event that aims to gives artists a non-party environment where they can play more experimental music. This month's edition will see Davenport playing live, along with Kkoee, Zan Lyons, Envirgen and one of the series' founders, Samuel Kerridge. DJ sets will come from Alex Tsiridis and Opium Hum, the resident and promoter behind Berghain's ? (or Not Equal) nights. Chatting via email last week, RA caught up with Contort's founders, Hayley and Samuel Kerridge, to talk more about the series:
    What's the overall spirit or concept of Contort? How did the idea first come up and who are the main players? The idea had been in our minds for a while. We always wanted to run a party on a Sunday daytime. Somewhere for people to come and listen to some great music. Not just "another" techno/house party. Our concept is to take artists out of their usual environment and give them the freedom to experiment with music they might not always get a chance to play out. Music that influences them and makes them tick. We also encourage live acts as much as possible. We are old believers that music should be free, so nobody gets paid from Contort, including us and the artists, we are all here because we want to be. It’s strange how many people hear this and want to get involved, like the guys at RAD who design our posters, and Easton and all the Mindpirates crew who take time out of their schedule to help us set up and make pancakes and rum smoothies for the breakfast club. It’s really reassuring to know that we have the backing from so many great people. Do you feel like you're filling a gap in Berlin's clubbing options? Every promoter would like to believe they are bringing something new to the table, in this case we would dare to say yes. When we came to Berlin we did notice a space for a party like this. Nobody wants to be daring anymore, there's too much risk, so promoters tend to stick to what they know. Contort is a place you can chill, have a dance, do whatever you like, surrounded by likeminded people, listening to artists playing something out of the ordinary in an extraordinary surrounding. What's the venue like? How would you describe the ideal atmosphere at the event? The venue is absolutely amazing! One of our favourite places in Berlin. It's an old mill turned into a creative space. There are lots of hiding places and nooks and crannies. You have to see it to believe it. It's truly exceptional and when we were introduced to the venue we couldn't have put Contort on anywhere else. The music, venue, and vibe totally fits. We get a good mix of people who have been out all weekend, music enthusiasts and people who are out for a Sunday walk. It's a very friendly place, and the atmosphere is great. We get people dancing and people sitting, and a few people in between.

RA