Kiezsalon with Evicshen, James Blackshaw and Mayssa Jallad

In October, the Kiezsalon returns to its familiar home the Musikbrauerei, this year presenting San Francisco-based instrument maker Evicshen, British guitarist James Blackshaw and Beirut-based singer-songwriter Mayssa Jallad. Tickets on sale now via Eventbrite and DICE. Victoria Shen (Evicshen) is a San Francisco-based sound artist and performer who focuses on the spatiality and physicality of sound in relation to the human body. Using modular synthesizers, vinyl records and self-built electronics, she creates chaotic, textured music that challenges conventional harmony and rhythm, leading The Quietus to describe her 2020 debut album 'Hair Birth' as “a coruscating folio of sonic art”. As well as installation work, her multimedia practice includes developing sound augmentation objects such as Needle Nails, Levitating Speakers and Noise Combs. James Blackshaw is a self-taught English guitarist known for his long-form solo compositions primarily for 12-string guitar. His music blends minimalist, classical, folk and Eastern influences, drawing comparisons with John Fahey, Robbie Basho and Terry Riley. Having released several albums between 2006 and 2015, he returned in 2024 with 'Unraveling In Your Hands'. Exploring themes of loss, its title track was hailed by Uncut as “a bravura performance,” with “an unrelenting, hypnotic stream of shivering strings, tiny flecks of light dazzling as you plunge deep into the repetition.” Mayssa Jallad is a Beirut-based singer-songwriter, architectural researcher and teacher. After founding the indie-pop band Safar with guitarist Elie Abdelnour in 2013, she released her debut solo album Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels in 2023. Combining poetic songwriting and historical narration, Marjaa recounts the urban battles of the Lebanese Civil War through the story of a nameless man who lost his sons in the conflict; Louder Than War called it “an utterly hypnotic mix of alternative blues-folk-tinged soundtracks, given a richness through the arrangements and judicious choice of electronic tones and textures.” We are always happy to be back at the 120-year-old building of the Musikbrauerei in Prenzlauer Berg. Tucked away between Greifswalder Straße and Volkspark Friedrichshain, the former Schneider brewery is a rare building in former East Berlin for having survived, unspoiled, the creeping tide of gentrification. As we usually sell out, we recommend booking tickets in advance. _____ The Kiezsalon is a project by Digital in Berlin. Curated by Michael Rosen and funded by Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion. Presented by The Wire and taz, die tageszeitung.