Mannequin Records and TIQ (Tanz In Quadrat) presented on June 21st the first Clock DVA show in Berlin after more than 20 years. The group was formed in 1978 by Adolphus “Adi” Newton and Steven “Judd” and these Industrial pioneers who rarely perform live emerged alongside comtemporaries Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, established themselves as Post-Punk legends with 1981’s Thirst LP (which contains the classic track 4 Hours). Clock DVA then reached the peak of their creativity with the 1989 watershed album ‘Buried Dreams’: a masterful EBM-influenced exploration of the surreal, occult and deviant sexuality.
Through the lens of nostalgia, the performance at the Slaughterhouse in Berlin was almost exactly the lighting and presentation from their last performance in 1993 , with the exception being the more modern setlist, which featured singles such as Sound Mirror, The Hacker (Hacker RE_HACKED), and the new track Phase IV. Overall, calling the performance a concert is a delusive statement; It was more or less an live installation of art, appealing to some, but unendurable for those who couldn’t catch the beat during a sold out show at such a small and packed venue. Despite this, no one can argue with the fact that the sound was fantastic, and so were the white outfits.
