Maschinenfest was an annual three-day underground music festival in Germany, featuring industrial,

power electronics Power electronics is the application of electronics to the control and conversion of electric power. The first high-power electronic devices were made using mercury-arc valves. In modern systems, the conversion is performed with semiconducto ...

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference aris ...

and other alternative electronic performers. It included both independent and signed bands as well as many vendors for music and related merchandise. Featured

record labels A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...

and noteworthy companies included Ant-Zen, Hands Productions, Pflichtkauf, Spectre Records and

Ad Noiseam Ad Noiseam is an independent record label that has from 2001 onwards published electronic music in the form of (breakcore, drum'n'bass, IDM, dubstep) as well as hip-hop and jazz based in Berlin, Germany. Ad Noiseam was founded in April of 200 ...

History

The festival was traditionally held in October in a

bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

deep underground Aachen,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The venue posed some problems with heat, humidity and air circulation, as well as condensation dripping on to the gear of the performers, but the atmosphere of the bunker proved quite fitting to the genres of music played throughout the festival. For only one edition, in 2003, the festival moved to the castle ruin of Schloss Leerodt in

Geilenkirchen Geilenkirchen (, Ripuarian: ) is a town in the district Heinsberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Wurm, approx. 15 km (9.3 mi) north-east of Heerlen and 20 k ...

. From 2004 to 2008, Maschinenfest was held at the Kulturfabrik in

Krefeld Krefeld ( , ; li, Krieëvel ), also spelled Crefeld until 1925 (though the spelling was still being used in British papers throughout the Second World War), is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, i ...

. In 2009, the festival was held in Essen, and starting in 2010, the festival was held in the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen. Kulturfabrik Krefeld

Part of the pre-festival activities was the "Maschinenfaces" page where the visitors could add pictures of themselves and state where they were staying and who they were with as well as comment on each other's pictures. An April Fools' Day posting on the Side-Line website claimed that the 2008 edition, the 10th one, would also be the final one. This was not the case. In 2011 Wolfram Bange, Henning Hinck, Sebastian Vogel and Lena Neugebauer filmed a documentary about the festival. It was a tribute to the scene and can be watched on several video platforms for free.

Line-Up

1999–2003

* 1999: Imminent Starvation (now Imminent), Winterkälte, ,

Noisex Power noise (also known as rhythmic noise and occasionally as distorted beat music) is a form of industrial music and a fusion of noise music and various styles of electronic dance music. It should not be confused with " power electronics", wh ...

, Ah Cama-Sotz, Hypnoskull vs. Tunnel, ZymOsiZ, Synapscape, S.alt, MS Gentur, Morgenstern, Andxesion * 2000: SINA, Klangstabil, MS Gentur, Silk Saw,

Xingu Hill Xingu Hill is a musical project of musician John Sellekaers. During the last ten years, John has released about forty records on various labels (such as Hushush, Ant-Zen, Hymen Records, Foton, Delikatessen, Mirex, Re-Load Ambient, and Nova ...

, Scorn, Imminent, Ammo, Celluloid Mata, NKVD, Asche, Proyecto Mirage, Synapscape, Tunnel, Winterkälte, Mlada Fronta, Mono No Aware, Monokrom, Somatic Responses, Sona Eact.

Vromb Vromb (recording alias for Hugo Girard, real name Mario Girard) is a Canadian electronic music act from Montreal, Quebec. Vromb has been internationally active since 1992. In the independent underground electronic music scene Vromb has a solid ...

, Converter,

Panacea In Greek mythology, Panacea (Greek ''Πανάκεια'', Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art: * Panacea (the goddess of univers ...

vs. Needle Sharing * 2001: Iszoloscope, Frames a Second, Typhoid, Noosa Hedz, Xabex, Monolith, P.A.L, Synapscape, Templegardens, Substanz T,

Telepherique An aerial tramway, sky tram, cable car, ropeway, aerial tram, telepherique, or seilbahn is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion. With this form of lift, the grip ...

feat. Roger Rotor, Cybernetic Fuckheadz, Savak,

Sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on o ...

, Winterkälte, Law Rah Collective, Contagious Orgasm, Azure Skies, Axiome,

vs. Needle Sharing, Proyecto Mirage, Black Lung, Orphx * 2002: Sonic Dragolgo, Synth-Etik, SINA, m2, Klangstabil feat. S.alt, Somatic Responses, Hypnoskull, Winterkälte, Config.Sys, Tarmvred, Roger Rotor,

Deutsch Nepal Deutsch Nepal is an industrial and dark ambient project created in 1991 by Swedish musician Peter Andersson. History Under the name Deutsch Nepal, Andersson has issued eight studio albums, a couple of singles, the originally tape-only Sile ...

, Placid,

vs. Needle Sharing, Klinik, Ars Moriendi, Die neue Sachlichkeit, This Morn' Omina, Xabec, Mimetic, Mental Destruction,

Venetian Snares Aaron Funk (born January 11, 1975), known as Venetian Snares, is a Canadian electronic musician based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is widely known for innovating and popularising the breakcore genre, and is one of the most recognisable artists to b ...

vs. Fanny vs.

Hecate Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depict ...

, Imminent,

* 2003: CellAutoMata, Law-Rah Collective, Iszoloscope, Asche, ULTRA s t a t a l s ! feat. Hypnoskull,

Hanin Elias Hanin Elias (born 31 May 1972) is a Syrian German industrial/techno artist. She was a member of Atari Teenage Riot and is now a solo artist. After Atari Teenage Riot's non-definitive break in 2000, and the subsequent death of Carl Crack f ...

, 5F 55, Punch Inc., Telerotor, Pow r Pussy,

Mono No Aware , literally "the pathos of things", and also translated as "an empathy toward things", or "a sensitivity to ephemera", is a Japanese idiom for the awareness of , or transience of things, and both a transient gentle sadness (or wistfulness) at th ...

, , Synapscape, Converter, Antigen Shift, Axiome, Detritus, Morgenstern,

Architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, Needle Sharing, Ah Cama-Sotz,

2004–2008

* 2004: Dazzling Malicious,

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgenc ...

, Norm, Monokrom, Geistform,

, Mimetic,

, This Morn' Omina, Heimstatt Yipotash, Genetic Selection, Hecq, ¥Π¥, Config.Sys, L'ombre, Hypnoskull, Winterkälte,

Robert Görl Robert Görl (born 15 June 1955 in Munich) is a German musician, best known for his work with Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (D.A.F.) and for his solo recordings, particularly ''Night Full Of Tension'' and "Darling Don't Leave Me" (together ...

, Caos, Mothboy, Polarlicht 4.1, s:cage, Catholic Boys in Heavy Leather, Larvae, Mlada Fronta, Sanctum, Monolith, Proyecto Mirage * 2005: Ah Cama-Sotz, Ambassador21,

Atrox Atrox is a Norwegian avant-garde metal band from Trondheim. The group originally formed under the name "Suffocation" but soon changed it because of numerous other bands with the same name.Biography AllMusic Formed in 1988, the band released its ...

, Az Rotator,

Brighter Death Now Brighter Death Now is the artist name under which Roger Karmanik (b. 1965 as Roger Karlsson), the founder of the Swedish record label Cold Meat Industry, releases death industrial, power electronics Power electronics is the application of ...

, Contagious Orgasm,

Contaminant Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that spoils, corrupts, infects, makes unfit, or makes inferior a material, physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc. Types of contamination Wi ...

, Imminent, Klangstabil, Kraken, Mental Destruction, Morgenstern, Orphx, Pow r Pussy, Punch Inc., Rasputin, Roger Rotor, S.K.E.T., Synapscape,

, Empusae, Edgey, Enduser, Iszoloscope, Kom Intern, Kirdec Feat. Elekore, Lapsed, Loss,

* 2006: Antigen Shift, Asche, Bong-Ra, Black Lung, Camanecroszcope, Cdatakill, Geistform, Geneviéve Pasquier, Hypnoskull, Hysteresis, In Slaughter Natives, Institution D.O.L, m2, Mimetic, Militia, Moctan, Mono No Aware, Needle Sharing, Nullvektor, P.A.L, Shorai, Snog, Suicide Inside, The (Law-Rah) Collective, This Morn' Omina, Winterkälte, Xabec * 2007: 100 Blumen, 5f-X, Ab ovo, Ah Cama-Sotz, Ahnst Anders, Ambassador21, Catholic Boys in Heavy Leather, Config.Sys, Dazzling Malicious, Detritus, Detune X, DJ Hidden, Drumcorps, Eva3,

, Keef Baker,

Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio (ORE) is a neofolk and martial industrial music group from Stockholm. The band is composed of its founding member and vocalist Tomas Pettersson, and Rose-Marie Larsen, who replaced Chelsea Krook on backup vocals. In 2008 ...

, Scrap Edx, S.K.E.T., Skincage,

, Spherical Disrupted, Synapscape, This Morn' Omina, Twinkle, ¥Π¥,

* 2008: Hysteresis, Kirdec, , Scorn,

& Enduser, Roger Rotor, Iszoloscope + Camanecroszcope + Ah Cama-Sotz, Mono No Aware, Kraken, Rasputeen In Heavy Leather, Larvae, Empusae & Friends, Xabec, Asche / Morgenstern & Ars Moriendi, Orphx, Imminent,

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

, Config.Sys + Ahnst Anders, Hypnoskull, Ambassador21 + Suicide Inside, Monokrom, Klangstabil, Punch Inc.,

Mimetic Mimesis (; grc, μίμησις, ''mīmēsis'') is a term used in literary criticism and philosophy that carries a wide range of meanings, including '' imitatio'', imitation, nonsensuous similarity, receptivity, representation, mimicry, the ...

, The (Law-Rah) Collective, Monolith, Ms Gentur, Proyecto Mirage, Contagious Orgasm, Bong-Ra,

, Winterkälte

2009–2013

* 2009: 100 Blumen, Alarmen, Angina P, Broken Note,

, Dazzling Malicious, Dive,

, Geneviéve Pasquier, Synapscape, This Morn' Omina, Powder Pussy, Sudden Infant, Teknoist, Tzolk'in,

, Feine Trinkers Bei Pinkels Daheim, DJ Hidden, Gjöll, Hecq, Heimstatt Yipotash, Last days Of S.E.X., Mono-Amine, S.K.E.T. * 2010: Mandelbrot, 13th Monkey, Matta, Chrysalide, Bipol, Config.Sys, Ambassador21, Asche,

, Simon Schall, Swanika, Zero Degree, ABS6, Subheim, Edgey, Iszoloscope, Ah Cama-Sotz, Winterkälte, Horque, Killer, Lingouf, Frl. Linientreu, Niveau Zero, Sonic Aarea, Nullvektor, Mono No Aware,

* 2011: Dirk Geiger, Spherical Disrupted, Ahnst Anders, Suicide Inside, Igorrr, Xabec, Contaminant, Empusae, Synapscape, The_empath, Mobthrow, 16Pad Noise Terrorist, Atrabilis Sunrise, Näo, Pankow, Thorofon, This Morn' Omina, Needle Sharing, Saal5, Kirdec, Wieloryb, Dazzling Malicious, Marita Schreck, Balkansky & Loop Stepwalker, Contagious Orgasm, Imminent,

Lustmord Brian Williams is a Welsh industrial musician, sound designer and film score composer. He is often credited for creating the dark ambient genre with albums recorded under the name Lustmord. His experimental work has been described as "not tra ...

* 2012: Hydrone, Dirty K, Sabes, Hysteresis, Nin Kuji, The aw-RahCollective, Hecq, Enduser,

, Oyaarss, Swanika, Syntech, Objekt Urian, Flint Glass, Pow r Pussy, Militia, Winterkälte, 2 Kilos & More feat. Black Sifichi, Xanopticon, Underhill, Con-Dom, Geistform, Axiome, In Slaughter Natives,

Haujobb Haujobb is a German electronic musical project whose output has ranged drastically within the electronic music spectrum, from electro-industrial to ambient and techno. They have become a staple crossover act, bringing several forms of electro ...

, Roger Rotor * 2013: Ah Cama-Sotz, Alarmen, Cacophoneuses, Config.sys, Control, Fausten, Greyhound, Hypnoskull, Iszoloscope, Klangstabil, Le Moderniste, Mezire, Mimetic, Monolog, Mono No Aware, Persons Unknown, Philipp Munch, Ruby My Dear, Shorai, Silent Walls, S.K.E.T., Sonic Area, Sudden Infant, Synapscape, The Klinik, The Ruins of Beverast, Tzolk'in

2014–2018

* 2014: Ambassador21,

, asementgrrr Catastrophe Noise, Chrysalide, Dazzling Malicious, Detritus,

Empusa Empusa or Empousa (; ; ''plural'': ''Empousai'') is a shape-shifting female being in Greek mythology, said to possess a single leg of copper, commanded by Hecate, whose precise nature is obscure. In Late Antiquity, the empousai have been describ ...

, GORE TECH, hologram_, Inade, Loss, MachineCode, Mono-Amine, Monolith, Moogulator, Mortaja, Näo, Nullvektor, Oyaarss, Phasenmensch, SaturmZlide,

, Sylvgheist maëlström, Thee Secrete Society, Winterkälte, Zero Degree * 2015: Nullgrad, Swarm Intelligence, Talvekoidik, Control, Wieloryb, Sudden Infant, Dive, Needle Sharing, Synapscape, Incite/, 2Methyl, Gjöll, 2Kilos & More, Distel, Scantum,

Bad Sector A bad sector in computing is a disk sector on a disk storage unit that is permanently damaged. Upon taking damage, all information stored on that sector is lost. When a bad sector is found and marked, the operating system like Windows or Linux will ...

Drumcorps Drumcorps is the metal/breakcore musical project of American musician Aaron Spectre. He is currently based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Spectre was born and raised in rural Massachusetts. He began Drumcorps after moving to Berlin to branch out crea ...

, Ah Cama-Sotz, Darkrad, Mago, Kommando, Rummelsnuff, Asche / Morgenstern, Fliehende Stürme, DJ Hidden, Geistform,

* 2016: the_empath, Dirk Geiger, Spherical Disrupted, Blush_Response, Fractional, Ambassador21, Deutsch Nepal, Hypnoskull, Winterkälte, Supersimmetria, Morthound, EA80, Heimstatt Yipotash, Sonic Area, Test Dept, 13th Monkey, Hologram_, Ancient Methods, Ecstasphere, Trackologists, Axiome, ESA, The aw-RahCollective, Cervello Elettronico, Trepaneringsritualen, Niveau Zero, Iszoloscope * 2017: Alarmen, Aphexia, Dive, Gatto Nero, Haus Am Rand, Imminent / Synapscape, In Slaughter Natives, Mono No Aware, Siamgda, Ah Cama-Sotz, Empusae, Esplendor Geometrico, Feine Trinkers Bei Pinkels Daheim, Geneviéve Pasqier, Gold, Greyhound, Somatic Responses, Suicide Inside, goreshit, Horskh, Kaffee Und Kuchen,

, Meta Meat, Monolith, Nur Zwei Linien, S.K.E.T., Sutcliffe Jügend, Yura Yura * 2018: Ah Cama-Sotz, Alarmen, Ambassador21 vs. Suicide Inside,

, Chrysalide, Config.sys, Contagious Orgasm, Control, Dazzling Malicious, Dirk Geiger, Dive, DJ Hidden, Enduser, holotrop, Hypnoskull, Imminent, Iszoloscope, Killerlady, Mental Destruction, Monolith, Nullvektor, Orphx, Proyecto Mirage, Salt, Sutcliffe Jügend, Synapscape, The aw-RahCollective,

, Winterkälte, Xabec, Xoks

References

External links

Maschinenfest homepage

"Maschinenfest 2011 - Ein Dokumentarfilm"
(Documentary film)
"Maschinenfaces"
(Yearly visitor overview)
"La Versione di Kranio (una famiglia oscura chiamata MaschinenFest) - A strange family called MaschinenFest"
(Long essay about the history, Italian) {{Authority control Music festivals established in 1999 Noise music Electronic music festivals in Germany Industrial music festivals Power electronics (music)