My understanding is that weekend passes for Desertfest Berlin 2015 are sold out, but individual day tickets are still available. That is, if you want to show up on Friday and bum out on missing the rest of the weekend so hard that you wind up buying tickets for Saturday and Sunday as well, you can. Hey, it’s better than nothing.

The latest addition to the fest is Darmstadt heavy rockers Bushfire. Their last album, Heal Thy Self (review here), came out late in 2013, and it was a significant jump from their 2010 debut, Black Ash Sunday (review here), so I can’t help but wonder what these dudes might be up to now. The slot at Desertfest Berlin 2015 will apparently be their first show of the year. Kind of a late start, but a good one all the same.

Here’s the announcement from the Desertfest crew:

28th band to be confirmed for DesertFest Berlin 2015: Bushfire! The Darmstadt’s five-piece will bring you a good measure of blues, stoner, doom and southern rock.

With three demo Eps and two albums, shows and tours through half of Europe, TV airplay and a loyal fanbase – all of that without any label or management – BUSHFIRE is that kind of DIY band we love, and we are thrilled to have them on board!

Desertfest 3-day passes are now sold out, but stay tuned for the day tickets release, that will happen very soon!

DESERTFEST BERLIN #4 – APRIL 23th, 24th, 25th 2015
ASTRA KULTURHAUS / F-HAIN/X-BERG BERLIN (GER)
www.desertfest.de – www.soundofliberation.com

Red Fang + Orange Goblin + Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band + Acid King + Ufomammut + My Sleeping Karma + Conan + Black Pyramid + Karma To Burn + Brutus + Dopethrone + The Atomic Bitchwax + Lo-Pan + Baby Woodrose + The Picturebooks + Toner Low + Kamchatka + Dirty Fences + Heat + Bushfire + Mountain Witch + Mother Engine + Moaning Cities + The Sun And The Wolf + Cigale + Riff Fist + Travelin Jack + Tau + more

https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin
https://www.facebook.com/bushfiremusic

Bushfire, Heal Thy Self (2013)

I wondered last week when perusing Kamchatka‘s UK and European tour dates if the Swedish trio might not also end up on one or the other of the Desertfests, and it seems they’re headed to Berlin. Apparently since the last time I looked, Baby Woodrose also got added, which is awesome. The Desertfest Berlin 2015 lineup might be the strongest one yet, and it’s been interesting to watch — from an unfortunate distance — as the London and Berlin incarnations of the festival each grow their own personality. Both have a broadening reach, and yet they’re clearly becoming different entities, which when one takes into account the expansion of the brand to Belgium and potentially beyond that — because why not? — it should make the next couple years even more intriguing to see where it all goes.

These are the things one has to think about when one can’t just say things like, “Golly, I can’t wait to see Kamchatka at Desertfest!” One of these years, I’ll get to Berlin or back to London. For now, here’s the announcement of Kamchatka joining the lineup:

Here comes a new band: the Swedish trio KAMCHATKA is now confirmed for DESERTFEST BERLIN 2015!

Formed in Varberg in 2001, KAMCHATKA provide an explosive mixture of Stoner-, Hard-, 70’s-, Retro-, Psychedelic- and Bluesrock. Their first self-titled album came out on January 2005 via New York based indie label Grooveyard Records, followed in 2007 by “Volume II”.

During their first years, they played gigs here and there in Sweden, opening for Clutch a couple of times, who finally invited KAMCHATKA to join them on their 2008 US-Tour! It gave the guys their first opportunity to proove themselves to the American audience. After 21 successful performances, KAMCHATKA returned back home to complete “Volume III”, released in March 2009 via Swedish label Superpuma Records. In November 2009, the trio was once again invited by Clutch to open for them, this time on a month long tour of 23 gigs throughout western Europe.

With their amazing fifth album “The Search Goes On” (released on Despotz Records in February 2014) in the pocket, KAMCHATKA will make your booty move at DESERTFEST BERLIN in April! We are thrilled to have them on board!

Tickets on www.desertfest.de/tickets! (85€ + taxes)

DESERTFEST BERLIN #4 – APRIL 23th, 24th, 25th 2015
ASTRA KULTURHAUS / F-HAIN/X-BERG BERLIN (GER)
www.desertfest.de – www.soundofliberation.com

Red Fang + Orange Goblin + Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band + Acid King + Ufomammut + My Sleeping Karma + Conan + Black Pyramid + Karma To Burn + Brutus + Dopethrone + The Atomic Bitchwax + Lo-Pan + Baby Woodrose + The Picturebooks + Toner Low + Kamchatka + Dirty Fences + Heat + Mountain Witch + Mother Engine + Moaning Cities + The Sun And The Wolf + Cigale + Riff Fist + Travelin Jack + Tau + more

http://www.desertfest.de
http://www.soundofliberation.com
https://www.facebook.com/Kamchatkaofficial

Kamchatka, “Ain’t Fallin'”

I expect that for many who attend, Desertfest Berlin 2015 will serve as the introduction to Dutch dream rockers Cigale, whose airy tones and sweet melodies will make a recorded debut — their song “Harvest Begun” was premiered here — later this year. Their lineup features guitarist Rutger Smeets and drummer Hans Mulders, both formerly of fuzz jammers Sungrazer, but Cigale seem to be on a different wavelength, and what I’ve heard so far has certainly piqued my interest to hear where they go with their first album, for which a teaser can be heard below.

But first, the announcement from Desertfest. Desertfest Berlin 2015 runs from April 23-25 at the Astra Kulturhaus, which one of these days/years I’d very much like to see for myself:

We are proud to announce today a band you may not know yet, but that you are going to love very quickly: Cigale!!

CIGALE was born about a year ago from the ashes of Sungrazer, and features 2 former members of the trio (Rutger and Hans). Still in the nymph state in 2014, CIGALE stayed pretty quiet, composing and polishing their songs. But they have now finished to develop, and are ready to take-off and get themselves heard!

And for what we’ve heard so far, CIGALE just sound incredibly hypnotic! They have managed to capture their atmospheric sounds and dreamy lyrics combined with a dose of heaviness on their selftitled debut-album, to be released in March and celebrated at DesertFest Berlin in April!

We can only encourage you to like their page, check-out the teaser they published yesterday and succumb to the CIGALE’s song!

Tickets on www.desertfest.de/tickets! (85€ + taxes)

DESERTFEST BERLIN #4 – APRIL 23th, 24th, 25th 2015
ASTRA KULTURHAUS / F-HAIN/X-BERG BERLIN (GER)
www.desertfest.de – www.soundofliberation.com

Red Fang + Orange Goblin + Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band + Acid King + Ufomammut + My Sleeping Karma + Conan + Black Pyramid + Karma To Burn + Brutus + Dopethrone + The Atomic Bitchwax + Lo-Pan + The Picturebooks + Toner Low + Dirty Fences + Heat + Mountain Witch + Mother Engine + The Sun And The Wolf + Cigale + Riff Fist + Travelin Jack + more

https://www.facebook.com/cigaleband/
www.soundofliberation.com
www.desertfest.de
http://www.desertfest.de/tickets

Cigale, Cigale album teaser

Desertfest Berlin 2015 isn’t letting the week end without adding another band to the mix, and this time around it’s The Sun and the Wolf, who’ve recently released their second album, Salutations, on World in Sound. Based in Berlin now but originating in Auckland, New Zealand, The Sun and the Wolf join a blazing Desertfest lineup that already features Orange Goblin, Red Fang, Acid King and Brant Bjork, among many others, and the fest is set to take place April 23-25 at the Astra Kulturhaus, which I hear kicks all kinds of ass. Wouldn’t mind finding out for myself one of these years.

Info follows, complete with The Sun and the Wolf‘s bio from World in Sound, in case you’d like to familiarize before you get lost in the stream of Salutations:

It’s time for a new announcement! We are pleased to tell you that the Berlin-based outfit The Sun And The Wolf are now confirmed for DesertFest Berlin 2015!

They freshly released via World in Sound their second album “Salutations”, gladly made to fans of psychedelic music and adventures in sound! Stream it here, it’s a killer, and get your ticket to attend the festival on www.desertfest.de/tickets! (85€ + taxes)

Bio:
World In Sound presents its first release with Kiwi roots with the young and ambitious quartet “Sun and the Wolf”. Salutations is their return, the second full length album which opens the gates to a psychedelic soaked wonderland. The nine analog recorded cuts are dynamically arranged continuing on from the explosive and overdriven rhythm and blues that their debut LP “White Buffalo” boasted, while exploring darker realms of fuzz driven psychedelia with catchy riffage and splashes of The Beatles´ lysergic era. Tales of heartbreak, debauchery and deceit echoing from a far away room, the guitar driven sound shows a band soulful and haunted in their delivery, live and on record.

The group relocated from Auckland to Berlin in late 2008 leaving behind a band formerly known as “The Have”. Formed in their teens, the band carved its name upon the New Zealand rock’n’roll scene. There they experienced commercial radio and television success, were invited to SXSW in Texas twice and had their debut album produced by Barrett Jones who worked with Nirvana and The Melvins. They have shared stages with likes as Sleepy Sun, Kasabian, Wolfmother, Dead Meadow, A Place To Bury Strangers and standout festival performances at the notorious Fusion Festival. Salutations creates an exciting and unexpectedly colourful spectrum throughout its duration!

DESERTFEST BERLIN #4 – APRIL 23th, 24th, 25th 2015
ASTRA KULTURHAUS / F-HAIN/X-BERG BERLIN (GER)
www.desertfest.de – www.soundofliberation.com

Red Fang + Orange Goblin + Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band + Acid King + Ufomammut + My Sleeping Karma + Conan + Black Pyramid + Karma To Burn + Brutus + Dopethrone + The Atomic Bitchwax + Lo-Pan + The Picturebooks + Toner Low + Dirty Fences + Heat + Mountain Witch + Mother Engine + The Sun And The Wolf + Riff Fist + Travelin Jack + many more acts

https://www.facebook.com/events/563652867102196/
www.desertfest.de
www.soundofliberation.com
https://www.facebook.com/sunandthewolf
http://www.sunandthewolf.com/

I’ve seen Toner Low, and they’re one of those bands that, whatever you’re thinking of as heavy, they’re probably heavier than it. A complete tonal overload of lurching riffs, stoned vibes and mega-weedian plod. Their third album, 2013’s III (review here), remains a superlative when it comes to the dankest of grooves, and their 2005 self-titled debut would be legendary by now — a decade later — if anyone who experienced it had brain cells enough afterwards to realize what they’d just witnessed. Sounds like hyperbole? It is. Some bands just bring it out of you like that.

Don’t believe me? Fine, don’t bury yourself under the four tracks of III by listening to it on the Bandcamp player below and thus have to immediately find the most efficient means of purchasing everything they’ve ever done. Your loss. For those lucky enough to be in attendance (would that I could count myself among their number), Toner Low will be dropping jaws at Desertfest Berlin 2015, which runs from April 23-25 at the Astra Kulturhaus, joining the ranks of fellow tone-extremists Conan and Ufomammut, for whom they make good company.

The festival announced their inclusion like this:

We are thrilled to tell you today that Lowlands’ psychedelic doomers Toner Low are now confirmed for DesertFest Berlin 2015!

In April, they will spread their overwhelming, crunchy and heavy sound to the Astra Kulturhaus and crush the Desertfest crowd!
It’s gonna be massive!

Be there! Buy your ticket right now on www.desertfest.de/tickets! (85€ + taxes)

DESERTFEST BERLIN #4 – APRIL 23th, 24th, 25th 2015
ASTRA KULTURHAUS / F-HAIN/X-BERG BERLIN (GER)

Red Fang + Orange Goblin + Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band + Acid King + Ufomammut + My Sleeping Karma + Conan + Black Pyramid + Karma To Burn + Brutus + Dopethrone + The Atomic Bitchwax + Lo-Pan + The Picturebooks + Toner Low + Dirty Fences + Heat + Mountain Witch + Mother Engine + Riff Fist + Travelin Jack + many more acts:)

www.desertfest.de
www.soundofliberation.com
https://www.facebook.com/tonerlow
http://tonerlow.bandcamp.com/

Toner Low, III (2013)

Damn near impossible to argue with the Desertfest Berlin 2015 lineup at this point. We’ve hit the stage in band-adds where you just have to toss up your hands and be like, “Well, okay, whoever they bring in at this point, it’s gonna be good.” With Red Fang and Orange Goblin among the headliners, plus Acid King — who’ll have a new album out by then — and My Sleeping Karma and Black Pyramid and Lo-Pan and The Atomic Bitchwax and so many others, it’s basically a heavy rocker’s dreamteam of European and American acts coming together. What’s not to like, except maybe the cost of airfare and a hotel in Berlin?

The latest to join the bunch? None other than the godfather of desert groove himself, Brant Bjork. He’ll be taking his Brant Bjork and the Low Desert Punk Band on the road again in support of 2014’s Black Power Flower (review here), which is out now on Napalm.

Announcement follows, courtesy of Desertfest Berlin 2015:

We are thrilled to tell you that MR. Brant Bjork and his LOW DESERT PUNKS are confirmed to headline friday night at DesertFest Berlin 2015! The band had put on such mindblowing shows during their last tour, that there was no question: we really wanted them and we are sure that you do too!

So come on you “freaks of nature” join BRANT BJORK AND THE LOW DESERT PUNK BAND in Berlin and “Let the truth be known…”

Grab your HARD-TICKET + T-SHIRT while you still can on www.desertfest.de/tickets! Only 100 left, and this offer lasts until December 18th only. You can also get a PRINT-AT-HOME TICKET on the same page if you prefere.

DESERTFEST BERLIN #4 – APRIL 23th, 24th, 25th 2015
ASTRA KULTURHAUS / F-HAIN/X-BERG BERLIN (GER)

Red Fang + Orange Goblin + Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band + Acid King + My Sleeping Karma + Black Pyramid + Karma To Burn + Brutus + Dopethrone + The Atomic Bitchwax + Lo-Pan + The Picturebooks + Dirty Fences + Mountain Witch + Mother Engine + many many more acts:)

www.desertfest.de
www.soundofliberation.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brant-Bjork/123800120977061

Brant Bjork and the Low Desert Punk Band, Black Power Flower preview

Seems an unlikely coincidence that German two-piece The Picturebooks played Astra Kulturhaus last night and here they are today being announced for Desertfest Berlin 2015, which is held at the same venue. You’d almost swear these things were planned out ahead of time. The duo are currently on tour among the formidable ranks of Kadavar and The Shrine and were previously announced for Roadburn 2015 as well. Still fresh of the release of their RidingEasy Records debut and third album overall, Imaginary Horse, they’re also veterans of this year’s Desertfest in Belgium.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up on the bill for London as well (they recently played in Camden Town for the first time), but that announcement hasn’t come yet, so don’t quote me on it. The bluesy roll of Imaginary Horse can be heard in full below and it comes with the info from Desertfest Berlin, in case, you know, it slipped your mind in the three days since they last added a band. Ha:

Alright folks, here we go!

Today we announce a band you have surely heard of in the last couple of weeks and months: the German duo The Picturebooks!!

Their unique sound combines a great bluesy-driven-altern rock mixed with garage and punk elements. Currently supporting Kadavar allover europe, they got amazing feedbacks from press and fans for their incredible live shows. Yesterday, they blew the Astra Kulturhaus Berlin, and will do it again next year! Seeing them live and listening to their tunes, you can´t stand still, promised. This will be FUN!!

Get your limited HARD TICKET (with a free Desertfest T-Shirt) or a PRINT-AT-HOME TICKET on www.desertfest.de/tickets! Make your choice

DESERTFEST BERLIN #4 – APRIL 23th, 24th, 25th 2015
ASTRA KULTURHAUS / F-HAIN/X-BERG BERLIN (GER)

Red Fang + Orange Goblin + My Sleeping Karma + Black Pyramid + Karma To Burn + Brutus + Dopethrone + The Atomic Bitchwax + The Picturebooks + Lo-pan + Mountain Witch + Mother Engine + many many more acts:)

www.desertfest.de
www.soundofliberation.com
https://www.facebook.com/ThePicturebooks
https://soundcloud.com/easyriderrecords/

The Picturebooks, Imaginary Horse (2014)

German heavy psych trio Mother Engine are the latest confirmation for Desertfest Berlin 2015. They join the esteemed ranks of Orange Goblin, Red Fang, Black Pyramid and Karma to Burn in the lineup for the fest, which is set for the end of next April at the Astra Kulturhaus, where Desertfest has been held since its inception. I won’t pretend to know a lot about the three-piece, who got their start in 2011 and decided to press on as an instrumental act following the departure of their frontman, but if the jammy heavy rock they propagated on their 2012 Fuzzmatazz Records debut, Muttermaschine, is any indicator of where they’re at now, they should fit right in on the bill.

The album is rife with warm tones and a natural, jammed-out vibe in the post-Colour Haze vein, though a little rougher around the edges for Mother Engine being a new band. Since it will be about two and a half years after the release by the time they take the stage at Desertfest, I’d be interested to hear how they’ve changed in that time. Maybe the slot coincides with a new album? I guess we’ll find out sooner or later.

For now, the announcement:

Mother Engine confirmed for DesertFest Berlin 2015!!

Since their legendary campsite gig at the Stoned From The Underground 2013, everyone has either heard of their name or even their great debut record, “Muttermaschine”. Their music is chill-out music to the max, music that touches your soul, and they truly deserved to be part of the festival next year!

Get your limited HARD TICKET along with a free DESERTFEST 2015 T-Shirt (with Elvisdead design) on Woolheads!
http://woolheads.com/…/desertfest…/tickets-desertfestberlin/
Only 200 available (85€ + shipping)!

DESERTFEST BERLIN #4 – APRIL 23th, 24th, 25th 2015
ASTRA KULTURHAUS / F-HAIN/X-BERG BERLIN (GER)

Red Fang + Orange Goblin + My Sleeping Karma + Black Pyramid + Karma To Burn + Brutus + Dopethrone + The Atomic Bitchwax + Lo-pan + Mountain Witch + Mother Engine + many many more acts:)

www.desertfest.de
www.soundofliberation.com
http://motherenginerock.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MotherEngineRock

Mother Engine, Muttermaschine (2012)