Godflesh in Berlin

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  • Not a club night, not a concert, not a secret (ahem, nerdy) society for sound, but some kind of amalgam of all three is perhaps the best way to describe Not Equal, the roughly biannual event series at Berghain. And with its tough music policy and provocative intent, it is often anything but easy-going. You have to be prepared to really experience the music—to stand and stare, to gawp, to sway, to feel a bit awkward, and invariably wear your shin bones down because at some point you will be dancing. This edition promised plenty of all that, with Bleaching Agent, AnD and Helena Hauff onboard. But first there was the concert portion of the night, featuring Not Equal's wildest booking yet: Godflesh. Justin Broadrick (of Techno Animal, Napalm Death and a host of other projects) and G. C. Green's industrial metal project was arguably the night's biggest draw, calling all sorts of worshipers to mosh in tribute. Though Godflesh disbanded over ten years ago, Justin Broadrick has kept his skills sharp with metal outfit Jesu and a clutch of experimental electronic projects (such as Pale Sketcher and JK Flesh). This wasn't some bloated, bleary-eyed comeback show: Godflesh slew the dance floor with tracks like "Love Is A Dog From Hell," "Like Rats," "Mothra" and others. And then it was over. An hour seemed to pass in minutes. New York's Pharmakon brought 20 minutes of literally screaming power electronics, bookended by sets of weirdo dub-tronics and sturdy industrial powernoise from Opium Hum and Bleaching Agent. These Hidden Hands subdued Berghain with their tortured dystopian-pop landscapes. But it was AnD who stole this second half of the show. Their surprisingly straight techno assault whipped us all into a drop-saluting frenzy in another "fuck yeah, what a night" finish (for me, anyway—I left before Helena Hauff closed). To be honest, it got a little sludgy in the middle there. But that's what this particular game is all about: the rough with the smooth, and the kinda wrong with the oh-so right. Keep us guessing, Not Equal—it wouldn't be the same without you.
RA