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GET TO KNOW


As aficionados of electronic music and purveyors of queer culture eagerly anticipate the sixth edition of WHOLE United Queer Festival, set to unfold from August 2-5, 2024 at Ferropolis, Gräfenhainichen we delve into the heart of what makes this event truly unique. WHOLE isn’t just a festival; it’s a vibrant convergence of global queer culture, a celebration of diversity, and a powerful state- ment of unity through music.


This year, WHOLE expands to welcome 9,000 visitors to its dystopian “city of iron” just outside Berlin. But num- bers only tell part of the story. The real magic lies in the collectives that breathe life into the festival’s six stages, each bringing their distinct flavor of resistance, celebra- tion, and community.


This first of two features spotlights five Berlin-based collectives central to shaping the backbone of WHOLE and the city’s queer electronic music landscape. Buttons, GEGEN, Kilowatt, Pornceptual, and Lecken were chosen because of the groups identified contributions to topics surrounding local scenes, queer culture, diversity, inclu- sion, equity, justice, or any combination of the above that’s centric to the ‘United’ ethos of WHOLE.


As the festival approaches, their stories reveal challenges faced, victories won, and visions for a more inclusive fu- ture in dance music.


LECKEN (BERLIN)


Lecken emerges as a powerhouse in Berlin’s queer rave scene, boldly redefining the boundaries of inclusive nightlife. Lecken has become a vanguard for feminist and trans-inclusive activism. Their unique blend of somatic exploration, political engagement, and unbridled cele- bration makes them a prominent movement shaping the future of queer underground culture. At WHOLE, Lecken brings this revolutionary spirit, promising to transform the festival space into a playground for radical inclusion, collective joy, and transformative experiences.


Mixmag: Introduce your collective! What can people expect from Lecken at WHOLE?


Lecken: “Our collective emerged 8 years ago in Berlin feeding on gay cruising club culture and seeking to make this nightlife legacy more accessible and inclusive to fem & trans pleasure. We’re ravers through and through, and what you can expect from our collective is a passion for good music and unbridled fun with an unpretentious atti- tude. Raving is all about collectivity (including economic accessibility and redistribution), stranger sociality (and sexuality), a diversity of pleasures, and an openness to the unknown. It is these values that we stand for as a form of underground nightlife activism.


We’ve been involved with WHOLE Festival since the second year of the festival and we’re proud to have helped shape its cultural and curatorial direction. This year mem- bers of our family are involved in curating the TALKS program, the DTF play space, the performance stage and the global bass floor. We will of course also bring our residents (Carmen 16 and KILLA) to the forest stage for some sunrise delight.”


Mixmag: Could you share a recent experience or initiative from your collective that you’re particularly proud of?


Lecken: “In terms of WHOLE Festival, we’re proud to be co-creating the TALKS program, where our co-founder Wanda Gaimes (aka Skankstasy) curates discussions on contentious topics at the heart of our nightlife communi- ty. In years past, WHOLE TALKS has hosted conversations with Novara Media, the rising star of independent media, the queer Palestinian movement, Al-Qaws, and somatic justice author, Camille Barton. All of them can be revisi- ted on the WHOLE SoundCloud. This year we’re looking forward to a conversation on the politics of (resisting) anti-Muslim hate and Palestinian solidarity, a discussion on darkroom culture between liberation and policing, and another instalment of GayConsent Lab.”


Mixmag: What are your hopes for the future of the under- ground queer music scene?


Lecken: “As our world is moving to the right, and we’re faced with the rise of nationalist parties, anti-immigrant sentiment, extra-judicial policing and the repression of liberation movements, club culture has the potential of standing at the forefront of the propagation and circu- lation of emancipatory thought. This cannot remain li- mited to the spread of liberal values, like representation, diversity and inclusion, but must include more radical for- ms of protest, including connections with actually existing movements opposing racism, nationalism and militarism, increased familiarity with liberationist history and theory, and a return to the radical values of counter-culture (esp. anti-policing, anti-capitalism and anti-elitism). Millions of young people turn to club culture for a reprieve from a pathetic present and hopeless future. The choice is up to us, those working to produce these playgrounds. Will our parties and festivals be playgrounds for forgetting and prestige or will they act as structures for learning, solida- rity collective growth.”


NEW EDITORIAL CONCLUSION:


As we’ve seen through the voices of Buttons, GEGEN, Kilowatt, Pornceptual, and Lecken, Berlin’s queer elec- tronic music scene is a tapestry of diverse perspectives, united in their commitment to inclusivity, resistance, and celebration. From Buttons’ psychedelic eleganza to GEGEN’s revolutionary joy, Kilowatt’s focus on Black representation to Pornceptual’s blend of erotica and acti- vism, and Lecken’s commitment to feminist perspectives and somatic expansion, these collectives form the local foundation of WHOLE United Queer Festival.


As WHOLE 2024 approaches, these Berlin-based collec- tives promise to deliver not just unforgettable parties, but also spaces for learning, growth, and collective trans- formation. They remind us that in the face of global challenges, the underground queer music scene can be a powerful force for positive change.


Our next feature will explore the international collectives bringing global perspectives to WHOLE, from Kyiv to São Paulo, Amsterdam to Hanoi. Together, these local and global voices harmoniously create the experience that defines WHOLE—a beacon of creativity and resistance in global electronic music.


GLOBAL VOICES: WHOLE UNITED QUEER FESTIVAL 2024


Continuing our conversation with the collectives com- prising the 2024 edition of WHOLE United Queer Festi- val, in our previous feature we dove into the Berlin-based collectives that form the local backbone of this unique event. Now, we expand our horizons to the global voices that make WHOLE a truly international celebration of queer electronic music culture.


From August 2-5, 2024, Ferropolis will once again become a melting pot of diverse sounds, identities, and experien- ces. This year, WHOLE welcomes 9,000 visitors to its dys- topian “city of iron,” but it’s the collectives from around the world that truly bring this festival to life.


In this second installment, we spotlight four international collectives, each bringing their distinct cultural perspec- tive and musical expertise to WHOLE. From the resilient spirit of Kyiv to the vibrant underground of São Paulo, from Amsterdam’s inclusive approach to the dynamic scene of Hanoi – the VESELKA, De Reünie, Mamba Negra, and Equation collectives embody the ‘United Queer’ ethos that defines WHOLE.


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