Where do we belong, and how does our cultural and geographical environment shape our listening habits? How do we relate to music, and which sonic environments and practices become our own, producing feelings of connection and home? Between deep listening and folk traditions, field recordings and spoken word, techno and industrial textures, the (hybrid) DJ sets of this night trace the essence of migratory experiences at the crossroads of cultures. Collected and found sounds empower the imagination, retelling stories through music that explore memory, time, exile, and displacement. In-betweenness—often associated with exile—emerges as a space of possibility: when no longer tied to one nation or place, home becomes something else, found in shared values, subcultures, rituals, and sound. War and destruction may alter the landscapes of memory, but music becomes a site of preservation and belonging. DJ culture, through its archeological sonic discoveries, acts as an archival practice, making broader musical traditions accessible while reinterpreting folklore, instruments, and voices—fostering transnational understanding and emotionally resonant connection across shifting geographies.
Artist
DONBASGRL
DONBASGRL is a Ukrainian avant-pop artist based in Berlin. Deep bass and Ukrainian folklore characterize her sound. Originally from a small industrial mining town in eastern Ukraine, she has been living in Germany for ten years. Her music is intended to encourage, make a feminist statement and fight for self-realization. "This is not just a new project. It's the result of my decision to stay. And to live". DONBASGRL represents a cheeky, courageous girl who demonstrates self-realization and female strength in a modern, artistic way and in Ukrainian. With the first music video “Zbroya” she was invited to perform at ESNS 2025.
