We started a cultural exchange with Los Angeles in 2016 with the multi-venue festival From Berlin to LA, a year later we held the second edition of the festival, later in that year we co-organised the 50th anniversary of Berlin and LA being sister cities, in 2018 we co-organised the opening festival of Deutschlandjahr / Wunderbar Together – the USA/Germany friendship program with From Germany to LA.
In 2019 we stopped by Detroit to start a cultural exchange there as well with several events, and during the lockdowns, we kept the project going online with EXP__ and a compilation plus soundpack LA x Berlin.
We finally came back IRL in 2023-24 with a series of workshops, and in 2025-26, we celebrate 10 years of exchange with a new From Berlin to LA program in partnership with dublab, Consulate General of Germany Los Angeles, KCRW, Orchestral Tools, Seahorse Sound Studios, and The Black Lodge.
The first stop in the program is a Berlin x LA radio show by long time LA collaborator Zernell Gillie (Grimy Edits); listen to his mix starting at 1 hour and featuring Anna Cavazos, Elisa Elisa, Kim Anh, Local Suicide, Nerkkirn… on demand on NTS or click below:
Next stop is at Orchestral Tools studio on December 8th to start the LA x Berlin Improv’ with Eric D. Clark and Portrait XO; the improv’ will keep going in LA at Handbag Factory on December 18th with Conscious Summary (Samur Khouja for sound and live visuals), Häana (violin & Push), Harp Impressions (Caroline Campbell on the harp), Heare (El Larson on modular synth), and DJ team Dex (Underground Resistance) and Kosmik (The Black Lodge).
There will be more to read and listen on dublab and more platforms: check out the shout-out from Berlin Partner, and the announcement on KCRW who also put some LA x Berlin tracks on rotation.
RSVP on Restless Nites or Resident Advisor, all sessions will be free access.
