Decoder Ensemble

Fantasising AI and music-making motors

The Decoder Ensemble is one of the most bold and original representatives of the international New Music scene. With its high-energy sound, the ensemble thrills audiences in prestigious concert halls as well as in clubs such as Berlin’s Berghain. For several years, Decoder hosted the Elbphilharmonie’s »Below Deck« series, in which they presented fascinating performance evenings with a range of very different guest artists.

In its latest programme »Substitutes«, the ensemble has added a number of mechanical and electronic media to its usual range of instruments. Specially constructed motors play on the strings and drum skins, artificial intelligence develops independent fantasies, and the drums undergo an unimagined metamorphosis by means of live electronic effects. An intensive art experience that blurs the boundaries between man and machine, between dream and reality!