Sasha Perera is a Londoner. And A Berliner. Both. In London, she was born 40 years ago, in Berlin, she lived for 18 years. Two cities connected in a sort of love-hate relationship. London calls it a “pressure boiler”, a city that was dedicated to the “Hyper-capitalism” and the need for hours in the subway, to get from A to B. At the same time, the city of hybrid cultures, it is, of electronic sub-genres such as UK Garage, Future Bass and Dubstep, which have shaped them as a musician.
In Berlin, drives a bike, and feel less stressed. But she realizes here that she has a different skin color than most of the others. Their parents come from Sri Lanka and emigrated in the seventies to the UK. “In London there are only a few places where people are surprised when someone with my skin shows up color,” she says. “In Berlin there are still very many.” Perera works in this topic, not annoyed, rather bored. She was used to it by now that Berlin is in comparison to her birth city in a less colorful city. “It’s all okay,” she says, “I’m still here, I’m fine, and I won’t be insulted all the time.” And in a few years, she is certain, will not be looking at dark-skinned people in Berlin, as if they were alien or a drug dealer.
In the noughties years, she was a member of Jahcoozi
You can meet with her in the Südblock. Kreuzberg, very close to your apartment. She speaks super German, sprinkled occasionally a few English terms. Just returned from the ivory coast, where she has a music workshop. This makes them now and again, anywhere in the world, the Goethe-Institut has invited you several times already. Perera is a DJ, singer and producer of electronic music since almost 15 years in the business.
In the noughties years, she was a member of Jahcoozi. The Berlin-based Trio’s sound, with its abstract mix of Dancehall, Hip-Hop and electronic more to London than to Berlin. Jahcoozi were soon quite successful, and gave international concerts. After the end of the tape Perera made a solo, especially under her artist name of Perera Elsewhere. As Perera Elsewhere, this Alias would translate. “This refers to the fact that I am never actually anywhere really home. And I wonder, always, no matter where I am, why I’m supposed to be somewhere else,“ she explains.
In the case of Jahcoozi, she was mainly a singer, in the meantime, they also produced their own music in their Kreuzberg Studio. During their performances, they are presented either alone on stage or occurs along with a bassist and a Drummer. So how now, in the anniversary programme to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the music festival Club Transmediale, which begins on Friday. In the last year, Perera was already represented with a DJ Set. To start your hard-to-categorize music, with influences from many Genres, this Festival, which is always on the lookout for unusual electronic music.
If you have to ask you, as you, yourself, your peculiar somnambulistic Sound weird pop music would call, she says: “”. The mood on your last Album with the title “All Of This” is pretty grim. Trip-Hop-like sounds to be deported, an organ sound, then a muted trumpet, played by Perera itself, which is reminiscent of the great Fusion-trumpeter Jon Hassell. You can hear this hybrid sound influences from Dupstep as well as from classical and Minimal Music. Sing to Perera emphasized expressionless. The melancholy mood, the result, you get not really associated with the Sasha Perera, the sitting in front of a in the südblock. Kreuzberg. Because that is cheerful, cheerful and funny.
The music cultures of London and Berlin are closely intertwined
The music of Perera Elsewhere may arise in Berlin, but it comes from everywhere. Sasha Perera referred to himself as a music nerd, she listens to everything from African Psychedelic-Rock, Brian Eno’s Ambient up to the sound experiments of Christian Fennesz. All these influences are incorporated in some Form in their own music. And Perera holds, of course, their permanent leased line to the vibrant music scene of London. This line was already there, as she landed in the late Nineties for her studies in the subjects of European politics, and German in Cologne, before they moved on then to Berlin. Already in Cologne, they went on to Drum’n’Bass parties, Events, in which a typical London music culture was commemorated. After moving to Berlin, she has co-organized Grimepartys and as a London Form of Hip-imported-Hop. “This exchange between London and Berlin there are still,” she says. “The music cultures of the two cities are closely intertwined.” British bass music, sound system, as found in the of Jamaican music culture in London, all of which can also be used in Berlin, she says, about in Club Gretchen, or the semolina-mill. “There is, ultimately, much more in Berlin than David Bowie, and Techno.”
she has high expectations of Berlin
it is to acquire the German citizenship. The naturalisation test has already passed, “29 of the 33 questions I’ve answered correctly.” Your request before the Brexit comes through – whenever the like – is allowed to keep their British passport as a freshly baked German. Your naturalization is already a Brexit effect. As a musician you have to travel a lot and have a German passport will make for some Visa easier than a British after the Brexit.
The Brexit vote themselves, they have not so much surprised, she says. “I was much more shocked about the fact that the AfD is moved in the Berlin house of representatives, I have taken much more personal.” The presence of the AfD, the more the Elsewhere feeling. “I have high expectations for Berlin,” says Perera, “after all, I’m drawn here because I thought there is a better life.”
the concert at the CTM Festival on the 2.2., 19.30 PM at the festsaal Kreuzberg
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