Events | Moebius Strips
Berlin | July 11, 2025 – July 13, 2025
Moebius Strips
Moebius Strips is a unique audio installation and composition project dedicated to the influential composer Dieter Moebius and his contributions to electronic music. Created by Grammy-nominated U.S. composer Tim Story, a longtime collaborator of Moebius, the installation reworks the immense variety of Moebius’s sounds, samples, loops, and noises into a sweeping musical tribute.
The installation presents 18 'Strips', multichannel sound sculptures incorporating hundreds of Moebius's unique sounds and patterns, reimagined by Story and an impressive lineup of international artists, including Geoff Barrow (Portishead), Sarah Davachi, Jean-Benoît Dunckel (Air), Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Michael Rother (Harmonia), Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Cluster, Harmonia), Felix Kubin, and others who collaborated with Moebius, or who have been indelibly influenced by his work. For the European premiere in Berlin, composer Hanna Hartman (Villa Aurora fellow 2010) will contribute an exclusive new piece.
The sounds are presented through an eight-speaker installation that invites the audience to explore and engage with the variety of sonic and compositional approaches as they move through the space.
Dieter “Moebi” Moebius created many of his sounds using synthesizers and electronic devices. Over time, he became a collector and curator of sound, incorporating everyday audio oddities into his music – from squeaking hinges and roaring industrial machines to the hum of a digital camera powering on. These sonic remnants became integral to his unique auditory landscapes.
Moebius’ deep ties to Berlin – particularly through his formative years at the legendary Zodiac Club in the 1970s, where he worked alongside electronic music pioneers like Conrad Schnitzler and Hans-Joachim Roedelius – provide the inspiration for this sound installation. It reflects the collaborative spirit of Moebius’s work and his lasting influence on generations of musicians.
Grammy-nominated American composer and sound artist Tim Story has been called a “true artist in the electronic medium” (Victory Review, USA). Through three decades of influential recordings, live performances and audio installations, Story’s unique blend of inspired composition and innovative sound design has garnered a dedicated worldwide following. His recent audio installations The Roedelius Cells and 2021’s Moebius Strips explore the malleable nature of sound and context, and have been exhibited in museums and new music festivals across Europe and the US.
Russ Curry is the principal of Curious Music, a US-based record label whose projects weave together music, art and technology. Originally initiated in the 1980's, and reactivated 2 decades later, Curious has a vibrant, worldwide roster of artists that reflect Curry's interests in collaboration and innovation. Moving Curious beyond the role of the traditional record company, Curry is increasingly focused on multidisciplinary projects that engage his audience in creative and meaningful ways.
Hanna Hartman is a composer, sound artist, and performer. Her compositions are made up from authentic sounds which she has recorded around the world. Sounds are taken out of their original context and thus perceived in their purity. Hartman has worked with radio, electroacoustic music, ensembles, and installations and has performed internationally. Her many awards and grants include the Karl Sczuka Prize, Phonurgia Nova Prize, and residencies at Villa Aurora and Villa Massimo. She has been Composer-in-Residence at Swedish Radio and Huddersfield and is a member of the Academy of Arts.
Moebius Strips brings together a stellar group of international artists who continue and reinterpret Moebius’s musical language:
Geoff Barrow (Portishead) – Producer and sonic visionary
Sarah Davachi – Composer and specialist in microtonal soundscapes
Jean-Benoît Dunckel (Air) – Master of elegant electro-pop
Eve Maret – Electronic sound explorer with a therapeutic approach
Phew – Japanese avant-garde icon with post-punk roots
Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) – Multimedia trailblazer and sonic revolutionary
Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Cluster) – Ambient pioneer and longtime Moebius collaborator
Michael Rother (NEU!, Harmonia) – Krautrock legend and electronic innovator
Yuri Suzuki – Sound designer bridging art, technology, and interaction
Felix Kubin – Composer, curator, and audio drama producer
Location:
Kleiner Wasserspeicher im Prenzlauer Berg
Eingang Diedenhofer Straße
10405 Berlin
Opening Hours:
July 11 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
July 12 1:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
July 13 1:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Tickets:
Admission free.
Two Sound Spaces - Two Anniversaries:
The Audio Installation Moebius Strips is part of the three day program at the Wasserspeicher in Prenzlauer Berg.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Villa Aurora and in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the passing of musician and composer Dieter Moebius, the large and small water reservoirs in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg will transform into extraordinary sound spaces for experimental electronic music.
Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House is funded by
In media partnership with
The Sound Installation Moebius Strips has initially been funded by National Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, The Arts Commission.
