The Beast Within LIVE is a performance by Brazilian artist Diego Garcia based on their album The Beast Within, released earlier this year on their VRAAA imprint, a queer techno label from Berlin. In the album, Diego explores gender identities in contemporary electronic music by drawing onto two of their distinct artistic identities: The Princess of Death, her feminine identity – which explores introspective and corrosive textures commonly associated with patriarchal values; and Projekt Gestalten, his masculine identity – in which melodic and hypnotic sounds often associated with matriarchy take centre stage.
Diego will perform the entire album in the historic St. Marienkirche church: one of Berlin’s oldest churches; built in the middle of the 13th century and also the site of many of the field recordings used in the album. They will be accompanied by the queer choir Canta:re conducted by Frau Uta von Willer; clashing secular electronic music with the sacred environment of a church. There will also be a costume and jewelry pieces made especially for this show by costume designers Aliata Fana and Mariana Novais and embellished with Swarovski crystals. The performance also includes a custom light show synchronized with the music.
The main goal of this project is to amplify and support the voices of marginalised people by literally having them singing front and centre inside a space where, not so long ago, their presence would not be tolerated. Not only on the stage, but the majority of the crew employed behind the scenes is formed by women, people of colour, trans and queer people.
This event will also feature a full live show by The Allegorist; an independent music project with a holistic approach based on musical storytelling. Her carefully built worlds that straddle sci-fi and fantasy, feeding off of the light and dark dualism are the perfect blend of reflective contemplation and storytelling.
Part of the profits from this event will be donated to Ukraine Pride and Casa Florescer, a queer shelter in Brazil focused on helping trans women in situation of vulnerability.
