For three decades, legendary German label raster has been a leading force on the electronic music scene, exploring the borderlands between electronic music, sound art and audiovisual experimentation. Now, raster celebrates its 30th anniversary at ALICE this November with a strong lineup from its own roster, spanning glitch and minimalist rhythms to organic soundscapes and captivating audiovisual works.

Since Olaf Bender and Frank Bretschneider founded rastermusic in 1996, the label has brought together experimental musicians, sound artists, composers and visual artists united by a shared curiosity about what electronic music can be. In 1999, the label merged with Carsten Nicolai’s NOTON to form raster-noton, before re-emerging as raster in 2017. With around 200 releases as well as books, installations and live presentations, raster has spent three decades building an artistic network across genres and disciplines.

Amelie Duchow
For German audiovisual artist Amelie Duchow, sound and image are inextricably linked. She works with subtle layers and intense electronic structures, where the visual becomes an active part of the musical experience. Her work moves between sound, space, form and image, exploring how the way we see can also shape the way we listen.

Byetone
Raster co-founder Olaf Bender is the force behind Byetone, where minimalist electronic structures meet energetic rhythms and a raw, almost rebellious edge. Born in the former East Germany, Bender found his artistic path through a fascination with visual and auditory media. On stage, Byetone combines minimalist rhythms with an intensity rooted in the energy of rock music.

Xuri & John Cleworth
Xuri & John Cleworth bring a powerful and playful audiovisual performance to the evening. Xuri’s evocative, colour-rich soundscapes meet Cleworth’s intricate rhythms and spatial sound worlds. On stage, their two artistic practices merge in an exploration of how image and sound can shape and shift each other’s meaning. Xuri’s background in graphic design and Cleworth’s classical musical training come together in a work that is both organic, richly detailed and visually captivating.

Gábor Lázár
Hungarian producer Gábor Lázár is a master of subtle shifts. His hyper-detailed digital compositions are built from repetition, textures and micro-variations that constantly transform the character of the music. With his raster release Reflex, he took a more abstract approach, while his later work also moves towards playful and physical techno rhythms.

The last time raster played at ALICE, it was an unforgettable sold-out night – and we can’t wait to celebrate 30 years with a label that has helped define electronic music for three decades.