This summer, das Shining had the pleasure of bringing You Are the Line to the Nerdwald at Garbicz Festival 2026 — a wonderfully strange little corner of the festival dedicated to interactive art, light, sound, experiments and things that are sometimes difficult to explain before you experience them.
And honestly, it is difficult to imagine a better habitat for this piece.
You Are the Line turns the people in front of it into the artwork itself. A camera captures the contours of moving bodies in real time, while three laser projectors translate these outlines into large drawings of light. There is no predefined choreography and no finished image: every movement changes the composition. The audience becomes performer, drawing and data at the same time.
In the middle of the Nerdwald, surrounded by trees, strange machines, installations and people drifting through the night, the work developed a life of its own. Sometimes people discovered their outlines almost accidentally; sometimes they immediately started experimenting — stretching, dancing, merging with others or trying to confuse the system. That moment when someone realizes “wait, that’s me” is still one of my favourite parts of showing this installation.
It is also exactly what interests us about You Are the Line: the border between observer and performer disappears. Technology is present, but it is not really the protagonist. The body is. The machine simply watches, translates and returns movement to the space as light.
The work itself reaches surprisingly far back in history. It refers to the ancient story of Dibutades, in which the outline of a shadow becomes the origin of drawing. Here, that simple gesture is translated into a contemporary system of cameras, algorithms and lasers — a continuously changing choreography between body, data, light and space.
A huge thank you to the Nerdwald crew and everyone at Garbicz for inviting us, helping us make this happen and giving experimental work a place inside such a beautiful and wonderfully chaotic environment. And, of course, thank you to everyone who stepped in front of the camera, danced, played, experimented and became a line for a moment.
After showing the installation at Bachstelzen / Fusion earlier this summer, seeing it transform again in a completely different environment was especially exciting. Every location changes the piece — and every crowd teaches us something new about it.
So: more forests, more walls, more architecture, more dancing bodies, please.
You Are the Line is available for festivals, exhibitions, clubs and other spaces where bodies are allowed to become light. If you have a place that might need three lasers and a little bit of controlled visual chaos: get in touch.
See you somewhere between the trees and the machines.
On 15 and 16 July 2026, I presented Die Maschine erinnert sich—The Machine Remembers—at TechDays Munich as part of the artistic programme curated by Blended Art Space.
The interactive installation asks what it means for a machine to remember a person. A camera observes the visitors, while a custom-built neural network extracts facial markers and combines them with previously collected data. With every new encounter, the system generates changing collective faces.
The resulting images do not depict any individual visitor. Instead, they form statistical portraits created from numerous glances, movements and brief encounters. They appear familiar, yet belong to no one.
Unlike human memory, which is emotional, selective and constantly rewritten, the machine remembers through measurement, classification and averaging. The work also exposes the limitations of machine perception: categories such as identity and gender are not simply recognised but constructed through learned patterns.
Presenting the installation at a technology conference created a productive tension. While artificial intelligence is often associated with precision, efficiency and personalisation, Die Maschine erinnert sich focuses on ambiguity, reduction and loss. What remains of a person after they have been translated into machine-readable information?
Thank you to TechDays Munich, Blended Art Space and everyone who entered the installation and became part of its temporary collective memory.
More information about the installation can be found on the project page.
We had the pleasure of showing our installation “you are the line” at Bachstelzen — and what a beautiful, wild, intense and heartwarming ride it was. A huge thank you to everyone involved: the Fusion team, the Bachstelzen crew, all artists, technicians, builders, organizers, friends, dancers, wanderers, curious passers-by, and every voluntary and involuntary helper who made this possible in one way or another. Thank you for stepping into the line, becoming part of the work, and turning it into something alive. With love, gratitude and a little bit of dust still everywhere. See you somewhere in the light.
After many wonderful years, Radio Irreversible is going on pause.
This project has been shaped by an incredible community of artists, listeners, collaborators, and supporters. I am deeply grateful to everyone who contributed their time, creativity, energy, and trust along the way. What we built together has been truly special.
Thank you to all participants for being part of this journey.
This is not necessarily the end—but for now, it is a moment to pause, reflect, and open space for what comes next.
RENDR Festival: 12 – 13 February 2026 Come for the talks, stay for the experience!
Ignite your imagination with 30+ inspiring speakers, with creatives from the likes of Netflix, Pixar, Walt Disney Studios and Epic Games among others.
Witness creative uses of new technology, explore the gallery of digital art, chow down at the food village or play in the arcade. We want to transport you to the future, and provide you with unforgettable and inspirational nights. Like nothing you have experienced before, our unique combination is guaranteed to provide two nights you can’t miss. www.rendrfestival.com
As part of Das Shining I am excited to present Slitscan at Rendr Festival in Belfast as part of the New Media Gallery. See you there!
Live audiovisual performance on Feb. 28th 2025 at AVJam at Motionlab Berlin featuring: Timo Dufner [music] / katiavonna Katia Vonna [visual] / timodufner AVJam is a platform for live music and visual performance, an evening for exploring and sharing immersive audiovisual experiences. At each event, we present a diverse group of performers showcasing audio synthesis, procedural, audio-reactive, analogue, and generative works.
Back in 2018, I had the chance to join Les Six at 1. Stock with my visuals as PPLC. It was one of those nights where sound and image seemed to breathe together, turning the space into something more than just a venue — it became a living dialogue between music, light, and the audience.
The raw yet fragile energy of Les Six resonated deeply with me, and I tried to mirror that tension and beauty in the visuals. Being on that journey with them felt both experimental and deeply personal, as if we were discovering a shared language in real time.
Looking back at this video now, I can’t help but think of Günter Rolle, who was such an important part of that moment. His presence gave the evening a special weight, and losing him still leaves a gap. Watching these images, I feel both gratitude and sadness.
Here’s a glimpse into a unique live performance recorded at Kesselhaus K’furt in September 2021. Timo Dufner (visuals, electronics), Fried Dähn (electric cello), and Thomas Maos (electric guitar) come together for an audiovisual improvisation where sound and image evolve in real time.
No script, no playback – just raw, spontaneous interaction between visuals and live instruments. A hypnotic blend of textures, tones, and abstract imagery.
Somewhere between the fog-kissed pines and the vibrating basslines of Garbicz 2025, das Shining set up camp. Not just to dance (though of course we did), but to open a temporal rift. We brought Slitscan – our immersive installation – and offered it to the swarm.
Imagine this: time bending into stripes, faces melting into liquid echoes, laughter stretched into ghostly geometry. Slitscandoesn’t capture a moment; it stretches it, twists it, lets it breathe. It’s not a photo – it’s a pulse.
Hidden in a shadowy corner of the woods, near enough to hear the call of distant kickdrums, far enough to feel like stepping into another layer of the dream – that’s where Slitscan lived. They stepped into the light, and we split them into time.
We’re back now. Forest dust still clinging to our gear. Hearts full. Minds buzzing. Slitscan lives on – not just in frames and files, but in those fleeting glances it revealed. And Garbicz? It’s not a festival. It’s a memory machine. A lucid dream. A collective hallucination we’re lucky to have joined!
Introduction: He’s released on Suara, Autektone Dark, PTR Berlin, Reload, Funk’ N Deep, Silver M and others.
Support: Charlotte Dewitte, Paula Temple, Ellien Alien, Amanda Mussi, Chris Liebeng, Emmanuel Arts, Luigi Madonna, Ghost in the Machine, Lorenzo Raganzini (HEX), Endlec (Mord Records), Raphael Dincsoy (Lehmann Club), Fernanda Martins (Devotion, AudioCode), Raven (Rekids), Non Reversible (Soma, A R T S ), NovaFuture Blog, Arjun Vargale, Frankyeffe (Riot Recordings / Suara / Second State), George Tounisidis (Suara), Ayako Mori, Drumcomplex, Spektre, Fatima Hajji, T-78, Shay De Castro, Brennen Grey, Giovanni Carozza, Hollen, Stephen Disario (Planet Rhythm, 6AM), Hiroaki Iizuka (Self Reflektion), Sam Jones (Open Up Radio), Maxima FM Madrid
He began his journey in dance music as a raver in the 04-08 trance era while studying Economics at University of Texas in Austin. During his studies he was blessed with the opportunity to travel and rave in places like Amsterdam to discover the underground dub and bass scene and Miami to explore WMC and UMF. Shortly after he made a transition from his rap music background and began DJing techno and trance music in 08.
After college he attended audio school in 2010, received his audio engineering certifications and began his 15k+ hours in the studio. His first self release in 2011 was a minimal techno release. He won support from Todd Terry winning a remix contest in 2012 before venturing into progressive, trance and psychedelic sounds for some years.
In 2017, while living outside of LA, he decided to return to his techno roots. Start of 2018 he launched his Chemtrailz alias. Since then he has released a number of EPs and singles on labels like Autektone Dark (top 20 Hard charts peaking #13), Funk’N Deep, The Yellowheads’ Reload and Fatima Hajji’s Silver M. During this time he gained a bit of prominence playing and throwing parties in the Los Angeles underground warehouse and desert party scene- where he developed much of his deep, hard, hypnotic techno sound and attracted his first concentrated following.
More recently in 2020 after returning to Texas, during the pandemic, he won favor from Suara in winning a remix contest for Coyu’s rave banger Descontrol- slated for release on a 4 track EP beginning of 2021 with Flug, Temudo and Jay Clarke.
He also won a second contest in 2020, in collaboration with James Sanchez aka Amuck(LA, Technoids), landing two remixes for Ayako Mori; scheduled for release Dec 9 2020 on PTR Berlin.
During the 2020 Lions Gate Portal he was compelled to launch his own imprint Terra Novae.
When he is not in the studio or playing he is usually growing plants or snowboarding. To support his music journey he has been a master horticulturist for the most part of 15 years. Lately he only consults horticulture part time to make more time for his art.
As we say goodbye to LPM 2024 in Morocco, I’m filled with gratitude for an unforgettable experience. It was an honour to serve on the Mapping Contest jury and witness incredible talent and innovation.
Despite the sandstorm on the final night, LPM 2024 remained a remarkable experience. From captivating visuals to dynamic audio performances, the event showcased the resilience and creativity of its participants.
The workshops, discussions and networking opportunities enriched our artistic journey and left us inspired for future endeavours.
Thank you to everyone who made LPM 2024 a success. Here’s to the magic of live performance art and the friendships made along the way. Until we meet again, let’s keep pushing the boundaries of creativity.
#Michael Fiedler Michael Fiedler works with field recordings, sounds and noises that are captured directly before and during the performance, modified live with software and hardware as musical source material and made directly audible in a completely new context. Complemented by the powerful visual art of PPLC. Dance performance: Sibel Caliskan https://www.michaelfiedler.net
#Sibel Caliskan Sibel Caliskan is a freelance dancer and performer from Munich. With a great interest in improvisation and creation, she collaborates with various artistic figures in the performing arts. Her artistic work and movement language are characterised by interdisciplinarity and the connection between dance and movement research.
We aka das Shining are working on a new project: Endgame
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of children, usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point.
As we are at the moment at the beginning of the so-called Holocene extinction we created Endgame to draw attention to it. This performance deals with the connection of different creatures and their extinction. Our virtual life forms grow and thrive, they influence each other, explore their surroundings, mate with others and little by little, they die. The extinction of species sets in.
Spectators of this event are invited to observe – and hear – the mesmerizing spectacle and the devastating end of existence, without the ability to intervene.
The audience can influence the sounds generated by the installation by moving virtual ears via their smartphones to individual points of the scene. These ears generate signals that are evaluated by our synthesizers and thus control the performance together with us.
The performance will premiere at the World Earth Day Festival 2022.
Exposure Therapy streams local music culture straight into your living rooms! As long as we all have to stay at home we will regularly provide you finest electronic music out of one of Tübingen’s shared houses.
If you’re curious about what came before, there’s still an old and inactive Tumblr of mine floating around. It’s no longer updated, but it captures a snapshot of earlier projects, experiments, and ideas.
Sometimes it’s nice to look back at where things started — even if the journey has since moved on.
