Animistic Beliefs (NL)

Animistic Beliefs are inventing a new, creole musical language. The Rotterdam-based duo forms from Techno, IDM and ‘Global Club’ to create exhilarating hybrids, applying a fresh perspective that is both deeply personal and political. ‘Animism’ is the idea found in indigenous belief systems that all objects, creatures and places possess a spiritual essence.

Their shared introductions to dance music as underage attendees of Rotterdam's club scenes and a passion for analogue equipment were the initial catalysts to Linh and Marvin’s collaboration. Early on they would meet regularly at a group for hardware enthusiasts, where they’d solder together their own hardware from scratch. Techno, electro, gabber and punk formed the initial backbone of their sound, but as the duo rediscovered traces of cultures that conventional history had erased, South-East Asian tonality, tribal rhythms and texts and poetry have become central components.

As performers, Animistic Beliefs have been able to transcend the club circuit, and are as comfortable sharing the bill with techno mainstays like DJ Stingray and Helena Hauff, and artist as Lotic, Nazar and Jlin. Their avant-garde audiovisual project ‘CACHE/SPIRIT’ with Jeisson Drenth, is the most recent product of their expansive artistic direction.