That’s how it was at DIORAMA

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April 11, 2026, Hamburg, Markthalle
Support: Wiegand

Danceable darkness in Hamburg

There are evenings that slowly draw you in until you realize that your own pulse has long been running to the beat. Since the late nineties, Diorama have been one of those bands who have never seen electronic darkness as a mere backdrop. The project around frontman and mastermind Torben Wendt stands for a sound that moves between dark wave, electronica, alternative pop, club energy and an inner state of emergency. Sometimes cool, sometimes feverish, sometimes almost fragile – but always with that special tension between control and its loss. This sound is supported live by Felix Marc on keyboards – known to many as the voice of Frozen Plasma and as a solo artist. Together they create this Diorama DNA: emotional depth with electronic pressure, head cinema with dance floor potential. On April 11, 2026, Hamburg’s Markthalle will host one of two exclusive release concerts for the new album “A Substitute for Light”, which will be released the day before. New tracks, evergreens and specials were announced, including long-awaited songs such as “Apocalypse Later” and “Leaving Hollywood”. The anticipation in the room was palpable. The Markthalle is almost too good for that. Not a sterile room, not a smooth black. Rather a place that accepts sound, stores sweat and knows this special scene mixture of expectation, closeness and the urge to dance. Diorama do not deliver a pure release presentation on this evening. They are building a dark circuit for you. And Hamburg is attached to it.

A run-up that is no longer a run-up

Wiegand is a support act on stage that doesn’t just fill the time until the headliner. The man behind the project is Helge Wiegand – singer, songwriter, producer, frontman and namesake all in one. His name has long been a household name in the electronic scene. Musically, Wiegand moves between synth pop, melancholic electronics and this club-like clarity that does not rely on effects, but on atmosphere and substance. Jens Domgörgen stands at the keyboards, calm, concentrated, precise – the counterpart to Helge’s open stage presence. While Wiegand carries the songs forward, seeks eye contact and noticeably leads the room, Domgörgen lays the stable foundation of clean electronic pressure underneath. It is precisely this interplay that creates their strength live.

The introduction with “One World” and “Get Informed” is direct, but not intrusive. After that, “Connected” and “The Quiet Thief” lead deeper – denser, darker, with more emotional weight, without losing the flow of movement. With “Pied Pipers” and “Alive”, the set moves even more clearly towards the dance floor. The songs push forward noticeably, the first rows react immediately, movement arises naturally. The interplay between the two works particularly well here: vocals and dynamics at the front, control and structure at the back. Afterwards, “Down the Memory Lane” and “Waiting in Line” lead more strongly into this bittersweet zone, in which Wiegand is particularly convincing. Electronic enough for the club, emotional enough for the echo. “Floating Away” is the fitting finale – not a loud exit, but rather a controlled letting go. A final state of suspension before Diorama take over.

Hamburg on the river, in the river … under power!

Then Diorama. Right from the opening track “Patchwork” in the Gasoline remix, it is clear that this evening will not be a long-distance affair. The song comes on like a cold electric shock. No cautious approach, but a direct attack on the body and nervous system. Torben Wendt doesn’t just stand at the microphone – he works with every movement, with every little tension in his body. This slightly nervous, controlled energy has always been part of his stage presence: not grand gestures, but intensity.

Behind him, Felix Marc holds the electronic backbone together on keyboards. And this is where his importance is immediately apparent. His pads, sequences and transitions give the songs their depth, their height, often even their actual pressure. Anyone who only knows him as the singer of Frozen Plasma will quickly realize that he is not just part of the sound – he is a second center. Then “Apocalypse Later” hits. A song that many have been waiting for. Torben doesn’t carry it nostalgically, but with a palpable urgency, almost as if the track rewrites itself every time. Later, “Gasoline” in the remix version finally drives the Markthalle towards the club. Felix’s work is particularly strong here – the beats are precise, the electronic sharpness takes hold immediately, and suddenly listening becomes movement. With “Million Dollar Smile”, one of the new songs takes center stage. As a fresh single from the album, the track shows exactly the new Diorama pulse: more accessible, more direct, but never slick. Torben doesn’t play the song like a single, but like a statement. Felix lays this elegant synth structure underneath, which makes the track seem open and controlled at the same time. Then “E Minor” brings the temperature down again. Not as a break, but as a deliberate contrast. Diorama have mastered precisely this interplay: pushing forward – and opening an inner door in the next moment.

“Exit the Grey” continues this maelstrom. Electronic heaviness meets emotional openness. This is followed by an acoustic version of “Leaving Hollywood” – and suddenly the whole room changes. Less beat. More breath. This is where it becomes particularly clear how well Torben works as a narrator. Felix keeps everything open with a few precise keyboard pads. No pathos. No unnecessary superstructure. That’s why it hits harder. With “Isolated”, the set returns to the new album world before “The Same Ghost” carries this ghostly coolness further. Felix works almost invisibly here, which is precisely why he is so present – no foreground play, but an atmosphere that slowly settles in. “HLA” brings nervousness back into the body. Edgy, slightly restless, with pressure under the surface. This is followed by “Why”, which works less through explosion than through tension. Not everything has to be loud to hit. With “No Complications”, Diorama pulls the club factor up again. The song is clearly one of the more moving moments on the new album and works immediately live. Torben visibly drives forward, Felix keeps the beat sharp and precise. Afterwards, “Iisland” in the Faderhead remix finally pushes the Markthalle towards the dance floor. No more analyzing now. Now it’s time to dance. “Off” ends the regular part with hardness. Dry. Dark. Clear. A song like a cut. Not a conciliatory conclusion, but tension to the max.

Encore: fake blood, Polaroids and the synthetic heartbeat

“Kunstblut” opens the first encore and immediately draws a red line through the room. New material, but already carries weight live. The song combines cold electronics with an emotional sting – exactly that Diorama DNA that never remains superficial. This is followed by “Polaroids”, almost like a brief flash of light from another time. A memory that is not blurred, but remains sharp. Less attack, more emphasis.

With “Synthesize Me”, everything tilts back towards the dance floor. This is perhaps where the interplay between Torben and Felix is at its strongest: the voice at the front, the machines at the back that carry everything. A song like a scene, body and longing in a single impulse.

Second encore: Ignite and Belle

The final round begins with “Ignite”. The name says it all. Now it’s no longer about building up, but about unloading. Torben pushes everything forward once again, Felix keeps the electronic foundation razor-sharp. The Markthalle is all in. Finally, “Belle” in the old-school version as a fine, almost affectionate throwback. The track is like looking into an old mirror: familiar, slightly distant, but still alive. And that’s exactly why this ending works so well. Not everything has to explode. Sometimes a song that remains when the light comes back on is enough.

Text & Photos: Thomas Friedel Fuhrmann

Setlist Wiegand:
“One World” – “Get Informed” – “Connected” – “The Quiet Thief” – “Pied Pipers” – “Alive” – “Down the Memory Lane” – “Waiting in Line” – “Floating Away”

Setlist Diorama:
“Patchwork” (Gasoline Remix) – “Apocalypse Later” – “Gasoline” (Gasoline Remix) – “Million Dollar Smile” – “E Minor” – “Exit the Grey” – “Leaving Hollywood” (Acoustic) – “Isolated” – “The Same Ghost” – “HLA” – “Why” – “No Complications” – “Iisland” (Faderhead Remix) – “Off” — “Kunstblut” – “Polaroids” – “Synthesize Me” — “Ignite” – “Belle” (Oldshool Version)

We feature an interview with Diorama in our May/June issue: