This was the case at the KIELECTRIC FESTIVAL 2025 with FROZEN PLASMA, [:SITD:] and many more.

April 19, 2025, Kieler Pumpe

With Fractiles, Massive in Human, Beyond Obsession, [:SITD:], Frozen Plasma

Electric shocks for the black electric soul

If the far north is otherwise known for stiff breezes and maritime serenity, where it smells of plenty of sea air and even more fish sandwiches, there was little sign of this in Kiel on Easter Saturday. Instead of the cries of seagulls and the romance of the harbor, the 3rd Kielectric Festival 2025 at the Kieler Pumpe featured electronic waves, pulsating beats and a scene that attracted all night owls between the North and Baltic Seas like a black magnet on an electro-soaked pilgrimage through the dark soundscapes of the scene. In a total of five chapters, it went through the entire spectrum of electronic passion and we were there.

Chapter 1 – A raw start

It was already clear from the opener: Fractiles weren’t coming to warm things up. They served up an exciting mix of EBM and dark synthwave, with rough edges and plenty of thrust. The bass thudded, the vocals cut, and the first rows were more than just tapping their feet. Fractiles proved on this evening that they are more than just an up-and-coming band – they are a force, a promise of more: more heaviness, more intensity, more elemental force. Although they have only released five singles in this formation, they are already far from being an insider tip. No wonder, when Vasi Vallis(Frozen Plasma, Reaper) and Christoph Schauer(Morphose), two icons of dark electronics, are behind the controls. You already know that: The best is yet to come.

Chapter 2 – Machine heart beats on

When you build up pressure from the north German coast, it sounds like Massiv in Mensch. The Frisian EBM veterans showed once again how uncompromising, energetic and at the same time playful electronic music can be. Here was a band on stage that hasn’t gathered a bit of dust in over two decades – but rather sounds like freshly oiled and calibrated at full speed.

From the very first bars, Massiv in Mensch made it clear that it wasn’t about nostalgia, but rather about living, dancing and sweating – always with a wink in the sound and a lot of irony in the lyrics. Unfortunately, singer Rana Arborea had to miss the show due to illness – but anyone who thought that would take the wind out of the sails of Massiv in Mensch ‘s set had not taken the band’s energy into account. Halfway through the gig came the goosebump moment: Rouven Walterowicz from Endanger stormed the stage as a surprise guest. Like an electric adrenaline infusion directly into the veins of the set, he brought an additional dose of madness and power – and catapulted the atmosphere in the pump into the red zone for good. The crowd went wild, the sweat dripped and the dancefloor glowed like a circuit about to short-circuit.

Chapter 3 – A bittersweet heartbeat

In the midst of the electronic storm of the Kielectric Festival, Beyond Obsession made a stop that felt like a whispering drop of ink in a sea of neon light. Suddenly everything sounded softer: singer Nils Upahl unfurled bittersweet melodies and took the crowd on a melancholy, glittering journey. But while the beats pulsated, a bittersweet veil lay over the crowd – a palpable emptiness that united everyone. The scene mourned the loss of André Wylar, the founding member whose spirit and energy still resonated in every chord. In a calm voice, Nils recounted how Beyond Obsession once came together through André ‘s friendship – and what this loss meant to him personally. In that moment, André was not just a missing musician, but living history, inscribed in every note and in every heart that knew him.

Beyond Obsession managed to walk the tightrope between heart and soul and dancefloor magic, opening the doors to our deepest feelings and inviting us to live them out. Pain has rarely been so danceable.

Chapter 4 – Machine heart on fire

Then: [:SITD:] – one name, four letters – and a sound that ignites as precisely as a perfectly calibrated synthesizer. The Ruhrpott electro powerhouse immediately switched into attack mode and from the very first beat, the pump worked like a perfidious experimental facility in which every beat tested our nervous system. Tracks such as the newer “Brieselang” or classics like “Rot”, “Kreuzgang”, “Richtfest” or “Snuff Machinery” hit like digital thunderstorms and whipped the crowd into a hypnotic state of emergency. The beats were as precise as lasers, the atmosphere as thick as fog in an industrial ruin and every loop seemed like a clock for the future. Whoever says EBM must also say [:SITD:] – that became clear again that evening. The crowd danced to the beat as if they were riding a common wave. It felt like a voice was whispering directly into your mind: “Move!”

Chapter 5 – The glittering final chord

The crowning finale shortly before midnight was provided by none other than Frozen Plasma. Vasi Vallis and Felix Marc ignited a veritable synthpop firework display and, with songs like “Foolish Dreams”, “Gefühlsmaschine”, “Earthling”, “Warmongers” and the immortal “Tanz die Revolution”, brought out all the energy that was left in the room. “Amnesia” in a duet with Casi from [:SITD:] did the rest – it was pure ecstasy!

Vasi and Felix proved once again that they are still hungry visionaries who can bring any room to the boil. Their set was a raw elegy of light and sound – colder than the Kiel wind, but hotter than any summer night. With strobe-soaked choruses and melancholy moments, Frozen Plasma managed the feat of rounding off the festival not only musically but also emotionally. It was this bittersweet farewell tone that was in the air as the last bars of “Murderous Trap” released us into the night with red balloons in the shape of hearts.

Conclusion

The Kielectric Festival 2025 impressively proved that the black pulse also beats powerfully in the far north. Five bands, five almost different sound universes – and a scene that lives, loves, dances and never stands still. On this evening, the Kieler Pumpe was a bubbling melting pot of sweat, bass and community. It was a black-electric commitment … to a Kielectric 2026!

Text & Photos: Thomas Friedel Fuhrmann