Blawan (live) | ADE
During the Amsterdam Dance Event 2025, artist Robin Alysha Clemens, in collaboration with Paradiso and Tolhuistuin, will present the premiere of the video installation Dance For Salvation.
Dance For Salvation tells the true story of David, a man who is part of a strict religious community in New York but unexpectedly falls in love with techno music. Without anyone knowing, he secretly goes to techno raves, a world that stands in stark contrast to the rules of his devout faith.This 6-minute video installation follows David's personal search for identity and a sense of belonging in two seemingly contradictory worlds. Visitors are invited to step onto the dance floor, where faith and hedonism collide, yet in both, the need for community plays a central role. As the techno beats fill the room, they will hear David’s personal story through headphones, talking about on his inner conflicts and his longing for freedom and community.
The work explores the tension between religion, freedom, hypocrisy, and desire, raising the question of whether it is possible to truly feel at home in these opposing worlds or if they will always exclude each other in the end.
This project has been made possible thanks to NARS Foundation, Het Cultuurfonds, and Stichting Stokroos.
Artist: Robin Alysha Clemens - www.robinalysha.com
Curated by Paradiso
Location: Tolhuistuin, entrance via IJpromenade 2
Through both time in the studio and time on the road, Jamie Roberts has dedicated over a decade to developing his alias, Blawan. In the process, he’s created a universe that’s all his own. Roberts grew up in Barnsley, UK and from an early age was etching out his musical path as a drummer – a relic of the past which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his productions. Indeed, his discography as Blawan illuminates a natural fluency for rhythm, whether straight, stridently syncopated, or swinging somewhere in between. In 2021, Blawan debuted on XL Recordings with an EP titled, Woke Up Right Handed.
Upon release, the record caused ripples of excitement in the world of experimental club music, going on to become a bonafide phenomenon and appearing in ‘Best Of 2021’ lists in RA, Crack Magazine, The Quietus, and more. Resident Advisor said of it “Every Blawan record in recent memory has been eye-opening, but this one is blinding in its brilliance, packaging everything great about each era of Blawan into five blissfully bizarre tracks.” This was followed by the EP Dismantled Into Juice in 2023, with its distorted drum rhythms, piercing synths, unbelievable drums, and original vocal cuts that formed his most riveting and genre-bending music to date. In its wake, he has continued to bring his stunning Live and DJ shows to stages across the world, with a string of B2B performances with Skrillex and the curation of a stage at 2024’s Draaimolen Festival. Once again side-stepping expectations, December 2024 saw the release of “BouQ”, an EP that melds Blawan’s vocal with disorientating, menacing electronic experimentation. The first track “Fires” - a standout for DJs like Four Tet, Skrillex, and Joy Orbison - typifies the record’s expansive sound. With every release, Blawan continually cements his reputation as a truly singular talent. On wednesday 22nd of October, Blawan will do a special live show in Parallel.
Parallel is een nachtclub waar mensen volledig zichzelf kunnen zijn. Met een been in het nu en het andere in de toekomst presenteert Parallel dynamische clubnachten, concerten, exposities, kunstinstallaties en spoken word.
