Gruenspan, Hamburg, Germany25th November 2025
Perturbator & Special Guests: Kælan Mikla and GosT
On November 25th, 2025, Hamburg’s iconic Gruenspan slowly filled with fans as the audience drifted in ahead of the long-anticipated return of PERTURBATOR. The venue was, as the Germans say, -uncomfortably tight - due to the overwhelming amount of equipment the dark prince of Synthwave brought with him.
Smoke machines, lighting towers, and massive technical setups simply couldn’t fit onto the stage; even the photo pit was almost entirely blocked, claimed by gear that had nowhere else to go. All of PERTURBATOR’s apparatus was hidden beneath black cloth, forming a silent, shadowy mass that hinted at the sonic storm yet to come.
As the room grew denser and anticipation thickened, the first support act, GOST, stepped onto the cramped stage, navigating through cables and black-draped machinery. His ferocious blend of Synth Metal and occult energy immediately ignited the atmosphere. Following him, KÆLAN MIKLA brought their ethereal Icelandic Post-Punk presence, their icy vocals weaving through the tight space with haunting elegance. Despite the physical constraints, or perhaps intensified by them, both performances created a sense of ritualistic tension-perfectly setting the tone for PERTURBATOR’s descent into a world shaped by the darkness of ‘Dangerous Days’, ‘The Uncanny Valley’, and ‘Lustful Sacraments’.
GosT
GOST, originally a saturated, abrasive strain of Synthwave born in the American Midwest, has evolved far beyond the boundaries of the genre that first shaped it. Once a flagship artist of Blood Music and later Century Media, GOST released his latest album, ‘Prophecy’, through Metal Blade Records - a label synonymous with the extreme and uncompromising. The shift feels natural: his sound now embraces a clear black-metal drift, fusing blast-beat intensity, occult atmospheres, and razor-edged electronics into a uniquely vicious form of Darksynth.
It is this hybrid identity that allows GOST to share the stage effortlessly with acts as far apart as Mayhem and Carpenter Brut, moving between metal and electronic worlds with the same feral confidence that defines his music. Over the years, GOST has built a reputation for crafting soundscapes steeped in horror-aesthetic darkness and industrial aggression, pushing Synthwave into territories where few dare to tread. ‘Prophecy’ continues this trajectory with even more weight and menace, solidifying him as one of the most distinctive voices in modern dark electronic music. https://www.metalblade.com/gost
Music & Performance
GOST took the stage as a duo, positioned on opposite sides of the barricade-like wall of PERTURBATOR’s equipment that dominated the front of the venue. Forced into a narrow, almost claustrophobic space by towering cases and covered machinery, the musicians looked as if they were performing inside a dark mechanical altar. The vocalist - wearing his signature, unsettling mask reminiscent of something between a demon and a rusted automaton - commanded both the microphone and the synthesizer with an aggressive, ritualistic energy. Despite the eerie visuals and the harsh, metallic edge of the music, the audience quickly warmed up, gradually slipping into a collective state of excitement as each track intensified the atmosphere.
They opened with ‘Garruth’, from the album ‘Valediction’ (2019), a track rooted in blackened Darksynth with a driving, oppressive beat that immediately set a sinister tone. ‘Maleficarum’ and ‘Behemoth’, both taken from ‘Behemoth’ (2015), pulled the set deeper into GOST’s early Horror-Synth era: distorted bass lines, slasher-movie atmospheres, and relentless rhythm patterns made the crowd respond with the first true waves of movement. The transition into ‘Leviathan’, from ‘Non Paradisi’ (2016), added a colder, more ritualistic dimension - the track’s sharp synth stabs and occult overtones created a sense of looming dread that fit perfectly with the masked performer’s jerky, feverish gestures.
The mood shifted again with ‘Obituary’ from ‘Possessor’ (2018), a heavier, more aggressive piece shaped by industrial percussion and the unmistakable influence of Black Metal. ‘Shiloh’s Lament’, off ‘Rites of Love and Reverence’ (2021), brought a brief moment of eerie beauty - slower, atmospheric, almost ghostly, its melodies echoing through the tight space with a mournful chill. This short reprieve vanished as the duo struck into ‘Digital Death’, also from ‘Valediction’ - a fast, pounding, cybernetic assault that pushed the crowd into full momentum, completing the buildup of tension and adrenaline that had been rising since the start.
The set closed with ‘Prophecy’, the title track from GOST’s latest album (2024) and the most explosive moment of the performance. Brutal Darksynth fused with black-metal aggression, roaring low-end, and ritualistic energy made it feel like an apocalyptic invocation. Even within the cramped, almost suffocating environment created by PERTURBATOR’s massive equipment setup, the track’s power filled the room completely. By the end, the audience was fully ignited - a mix of awe, adrenaline, and fascination - proving once again that GOST’s ferocious blend of styles can turn even the smallest stage into a battlefield of sound and shadow.
Setlist
01. Garruth
02. Maleficarum
03. Behemoth
04. Leviathan
05. Obituary
06. Shiloh’s Lament
07. Digital Death
08. Prophecy
Kælan Mikla
KÆLAN MIKLA is an Icelandic Post-Punk / Dark-Wave trio formed in 2013 in Reykjavík, made up of vocalist Laufey Soffía, bassist Margrét Rósa Dóru-Harrýsdóttir and keyboardist / synth-player Sólveig Matthildur Kristjánsdóttir. Their music blends the cold melancholy of Icelandic folklore with gothic atmospheres, combining droning bass or synths, haunting vocals, and minimalist but powerful instrumentation - a sound often described as Darkwave, Cold Wave, Gothic Rock or Post-Punk.
Over the years they have developed from their early poetry-slam roots into one of the most distinctive voices in modern Nordic Darkwave, known not only for their recordings but also for evocative, ritual-like live performances. Their most recent full-length albums are ‘Undir Köldum Norðurljósum’ (2021) and the 2024 album ‘The Phantom Carriage’ (a soundtrack-style collaboration). Before that they released ‘Nótt eftir nótt’ (2018), ‘Kælan Mikla’ (self-titled, 2016), and their debut ‘Mánadans’ (recorded 2014). https://www.kaelanmikla.com
Music & Performance
KÆLAN MIKLA stepped onto the stage with an air of icy mystique, weaving themselves between the towering structures of PERTURBATOR’s equipment as if entering a sacred space. This wasn’t my first encounter with the Icelandic trio - I had seen them before, opening for VV at Fabrik here in Hamburg back in February 2023. VILLE VALO spoke highly of them in several interviews, praising their emotional intensity and ethereal artistry, and that earlier performance left a lasting impression on me.
Even though they sing in a language I do not understand, the sonic landscape, the atmosphere, and the emotional weight behind every phrase made their music resonate deeply. This new performance did not disappoint; if anything, it felt even more immersive, more otherworldly, as if the band had refined their ritual into something sharper and more gripping.
They opened with ‘Mara’ from ‘Nótt eftir nótt’ (2018), a track steeped in nocturnal tension, its cold synth lines and whispered menace immediately pulling the audience into their dream-haunted realm. ‘Svört augu’, also from the same album, deepened the mood with its hypnotic rhythm and shadowy post-punk aura. The transition into ‘Draumadís’ brought a sense of levitation - the vocals drifting like mist while the bass vibrated with a quiet, ghostly pulse. ‘Kalt’ followed, minimalistic yet piercing, a song that felt like standing alone in a frozen landscape, surrounded by echoes of something ancient.
Midway through the set, ‘Sírenur’ introduced a shimmering, almost supernatural energy, with voices rising and falling like mythological calls from beneath dark waters. ‘Stjörnuljós’ shifted the atmosphere again, warmer yet still wrapped in melancholy, its melodies gliding through the room with a fragile kind of radiance. ‘Andvaka’, from ‘Undir köldum norðurljósum’ (2021), carried a restless undercurrent - a heartbeat of insomnia, anxiety, and longing that grew steadily more intense. Then came ‘Sólstöður’, a track pulsing with ceremonial power, its steady build transforming the venue into something akin to a moonlit shrine.
They closed with ‘Hvítir Sandar’, one of their most emotionally charged songs, soaring and windswept, its vocal lines stretching like cries across an Icelandic coastline. Even without understanding the words, the meaning was unmistakable - sorrow, transcendence, catharsis. By this point, the crowd had surrendered fully, moving as if caught in a collective trance. What began as a performance gradually shifted into something ritualistic, a shared emotional release that washed over the room like a tide.
For me, once again, KÆLAN MIKLA proved that their music transcends language. Their blend of post-punk, darkwave, and Icelandic mystical sensibility carried the audience into a different world - a place where every note felt like a spell and every silence like a breath of frozen air. It was a performance rich with epic moments, one that left the room shimmering with a strange, luminous intensity.
Setlist
01. Mara
02. Svört augu
03. Draumadís
04. Kalt
05. Sírenur
06. Stjörnuljós
07. Andvaka
08. Sólstöður
09. Hvítir Sandar
Perturbator
PERTURBATOR is the stage name of French electronic musician James Kent, hailing from Paris. He is one of the most well-known artists in the darker side of Synthwave, often blending retro-80s style synths with Industrial, Cyberpunk aesthetics, Darksynth, EBM, and sometimes even Post-Punk or Gothic-tinged textures - a soundscape that evokes dystopian futures, neon nightmares, and cinematic decay.
His latest album is ‘Age of Aquarius’ (2025), released on Nuclear Blast, marking a new chapter in his evolution: bigger production, even darker atmospheres, and a refined fusion of Synthwave, Darkwave, and Industrial tension. Before that came ‘Lustful Sacraments’ (2021), which already moved him significantly toward darker, more mature territory. Right now, PERTURBATOR is on his 2025 European / UK headlining tour, sharing the bill with KÆLAN MIKLA and GOST - a tour bringing his signature electronic darkness to clubs and venues across the continent. https://perturbator.com/
Music & Performance
PERTURBATOR’s entrance felt less like the beginning of a concert and more like the activation of a forbidden machine. Once the black cloth was lifted from the mountain of gear that had consumed the stage and half the photo pit, Gruenspan transformed into a pulsating engine of neon, fog, and violent electronics.
They opened with ‘Lunacy’ from ‘Lustful Sacraments’ (2021), a track steeped in industrial menace, its grinding bass and ritualistic pacing instantly pulling the crowd into a world of electronic decay. ‘Excess’, from the same album, followed with a cold, pulsating groove that shook the walls with its mechanical heartbeat. The energy rose sharply with ‘The Art of War’, a furious synth assault from ‘The Uncanny Valley’ (2016), its tempo slicing through the fog like a neon blade. ‘Apocalypse Now’, raw and cinematic, expanded the atmosphere into something apocalyptic - the kind of track that makes the floor feel unstable beneath your feet.
The set continued with ‘Corrupted by Design’, a volatile piece where cyberpunk brutality meets rhythmic elegance, before descending into the combined chaos of ‘Diabolus Ex Machina’ and ‘Weapons for Children’, two tracks that embody PERTURBATOR’s signature blend of demonic urgency and retro-futuristic hysteria. The crowd erupted when the unmistakable hook of ‘Humans Are Such Easy Prey’ emerged - a modern classic from ‘Dangerous Days’ (2014) that remains one of the most electrifying cuts in his catalogue. ‘The Glass Staircase’ and ‘Messalina, Messalina’ (from ‘The Uncanny Valley’) brought a darker, more hypnotic mood, before the soaring momentum of ‘Venger’ washed over the room with a wave of synth-driven adrenaline.
The final stretch of the show played like a direct hit to the nostalgia centre of every fan: ‘Neo Tokyo’ and ‘Future Club’ - both from ‘Dangerous Days’ - ignited the biggest reaction of the night, with the entire venue moving as a single, illuminated mass. ‘Tactical Precision Disarray’, sharp and militaristic, kept the tension high until the finale ‘Tainted Empire’ closed the night with a triumphant, thunderous descent back into darkness.
As for the new album, I won’t be tearing it to pieces - everyone has their own perspective. Some of my fellow journalists were moved to tears getting the vinyl signed; others left the show skeptical, insisting that KÆLAN MIKLA had been the true highlight of the evening, at least visually. Opinions always differ, and that’s the beauty of live music discourse. What I know for certain is that PERTURBATOR’s sonic impact can be far greater in a larger venue with more technical freedom - Gruenspan is an intimate club with its own limitations. If he had been allowed to unleash the full power of his setup, we probably would have been launched into the stratosphere by pure electronic force.
At the end of the day, he remains exactly what he has always been: an electro-god in human form. And though I will always have a personal preference for his early albums, the fire, precision, and sheer presence of his performance tonight prove that his evolution has not dimmed his power - only sharpened it.
Setlist
01. Lunacy
02. Excess
03. The Art of War
04. Apocalypse Now
05. Corrupted by Design
06. Diabolus Ex Machina / Weapons for Children
07. Humans Are Such Easy Prey
08. The Glass Staircase
09. Messalina, Messalina
10. Venger
11. Neo Tokyo
12. Future Club
13. Tactical Precision Disarray
14. Tainted Empire
All Pictures by Iryna Kalenska
