Here is the recording of my liveset played at Coucool Festival 2025. Big thanks to Feu Folie for that amazing stage and this warm experience! And thanks to Coucool for organizing such a nice festival. The group of people you've put together for that weekend was just SWEET! <3

Kenji Tanaka LIVE // Coucool // France 2025

IMPROVISED LIVE TECHNO
Psychedelic / Techno / Groove 
Berlin | Germany


Do you love techno?
Then take a stand for democracy.

The techno scene is built by and for people who choose freedom: be who you are, decide what you do, and think for yourself, while always respecting others’ boundaries.

Anti-democratic politics reject exactly that. Free people can’t be controlled.
Anyone who has ever felt that freedom — even just for a few hours on the dance floor — knows it’s worth protecting. 

By standing up for democracy, techno music, clubs and festivals can sustain. Techno lives on the dance floor!

This isn’t about followers, hype, hits, or fame. Techno music is one part of a larger system we call club culture — a place where people come together with respect, without violence, and in real communication.

Let’s choose democracy over fear! This is our planet too!

FCK AFD!

🌎 Booking & Contact:
Kenji.Tanaka@loft.contact

View, Watch, Listen:
www.instagram.com/kenji_tanaka_live
www.youtube.com/@KenjiTanaka_LIVE
www.kenjitanaka.bandcamp.com

My Family: "BonkerSquad"
👉www.soundcloud.com/maldaneben
👉www.soundcloud.com/vaianamusic
👉www.instagram.com/bonkersquadberlin

Most recent:
06.03.26 HÖR Berlin 
21.03.26 Spechthausen
14.03.26 Parachute Istanbul
29.05.26 Exit Festival  Germany
25.06.26 Biesenthal
28.12.25 CCC Hamburg (additional workshop on my live set at 6pm)

2025:
20.12.25 Reflected Radio
06.12.25 JAZ Rostock
21.11.25 Jonny Knüppel Berlin
02.11.25 Sisyphos Berlin
18.10.25 Südpol Hamburg
11.10.25 Monopol Basement
27.09.25 Exit Hamburg
22.08.25 Entropie Festival Germany
16.08.25 Compact Madnass Festival Germany
03.08.25 Garbicz Festival Poland
26.07.25 Coucool Festival France
27.06.25 Fusion Festival Tanzwüste
31.05.25 Accension Festival
24.05.25 Choose Jonny Knüppel Berlin
17.05.25 Secret Rave
16.05.25 Rosa Greifswald
06.04.25 Sisyphos Berlin
01.03.25 BonkerSquad Salöön Berlin
...



My approach to my music: 
I love loopy and trippy techno. When dancing, I like to let go of everything around me and enter a deeper dialogue with myself. At this stage, I am 100% in tune with myself. This works for me when the groove drives me and the elements I hear are interesting but not too intrusive. That’s exactly what I love to create on the dance floor.

To achieve this—and to create the necessary element of surprise—I combine different loops randomly and blindly. Since I never know exactly what will happen, I am constantly surprised and inspired by the result.

If you want to see how it works check out my youtube channel. www.youtube.com/@KenjiTanaka_Official




My instruments:
-Drums (TR8S)
-Bass (Modular)
-Rumble Bass (TR8S)
-Atmos (Fieldrecorder, Drumrack, Ableton)
-Synth 1 (MicroMonsta 2)
-Synth 2 (Polysix VST, Ableton)
-Vocal Samples (Ableton)
-Misc Samples (TR8S)


More nerdy Information:
For each of these instruments, I have prepared about 30 different loops, most of them 1 bar long.
Using the Streamdeck and a self-built ‘Max for Live Tool’, I can select a completely random loop for each instrument with the push of a button. The tonality can be set. To make sure it’s not completely random, I can choose between different categories, such as chords/arpeggiator.
I can control the complexity of the loop using controls.

All instruments run through Ableton (RME Fireface UCXii). With the help of ‘Launchcontrol’ and 2x ‘Midifighter Twister’, I can control all the parameters that are important to me. Filters, reverb, random delay and pitch effects glue everything together.

When playing, I rely on my intuition. I can sense what should happen 2-4 bars in advance. If I feel like I want to hear a new chord pattern, I press a button and let myself be surprised. If I like it, I develop it further. If I don’t like it, I move on.

Since the whole structure is improvised, I am correspondingly excited before the gigs. Because almost nothing can be planned in advance. My biggest clue is whether I dance. If I get myself to move and get lost, I am happy with what happens.

New tracks tagged #Coucool Festival