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BIMFEST XXIII
19 + 20.12.2024
DE CASINO - ST-NIKLAAS - B
BODYBEATS PRODUCTIONS is proud to announce the 23th edition of our worldwide renowned, congenial alternative underground music festival; BIMFEST, or Belgian Independent Music Festival to give its full title.
TICKET ARE AVAILABLE HERE!
Check in on our Facebook event HERE and let your friends know you're going!
BIMFEST DAY 1 - FRIDAY 19.12
Line-up & timing subject to change!!! |
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BIMFEST DAY 2 - SATURDAY 20.12
Line-up & timing subject to change!!! |
CAT RAPES DOG (SE)
Cat Rapes Dog (SE) – founded in 1984 in Sweden, Cat Rapes Dog are pioneers of the electropunk / EBM / heavy-industrial crossover. Founded by Joel Rydström and Magnus Fransson, the band quickly gained notice for self-released cassette albums and raw, unapologetic soundscapes. Between 1989 and 1991, they released three studio albums on Belgium’s renowned KK Records—home to many EBM/industrial heavyweights—and later long-running works via Swedish independents like Energy Rekords and Subspace Communications. Their music fuses pounding electronic beats, jagged synths, punk attitude, and even metal tones—orchestrated in chaotic but surprisingly melodic fashion. After disbanding in 2009, Cat Rapes Dog returned in 2019 and have since re-established their presence in the scene with powerful live performances and reissues that celebrate their darker, noisier legacy. Cat Rapes Dog blew everybody away on BodyBeats's International EBM day 2024 and now they are back! Finally and For the first time at BIMFEST
Expect a sonic rollercoaster: uncompromising, provocative, and always alive with tension.
HAUJOBB (D)
Founded in 1992 by Daniel Myer, Dejan Samardzic, and Björn Jünemann (who left in the mid-’90s), in Bielefeld, Germany, Haujobb has evolved into one of the genre-defining names in electronic music’s darker corners. The act quickly broke ground with their debut Homes & Gardens (1993) and sharpened their vision on Freeze Frame Reality (1995). Over the years, Haujobb has continually pushed boundaries between electro-industrial, IDM, ambient, techno, and EBM. Albums like Solutions for a Small Planet (1996) showed their willingness to experiment, bringing in drum ’n’ bass rhythms and textural complexity, while later works reintroduce rhythm and intensity without losing their avant-garde edge. Their 2024 release, The Machine in the Ghost, marks their tenth studio album and underscores Haujobb’s mastery of contrast—analogue and digital, raw field recordings and sharp programming, nostalgia without slavish repetition. The album features special guests and is presented in deluxe formats that reflect their attention to aesthetic detail. Live, Haujobb are a force: atmospheric yet visceral, blending sonic experimentation with energy that grips dance-floors. They remain not just survivors of the electronic underground, but innovators who continue to shape it.
EMPATHY TEST (UK) London electronic pop duo Empathy Test have been captivating audiences worldwide since their formation in 2014. Fronted by charismatic vocalist Isaac Howlett with production and composition by Adam Relf, the band creates an instantly recognizable sound: cinematic synths, driving beats, and heartfelt vocals that fuse nostalgia with modern edge.
Inspired by Blade Runner, their name reflects the cinematic quality running through their work. Since their debut EP Losing Touch, Empathy Test have released three acclaimed studio albums — Losing Touch, Safe From Harm, and Monsters — alongside the live album Time to Be Alive. Entirely fan-funded through crowdfunding campaigns, each release underscores the remarkable loyalty of their global fanbase. Praised by Clash Magazine, MTV, BBC and KCRW, Empathy Test’s music has been described as “gorgeous” and “utterly cinematic.”
Live, Empathy Test bring their music to life with an intensity that has seen them play headline tours across Europe and the UK, share festival stages at Wave Gotik Treffen and M’era Luna, and support iconic acts including VNV Nation and Aesthetic Perfection.
Now, celebrating more than a decade of music, Empathy Test embark on their 2025 European Tour — more than 20 shows across 15 cities, running from September through December with the final tour show at our BIMFEST 2025! Fans can expect a career-spanning setlist, combining early favorites with powerful tracks from Monsters and beyond.
With their unique blend of emotion and atmosphere, Empathy Test’s 2025 tour is set to be their most ambitious yet — a must-see for fans of synthpop, darkwave, and electronic music everywhere.
AKALOTZ (D)
Hailing from Kaiserslautern and active since 2007, Akalotz is a German electro/EBM/industrial duo known for their pounding rhythms, dark atmospheres, and aggressive screams. Founded by Thorsten Haury (vocals & production) and later joined by Nico Klenner on drums, the group blends classic old-school EBM energy with melodic, dark electro elements. Their albums Shift to Evil (2014), Confront (2017), and Angry Body Machine (2024) demonstrate a steady evolution: heavier, more manipulative production and stronger songwriting, while still retaining the brutal, dancefloor-ready core that made them stand out. Their live shows deliver powerful energy, radiating through machinic beats, convincing vocals, and visceral performances—it's EBM with conviction, depth, and raw power.
CRYPTOCHROMA (B)
CryptoChroma is a Belgian electronic music project known for its cold, analog soundscapes, built on synthesizers, vintage gear, and atmospheric textures. Founded in the mid-1980s, the project has remained active in various musical collaborations and has steadily developed a style that emphasizes mood, introspection, and the darker side of electronic music. CryptoChroma's debut album, NUMB (2020), explores themes of anxiety, post-apocalypse, alienation, and greed, all wrapped in an '80s-inspired sonic aesthetic. Their latest album, Ominous Clouds, was released exclusively on vinyl in 2023 by Red Maze Records / Strange Arts. CryptoChroma maintains a solitary, investigative spirit—playing keyboards, tweaking knobs, and being open to collaboration—while always maintaining a personal, deeply atmospheric approach to sound. CryptoChroma was voted best live act of the evening by the audience at the 2025 Dark Demo(n) event!
EUFORIC EXISTENCE (B)
Euforic Existence hails from Antwerp and delivers hard-hitting EBM and industrial music with raw energy and no holds barred. Since their first releases like Eros and Existence Beating Morality (2014-2015), they've built a reputation for mixing hard electronics, aggressive beats, and powerful performances that dominate both underground clubs and outdoor stages. Euforic Existence was voted one of the best acts of the night by the Dark Demo(n)s crowd in 2025! Hence their presence at our 23rd edition of BIMFEST! Expect a Euforic Existence set that will leave you in stitches with pounding synths, searing vocals, and an atmosphere full of industrial rawness.
FRETT (PL)
FRETT is the solo project of Maciej Frett, best known for his work with the bands Job Karma and 7JK. Since the mid-1990s, he has been a fixture in Wrocław's independent industrial/experimental scene and also curates and organizes events such as the Wrocław Industrial Festival. His debut solo album, The World as a Hologram (2020, on Ant-Zen/Gusstaff Records), combines old-school industrial with IDM and techno rhythms, tribal and dance-industrial beats, ambient and noise textures, and raw vocals—often with a hard or "soulless" edge. On his more recent album, NOTTWO (2023), FRETT continues these influences while further exploring retro-synt styles, post-punk, and '80s electronica, with pop-like structural elements and more prominent vocal contributions from Anna Frett. Live, FRETT is presented by Maciej Frett and his partner Anna Frett, often in unconventional venues. The project combines atmospheric, industrial soundscapes with rhythms that get the dance floor moving, while also maintaining a dark, experimental edge.
MAJESTOLUX (SE)
The solo project of Stockholm-based artist Conny Fornbäck, Majestoluxe is a masterclass in minimalist EBM and experimental industrial pop. A veteran of Sweden’s ’80s EBM underground (bands, clubs, labels), Conny reemerged after decades with a sound that feels retro-futuristic—drawing equally from early German synth, Belgian EBM, and UK minimal electronics—while pushing forward with analog modular production. On the 2019 debut Septic Shock and subsequent EPs, Majestoluxe delivers stripped-down yet intense soundscapes: throbbing basslines, half-whispered vocals, sudden bursts of raw, passionate screams, all with an attention to detail that makes even the most minimal moments feel charged. Live, expect an immersive experience—cold precision, weird textures, and dance-rousing pulses that lurk beneath the surface. Majestoluxe is for those who crave darkness, nuance, and a strong analogue soul in electronic music.
NORDARR (D)
Founded in 2008 by André Schitteck and Christoph Lemke (aka Chris Dupont), Nordar has carved out its own niche in the German EBM underground. Their sound is raw, analogue, and bass-driven, fusing relentless rhythms with shouted vocals that channel anger, protest, and rebellion. Deeply inspired by the old-school tradition yet sharpened with a modern edge, Nordar delivers music that is both uncompromising and confrontational. On stage, this collective is known for unleashing high-voltage energy, turning every performance into a visceral experience that embodies the true spirit of classic body music.
PROJECT-X (SE)
Project-X is one of Sweden’s most notorious electro/EBM exports, delivering a potent mix of pounding beats, razor-sharp synths, and biting lyrical themes. Formed in Stockholm in 1995, the band quickly carved out a niche for themselves in the Scandinavian electronic underground with their uncompromising sound and signature blend of dark energy and ironic social commentary. Their music is as much about intensity and rhythm as it is about attitude, giving them a unique edge in the European EBM scene. With releases that have hit dancefloors worldwide, Project-X has built a loyal following far beyond Sweden’s borders. Their live performances are brimming with raw energy, transforming the stage into a relentless dancefloor where irony, provocation, and hard-hitting electronics collide. Their songs, both playful and aggressive, tackle everything from subcultural clichés to the darker aspects of modern life, all wrapped in an unmistakably Scandinavian sound. Today, Project-X is still celebrated as a cult favorite among EBM fans. They are known for keeping the spirit of classic body music alive while putting their own satirical spin on it. Expect a show that is loud, fast, and relentless – exactly what electronic body music was made for.
THEY FEEL NOTHING (B)
They Feel Nothing is the solo project of Bruges-based artist Kevin Van Volcem (also known from We Are Ooh People), delving into the darker edges of analog synth-wave, EBM, and dark-wave. Expect haunting, distorted, and ethereal vocals layered over atmospheric retro synths and beats that alternately push and pull. Songs like Not In A Million Years, Going Down / Skin Crawl, Inferior Race, and Blood On Your Knife reveal his full spectrum — from smoldering melancholy to sharp, confrontational, and irresistibly danceable. Voted one of the best live acts at Dark Demo(n)s 2025, They Feel Nothing promises an intense, visceral journey: a performance that is brooding, pulsating, and deeply immersive.
ZWEITE JUGEND (D)
Zweite Jugend is a two-piece electronic/EBM project from Osnabrück, Germany, formed by Eli van Vegas (vocals, sequencing, songwriting, production) and Marcel Lüke (drums, songwriting). Their sound is minimalist, analog, raw, yet atmospheric: they often utilize vintage synthesizers (ARP Odyssey, SH-101, MS20), acoustic drums, vocals, and percussion—and little else. Their work evokes elements of late-70s electronic music and early EBM, but always with a modern production and lyrical sensibility. Lyrically, the band is reflective, often exploring themes of love, existential longing, human self-destruction, science, and the night. They typically write the lyrics first and then build the music around them. Zweite Jugend released their debut album Liebe ist Luxus in 2016, followed by Elektronische Körpermusik in 2019. Their third full-length album Der Wille zur Nacht marks the conclusion of a planned trilogy, further pushing their aesthetic of analogue purity, dark atmosphere and emotional introspection.
