THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE / THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION - Live In Berlin

I guess it's a law of inevitability that whenever you're really adamant on saving money and not visiting this show or not needing that limited edition vinyl, some luxury good you just cannot say no to comes along. Like this big beautiful four-LP box documenting the whole comeback double performance of The Kilimajaro Darkjazz Ensemble aka The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation on August 29th 2025 in the Lido, Berlin. 

Since I had centered a whole musical weekend trip around this event and witnessed the quintet from the front row, this box set basically was pure catnip for me. 

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE /

THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION - Live In Berlin

(4LP vinyl box) (2026)

In my live review I had seperated the two shows before and after a brief intermission, labeling one as a Kilimajaro and the other as a Mount Fuji performance, even though I wasn't sure about this attribution at all. And now with the whole tracklist at hand I can confirm that technically the whole night exlusively belonged to The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, since both sets were based on the main project's already existing material, especially from the albums "Here Be Dragons" (2009) and "From The Stairwell" (2011).

However there is an eery, nocturnal edge in the way the current line-up interprets the material, which feels more like the strictly improvisational music of The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation. So besides the obvious messaging that both incarnations of the group are back and available for future endeavours, it is also artistically warranted that this release wears both names on its cover without distinction.

I will admit that I am surely biased when I crown these more than two hours of Dark/Doomjazz immersion as the new holy grail of the group's work, but this excellently recorded mammoth release just gives you almost everything you could wish for inside the sonic cosmos Gideon Kiers (electronics, effects) and Jason Köhnen (bass, theremin) have established. A smooth blend of Ambient, slow motion Jazz, Dub, Doom, Drone, Post Rock, Classical and Folk music that feels like a wonderful soundtrack to countless escapist cinematic experiences spawning in your head.

Especially the far away mystically processed vocalizations of Charlotte Cegarra underline the dreamlike quality, while the versatile trombone and trumpet of Hilary Jeffery does so much more than I expected before experiencing this show. And adding a secong brass player for the encore with "The MacGuffin" and the closing "Reprise" is of course a worthy elevation of the finale.

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble / The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation

Speaking of worthy: Everything comes in a solid slipcase with each of four records in its own sleeve. It looks great and the vinyl quality matches the looks.

The only thing which easily could have been done better is the A3 poster of a polaroid picture of the band taken in the Lido lobby. Instead of having to fold it this would have been way cooler presented as a vinyl-format square matte print. Other than that this box is pretty much perfect.

As an additional perk when ordering online (the few remaining copies are only available at recent and coming live shows!) you got a private YouTube link to the professional video recording of the whole show. Nice!

No doubt: As of now "Live In Berlin" immediately jumps right to the top of my (obviously work in progress) album of the year list. This is special.    

MUSIC 2025 : TOP 25 live shows

There's never enough live music, and there never will be. But that being said I'm really happy with the amount of great shows I got to experience this year.

Of course there are still nights I regret having missed, like the not so well attended, but appearantly extra long and amazing club show of Arthur Brown in Hamburg or all the tours which just didn't came close enough to Northern Germany at all.

On the other hand some artists that had made the ranking in the past sadly couldn't meet my expectations, like Kamasi Washington or even Cynic.

Other shows many fans would probably expect in a list like this, were great, but just didn't make it up in the top, like Blood Incantation, Igorrr, Wormrot, Tangerine Dream, Lucifer, Macabre, Kanaan & Ævestaden, Chat Pile, Wyatt E., Ni, Wooden Elephant performing Björk and many more.
Thisquietarmy x Otay:onii even actually were club show number twelve for a brief moment, but then I decided to make it only a TOP 11 list in favour of having a longer TOP 14 of festival shows. And right there I admittedly downgraded Michael Gira, because I didn't want to reward his bully behaviour towards Kristof Hahn at their Roadburn show, even though it undoubtly was contributing to the special intensity of that performance...

You see: Ranking is harte Maloche. So after litres of sweat and blood here's the result:

TOP 11 CLUB/SOLO SHOWS 2025:

1. MINISTRY - Markthalle, Hamburg
   
   
   

   This came as a surprise.  I had seen the Industrial metal legends in Wacken - where they had also been just one night before this show - a couple of times, lastly nine years ago, and I knew their performance would be great.
   But just what a fucking blast it would be to witness Al Jourgensen and co. celebrating classic after classic plus even songs from the Synth Pop debut "With Sympathy" in the more intimate club setting - no, I can't say I was fully prepared for that. I already knew right then and there that Ministry were playing my favorite show of the year - and as you can see my opinion hasn't changed.
   
   
2. THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE / THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION - Lido, Berlin
   
   
   
   The members of the Dutch Doomjazz group with the two aliases obviouly didn't know how much their return after twelve years of hiatus meant to some  fans, who travelled to Berlin from as far as the other side of the globe. And it was heartwarming to see them enjoy the well-deserved waves of applause after a double-show of amazing Slow Motion Jazz / Ambient / Doom / Dub / Post Rock / Folk / Contemporary Classical beauty.
   
   
3. SUNN O))) - Uebel & Gefährlich, Hamburg
   
   
   
   Six Ampeg amps, twelve Model T's, a wall of speakers and two guitars. Enough to physically destroy me to a degree not even previous Sunn O))) or Swans shows had been capable of. My head and hearing needed days to recover.
   Yet still the Drone Metal masters delivered a musically remarkably rich and transcendently meditative experience, which made me float from the birth of the universe to the core of  Earth and back.
   
   
4. NEPTUNIAN MAXIMALISM "La Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu" - MS Stubnitz, Hamburg
   
   
   
   It was the already the second time I attended a full performance of Neptunian Maximalism's Blackened Drone Doom Raga monolith "La Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu". And with an interpretation emphasizing the Black Metal elements and an unbelievably mighty and pristine sound, which allowed you to dive into every single sonic detail, the show on Hamburg's finest ship was even more perfect than their 2024 Roaddburn Festival performance.
   
   
5. CLIPPING. - Hafenklang, Hamburg
   
   
   
   For some reason Hamburg's Hafenklang venue has established itself as Clipping.'s home away from home outside of America. So once again the Experimental Hip Hop trio (plus premium stage guest Counterfeit Madison) burned the place down to the ground with a sudatory electrifying performance. 
   
   
6. DOOL - Logo, Hamburg
   
   
   
   Whenever I see Dool live, the Dutch Dark Rock quintet will safely end up in these lists later; I guess that's an established natural law by now. Their last show in Hamburg hadn't been that long ago and this was  already the third time I saw them with a relatively similar setlist in support of "The Shape of Fluidity". So this should get at least a little bit boring, right? No, not at all! One of the best live bands around for ten years now!
   
   
7. SEVEN IMPALE - Logo, Hamburg
   
   
   
   A dream come true! I've been wishing to see the Norwegian Prog/Jazz Metal Fusion sextet Seven Impale for ten years and even lost all hope during their seven years long hiatus. And now they finally played a mini tour of only two shows in Germany. And even though the Logo wasn't exactly sold out, this night was everything I wanted it to be. Fantastic!
   
   
8. TEMPLE FANG - MarX, Hamburg
   
   
   
   Benefitting from the fact that the Dutch are Roadburn regulars I had already enjoyed six shows of the fantastic Psychedelic Prog Rockers Temple Fang before. This time however was extra special - not only because of the strength of the "Lifted From the Wind" material, but because it finally was a headlining show without the time restraints of a festival. That meant almost two hours of epic Rock'n'Roll bliss.
   
   
9. KOENJI HYAKKEI - MS Stubnitz, Hamburg
   
   
   
   At least in my mind my mouth is still permanently wide open in amazed disbelieve since I witnessed Japanese Zeuhl  masters Koenji Hyakkei. No matter if you take the escalating Free Jazz drumming, the insanely fast and complicated vocal/saxophone unisono runs or outbreaks of metallic heaviness - very few performances this years came even remotely close to the joy of playing, the breathtaking virtuosity and the utter musical madness of these Magma worshippers.
   
   
10. MONO - Knust, Hamburg
    
    
    
    After decades of chair glue for their guitar players Mono are now standing on stage! Well, except for the drummer of course. Apart from that change the Japanese Instrumental Post Rock quartet still presented itself as a class of its own. Between heavenly elation and earthshaking force the sonic and emotional dynamics unleashed by their live performances are an experience I cannot imagine ever growing tired of or not being deeply touched by.
    
    
11. HEDVIG MOLLESTAD TRIO - Hafenklang, Hamburg
    
    
    
    Here come the Norwegian ladies in glitter dresses and their less fashion-conscious drummer! They brought a marathon Jazz Rock Metal Fusion show, which included the whole "Bees In The Bonnet" album and ended with the band leader lying on the ground amidst the crowd - before leaving with Led Zeppelin's "Rock'n'Roll" as the ultimate statement what the band is all about. After two amazing Roadburn shows this night confirmed that when the Hedvig Mollestad Trio comes to town, fullest dedication, blown minds and a shitload of fun are guaranteed.

TOP 14 FESTIVAL SHOWS 2025:

1. SUMAC "The Healer" - Roadburn Festival, Tilburg
   
   
   

   In all its abstract nonconformist weirdness and pummeling heaviness Sumac's "The Healer" still is one of my favorite albums of 2024. And boy, did the full live performance of this Avantgarde Metal coloss live up to it! Right then and there I already felt that it had to be my unrivaled favorite performance of the festival. Present day me doesn't object.
   
   
2. AUTOPSY - Stonehenge Festival, Steenwijk
   
   
   
   Strictly speaking the gory Death Metal legends' setlist was way too similar to their last oldschool-heavy Stonehenge appearance. Yet fuck it, because even with this sole critique it still was fucking Autopsy, man! And there's just noone like them. Bloody banger!
   
   
3. ANGLES "The Death Of Kalypso" - Roadburn Festival, Tilburg
   
   
   
   The Paradox stage was as crammed as the rest of the room, when the octet Angles performed "The Death of Kalypso", their amazing self-proclaimed Jazz Opera in five acts. They alternated between different varieties of Vocal Jazz, minimalism, Classical interludes, Free Jazz freak-outs, Shirley Bassey grandeur and all kinds of displays of virtuosity earning spontanous scene applause. A truly special show.
   
   
4. OTAY:ONII "True Faith Ain't Blind" - Roadburn Festival, Tilburg
   
   
   
   Few artists are as exceptionally expressive and mesmerizing as singer Lane Shi Otay:onii. The Roadburn team knows that too and invited her for a triennium residence, which means she plays special shows in three consecutive years. The first of those saw her only with a grand piano, playing last year's album "True Faith Ain't Blind". A profoundly touching performance to make Diamanda Galas proud!
   
   
5. ZOMBIE ZOMBIE - Roadburn Festival, Tilburg
   
   
   
   Trippy trippy funky funky cosmic cosmic Kraut Kraut Disco Disco party party! Seeing the French two drummers plus electronics and saxophone trio Zombie Zombie was one of those Roadburn decisions I'm still giving myself pats on the back for.
   
   
6. WITCH CLUB SATAN - Roadburn Festival, Tilburg
   
   
   
   Extremely raw Black Metal and myrkurish atmospheric breaks. Theatrical antics and honest rage. Impressive crochet work and spooky nudity. Technical issues leading to a moment, which made this show of the Norwegian feminist trio Witch Club Satan even more special.
   Finally a huge splash of blood spat right onto my face. That certainly was a memorable way to start into Saturday. I was there for it.
   
   
7. DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - Stonehenge Festival, Steenwijk
   
   
   
   This year's Stonehenge Festival offered various moments of Death Metal nostalgia with bands I hadn't seen live for up to over three decades. The most anticipated and most rewarding of those shows was performed by the still to this day unique Avantgarde Death trio Disharmonic Orchestra from Austria. If only this could have been a bit longer...
   
   
8. MESSA "The Spin" - Roadburn Festival, Tilburg
   
   
   
   Ouch, my heart is bursting! Why is Messa's mix of Doom, Hard Rock, Prog, Folk, Post Punk, Extreme Metal etc. so damn wonderful? Playing their recent album "The Spin" could only be a win. Guitar and muted trumpet duelling in the Jazz lounge during "The Dress" was one of the most memorable live moments of the year. 
   
   
9. INSECT ARK - Roadburn Festival, Tilburg
   
   
   
   Dana Schechter sings now. and appearantly it was exactly what the beauriful Drone Doom of her former solo project / then duo / now live trio Insect Ark needed. This was a show where performance, sound, atmosphere and personality came together under the perfect constellation of stars. You could feel it.
   
   
10. GREEN MILK FROM THE PLANET ORANGE - Esbjerg Fuzztival
    
    
    
    Esbjerg Fuzztival in Denmark had a strong line-up with several electrifying shows only just missing a spot on this list. And even though the Japanese trio was sitting down most of the time, the sheer unhinged madness of their melange of Kraut, Punk, Avantgarde, Prog, emotional intensity and Psych'n'Roll made Green Milk From The Planet Orange the winner.
    
    
11. EX-EASTER ISLAND HEAD - Roadburn Festival, Tilburg
    
    
    
    Atmospheric, Ambient, droning, minimalist, electronic, percussive, maximalist, post-rocking, abstract, trippy, jazzy, funny, funky, danceable... It would probably be harder to find anything the show of Ex-Easter Island was not than all the variety it had to offer. Performed on an incredibly experimental multi-instrumental set-up this quartet's show was unlike any other thing I've ever seen. 
    
    
12. MOEWN - Pink Tank Open Air, Osterrönfeld
    
    
    
    In the grand scheme of things Moewn are just a short-lived and disbanded, relatively obscure German instrumental Post Rock band with a discography of two and a half (since one was a split release) good albums. But that's just what's on paper, because what a heavenly escapist treat was it to witness their one-off reunion show in celebration of the tenth anniversary of their debut!
    
    
13. MISHA PANFILOV SEPTET - Überjazz Festival, Kampnagel, Hamburg
    
    
    
    The prolific Estnian Misha Panfilow came with electric and lap steel guitar and a whole Septet of musicians including a brass section of saxophones and flute to celeberate a relaxing, humorous and hypnotic performance of Spiritual Psychedelic Jazz mixed with Library Music and traces of Kraut Rock. This wasn't even the conceptually or musically most exciting act at Überjazz Festival, but the vibe, man! The vibe was just so... *chefskiss*
    
    
14. SANCTUARIUM - Morbid Catacombs Fest, Neue Zukunft, Berlin
    
    
    
    There are few things in Metal greater than when a Death Metal show widely opens the gates to a foul netherworld and the poisonous mist from that abyssal dimension really creeps into every cell of your being. At Morbid Catacombs Fest the rotten Doom Death of the Spaniards Sanctuarium unlocked this immersive, wonderfully abhorrent sick atmosphere and no shower has been able to clean all of the putrescine stench off me since.
    
    
    
    

favorite MUSIC 2025 - all my lists:

TOP 25 albums   |   TOP 7 live albums   |   TOP 4 reissues

TOP 4 non-album releases   |   TOP 25 live shows

BerlinBerlinBerlin, Tag 1/3 • THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE / THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION live im Lido, 29. August 2025

Vergangenes Wochenende war ich für drei Tage Livemusik in Berlin.

Der Plan, mir allen Innenstadtverkehr zu sparen, indem ich im Außenbezirk (Berlin-Buch) umsonst parkte und mit 48h-Ticket die Bahn benutzte, hatte seine Vor- und Nachteile. Im Großen und Ganzen war's natürlich sicherlich stressfreier und komfortabler. Nur sobald es auch nur ein wenig irregulär wird, merkst Du natürlich sehr schnell, dass Du ein Öffis ansonsten wie die Pest vermeidendes, von urbanen Alltäglichkeiten leicht überfordertes Dorfkind bist. Der Negativhöhepunkt in dieser Beziehung war wohl, mich von der eigentlich ja super praktischen  BVG-App vom U-Bahngleis Alexanderplatz quer durch die ganze Station zur S-Bahn lotsen zu lassen, nur um einen Bahnhof weiter den Befehl zu empfangen, die ganze Strecke, inklusive Fußmarsch mit Reisegepäck wieder zur U-Bahn zurückzukehren! Hatte ich den Veraschungsmode unlocked?

Lästig war auch, ausgerechnet jene paar Tage mit Gleisarbeiten und Schienenersatzverkehr auf der Pendelstrecke zu erwischen. Und richtig schlimm, beim Austreten im Wald neben meinem Parkplatz so sehr von Todesmücken zerstochen zu werden, dass am nächsten Morgen meine kompletten Unterschenkel warm pulsierend angelaufen waren und schmerzten. Richtig fiese Scheiße, die mich tagelang gequält hat. Anderseits eröffnete sich nur wenige Minuten vom Ort des Angriffs entfernt die überraschende Möglichkeit, am Sonntag ein Spätnachmittagskonzert zu besuchen, nach dem ich noch bequem ohne weitere Übernachtung nach Hause kutschieren konnte.

Doch ich greife vor! Zunächst einmal geht's nämlich freitags nach Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, wo ich mich auch in der Warschauer Straße einquartiert hatte, und zum eigentlichen Anlass dieser Musikreise...

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE

Es war ein Konzert, für das einige Besucher noch weitaus längere Strecken als ich aus Schleswig-Holstein auf sich genommen hatten. Die erste Liveperformance des Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensembles aka The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation rund um Jason Köhnen und Gideon Kiers seit 2013 war nach Ankündigung auch sehr zügig ausverkauft gewesen, so dass der mir von Bildern und Videos irgendwie bereits sehr vertraut vorkommende Saal des Lido sich komplett mit einem szeneübergreifenden, bunten lokal/internationalen Publikum füllte.

Ich würde ehrlich gesagt nicht mein Leben darauf verwetten, dass das erste Set des Abends tatsächlich hundertprozentig dem "normalen" Darkjazz Ensemble gehörte, genauso wie ich die zweite Show niemals mit Sicherheit ausnahmlos dem düstereren, improvisationslastigeren Alter Ego der Gruppe zuordnend könnte. Die Besetzung war identisch und es gab keinen drastischen musikalischen Bruch. Von daher ist die Wahl eines der beiden Bandnamen ja ohnehin reine Formsache.

Die spannende Frage war natürlich, wie groß die Besetzung sein würde, zumal gerade jene Frage ja in der Vergangenheit im Zusammenhang mit Liveaktivitäten ein Problem darstellte.

Es war letztendlich "nur" ein Quintett, welches einen erstaunlich großen und atmosphärisch zum Zerschneiden dichten Sound zaubern durfte. Die Mittel dazu waren Bass, Gitarre, eine Menge Elektronik inklusive Beats, mystischer weiblicher Gesang und oftmals als Hauptdarsteller eine beeindruckend dröhnmächtige, effektbeladene Posaune oder Trompete.

Es war wie erwartet die Kulmination dessen, was der quer durch diverse Projekte aktive Jason Köhnen unter dem Banner Darkjazz in all seinen Variationen auslotet. Ein - sobald man diesen Begriff vermeiden möchte - selten fest in einem spezifischen Genre verortbarer Mix aus tatsächlichem Smooth- bis Zeitlupen-Jazz mit Bohren & der Club of Gore-Schwingungen, Ambient, Drone, Doom, Dub, Post Allerhand und auch Spuren von Folk und etwas kontemporärer Klassik. Doch auch diese Zuordnung ist höchstens formal von Belang.

Was zählte war die gleichzeit eindringliche wie entrückende Qualität dieses Ensembles, der mit Worten kaum gerecht zu werden ist. Es war magisch. Und ohne chronometrische Fremdhilfe hätte ich niemals gewusst, wieviel Zeit nach diesem ersten Akt vergangen war.

THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION

Nach einer zum Glück nicht allzu langen Pause ging es bombastisch dröhnend und erhaben weiter. Wie bereits erwähnt gab es keinen generellen stilistischen Wechsel, doch die Intensität nahm auf schwer fassbare Weise doch zu. Und meine nach dem langen Tag einsetzende Müdigkeit half diesen Eindruck subjektiv gewiss noch zu verstärken.

Der Funke des ersten Sets breitete sich zu einem inneren Feuer aus, welches sich - wenn die Band denn mal zu einer eindeutigen Pause absetzte - in immer frenetischerem Applaus äußerste. Schließlich wurde die Gruppe noch von einem zweiten Posaunisten für noch himmlischere Fanfarenkraft unterstützt, ehe der Abend mit einer Zugabe endete und die Musiker sich sichtlich überwältigt vom offensichtlich unerwartet euphorischen - und doch klar verdienten - Zuspruch zeigten.

The Mount Kilimanfuji Darkdoomjazz Corporation Ensemble sind schon eine Klasse für sich. Obwohl noch reichlich Programm vor mir lag, war nach diesem atemberaubenden Abend schon zweifellos klar, dass der Weg in die Bundesbärenstadt sich gelohnt hatte.

Und zumal ja z.B. keine Streicher dabei waren, kann ich mir durchaus vorstellen, dass die Niederländer diesem perfekten Konzert musikalisch durchaus noch etwas obendrauf setzen können... Es wurden auf jeden Fall sowohl mehr Shows als auch neue Musik für die Zukunft in Aussicht gestellt! Ich höffe natürlich auf eine Rückkehr zum Roadburn Festival, wo ich 2012 auch meinen ersten, leider zu kurzen Kontakt mit der Doomjazz Corporation erlebt hatte. 

Berichte von Tag 2 und 3 in Berlin demnächst!