Tracks

Ecko Bazz / Political Bodies / Jean Lecointre / Alexej German Jr

Ecko Bazz / Political Bodies / Jean Lecointre / Alexeï German Jr

Ecko Bazz / Political Bodies / Jean Lecointre / Aleksiej German jr

Ugandan MC Ecko Bazz offers up the soundtrack of his worst nightmares. Also in the programme: Guatemalan artist and poet Regina José Galindo and Afghan artist Kubra Khademi, Jean Lecointre, the Frankenstein of collage and Russian filmmaker Alexei Guerman Jr.

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Culture From the Other Side of the Tracks

<p>Ugandan MC Ecko Bazz offers up the soundtrack of his worst nightmares. Also in the programme: Guatemalan artist and poet Regina José Galindo and Afghan artist Kubra Khademi, Jean Lecointre, the Frankenstein of collage and Russian filmmaker Alexei Guerman Jr.</p>

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A total immersion into the world of sound: Sound engineer Nicolas Becker explains his craft featured in films such as Sound of Metal and La Haine. FUJIIIIIIITA, makes his own instruments to let his audience have new sound experiences. With more than 500 films (and 500,000 photographs), Boris Lehman is the first-person filmmaker par excellence.

An episode dedicated to the world of sound. 

Total Immersion Special

The art of klapping, where dance meets football.  Also in the programme: Artist couple Emilie Brout and Maxime Marion harvest the internet. Spanish multi-media artist Pascual Sisto talks about his new film ‘John and the Hole’ and Ami Yerewolo raps in Bambara to traditional African music.

The art of klapping, where dance meets football.  Spanish director Pascual Sisto talks about his new film ‘John and the Hole’ and Ami Yerewolo raps in Bambara to traditional African music.

Klapping / Emilie Brout & Maxime Marion / Sisto / Ami Yerewolo

Tracks dives into the world of augmented reality, avatars and hologram performances. With ABBA and others pioneering avatar performance, is nostalgia pushing technology forward? Also in the programme: Synth pop French musician Oklou and German DJ, Boys Noize.

Holo Life - Avatars and Holograms

Whether it's extreme sports, stand-up comedy, breakdancing or music, disability isn’t an obstacle to pursuing your passion. Tracks' meets Aaron Fotheringham, Dergin Tokmak and Pone to understand the power of pop culture in empowering 'invisible' minorities.

Tracks' meets Aaron Fotheringham, Dergin Tokmak and Pone to understand the power of pop culture in empowering 'invisible' minorities.

Disability and Pop Culture

A look at the lively hip-hop scenes in France and Germany from the 1980s to the present day.

French-German Hip-Hop Special

Peaches, M.I.A., Dorian Electra and King Krule: this Tracks special highlights the most impressive vocalists to have featured on the show. Gender fluid, subversive, and challenging, these are the artists that break boundaries across genres.

Peaches, M.I.A., Dorian Electra and King Krule: this Tracks special highlights the most impressive vocalists to have featured on the show

The Best Vocalists of Tracks

Genre fluid music takes a swipe at musical categorisation. Argentinian artist Amalia Ulman presents her first film, El Planeta, at the Sundance Film Festival. Algerian-born artist Adel Abdessemed imbues his works with the violence of the world  and The e-sports team Karmine Corp has won the European League of Legends Championships.

 After gender fluid comes genre fluid as musical categorisation ends. Argentinian artist Amalia Ulman presents her first film and e-sports team Karmine Corp win big.

Genre-Fluid Music / Amalia Ulman / Adel Abdessemed / Karmine Corp

Twenty years ago the music industry was in big trouble with illegal downloads from Napster and Limewire destroying record sales. Today the industry is buoyant thanks to Spotify and other subscription streaming services. But there is a downside: Most artists earn very little of the billions generated by streaming.

Has Streaming Saved the Music Industry?

Truman Burbank, a 35-year-old skateboarder from Paris, has a sense of humor as sharp as his stunts; A visit to Erbil with DJ Zana, DJ Mustafa, singer Chopi and rapper Hawta, all exponents of Kurdish music; Fantasy realism in the theatre with Belgian company Still Life and the French playwright Philippe Quesne; German artist Christina Kubisch has been working with sound for 50 years.

In this episode of tracks: Skateboarding, Kurdish music, magic realism on stage and the sound art of artist Christina Kubisch.

Truman Burbank / Kurdish Paradise / Fantasy Realism

David Guetta, Bob Sinclair and Martin Solveig take the charts by storm and become (very) mainstream. Argentine filmmaker Laura Casabé creates horror in the jungle. Kosovar artist Alban Muja’s works focus on his young homeland’s identity and American artist Lynn Hershman Leeson focuses on the relationship between humans and technology.

David Guetta, Laura Casabé, Lynn Hershman Leeson & Alban Muja

A special edition dedicated to childlike dreamers including Michel Gondry, director of ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’.

Michel Gondry / Troll Rap / Pes / Flyboard / Steampunk

Tracks - Dreaming Special

A special edition on artists who explore dream worlds: David Lynch talks about the disturbing and unique atmosphere in his films. A look at the creatures of the night, the gender fluid club kids drags. Also in the programme : Giant moles, hippies and twin sister harpists.

David Lynch / Club Kid Drags / Gong

A special edition on artists who explore dream worlds featuring American filmmaker David Lynch.

Tracks: Dream Creators Special

The Hong Kong artist Wong Ping mixes animation with explicit imagery; Julio le Parc designs kinetic art that plays tricks; the guys from SHHT place Belgium on the space rock map; and shibari, the art of bondage with artistically twisted rope that decorates those it seeks to restrain. 

Tracks: Wong Ping / Julio le Parc / Shht / Néo-Shibari

Dexter Wansel is a legend, and has worked with the likes of Patti LaBelle, Billy Paul and the Jackson Five. His work is now being sampled by American rappers; In her first film, "Murmur", Heather Young blurs the line between reality and fiction; in the face of mass survellience artists are getting creative; and we take a listen to Oneohtrix Point Never and his experimental electro.

Dexter Wansel is a legend, and has worked with the likes of Patti LaBelle, Billy Paul and the Jackson Five

Tracks: Dexter Wansel / Heather Young / Cyberinvisibles / Oneohtr

In this episode Brazilian filmmaker Gabriel Mascaro takes his country’s pulse. / Mexican-American metal band Brujeria are Donald Trump’s worst nightmare. /  Otim Alpha rocks Uganda / James Auger and Nelly Ben Hayoun reinvent design.

Gabriel Mascaro / Michael Snow / Nicole He / Brujería / Otim Alpha

Which of the nightmares in Black Mirror would the creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones like to experience? How did they dream it up? What scary stories did their parents tell them before falling asleep for them to be able to produce such a chilling (and binge-worthy) show?

An entire episode of Tracks that is dedicated to the prescient mind-trip that is Black Mirror

The Black Mirror Special

Divine is the queen of trash in underground movies. Also in the programme: Captivating chanting and electronic beats in Georgia; Lin Zhipeng's nude photography; Suzi Quatro, first lady of glam rock and Muthoni Ndonga, a rising star of Kenyan hip-hop.

Discover captivating chanting and electronic beats in Georgia, and Lin Zhipeng's nude photography

Georgia / Lin Zhipeng/ Suzi Quatro/ Muthoni Drummer Queen/ Mix Queer

Kiefer Sutherland looks back on his career as an actor, notably in the action-packed series 24. / New York painter Isaac Abrams was a pioneer of psychedelic art. / Focus on the female rapper kicking up a storm in the US, Doja Cat. / Meet Nigeria’s answer to Tarantino, Dare Olaitan. / Go surfing in the arctic on frozen boards with Norwegian artist Inge Wegge.

Isaac Abrams / Doja Cat / Kiefer Sutherland / Dare Olaitan

Bang Yong-guk, a survivor of the sometimes exploitative world of K-pop; art generated by artificial neural networks; Alexandre Franchis's Film Happy Face challenges our perceptions of beauty; the Flemish Performance Collective FC Miner; Swamp Dogg, the Ugly Duckling of Soul Music; Pongo, Queen of Neo-Kuduro in Portugal.

Bang Yong-guk, a survivor of the sometimes exploitative world of K-pop

Bang Yong-Guk / Neural network art / Alexandre Franchi / FC Bergman

Video Game Art - computer games are the new El Dorado for artists; Dasha Ilinas is curing health problems caused by new technologies with crazy solutions; Dirty Shirt: a Metal and Folk band from Transylvania; DJ Arafat, an innovator of Coupé Décalé and trance; Paul Pfeiffer creates works of art from quizzes; Ronny Sen, photographer, and filmmaker from India.

Video Game Art - computer games are the new El Dorado for artists

DJ Arafat / Paul Pfeiffer/  Video Game Art / Dasha Ilina /  Ronny Sen

Shisha bars have launched the careers of many new artists in France. / Filmmaker Terence Nance makes fun of American vices. / Data artists are questioning how the internet giants’ dominance in our lives. /Christine Marie creates 3D choreographies.

TRACKS: Shisha Lounge / Terence Nance / Data Art / Christine Marie / Steven Joh

Kids Drags Club is an underground LGBTI movement that transcends gender and species so that its members become fantastical creatures of the night instead; a look at Khavn de la Cruz's DIY movies, caught between horror and comedy, politics and porn; Milo Rau produces edgy theatre; a focus on the heroes of the English series 'Do not Hug Me I'm Scared'; Yuichi Yokoyama reinvents the rules of manga; and Rah Digga is a break out star of American rap. 

Kids Drags Club transcends gender and species: its members are fantastical creatures of the night instead

TRACKS : Khavn De La Cruz / Milo Rau / Becky, Joe & Baker / Club Kids Drags/ Yui

Ethiopian-American rapper Aminé brings a hint of humour to hip-hop. / The Equals were the first interracial rock band in sixties London. / Colombian filmmaker Ciro Guerra’s latest film is about the birth of the drug cartels. / Close-up on the hardcore punk collective, The Armed.

Ethiopian-American rapper Aminé brings a hint of humour to hip-hop. 

Tracks: Aminé / The Equals / Ciro Guerra / The Armed

Focus on Johnny Marr guitarist for The Smiths. / German artist Mario Klingemann explores the creative side of artificial intelligence. / Brazilian rapper Edgar talks green issues. / Chinese artist Xin Liu makes technology poetic.

Edgar / Xin Liu / Blinky Bill / Johnny Marr

Japanese animator Masaaki Yuasa of ‘Mind Game’ fame is back. / Norwegian artist Jan Hakon Erichsen is making art for Instagram. / An interview with New York artist and Fluxus member Jeff Perkins. / Mancunian musician Paddy Steer gives a magical performance.  

Masaaki Yuasa / Jan Hakon Erichsen / Jeff Perkins / Paddy Steer

In this episode: Extreme nail art. / Gabriel Abrantes shook up the Cannes Film Festival with “Diamantino”. / Sumy brings music from Surinam to world attention. / Baltimore rapper/producer Jpegmafia captivates while baiting the far right. / Japanese rock-trio Tsushimamire in interview.

Gabriel Abrantes / Sumy / JPegmafia / Tsushimamire

Tracks - Culture From the Other Side of the Tracks

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Mohamed Ali was aware of the power of image. A genius boxer and king of communication, he surrounded himself with the best photographers of his time and attracted the interest of the press, shaping his own iconography. So how did Muhammad Ali win the fight to control his image?

Gymnastics

Mohamed Ali wasn't just a genius boxer, but a king of communication

Mohamed Ali: The Legend of a Fighter

A simple hut on the Côte d‘Azur shows all of Le Corbusier’s architectural genius.

Le Corbusier and his Cabin

Conductors can gesticulate wildly when they conduct an orchestra. But have you ever wondered what exactly they are doing with their hands? And why do they use a baton?

Why Do Conductors Use Batons?

Ex-member of the Camorra, Davide Cerullo lives in La Scampia, a notoriously tough suburb of Naples. He fights the local culture of violence with the beauty of photography and poetry.

Davide Cerullo: The Just Man of Gomorra

Jan Vormann is an inventor, a sculptor and a dreamer. He wants us to bring colour into our lives by repairing our cities with Lego.

Fixing Our Cities with Lego

Yetundey is originally from Leipzig and mixes styles and influences. Layla Boe wants to make the German language smoother in her music.

Girlhood - Women in Rap (1/4)

Germany

Discover contemporary cycling culture in three European cities: Berlin, the unofficial capital of vintage racing bikes. London, where cycle-cafés also hold speed dating evenings and Amsterdam where cyclists stand out from the crowd with style.

Cycling as Lifestyle

Discover contemporary cycling culture in three European cities: Berlin, London and Amsterdam.

Biking Boom

Ever notice how utterly bizarre lions in medieval manuscripts look? It's like the artist had never been to a zoo or searched for 'lion' in Google images or something. Oh, wait...

Ever notice how utterly bizarre lions in medieval manuscripts look?

Why Are Medieval Lions So Strange?

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Meet two of Poland's oldest hippies: Juliusz (92) and Krystof (77) have been living on the shores of Lake Solina, in almost total isolation and surrounded by nature and animals, for decades. But life in the middle of nowhere is increasingly hard on their aging bodies. 

Meet two of Poland's oldest hippies: Juliusz (92) and Krystof (77)

Re: An Unconventional Retirement

Behind his polite exterior lies a formidable leader with a ruthless character, ready to do anything to make China the world's leading power by the People’s Republic’s centenary in 2049. This well-documented portrait of the Chinese president gives an unprecedented insight into his politics and shows how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

A portrait of the Chinese president giving an unprecedented insight into his politics and showing how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

The New World of Xi Jinping

Faced with more frequent and violent natural disasters caused by climate change, animals and plants are adapting. Some species, such as sharks, which are able to sense the change in atmospheric pressure of a coming hurricane, move away from danger. Others learn to live with it, such as curlews, which use the hot ash from erupting volcanoes in Papua New Guinea to incubate their eggs. A surprising and inspiring documentary about nature's survivors.

How Animals and Plants Survive

Faced with more frequent and violent natural disasters caused by climate change, animals and plants are adapting. A surprising and inspiring documentary about nature's survivors.

Natural Disasters

Lowriding is a passion for cars where owners customise their vintage vehicles to look cool gliding along the Los Angeles boulevards. For long a male-only pursuit, more and more women are getting into it lowriding.

Geo Reportage

Lowriders of Los Angeles

To celebrate 50 years of French radio station FIP, Sting gives a special performance in the monumental surroundings of the Pantheon in Paris.

50 Years of FIP Radio

Sting at the Pantheon in Paris

Saudi Arabia is reputed to be one of the richest and most conservative nations on the planet. But how do its citizens live today?

Unknown Arabia

Saudi Arabia: The West

A region of Europe with a shared experience of communism and USSR dominance, Eastern Europe today is characterised by nations with diverse cultural and political identities.

Mapping the World

How many Eastern Europes?

In recent years Oman has been opening up to western tourists. What awaits them is a land of mountains, deserts, fjords, and pristine beaches.

Fairytale Oman

Pippi Longstocking, the superhumanly strong redhead with pigtails and freckles, conquers the world of classical ballet. The Swedish dancer and choreographer Pär Isberg stages Astrid Lindgren’s favourite character from the Villa Villekulla for the Helsinki opera house. The ballet music is the work of Georg Riedel and Stefan Nilsson.

From the Helsinki Opera

The Swedish dancer and choreographer Pär Isberg stages Astrid Lindgren’s favourite character for the Helsinki opera house.

Pippi Longstocking

Stuttgart Ballet performs ‘Onegin’, John Cranko’s acclaimed 1965 choreography of Alexander Pushkin’s novel. Classical ballet at its best in a version created for the cinema.

A Ballet by John Cranko

Stuttgart Ballet performs ‘Onegin’, John Cranko’s acclaimed 1965 choreography of Alexander Pushkin’s novel.

Onegin

Vadum Minsyuk and Yuri Andreyev fled the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014. In search of a new beginning, they decided to start a new life in the Chernobyl region, close to the exclusion zone from the 1986 nuclear disaster. The dangers of radiation are better than the rockets of war.

Vadum Minsyuk and Yuri Andreyev fled the war in eastern Ukraine to start a new life in the Chernobyl region,  The dangers of radiation are better than the rockets of war for them.

Re: New Beginning in Chernobyl

The Indian state of Sikkim has banned pesticides completely, allowing only organic farming. The results: healthy food and healthy soils.

ARTE Reportage

India: Sikkim - A Green New World

A special gala concert to celebrate five years of Hamburg’s fantastic new concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie, opened on January 11 2017. The NDR Elbphilharmonie orchestra performs works by Adams, Adès and Salonen with conductor Alan Gilbert and pianist Kiril Gerstein.

With Kirill Gerstein, Alan Gilbert and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra

A special gala concert to celebrate five years of Hamburg’s fantastic new concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie.

5 Years of the Elbphilharmonie

Iraq in 2022: Will the emerging nation succeed in resisting foreign influence and from Iran in particular? What does the future hold for the Kurdish autonomous region? And will the USA ever really leave?

Iraq in 2022: Will the emerging nation succeed in resisting influence from foreign powers, and from Iran in particular? 

Iraq - A Sovereign Country?

Present on the coast but also inland, dunes are shaped by the wind and are in perpetual movement. These extraordinary landscapes made of infinite grains of sand are ephemeral and inhospitable. Yet the environment they offer is astonishingly diverse.

Present on the coast but also inland, dunes are in perpetual movement, creating extraordinary ephemeral landscapes.

Dunes: Europe's Moving Landscapes

A journey through Middle-earth, or rather New Zealand. Peter Jackson used the natural beauty of his native land to great effect in his film adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien’s classic trilogy. A tour through locations for the Shire, the Misty Mountains and Mordor… 

Cult Film Locations

A journey through New Zealand used to great effect in the film adaptation of Tolkien’s classic.

Looking for the Lord of the Rings

It's big business: in summer, hundreds of kilos of mushrooms are illegally picked every day in Romanian forests. They are then transported to Italy by intermediaries where they are sold at astronomical prices. Romanian authorities do nothing as the forests are looted unsustainably for their grey gold.

It's big business: in summer, hundreds of kilos of mushrooms are illegally picked every day in Romanian forests

Re: Truffle Traffick in Romania

Carolyn Carlson and her company bid farewell to each other in a final creation. On the Chaillot theatre stage in Paris, the legendary choreographer and performer presents The Tree (Fragments of poetics on fire), an ode to nature and the elements.

Théâtre de Chaillot

The legendary American choreographer presents The Tree (Fragments of poetics on fire), an ode to nature and the elements.

Carolyn Carlson's The Tree

The United Arab Emirates includes the sci-fi like cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai with their breath taking towers and impressive beach resorts. It is also a land of expats with residents from over two hundred different nations.

The United Arab Emirates includes the sci-fi like cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It is also a land of expats with residents from over two hundred different nations.

United Arab Emirates

Sting was an ecologically-conscious yogi hipster before it was even a thing. He's always been fighting for our right to enjoy a better future than the one we are making for ourselves. Perhaps a strange mission for someone with punk musical roots?

Tracks

Tracks - Culture From the Other Side of the Tracks

Total Immersion Special

Klapping / Emilie Brout & Maxime Marion / Sisto / Ami Yerewolo

Holo Life - Avatars and Holograms

Disability and Pop Culture

French-German Hip-Hop Special

The Best Vocalists of Tracks

Genre-Fluid Music / Amalia Ulman / Adel Abdessemed / Karmine Corp

Ecko Bazz / Political Bodies / Jean Lecointre / Alexeï German JrTracks

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