CEREMONY w/ DJ Plead, Yantan Ministry and Mafou

We’re back at our beloved Wurm!! filling the space once again with a lineup that feels close to home, and one we've been dreaming of for a while.

First up, we’ve invited the half-Lebanese, half-Swiss artist DJ Plead to Wurm. His unique take on traditional Lebanese wedding music blended with minimalistic club sonics has always inspired us. Sharing a similar approach and love for rhythmically intricate music, DJ Plead has grown into a staple of the global club circuit (and rightfully so!). The Melbourne-born homie has expanded his musical horizons far beyond the club, even exploring cinematic ambient textures using a Yamaha Oriental keyboard on his tape Relentless Trills. Big tip!

Joining him is Yantan Ministry, an experimental composer, live performer, and DJ. Known for their mercurial, eclectic style, Yantan’s work thrives in ambiguity and emotional depth. They invite us to step outside the frame into riddles, into myth, into feeling. Expect the unexpected.

Closing the night is our own Mafou, bringing his signature playful selection of genre-bending, groove-mashing cuts to tie it all together.

On another note: times are tough right now for small promoters, especially in a city like Basel. Since starting Somatic Rituals at Elysia, we've always aimed to bring exciting artists to Basel and curate events that reflect our vision. Now at Wurm, we love the intimacy of returning to a DIY space — a space where we have full curatorial freedom without external interference. But with that freedom comes greater financial risk. Club promoters across Europe are feeling the squeeze, but we’re not stopping. We’ll keep showing our passion and giving a platform to artists we believe deserve a stage in this city.

We’ve never really addressed our departure from Elysia after our last event there on March 25 2023. Over the years, as residents, we had our differences. Since leaving, many of you have noticed the shift in direction. There’s no bad blood — we look back on some beautiful memories. But like any once-beautiful relationship turned toxic, sometimes you’ve just got to walk away.