Having caught Zola Jesus at Field Day earlier in the year in a set that suffered from severe overcrowding and significant sound issues, I looked forward to seeing her in a kinder light at Berghain. Famous as the epicentre of Berlin's techno-scene, the sound was - contrary to the aforementioned festival as a whole - staggeringly impressive, cushioning the band's synthetic sound with warmth and clarity.
This made a huge amount of difference to the overall performance, as Nika Rosa Danilova - the 22 year-old behind the moniker - no longer felt strained to make each note heard, settling instead into a more measured performance that exuded a richness of tone and welcome dynamic range. Her ascent has been gradual over the last three years and the way in which she latches her operatic vocal talent to brooding gothic electronica places her in a rare position amongst her contemporaries. The unusual aesthetic she's cultivated translated into a captivating onstage presence, which fed off the smoke-filled atmospherics of the venue and was further fuelled by the adoration of a highly receptive crowd.
The set began with a song from Conatus, appropriate given that the evening served as something of a release party for that record. While her latest material represents a minor step down from the magical heights of her early work, 'Avalanche' still crackled with raw energy, Danilova giving a note-perfect performance that towed the line between passion and professionalism. Her excitement at performing to Berlin was tangible, and created a fantastic relationship with and amongst the crowd.
As the set advanced, the performances got stronger. 'Sea Talk', a highlight from Valusia, her EP from last year, soured menacingly; another new song, 'Shivers', boasted backing percussion that wore a heavy industrial influence and offered welcome contrast to the set's slower material. By 'Night', Danilova had really hit her stride, turning in a powerful performance that highlighted and enhanced the intricate brilliance of that song's construction. As she wailed and writhed around the stage, her voice filled the farthest reaches of the vast setting with ease.
A double hit towards the gig's conclusion represented the musical peak. 'Vessel', arguably the strongest song off Conatus, generated intoxicating momentum, with Danilova exercising fantastic restraint before unleashing her cathartic chorus line. The magic continued into 'Poor Animal', during which she seemed utterly consumed by the musical backdrop, at one point throwing herself into the sea of bodies in front of the stage. Her strength as a performer is evidently growing and, despite the minor blip on her output that Conatus represents, her performance at Berghain indicates a great determination within Danilova to continue to push her sound in new and exciting directions.