Panternoise: ‘Rave is revolution! Rave is rebellion!’

For this exclusive Œditorial, we spoke to the multidisciplinary artist about the punk philosophy and sources of inspiration shaping their current electronic music projects

Whilst most creatives dedicate their lives to mastering a single artistic form, a rare few excel across several practices, making everything they touch appear effortless. Berlin-based Isabel Kibler — the multidisciplinary artist behind the electronic music moniker Panternoise — is one of them.

Raised between two cultures, Frankfurt-born Kibler credits their mother’s Spanish heritage for instilling emotional intensity, balanced out by their German Gründlichkeit (thoroughness) — forming “an alchemic mix of fire and water.” This duality is mirrored in their multifaceted artististry, which spans ballet to EBM, allowing Kibler to flow between disciplines with equal dexterity.

Before Panternoise took form, Kibler worked between Barcelona and New York as a designer and pattern cutter, eventually returning to Germany in 2008 to establish their own label, IXK. Styling and shooting the inaugural lookbooks brought moments of “pure pleasure,” prompting them to adopt photography, styling, and artistic direction projects. In 2019, they opened Blu/e Tit/s, a concept store in Neukölln, offering local independent and upcycling labels, vinyl, tapes, exhibitions, and live events.

Whilst music has been the gravitational centre of Kibler’s creative pursuits since childhood, it had taken a backseat until recently. In December 2020, they released their first EP under the alias Panternoise, fusing 90s techno, dark wave and contemporary textures with their own bewitching vocals. Mastered by Dan Mumberson and techno pioneer Thomas P. Heckmann, Transidient Doorways / Longlivethenewflesh established Panternoise as a formidable electronic producer.

This year, they have placed music at the top of their agenda, with several club bookings and track releases already lined up. Keen to hear more about the cultural figures and movements that have shaped Panternoise’s complex sonic universe, punk ethos, and latest body of work, we sat down with Kibler for a chat.

ABOVE
Biker jacket & crop-top – Florian Mathé
Bodysuit, leggings & thigh bands – Obectra
Harness – Perlensau

Could you start by walking us through how your electronic alterego Panternoise initially emerged?

My relationship with music began at a very early age, when I was gifted my first keyboard in 1987 for my birthday. My obsession with electronic music later took full form within Frankfurt’s techno nightlife, and by 2000 I had begun collecting and playing on vinyl. In 2005, I came to Berlin to study fashion design, though it was actually the Berghain opening party a year earlier that first brought me here and made me fall in love with the city.

Years spent collecting vinyl, working on band projects like HHH, and an infatuation with analogue synthesizers led me to start producing my own sonic realms — Panternoise. My sound is a fractal universe of industrial tek-core fused with dark, new, minimal and wave influences, connecting 90s techno with contemporary hard tech. Trippy, ethereal voices find space between harsh basslines — like ballet posed to techno beats, deep in the void beyond time and space.

This compositional approach carries through to my DJ mixes as well: a fusion of techno, energetic tribal grooves, and dark EBM, industrial and noise, weaving my own personal magic and aesthetics into the music. I call it ‘BodyTechno’. ‘Pantercore’.



Having spent nearly two decades in the epicentre of techno, what’s your favourite club to play at and why?

Honestly, any club with a Funkion One sound system. Sound quality is everything.



Aside from preparing for club bookings, you’ve been busy producing new electronic music. Since the release of your last EP in 2020, how has your soundscape and approach evolved?

I began working on the album about a year ago, but paused during the last six months of 2021 — a period when I simply felt I had nothing to say creatively. Since returning to the project, I’ve approached it with renewed clarity and decided to divide part of the material into a mini-LP, which will be released on cassette on 22 May via the small but wonderful Argentinian label, Interplanetary Records.

Compared to my earlier work, the mini-LP leans more heavily into break-industrial, experimental and hardcore-gabber territories. The full album, meanwhile, explores raw techno, industrial, tech-core and bodytechno, with a few ambient tracks woven in. It is scheduled for a vinyl release this autumn.

What truly sets this project apart is the process itself. The entire album was recorded live, and I’ve recently started working with a modular synthesiser, which has opened up an entirely new sonic dimension for me. I’m genuinely excited about the directions this evolution has taken my sound.

LEFT/ABOVE
Mask & choker – Perlensau
Corset – Obectra
Shirt – Stylist’s own

Your difficult-to-define sound feels deeply connected to a long musical lineage that spans multiple genres and movements. Who or what has shaped your music the most?

Hmm, that’s a tricky question, because I’m inspired by so many different artists and bands I’ve listened to over the years — especially hidden tapes and underground music from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s techno. I love the rawness of that sound, which I sometimes miss in today’s music. That era was defined by playfulness and exploration. When the first affordable synthesizers came to market around 1980, everything felt completely new.

Music-making was driven by pure vitality, fun, love, and passion — not the hyper-polished digital aesthetic that dominates now. I’m drawn to what I call ‘imperfect perfection’: the natural, raw beauty that challenges the mind. Of course, digital tools have their advantages, but they can also disrupt creative flow, and much contemporary music ends up sounding too similar because everyone is using the same samples.

During the 2020 lockdowns, while working on my first EP, Thomas P. Heckmann became a kind of mentor. His focus on performing and recording live, all analogue, inspired me to embrace raw, unfiltered sound. Music isn’t about perfection — it’s about transmitting feeling. It’s perfect even with mistakes. I’m very happy and grateful that he now masters my tracks and albums.

Dan Juniper is another musician and tutor, who profoundly deepened my understanding of synthesis and production. He pushed me to explore new techniques and always encouraged me to reach my full potential. And finally, I’ve also been deeply inspired by the collective Underground Resistance, who laid the groundwork for much of today’s techno scene. I love their manifesto and the way they built a movement from the ground up.

LEFT/ABOVE
Blazer – Lil’ Lapel from The Code
Mesh chest band – Obectra
Wig – Aphro Thene
Boots – Artist’s own

As an artist oscillating between multiple disciplines, what non-musical influences have moulded your creative philosophy and punk style?

There’s a wide range of cultural figures, forms, and movements that inspire me deeply, and I love merging them to create new pathways — perhaps a reflection of my inner alchemist (Kibler laughs). When it comes to cinema, I love Alejandro Jodorowsky, Maya Deren, Chris Marker, and Andrei Tarkovsky.

Tabea Blumenschein and the 80s cult art-punk projects Die Tödliche Doris and Geniale Dilletanten were also formative — fierce, boundary-breaking, and radically queer. Blumenschein’s playful approach to identity, her dismantling of stereotypes, and her refusal to conform to commercial expectations felt revolutionary. She embodied the principle that art comes first, and authenticity is paramount.



Berlin’s techno scene is often perceived as exclusive and hyper-aestheticised, with many ravers turning out striking looks in the clubs. Given your fashion background, do you feel pressure to keep pace with trends?

Not at all. The early rave scene I came from was pure rebellion — a movement, a mindset, not a trend. Techno emerged from Black, queer, and punk communities fighting for spaces of freedom. Everyone was welcome, regardless of age, style, or background. There were no dress codes, no hierarchy. That openness is what made the culture so powerful, especially after the status-driven excess of the 1980s.

Today, mass-commercialisation has introduced more uniformity — the infamous ‘Berghain all-black look’ — which feels removed from those roots. That’s why I love playing queer and underground parties, where expressive freedom is still alive.

Don’t get me wrong — I love fashion. I studied it, worked in it, and naturally have a strong aesthetic sense. But that’s separate from my music. Expression should be personal, not prescriptive. You can wear a wedding dress, pyjamas, fetish leather, or nothing at all — whatever makes you feel comfortable. I hope rave culture returns to that playful, fearless space, where style is about self-expression, not conformity.

LEFT/ABOVE
Jacket & skirt – Nobi Talai
Coat & corset – Florian Mathé
Catsuit – Christine Legrand
Pleasers – Talent’s own

As a non-binary artist, how inclusive do you feel the music industry currently is, and what changes would you like to see?

I feel it’s slowly improving, but the industry — especially techno — is still very white and cis-male dominated. Misogyny and sexism remain pervasive, particularly around bodily autonomy and self-expression. FLINTA+ people are often harassed for dressing how they feel sexy, while over-sexualised imagery of women in media is normalized. This isn’t about blaming men individually; it’s about the deep conditioning built into our patriarchal system.

Male-only line-ups remain common, while FLINTA+ only line-ups are rare. The industry needs to actively support FLINTA+ artists, and all cis DJs should check their privileges. Too often, LGBTQ+ events still primarily feature cis or gay artists, leaving FLINTA+ and POC talent underrepresented, despite their skill.

We need to revive meaningful rave culture — freedom, diversity, and self-expression. Rave is revolution! Rave is rebellion! Old keys won’t open new doors, and overstimulation won’t create change. I hope the community focuses on a future rooted in respect, tolerance, diversity, and equality — for all humans and species. May music heal, at least a little, this troubled world.



What does the near future hold for Panternoise?

Finally, we can dance again! (Kibler laughs.) I’ll be playing for a brand-new party series, Cursed Berlin, on 16 April at the lovely Untertage venue. I also have an HÖR showcase and a live act lined up for another Berlin crew, with dates to be announced soon. Looking further ahead, I’m planning a South America tour this autumn to promote my upcoming album. It’s exciting to bring this new music to different audiences and continue evolving both my live and DJ performances.

BELOW
Corset – Obectra
Choker & mask – Perlensau
Shirt – Stylist’s own