Berlin has produced so many musical bigwigs and this city is brimming with secret gems here and there that are trying to find their place in the spotlight. A band you regularly see playing at Mauerpark on Sundays might be the next international breakthrough and your favorite U-Bahn musician might become a global sensation one day. I personally can name at least ten friends who are DJs. They are all working hard to reach the success they wish for and we don’t want to spare the support. This is why we took it upon ourselves to give you the newest and the best music videos from Berlin to save you from those dreary and repetitive playlists.
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by Burak | Music, Videos
photo: Philipp von Recklinghausen / bobsairport
The true difference a book can make, in a time when it’s pretty much all said and done, is have a clear, authentic voice, and this is exactly what ‘Berlin Heartbeats’ has. ‘Berlin Heartbeats’ is a collection of intense photo stories and essays, of people who experienced the 90’s in Berlin and the time right after the wall fell until the early 2000s, and a new reality revealed itself to them; “old structures dissolved giving space for improvisation and experiment”. Frank, genuine perspectives and testimonies, not of a romanticized Berlin, but of a city as experienced by them, giving raw, simple, but magical accounts. You see the abandoned and run-down areas of the once divided city, you see revolts in the streets, the crazy underground art and music scene, alternative living projects, street parades and so much more.
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by Stella | Books
Maison Mason, photo: Daniel Gebhardt
Berlin is one of the most versatile capitals of the world when it comes to all its locations. It was fun to have been thrown in this little town with no previous knowledge – I still remember setting foot on Kottbusser Tor for the first time, entirely by chance, way more appalled than inspired, completely unaware of Kreuzberg’s undeniable magic that I’d grow addicted to.
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by Michalina | Fashion, Party, Photos, Stories
How can an artist be totally underground (whatever this means) and internationally famous at the same time? What might seem like a contradiction in Los Angeles, London, New York and Paris, is totally possible in Berlin. It is not unusual to meet pop star Peaches eating a snack at Kotti or stumble upon the world’s most famous doorman Sven Marquardt in a small gallery at an opening of an exhibition. So far, all these underground stars have been working in different fields. Of course, some of them have collaborated already, but the project I am about to present to you is more than that.
Initiated by the Audi Zeitgeist Project, dedicated to support experimental art and creative disciplines of all genres, an alliance of exceptional artists from Berlin has come together for a creative masterpiece called Black Mountain. In this experimental short film the artist collective Like a wild beast’s fur, composer Moritz von Oswald and Artistic Director Jan Engel reinterpreted Richard Wagners Opera Parsifal. On the 3rd of July the whole short film was released online on Audi-City starring famous Volskbühne actors like Alexander Scheer, Volker Spengler and Jasna Fritzi Bauer and famous performers like VER.u.s.c.h.k.a., Peaches, Sven Marquardt and many more.
This contemporary take on the opera is revitalizing the traditional piece, setting it inside a dark Berlin techno club. Apart from the movie there was an immersive exhibition open to the public at Gallery Ebensperger. There you could walk through the installation of Hauke Odendahl, which offered a deep immersive experience into the concept of the art piece. During the shooting of the film, one of our favorite Berlin photographers, Florian Kolmer, took individual portraits of the actors and performers.
Check out the full short film and some pictures of the exhibition after the jump.
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by Claudio | Art, Movies
photo: Lisa Wassmann
It is widely known for its progressive techno nights that go on from Saturday to Monday, but this is not the only thing that Berghain is doing. They have always used their space for much more than just music. They recently released a book about their engagement with art and also the theater and performance world has had its collaborations with this cathedral of techno.
This Thursday another big art event is happening there opening the doors to an audience that goes beyond the usual party crowd on weekends. Turn Around Bright Eyes is the title of the event, borrowed from the lyrics of Bonnie Tylers Total Eclipse of the Heart. One of the main artists contributing to the night is Peaches who is giving her own rendition of the iconic song as a music video premiere. There will be quite a few more video presentations from artists such as Actually Huizenga, Boris Eldagsen, Jamie Harley, Natacha Mankowski and Valquire Veljkovic. But you will also be able to see physical art from Dorit Bialer, Kritzkom + Romain Frequency, Lisa Wassmann, Marianne Jacquet and Martin Müller, as well as live performances by Hyenaz, Koudlam and Peter Kirn. It’s going to be an immersive experience bringing you an eclectic mix of talents from Berlin.
The event is curated by Your Mom who also put up great shows in the past in venues such as the Konzulàt and Kaufhaus Jandorf. Having seen some of these previous events I can guarantee you that you don’t want to miss it, also because it’s one of the rare occasions you can see Berghain during the week and separate from its techno parties. Some previews with work of the artists after the jump.
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by Frank | Art
photos: Lisa Wassmann
What happens, when a pair of big nightlife makers of Berlin get together and create something new: Exactly, something bigger! And so goes the story of Sampson who has been running his crazy karaokee night Cherry-o-kie now for years and PANSY who has taken Berlin’s party scene by storm with her gay R’n’B party Sissy and her PANSY presents… drag extravaganzas. Those two crazy kids have teamed up to create YO! SISSY – Berlin’s first queer music festival which started back in July 2015. With a massive line-up of over 50 acts the festival took over the venues Schwuz, Neue Heimat and SO36 bringing together the diversity and creativity from all over the world onto the stages of Berlin. We are super excited about this new festival because it’s the first of its kind here in Berlin and it’s fresh and edgy and full of potential. We can’t wait for the much hyped third edition with Planningtorock, Chicks on Speed, Vitalic, Lotic and many other great acts happening from July 28 til 29, 2017. Watch out for the Yo Sissy market happening on Saturday during the day which is also gonne be with free entrance for everyone. Get your tickets and info here!
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by Frank | Music, Party
Robert Montgomery, All Palaces, photo: Kai von Rabenau,
courtesy Neue Berliner Räume
You’ve probably heard the news by now: The glorious Stattbad Wedding has recently closed (UPDATE Sept 2016: and now news broke it’s being demolished). This weekend the party makers of the club nights Stattnacht are throwing the last two parties in their temporary exile at one of the previously unused halls of Neue Heimat and after that an era has ended. I feel quite sad about this sudden development because the Stattbad was one of those locations that I have recommended through its entire run here on iHeartBerlin, for parties, exhibitions and other crazy stuff happening there. The old public swimming pool found a new purpose in the hands of the makers of Stattbad and the place including all its institutions such as the Open Walls gallery, the Stattbar and the Statt.lab was a wonderful experimental playground for a whole generation of creative Berliners and therefor an important part of the youth culture of Berlin for the past 6 years. It’s a shame that the place has closed so unexpectedly and there is not even a chance to have a final good-bye party there. So as an alternative we went back into our archive and compiled a huge best of from all the coverage and photos we have dedicated to Stattbad over the past 6 years and then some. Enjoy the Stattbad Chronicles after the jump and don’t feel ashamed to shed a tear for this amazing place on the final Stattnacht party on Saturday night and the open air on Sunday. We will miss you, Stattbad Wedding.
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by Frank | Art, Party, Photos
On Friday probably 90% of our fellow bloggers were celebrating at the StyleNite after party because apparently that’s the place to be that night. We had a different place to: The after show party of some amazing designers who we love and who are as mad as a box of hair (at least in the case of one of them this is meant quite literal): Tata Christiane, Charlie Le Mindu and Vava Dudu. The crazy party organized byconcept store UNI+FORM took place at P.O.P. and none-other than Peaches was entertaining the eclectic crowd. Some impressions after the jump.
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by Frank | Fashion, Party, Photos
Fashion Week is nearly over. But wait, there is one person I want to present you before all my fruits are back in the closet: Tata Christiane. This amazing artist just makes me gaga. She is not only one of the most talented and colorful fashion designers in town. She has also a band together called Aniaetleprogrammeur. The music is very dark and somehow haunted. A perfect clash with the color and print magic she is doing on all here designs and dresses. On my street style day in Wedding I was wearing one of here outfits and a headpiece she designed. Also, on the first day of Fashion Week I was wearing a unisex piece from Tata. There I met another blogger called Max Bonheur who was wearing one of her outfits, too. Tonight she is doing a fashion installation and a party. My fruitiest singer Peaches will have a DJ set there along with Tata, Charlie Le Mindu and Vava Dudu so dont miss it. More information are in our event guide. After the jump some of my best poses in Tata’s amazing dresses.
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by Tati | Fashion, People
Our all-time favorite Berlin music sensation Peaches is giving an inspiring speach at The Lost Lectures this Thursday. In her performance (part talk, part interactive show), she will demonstrate that it’s in losing fear that we will gain freedom of expression and experience real creativity.
The Lost Lectures is a series of talks from London making their first appearance in Berlin. Their concept is simple: they invite an eclectic mix of world class speakers, thinkers, doers and dreamers to give short 15 minute talks with visuals and demos. All this, in awe inspiring secret locations fully art directed and designed to bring the imagination to life. Get some impressions of previous talks after the jump. Find out who else is speaking in Berlin tomorrow and how to get one of the limited tickets here.
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by Frank | Events
