The Ultimate New Year’s Eve Guide for Berlin

The Ultimate New Year’s Eve Guide for Berlin

photo: Marcel Berkmann / CC

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The end is near – of the year 2017 – and isn’t it a special place to celebrate it, our beloved Berlin? This city offers so many opportunities to spend New Year’s Eve and make the best of it. The pressure is high to have the best possible time in this night, so you don’t want to make any mistakes. With our ultimate New Year’s Eve guide for Berlin we want to give you a bit of guidance how to do it right.

As for most of you NYE is pretty much an affair that can’t be had without a bit of alcohol we have teamed up with our long-term partner Absolut. We already spend Midsommar and the Lollapalooza with them this year, so why not also New Year’s? They recently revealed the new limited edition bottle Absolut Uncover that comes in a special blue wrap that needs to be peeled off. I’m sure there will be a lot of peeling off during New Year’s Eve.

For our guide we want to help you cover all aspects of this special night: how to decorate your place, what to drink, what to eat, what music to play, what entertainment to offer, where to see the fireworks, and where to party in Berlin’s clubs. You can discover all seven parts of our guide by clicking in the menu below. Enjoy! And “Guten Rutsch!” as we say in German.

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A Beginners Guide to Berlin Techno

A Beginners Guide to Berlin Techno

photo: Julie Montel

Berlin is often referred to as Techno capital of the world. But, despite everyone knowing the word and that it is some kinda music, the world of Techno stays obscure to most people. Isn’t it just a never ending obnoxious BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM? So, what is this, where does it come from, who’s hot, who’s not and where should I go in Berlin to actually experience what the fuss is all about? We gathered some information to clear up the mystery.
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8 Berlin DJs You Should Look Out For

8 Berlin DJs You Should Look Out For

DJing might be one of the most underrated art forms. Despite most people referring to it as “Have u been to the main room? The music is so good” or “Downstairs was so great before – now it’s ok.” It is not like the room is somehow magically spilling out beats on its own. There is a craftsman/woman responsible for creating that sound fabric. This person is called a DJ aka Disc Jockey but that sounds like a dude in a white polo shirt with spectacles running around with a ghetto blaster. So, let’s stick to DJ. Some of them tour the world, play festivals, go from Berghain, to Smartbar, to Fabric and earn thousands with each set. They have millions of fans, and followers on social media who celebrate them for being the musical tailors that they are. But, everybody starts somewhere, and no other city is such a career springboard for DJs as Berlin. With so many unheard names on various party flyers and endless people claiming they’re pure genius behind the decks, it’s hard to have the ones on your radar who are actual masters of their art and just that one ‘Klubnacht’ away from stardom.

So here’s a list of DJs who spin regularly in Berlin. They might not have endless followers on social media, thousands clicks on Soundcloud, or tour the globe (just yet) but their music selection will never let down any dance floor.

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Goodbye to my Favorite Berghain Artwork

Goodbye to my Favorite Berghain Artwork

Piotr Nathan, The Rituals of Disappearance, Berghain, Berlin (2004), photo: © Christine Frenzl

A visual memory can be triggered over and over again by art and architecture. Therefore it is like saying goodbye to one part of your own history when a building or an artwork has to leave its original place. This morning the news spread out that the artwork by Piotr Nathan which is presented in the entrance hall of Berghain will be sold piece by piece on this website.

First I was kind of sad, about the fact that I will not see the entire artwork in the original form again. I remember seeing it over 10 years ago for the first time and being impressed by the fine lines creating the landscape and storms. The artwork is like a mysterious representation of a natural phenomena. Nature that was regarded as divinity in indigenous times and that loved and feared by the little humans at the same time.

The Rituals of Disappearance (2004) have nowadays such a cult-status that it probably won’t last long until its completely sold out (in fact only an hour after its release only a few blank plates were left to buy).  The artist prefers to sell it in fragments to the people who have experienced and loved the club, and wants those who danced near the mural to have a part of it. The lasting impression of the complete work should exist only in the minds of those who experienced it at the club. A memory to keep up in mind and cherish for its beauty and brutality at the same time.

And since  life ist fortunately not just about old memories let’s be excited about the new dance floor and what artworks will be presented there…

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Säule – A new “dark” Floor at Berghain

Säule – A new “dark” Floor at Berghain

Photo: Michael Mayer/ cc

The infamous Berlin club Berghain that has established itself as the number one mecca for enthusiasts of any kind of techno-infused celebrations is said to be opening a new floor called Säule (the German word for pillar). The feature that will distinguish the new area from the existing venues like Panorama Bar and the main floor will be the focus on darker, more experimental electronic sounds. Find out more about the new techno haven’s exact location and the announcement about its opening night after the jump.

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The Next Big Berlin Film: Der Nachtmahr

The Next Big Berlin Film: Der Nachtmahr

It’s hard to think of a film that has tapped so well into the Berlin party scene. Last year’s Victoria opened on a club night, but quickly took us elsewhere. Certain soundtracks have used adrenaline-fueled techno to help tell their film’s stories – Run Lola Run comes to mind. And certainly there have been films about partying specifically, like 24-Hour Party People or Berlin Calling. But Der Nachtmahr might be the best film ever to weave the pounding, textural sounds that define Berlin into an immersive, exciting story. And it’s amazing!

We open on a warning: “The strobe effects in this movie may cause seizures”. Also: “This movie should be played loud!” And it’s true! There’s a special feeling of being in a loud, intense club – it’s one of frenzy, euphoria and disorientation, punctuated by surreal melodies and anchored to powerful beats. Der Nachtmahr is full of these things, but it doesn’t use these sights and sounds gratuitously – it all makes sense, often underscoring the psychological state of the protagonist.

The movie is a thriller. Not quite a horror, not gory, not gross. It does keep your heart rate up, does have some gasps and edge-of-your-seat moments. The lead girl is super cool and really easy on the eyes, and her struggle is an intense, fun one to identify with. The overall meaning of the plot is labyrinthine and ambiguous – I certainly cannot say what really happened, even. In this sense, it’s sort of a Lynchian film, with some Requiem for a Dream vibes. It’s a super cool movie and everyone should check it out!

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Berlin is… Alternative

Berlin is… Alternative

photos: Fredrik Altinell

Of all the big cities in the world, Berlin appears to be somehow mainly one thing: an alternative. Not just another option, an alternative. An alternative to the high-pressure in New York, to the expensive prices in Paris, to the suboptimal living conditions in London. Berlin in itself offers so many alternatives. Every culture has a counter culture here. You have the choice to go along with the mainstream, or to take an alternative route. You have the big Berlinale Film Festival with very few women directors, writers and producers taking part, and than there is the Feminist Film Week. You have all the big theater stages with your typical theater fair, and than there are all these small independent ones showing highly progressive and experimental pieces. You have heaps of conventional night clubs and bars, and you have those where you can appear naked or have sex in the middle of the dance floor.

And of course you have the official Berlin Fashion Week with celebrity craze and commercial labels, with its counter part being the Berlin Alternative Fashion Week that brings young, eccentric and creative designers into the limelight. Exactly this BAFW stands as a perfect example for the parallel worlds inside Berlins fashion scene. I have personally been to both, and I can tell you the audiences they attract couldn’t be further apart from each other. If you don’t believe me, believe your eyes this coming Friday and Saturday when their runway shows dedicated to recycled and avant-garde fashion, respectively, take place.

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Indie Magazine’s Berlin Issue – Release Party

Indie Magazine’s Berlin Issue – Release Party

photos: Anna Agliardi

Last Friday our friends from Indie Magazine celebrated the release of their 50th issue. Call it a nice coincidence or call it destiny – either way, we were super excited that the theme of the new issue is Berlin. Therefore we had quite a good time while browsing through the brand new magazine and discovering a whole bunch of familiar Berlin talents in it. But also the party itself was filled with good old friends we were happy to chat and dance again with. The crowd of the Indie party was super nice and actually a proof that Berlin still has a vibrant and progressive fashionable crowd. Congratulations to KiraMarieke, Olive and our sweetheart Marlen for your new issue and also for the other 49 amazing magazine issues you have accomplished so far. Our party-flash-hero and talented photographer Anna Agliardi took some shots of the party. Check them out after the jump.

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Berlin Nightlife: Party In The Subway

Berlin Nightlife: Party In The Subway

photo: Katja Klein

Party party party! If you’ve been in Berlin for a while now you know that not only the people but even the vehicles like to party. The M10 – a.k.a. the ‚party tram‘ or the Ringbahnparty at the S-Bahn – no place is safe from our drive to cherish life. With alcohol and confetti, of course.

Naturally, also the U-Bahn has to be partied up, which is especially the case for the line U8 since it connects 3 of the major central districts and drives by all the stations that hold the nightlife hotspots. (You know what we’re talking about.)

In the U8, people will always find a reason to have a ball, especially on the weekends! Just like in this video we stumbled upon where a fun group of people spontaneously decided to celebrate that the U8 was ready to drive again after a long time of construction. This spontaneity and joy of small things is really infectious.

TGIF! Get in some weekend mood after the jump. Read on…

Party at the Supermarket – Disco Kaiser’s Photos

Party at the Supermarket – Disco Kaiser’s Photos

Just recently I wrote about my most memorable parties in unusual places in Berlin such as the ruin of the former GDR palace, an old border crossing station and an infamous sex club. Who would have known my list of unique party locations would receive a brand new entry so soon after: The Disco Kaiser’s! You probably thought that we were joking when we announced the Disco Shopping by Warsteiner at the Kaiser’s in Lichterfelde. Well, guess what: We were not! The party went down on Saturday, November 7th, 2015 – and it was a blast! I was not so sure if so many people would go all the way down to Lichterfelde, but the turn-up was pretty big and the party was wild! Of course we took some photos for you so you can get an idea how a disco-themed party at a supermarket looks like. Enjoy our impressions after the jump!

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