Berlin is famous for many things but undeniably, these days Berlin’s most infamous reputation is due to its incredible nightlife. And, no nightlife without club spaces and dance floors to make us shake our booty into the early hours of Sunday… or even Monday… or in Berlin actually, just pick a day. However, before you can go out and get your fantasy decisions need to be made. The versatility of this city is both a curse and a blessing. It’s not as easy as the bar down the street with that cute bartender and a decent Spotify playlist. That’s like sitting in front of a box of delicious candy and only eating one thing. So, to get you started or to keep you on track, we tried to bring the hedonistic chaos of Berlin’s club life in (alphabetical) order accompanied by some informative, slightly subjective comments. Everything from bars with a dance floor to multiroom clubs made it into the list and, if not further noted (of course) Electronic Music will be played in Techno capital. Enjoy our little selection.
by Andy | Clubs, Party
photo: Max Patzig / CC*
I can still clearly recall the first time I set foot on the Kottbusser Tor. It was just different from anything I’d seen before. Its smell, dirt, and the zombie drug dealers whispering “ecstasy?” in front of the fruit and vegetables stand definitely made up for a powerful first impression.
Further perplexed by the army of dinky mannequins supposed to represent little boys sporting traditional attire in a shop on Kottbusser Straße, I pretty much knew Kotti would become a place close to my heart.
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by Michalina | Stories
„The ground was shaking, the ears were booming when I lost my young heart to a fat sound“ – Berlin, also called ‘Dickes B’ by the local group Seeed, has been an inspiration for all kinds of music and subcultures for many years. From one corner in Spandau to the other end in Marzahn, one would think that Berlin has more than enough filthy prefabricated-slab buildings to produce some beats that would put those of Hamburg’s bigwig kids and Frankfurt’s spoiled ones in their shadows. Well indeed – although our at the same time hated and beloved moloch provides a nutrient for authentic gangster rap, Berlin became one of the – no, probably THE – most relevant hub of the German hip hop scene in recent times.
If you want to experience and get to know more about how the separate neighbourhoods sound to the new rap generations and what old (rap) friends made out of it, then take about 16 minutes of your time and go to the bars of these acts.
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by Guest Author | Music
photos: LeidenSchafft
The Berlin underground scene is one of the most diverse in the world. Makes sense – where there is a large society, there is also an underground, an anti-pole to the mainstream. If you look around the Hip Hop scene nowadays, a lot of things have changed. The subcultural character of Hip Hop seemingly vanished and slowly but steadily German Rap became mainstream. But still, Hip Hop is the voice of the unheard, an organ for the youth and a space for resistance.
Young filmmaker and and photographer Mirza Odabaşı took it upon himself to go back in time, to the origins of Berlin and German Rap culture and met up with a wide range of artists and personalities from the scene. In his documentary LeidenSchafft, a pun from the words “passion”, “misery” and “creation”, Odabaşı goes into the deep meanings of the local Rap culture, talks about identity and finding and defining yourself in and outside of the music. He met up with many icons of the scene, ranging from well-known artists like Marteria, Chefket, Eko Fresh and many more to rather Oldschool trailblazers such as Killa Hakan, Marcus Staiger or Spaiche.
In 43 minutes Odabaşı manages to get into topics such as experiences of social exclusion, some of the possible reasons to why Hip Hop is so popular amongst the alleged socially disadvantaged adolscents and portrays the people shaping the German Hip Hop scene in beautiful images in Berlin.
In that way, “LeidenSchafft” is a look back and an appraisal at the same time, bringing light to the underground. And human emotions.
See some impressions of the film and a teaser after the jump.
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by Yasmin | Movies, TV, Videos
photo: Anna Agliardi
Last weekend the stage of HAU2 became an arena of incredible dance talents. Named after the groundbreaking movie from the 80s Paris is Burning, portraying the ballroom scene of New York’s black transgender communities, this weekend’s dance competition Berlin is Burning combined the voguing with hip hop dance community. Germany’s two urban dance festivals, Funkin’ Stylez and Berlin Voguing Out joined forces for a weekend of workshops, panel discussions and a phenomenal dance battle. Theater photographer Anna Agliardi went for us to HAU2 to take some photos. Check out her impressions after the jump.
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by Claudio | Fashion, Party, Photos, Theater
photos: Thomas Aurin
Our favorite choreographer Constanza Macras strikes again at Schaubühne with a piece in collaboration with the kids of the Breakdance and Hiphop Academy Hamburg. Actually I am not sure if I will like the piece, since I think that doing political dance pieces with kids doing breakdance is a little too much 90s for my taste. But I am sure Constanza Macras and the musicians of the Dorky Park ensemble will give the right twist to Distortion to be an innovative piece. You have just a few chances to see it, so hurry up and get your tickets. The dates and details after the jump.
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by Claudio | Theater
Chicks on Speed
We are so fashionable! Berlin, far away to be a Paris like fashion hotspot, not because it’s not as good as Paris but because it is different. Berlin fashion isn’t made by a handful of boring aged designers, it is created by the people on the streets, in the clubs and by some unconventional designers. If you suffer from the odd fashion overdose just like I do, take a rest and enjoy a bombastic party weekend, with or without fashion, you chose!
The Midsommar Festival, made in Sweden and presented by Villa based fuc, is offering us an awesome line-up at Jannowitzbrücke on Friday till Sunday. It’s indoor and outdoor with 4 stages, lounging and some food. They also promise wild madness in cups, not that some of you would need it. Take a look at this line-up, man ( only a short excerpt, though): Chicks on Speed (live!), Ian Pooley, Gianni Vitiello, Les Titz Grands, Jack the Rapper, Rampa, Sebo, Demir and Seymen, Süß und Sauer, Cinthie and so many more! The running order can be found here. More parties after the jump.
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by Suz | Events, Party
