Not at her desk is all about storytelling, collaboration, inspiration and most importantly about passions. I am very happy to introduce my first guest, Katy and her perspective on the music scene in Berlin, without any doubt a place where she is in her element and can follow her passions.
A Guide to Berlin’s Alternative Treasures by Katy Peichert
A summer in the city that never sleeps can be a very intense experience. Short and often very hot days turn into nights and warm nights into days just in the blink of an eye. A growing number of tourists visits Berlin too. This year it has been considered the third most visited city in Europe after Paris and Rome.
#zeigdeinberlin #badeschiff #summerinthecity #Berlin #spree pic.twitter.com/SktjYur0Tz
— Katy Peichert (@berlinering) July 30, 2015
The Clubs of the Past and the Present
Now the question is: with all the hype that is going on about Berlin for years already, is the city still a good place for alternative culture seekers? I want to share few places and events that are definitely worth checking out. Whether or not popular they still represent what Berlin has been known for: a great cultural offer for those wanting to dive deep into the sound, instead of having fun and scratching just the surface.
I have been blogging about Berlin and my highlights since I moved to the city in 2014. Just to give you a little bit more context and partly as a disclaimer I have to admit that I grew up on the sound of Tresor records and explored places that are no longer on the map like WMF, or Maria/Magdalena am Ufer, and most recently Stattbad.
Although Tresor is now based in a new location, the essence of its dark and steamy parties remained the same. Sharing the same address and post-industrial location, Kraftwerk is worth mentioning too. It only opens during special events, such as this year’s The Long Now or annual edition of the Berlin Atonal Festival.
pic.twitter.com/SDhjc0X3oO — Berlin Atonal (@BerlinAtonal) February 23, 2015
Whenever talking about the clubs in Berlin, one cannot forget about the Berghain. Luckily for me it is only few steps away from my flat so I do not have to worry about the queues. I only go there when the crowds are gone and I can take it easy when it comes to Berghain’s famous selection process. Sunday parties are these days a classic thing to do for a ‘proper’ Berliner and a place to be. Every week the lineup is full of the most ambitious techno producers of the moment.
Festivals
When it comes to various festivals in Berlin, it is good to be selective as well. This year I could observe a great commercialisation of the techno scene and the festivals related to it. They got expensive, superficial and just exactly the opposite to alternative. Fortunately, there are few worth mentioning, such as Krake Festival and Atonal – both taking place in August. Brave and ambitious in a similar way is CTM but normally takes place in the wintertime. On a smaller scale, mini-festivals combining electronic experiments, theatre and dance take place every three months in Radialsystem V as a part of the Um:Laut label.
#Monolake 2015 Preview… knocked me off my feet! Excellent work @robert_henke at @CTM_Festival @Volksbuehne pic.twitter.com/Mq8tDCfPgd — Katy Peichert (@berlinering) November 20, 2014
All in all, I would say that nowadays Berlin is the city, which dictates and influences the new waves in music and arts. It is still pretty affordable and attractive to professionals who want to go for jobs in the creative industry.
Berlin inspires millions of people around the world. As a matter of fact, in 2015 I’ve seen more movies taking place in or talking about Berlin, than ever before (e.g. ‘Victoria’ or ‘B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West-Berlin’). As a matter of fact, I would like to share the video that shows the Berlin manner in the best way.
