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Play Sven Marquardt In This New Berghain Card Game

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Screen Shot 2016-10-07 at 7.44.57 AM

It seems that everybody wants to know how to get into the elusive Berghain, dubbed by many established publications as the hardest club to get into in the entire world.

Those attempting to get into the Berlin club plan ahead, working to perfect their strategy to ensure that Sven Marquardt, the club’s head bouncer, and his team allow them in. Arrival time, attire, facial expression, arriving in a group versus solo, etc. are all taken into consideration when planning a visit to the techno venue. We evaluated all of those factors when we partied in Berlin for 24 hours straight last month, getting into the club successfully as a result.

You might remember how earlier this year the often-frustrating Berghain door experience was turned into a simulation game. Well now it has also been translated into a card game. The catch? The roles are switched and you play Sven’s position rather than that of the club-goer attempting to be granted access to the club.

Berghain ze Game has players act as bouncers of the notorious club, and places you in Sven’s position. Specifically, the game’s creators specify that, “your job is to let the right people into legendary Berlin techno club Berghain. Take turns as the most powerful man in Germany and learn more about gay culture in the process!”

Of course the cards that come in the deck allow for a variety of differing characters, drawing inspiration from the diverse crowd that visits the high-culture venue each weekend. Included are a ketamine head, clueless tourist and of course a leather-clad patron or two.

Want to play the game? Help launch it via the Kickstarter campaign that is about to go live. You can view the promotional video and stay up to date on the Kickstarter launch date via Berghain ze Game’s Instagram page:

 

 

Bon Iver Played a Techno Set in Berlin Over the Weekend [Videos]

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Justin Vernon

Bon Iver and techno? The pairing shouldn’t surprise anyone who has been following the American indie folk band’s recent exploits.

In fact, the group’s latest album, 22, A Million, was heavily influenced by a Roland synthesizer, as the band’s multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer Justin Vernon told the world last month. Their love for the sound went a step further during last weekend’s Michelberg Music a two-day music and visual arts event Vernon himself collaborated on alongside the National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner and the Michelberger Hotel in Berlin.

On the first day of the event the singer linked up with members of the Teenage Engineering team, who created the OP-1 Portable Synthesizer used in Bon Iver‘s last album, to perform a special live techno and house set.

Watch videos of the performance below.

 

???? w/ Bon Iver . Byrdinamnam & Friends

A video posted by Lionheart (@giulio_stra) on


 

Michelberger Festival @ Funkhaus… #nameless #raw

A video posted by Quirin Schwanck (@quirinschwanck) on

 

24 Hours in Berlin: Berghain/Panorama Bar, Club der Visionaere, Lollapalooza and more

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How much can someone party in 24 hours? I put that question to the test last weekend whenI decided to do as much as I could in a 24-hour period beginning the moment I was meeting a friend at the Milan Malpensa airport to catch a flight to Berlin. Although we were meant to leave the evening of September 10th, our flight was delayed to the next morning, meaning that we were both only going to get a couple of hours of sleep before beginning our adventure.

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The Ghost: The World’s First Mobile Underground Record Shop Located in Berlin

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The ghost inside

Dedicated solely to underground dance music, The Ghost is officially the first record store of its kind – that is the world’s first on-the-move record shop that caters to house, techno and other musical offshoots of the underground electronic music scene.

Located in a 1970s Mercedes camper van, The Ghost travels around Berlin armed with listening stations and crates of vinyl, allowing record collectors throughout the city to peruse and buy from its collection. Mostly sourced from retired DJs throughout Europe, the roster of music available at The Ghost features heavily on house and techno, mirroring the sounds and styles of play of the stores two founders, Berlin-based Brits Josh Tweek and James Creed, both of whom have been DJing for years and are now also performing together as The Ghost.

The Ghost outside

As of right now, The Ghost has found a semi-regular spot outside Club der Visionaere, while also making appearances at several one-off parties. Those wishing to visit the store can make private appointments directly through The Ghost’s Facebook page.

Resident Advisor caught up with Tweek and Creed to talk about the vision for their project. You can read the full interview here.

 

Berghain Struck by Lightning Last Night

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Berghain Light

The infamous Berghain, Berlin’s techno institution, was struck by lightning according to a tweet by Barker.

The unexpected strike blew the venue’s air conditioning system and switched on the emergency lighting system on for three hours, probably sending some of the black-clad attendees that were busy closing out the weekend with a dose of techno into a little bit of a confused state.

 

H/T: Resident Advisor

How To Properly Pronounce Your Favorite Berlin DJ’s Name (If You’re In Berlin)

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Berlin

How many times have you found yourself asking a friend for their opinion on the pronunciation of a DJ’s name? Plenty of times I am sure, and especially so for those producers and DJs that come from foreign countries with languages that are widely different than English.

With this in mind, German blog Mit VergnĂŒgen has compiled a video to help you out, specifically showing non-Berliners how to properly pronounce the names of 21 great DJs who come from, live, work or have significantly influenced the Berlin techno scene. Please note that the video doesn’t necessarily tell you the correct pronunciation of the name in all countries, but rather the Berlin pronunciation of it.

It perhaps comes as no surprise, then, that despite my moderate-to-good comprehension of several languages I found out that I was apparently mispronouncing the names of such great artists as Dixon, Ricardo Villalobos, Ellen Allien, Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann – as far as a Berliner is concerned anyways!

So, if you’re planning a trip to Berghain, Tresor or Watergate in the near future, study up with the video below. Or perhaps stick to the way you’ve always said them, it seems like it is the safer route!

H/T: Deep House Amsterdam

Where Is The Next Ibiza?

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Ibiza DC10

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: Ibiza is changing – and if anyone tells you otherwise they have either not seen it with their own eyes or are simply lying to you.

In recent months we have seen local officials closing down beach parties, imposing 6:30am club curfews and admitting that the island cannot take in much more tourism due to depleted natural and local resources. And let’s not forget the imminent end of the legendary Space Ibiza (with ENTER and Carl Cox’s Music Is Revolution both leaving the island), the rise of VIP-centered UshuaĂŻa as well as the increasing prevalence of commercial dance music throughout the Balearic island. On top of that, a recent criminal investigation by local authorities has resulted in raids at Amnesia, Space and Privilege, with four men arrested, including the owner of Amnesia and his son.

Things are changing, and Ibiza is no longer the same Ibiza of 5, 10 or 15 years ago, and while progress is natural, a large portion of dance music fans are now looking for less-regulated new destinations to freely enjoy the underground sounds of their favorite artists. Below are our top picks for the “next Ibiza” – destinations that have been and continue to be more and more popular for those seeking to party while on vacation.

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Berghain Trainer Simulator

Berghain Trainer: The Simulator That Trains You For The Techno Promised Land

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Having managed to get into Berghain once, after failing earlier that very same weekend, I am often asked for “tricks” and “tips” on how to get into the fabled techno institution. But what if there were a Berghain training simulator you could practice with?

As everyone knows, there is no clear-cut answer, and it appears that getting past Sven and his team may be as much about luck as any real system of criteria they may be following in making their decision.

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#TBT Series: The Story of Tresor Berlin and Its Influence On The City’s Techno Scene [Video]

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TresorOld

Photo by Michael Lange

It could have been like any other regular club, a shooting star that blinks across the sky of nightlife like a burning diamond, only to dissipate shortly after into a black hole of nothingness. It could have joined the countless others who fall victim of the short lifespan plague that permeates the nightclub scene across the globe. It could have, but it wasn’t.

Tresor Berlin made history, but no one would have expected that back on March 13th 1991 when the club first opened. Today, the techno institution is in the midst of blowing 25 candles to celebrate its life at the forefront of the electronic music movement, and is throwing a series of large parties to commemorate the special occasion. The celebrations began March 12th at the Berlin club and continued on to Milan, Denmark, Amsterdam, London and Spain before their upcoming US stop in Detroit during Movement weekend and a final flurry of dates in Australia and back in Europe.

Inside Tresor in the 90s

Inside Tresor in the 90s

Back in 1991, Tresor opened shop in a shack on Potsdamer Platz, located atop the the vault of the Wertheim department store. The Berlin wall had just fallen less than two years earlier, leaving the city’s youth in search for a connection and a sense of freedom many could only find through music. They found that connection at Tresor.

Armed with an art gallery license and a three-month lease, the venue owners woke up every day expecting authorities to barge in and shut operations down. Instead, things continued and the venue carried on to make history by connecting the music and artists coming out of Detroit with the rise of Berlin’s love and burning passion for techno. As the club itself proudly recalls, it went on to be the home of Jeff Mills’ first sets on three turntables, the brain behind the grandiose Tresor Park parties, and the mastermind of the various chapters of the Loveparade with Sven VĂ€th in the 90s.

Detroit Jeff Mills, Dimitri Hegemann, and French DJ Laurent Garnier at Tresor

Jeff Mills, original club founder Dimitri Hegemann, and Laurent Garnier at Tresor

 

Despite complications, temporary closures and raids, the techno persisted and persists still to this day. Its location may have changed in 2005, but the club and its religious attachment to techno haven’t. Tresor is very much alive and well, and with it is the message of music and freedom it has been carrying for twenty-five years.

TresorInside

Inside the current Tresor nightclub

In 2008, a documentary directed by Tilmann KĂŒnze entitled “SubBerlin” was released. It highlighted the history of Tresor from its beginning in 1991 until the closure of its original location. The one-and-a-half hour video includes interviews with many of the artists that played at the venue, from Atkins to Sven VĂ€th, as well as the people that made the club happen, such as original founder Dimitri Hegemann. The original documentary was released on TV, and later made available on DVD by the club in 2012.

Enjoy it in its entirety below.

Connect with Tresor: Online | Facebook | Twitter | Resident Advisor

Other articles in 6AM’s #TBT Series:

What Was It Like to Party in New York City in the Early 90’s?

Relive Some Of The Best Frankie Knuckles Moments Caught on Video

What Was It Like To Be At The First Ever DEMF/Movement in 2000?

How Amnesia Ibiza Changed The World of Clubbing in the Late 80s

How Much Has ULTRA Changed Since the First Ultra Beach Festival in 1999?

Listen to Four Hours of Move D and Jus Ed at a Berlin After Hours

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Move D at Electric Minds

What’s better than a classic Move D mix? Move D back to back with Jus Ed at an after hours in Berlin – that’s what. Both Move D and Jus Ed are some of the finest curators in the game, and this Berlin after hours mix really sees the two artists dig deep into their record bags. From James Brown to DJ Koze, the mix touches upon all flavors throughout the four hour journey.

Move D and Jus Ed are the DJ’s DJ’s. With a taste unparalleled by others, and technical precision perfected through years of experience, the two are incredibly admirable in their dedication to the craft. Sit back, relax, and enjoy four hours of Move D and Jus Ed.