10. March 2008 by Emmett.

Continued from Part 1. My attempt at illuminating Berlin nightlife a little- through my own lens of bias & preferences.

Tresor

The club with the biggest brand name in Berlin, Tresor is definitely worth a visit. They have a long-running record label and mix CD series which draws a lot of attention to the club, but the place itself doesn’t need any help. It’s housed in an enormous, partially functioning power plant in the east part of the city. The tunnel (pictured above) connects the main underground dance floor to the upstairs levels. This is actually the second installment of Tresor Berlin- the old club used to incorporate an actual bank vault (”tresor” means vault in German).

Music is almost always hard and electronic. The main room sound system and light show seems designed to drive you insane- in a good way of course. Dave Clarke was a perfect act to see here, but the enormous size of the club means that lesser-known acts can sometimes fail to pack the floor.

Expect: the Tresor logo everywhere, crunchy techno, getting lost. Grade: B-

Watergate

One of the most popular clubs in the city, Watergate is a get-there-early-or-stand-in-line destination on weekends. Normally the musical lineups are worth it alone (M.A.N.D.Y. and A Guy Called Gerald both played last week), but the location and lighting are also draws. For one thing, the club sits directly on the river, with floor-to-ceiling windows on both floors, providing gorgeous views of the water and the illuminated Oberbaumbruecke bridge.

The ceiling of the top floor has hundreds and hundreds of tiny LED lights installed behind a translucent material, sending cascading light and patterns from behind the DJ, above the floor, and back behind the bar. Hard to explain- check the panoramic view on the club’s website.

Expect:  time spent staring at the eye candy, lineups, forward-thinking music. Grade: A

Golden Gate

Golden Gate is really a different creature altogether. It’s a well-known to locals as a weekend afterhours spot, and I’m not sure the place closes at any point between Friday and Monday. The interior (and the hilarious website) are unapologetically DIY and funky. The club is not big- capacity of a few hundred- but the clientele makes up for it with sheer personality. As my good friend Matt put it, “It’s a place for freaks.”

Despite the small size and weirdo aesthetic, they do manage to bring in some good music- I’m headed there tomorrow night to see Radio Slave and Jesse Rose, among others.

Expect: intoxication, conversation, experimentation. Grade: B+

Icon

Housed underground in an ex-brewery, Icon is a long-running part of Berlin’s club scene. I love how the place looks inside- small seperated rooms, exposed brick, candles, and visual projections everywhere. However, just because it’s vibey doesn’t mean it’s for lounging. Icon hosts monthly nights from dance music labels Ninja Tune and Ed Banger, as well as having huge drum n bass guests drop by on a regular basis. The sound system fills out the space nicely, and the music from guests and residents is usually top-notch.

Expect: funk! (a rarity in Berlin), meeting new people at the bar, big name DJs in a small venue. Grade: A

More to come…I just need to get out more often!

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9. March 2008 by Emmett.

I just put up a couple dozen of my favourite pictures from my time here in Berlin. You can check out the gallery here.

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1. March 2008 by Emmett.

I was lucky enough to catch Laurent Garnier last night, playing the whole evening at Panorama Bar…the man knows how to work a crowd.

Not only did he mix flawlessly, and keep my sober ass moving until 6 am, but he also managed to fit in minimal, techno, deep house, breaks, disco (Supernature!) and 60’s rock.

There’s no cameras allowed in the club of course, but when he dropped “Gloria” at 5 am, the scene looked a lot like this (just in colour):

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22. February 2008 by Emmett.

So, Justice & DJ Mehdi were here last night, and I got the hangover to prove it. The venue was a really big, baroque-style hall, with bars on both sides. Maybe 4000 people.

Mehdi opened really well, played lots of good electro, and some surprising stuff too (Kanye - Flashing Lights, MIA - XR2). I saw him & A-Trak in Vancouver, and it was great too- check this guy out if you get a chance.

Justice came on and did their thing, everybody freaked out, sang along, crowd surfed, threw beer cups, etc. It was a straight up concert, my first one in a long time.

Anyway, here’s a couple clips from their show in Stockholm this month- gives you an idea of what they’re playing these days.

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18. February 2008 by Emmett.

Since I’ve been living in Berlin, I’ve been contacted by a lot of people in Canada who are interested in coming over here and seeing if the city’s reputation for debauchery holds up.

I thought I would put together a short, far-from-complete list of the key nightspots…this is kind of necessary in Berlin, as nothing cool has a big sign.

Weekend

Located on the 12th floor of an office building at Alexanderplatz, the club’s visibility makes it a big draw for tourists and locals. Chic, dark, and expensive (cover is at least €10). They open the 15th floor and the roof for special events.

Expect: trendy minimal techno, hot people, empty wallets. Grade: B

Berghain/Panorama Bar

An old power plant in a sketchy part of town, with lots of the original equipment left as “decor.” Capacity of around 1500, which is certainly reached on saturday nights- pure madness across 3 floors and 6 bars, with unbelievable peak-time lineups. Very gay-friendly, open atmosphere, with no cameras allowed. Top-notch music as well (Laurent Garnier! Carl Craig!)

Expect: to stay a while. Grade: A

Maria am Ostbahnhof

What looks like an abandoned building on the east part of the river, on the border of the old wall, actually houses one of the better-known clubs in the city. Diverse musical selection, from hip hop and drum n bass to hard techno. Art on the walls gets changed fairly often, and the sound system is banging. Lineups don’t get too crazy. Definitely worth checking out for a special event.

Expect: a mix of young people, good dancefloor, sore eardrums. Grade: B+

Rodeo Club (Auguststraße 5a)

The trendiest place I’ve graced with my presence up til now, somehow squeezed into the back part of a museum. Snooty entrance policies and long lines set the tone as you come in. The main bar is stunning, with a ridiculously high domed ceiling, but the lack of a decent sound system, and so-cool-it-hurts staff and patrons really suck the fun out of it.

Expect: to roll your eyes a lot. Grade: D+

Click here for part two.

pics taken from residentadvisor.net

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6. February 2008 by Emmett.

One of the world’s biggest film festivals starts tomorrow here in Berlin. If you’re curious you can check out all the info and program (in German or English) here.

I’m really looking forward to Michel Gondry’s (Eternal Sunshine, The Science of Sleep) new movie, with Jack Black and Mos Def. There are so many others, I really don’t know where to begin. However, 99% of the films screened here have at least English subtitles, so I can follow along better. I can just about decode a German drama/action movie, but comedy is waaaay tougher.

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3. February 2008 by Emmett.

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3. February 2008 by admin.

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