How Berlin Has Influenced my Music Taste

Berlin’s techno scene was all I knew about the city when I first heard that I would be meeting family members from the city over a Christmas vacation. Of course, in order to prepare myself, I looked up “German techno” on Spotify and found a random, rather popular behemoth of a playlist to listen to so that I would have something in common with them to talk about.

Before meeting them, though, I had obviously heard of the infamous Berghain (which I will never shut up about), actually through Yes Theory’s video on the club. This also gave me a self-fulfilling aspect of learning more about techno, as much of the scene felt like an epic party going on behind closed doors. I wanted in on the fun!

I met my Berlin cousins over the new years holiday going into 2022. We ended up bonding over our queer identities as they didn’t really like techno (what???) and they kindly invited me out to their home turf that summer.

During my first visit to Berlin I was formally introduced to techno through about:blank (cancelled, I know). I went there twice in one weekend- it was basically the only club throwing a queer party that weekend, as it was directly after CSD. I first went on a Thursday with my cousin and his friend. Unfamiliar with the timing of club nights in Berlin, I was unsure why we were meeting up for the pregame at midnight.

We waited 2 hours to get in that night. I was obviously very nervous to talk to the bouncer, though that didn’t end up being an issue. Upon entering, I was hit with a wall that I came to know as the signature wall Berlin club scent- cigarette smoke, fog machine residue, and sweat- combined with stale air due to poor ventilation. I was instantly hooked. I resorted to a bottle of vodka mate (potentially my first one) in order to combat the thorough tiredness that entering a club at 3:00 produces. Much unlike that one night in Hackney, we stayed for probably 4 hours. I was shaking ass right in front of the DJ, though (as much as I knew how to back in the day). This experience revealed to me how much I value the ability to express myself, and that clubs allow me to do so.

My second time at the club was more of the same. The music was so loud that it shook the hairs on your arm. I also didn’t understand that people would inherently be touching you in a crowded room where everyone’s dancing, and I would therefore be mad every time someone bumped into me or tried to squeeze past. What an immature little guy I was! That night was also the first time I had an encounter with another guy on the dancefloor, another form of expression I would begin to seek.

A few songs stuck out from this time in Berlin:

– Liverpool street in the rain by Mall Grab- played with my cousins in the back of their convertible while driving through downtown Berlin.

– 1997 by FJAAK- Encapsulates the mystique and grandeur surrounding techno and clubbing when I was newer to the scene. This is one of the first techno songs that I reeeealy liked.

Around the same time next year I was back to visit the cuzzos. Between the two visits I had started my first real dives into techno, mainly focusing on Realize DJ’s selected techno playlist and the R&S discography. I found a few certified oski classics in that time, including:

– Hard to say – DjRumm

– Sunrise in Kyiv – Dax J

– Fan Blades – Yan Cook

Back in Berlin! Though I can’t remember much of my first weekend there, the work week I spent there was quite formative as it was the first time I did anything that resembled digging. I’m not sure how, but I stumbled upon a few Instagram accounts dedicated to old house/ dance music in general. Though these accounts posted vinyls they had, I was able to find the songs on YouTube- as well as the accounts that posted them and the labels that produced them. My first such victory was:

– Music for the Life (Techno Power Remix)

I found the Berghain subreddit and stumbled upon their weekly track ID post, which introduced me to:

– K-Class – let me show you (Direct Hit Remix)

I also listened to longer sets:

– Smitten- contortions (DDR and Dave the Drummer)

Music for the Life reminds me particularly of that summer visit in Berlin, and I’m brought back to that time of excitement and hunger for knowledge every time I’m in Jake and Paul’s Fidicinstrasse bathroom (RIP). I still get little droplets of this feeling whenever I stumble upon a new techno/house song that I get to share with friends.

My time living in Berlin, enabled by an internship abroad from Jan-May 2024, cemented the city’s club scene as one of the more important influences on my life. During this time, the institutions central to Berlin’s party culture went from being unapproachable behemoths to mainstays in my weekly routine. I struggle a lot with my sense of belonging to the larger population, and acceptance (though not with some turmoil along the way) into some of these more private venues meant a lot to me.

This experience abroad also signaled a longstanding shift in my music taste. Although I had been interested in techno and house before arriving, my taste shifted quickly towards preferring melodic house alongside disco and dance. This was aided by Berlin’s fantastic take on Horse Meat Disco (RIP). Some songs that stuck out from my time settling into Berlin:

• Kinda Kickin – DJ Boom (from Berghain 1)
• Push Upstairs – Underworld

This earlier period was a bit less inspired due to me focusing on my job for the first few weeks I was there. However, I soon got my first taste of a true club night (spanning Saturday night to Sunday night, with a break of course):

• Finally – Cece Peniston
• Fling up Your Wig – Harlem Zip Code
• Blow Out – Overmono
• Immer (Venice Remix) – Ede et al.
• Knights of the Jaguar – DJ Rolando
• Rainbow Delta – Len Faki
• The Resistance – Scan 7
• Big Love – Peter Heller
• Kicking and Screaming – Snecker

There was also time for plenty of techno:

• Stalker – Stef Mendesitis
• Double Take – Mabel
• The Box Banger – Frankie Bones

• Phylyps Track – Basic Channel

And finally we were getting somewhere. By this point, things had clicked- I’m not going to say it was a calling, because fuck that, but whatever drew me to this scene when I was in high school watching YouTube turned out to resonate within me. The signature club scent, the freedom to move and act as I please, and the constant exposure to new music all combined to produce a unique feeling when I was out clubbing.

As time went on, going out became more of a regular occurrence for me, and clubbing began to take on a new meaning. Going out with a newfound group of friends taught me that expressing myself would not alienate me. I cherish my relationship with each of these people, almost all of whom I am still in contact with, and I feel as though they know me as well as I know myself in some regards (not saying much, honestly, but I love y’all!) At parties, I also began to recognize people week after week (some, but not all, of them also recognizing me) and even share conversations with a few of them. Some one-off encounters showed me first-hand the importance of community in these spaces and how I have the ability to be a positive figure in others’ lives. Simple acts of kindness meant lots to strangers, and were met with smiles on the dancefloor or heartfelt appreciation.

I was also hitting a stride in finding new tracks:

• Millenial Millennium – Rove Ranger
• Were Gonna Make It – The Dead Rose Music Company
• I’m Not Gonna Let You – Colonel Abrams
• Love Sensation – Loleatta Holloway
• Can’t Fake the Feeling – Geraldine Hunt
• Bodyswerve – M-Gee
• Goodness Praise Break – Digital Native
• High Energy – Ross From Friends
• Mary-Mary (M&M Mix) – Grand High Priest
• Love Commandments – Gisele Jackson
• Do You Feel Me (Victor Simonelli Edit) – NY’s Finest
• Space Cowboy – Jamiroquai
• Ponyhawke Pride – Jordan Nocturne
• Screen – Deetron Presents Soulmate
• Do You Wanna Funk? – Sylvester
• Got 2 B Loved – Soul Reductions
• Only You – Brooklyn Baby
• Love Thang (Alan Dixon Mix) – First Choice
• Big Fun – Inner City
• Just Another Groove – Mighty Dub Katz
• Anthem – N Joi
• Jazzersizzzze (Shed Remix) – Jonas Friedlich
• Le Voie Le Soleil – Patrick Prins
• Horny – Mousse T
• Turn up the Bass (Fast Eddie Mix) – Tyree Cooper

A few special memories exist within this blur of 70+ hour workweeks and 40,000+ steps on the weekend. One such night, a Toytonics party attended by a few friends and I, culminated in Its My Life by Talk Talk, which was met with bright orange spotlights cutting through the cigarette smoke lingering above the dancefloor. Moments like these have the ability to turn an ordinary song into a favorite; songs heard in this context are instantly placed on a pedestal in one’s mind. Another such example was Soundstream’s closing with She Can’t Love you by Chemise and I Want Your Love by CHIC. These songs came at 3am on Monday morning (the following day was a bank holiday) after I had waited roughly four hours to get inside. These two songs, combined with reuniting with my friends inside right as they started to play, has permanently caused me to associate them with joy, relief, and excitement. Just a few hours later, as the sun started to come up on the same party, Wan Poku Moro (Riva Starr Remix) by 2000 and One infected the remaining dancers with a feeling that no amount of dancing could shake off. I myself was dancing in front of the window in just my underwear, something that I would unfortunately come to be recognized for during my time in Berlin.

This definitely coincided with a growing confidence in my identity and desire to push the boundaries of what I was comfortable with doing. There are a few fun photos of my accomplices and I wearing gaudy, hideous, and undeniably queer outfits around town. By being accepted into the club scene wearing this kind of attire, I began to realize that it is possible to like oneself (and be liked by others) even when pushing one’s appearance to the limit. There’s another photo of me wearing nothing but my striped Paul Smith underwear and a backpack out of the club, which means that either I’m an exhibitionist or I was really sweaty that day. Take your pick.

Some of the songs that accompanied this era of complete integration into the clubbing scene are as follows:

• Get Innocuous! (Soulwax Remix) – LCD Soundsystem
• Rave Generator – Confidential Recipe
• Blue Oyster – Sil, Olav Basoski

My last day in Berlin involved a late night dancing session, leaving the club after 4:30am before quickly grabbing my bags and running to the airport. Some songs from that night:

• Angel Eyes – Lime
• Weak Become Heroes (Ashley Beedle Remix) – The Streets

After arriving back in the States, my mind was blown wide open. I began filling in the gaps in my knowledge by going through the discographies of artists whose songs I heard while clubbing. This included Soulmate (Deetron), Sylvester (whose Rock the Box album became the replacement to my Brat Summer), Space Cowboy (who I discovered in Berlin while searching for one of my favorite songs, Space Cowboy by Jamiroquai), Floorplan, Underworld, Bronski Beat, Urban Blues Project, and many others.

In Boston and San Diego (where I spent the summer), I quickly began to miss the parties I attended in Berlin due to their openness and music selection. I began thinking about adding to the music scene for the first time ever. This excited me. I feel very grateful for the ability to learn from these spaces, and as such, want to create one of my own. Even if it’s just for a few of my friends. I have since begun sorting my music obsessively and purposefully going through label and playlist archives to find new music. I’m motivated by the potential of giving my friends moments similar to mine while listening to Its My Life or Wan Poku Moro. This year, I finally made the leap and purchased a DJ controller. I suck, but am getting better, and will soon be able to play my own sets and command dancefloor by myself.

Although Berlin got me started, I now feel most excited about exploring New York’s house and disco scene from the 1980s onward. I’ve begun researching Paradise Garage, Sound Factory, and NY’s incredible roster of artists: Louie Vega, Danny Tenaglia, Kerri Chandler, and so many others that I can’t remember right now. I recently went to a 718 Sessions party hosted by Danny Krivit, which played songs from West End Records, King Street Records, and Henry Street Records, all of which operated out of New York. I am excited that my home city (well…) has such an extensive history in the scene I am so invested in. Maybe one day I’ll be able to add to it.

Until then, some recent faves:

• 100% Pure Love – Crystal Waters
• Big & Little Lies – Bougie Solitaire
• Double Cross (Danny Tenaglia Remix) – First Choice
• Slummin It – Inland Knights
• We Are One (Shrine Horn Remix) – Blaze, UDAUFL
• Kids (Soulwax Remix) – MGMT
• Ich Und Meine Ubahn -11Schnull, Newinfluenzer
• On Your Knees – Grace Jones

Thanks for reading! If you spot any errors/bad writing in this, you’re halluscinating. I don’t make mistakes.

Stay forever,

Stay Forever