Preview: One Night In Friedrichshain

I've got to be honest with my readers: I am getting a bit bored of clubs full of self-conscious fashion victims wiggling to minimal tech that pussyfoots around the dance floor like it's afraid of breaking something... or someone! I've more of an extremist when it comes to parties and lately, it seems like there are few places where someone like me can really, truly be free. But this weekend, a plethora of style-free, cheap and nasty underground events have deposited themselves within easy reach, in nearby Friedrichshain. I am more than ready to have a revel rebel with a rival tribe and if you are too, then read on...




But first, a pre-preview note:
I've checked out M-Bia in the Mitte a couple of times over the last few weeks, both times early on Saturday morning. Beyond the deceptively chic chill-out room and bar, DJs were banging out gritty, relentless techno on the main dance floor. If you like your techno with a bit of schranz and acid in it (okay, a lot) and don't particularly care about stopping to catch your breath, then this is a night to check out!



On with the preview.
If I can't wait for Saturday then I'll kick off the weekend at the Interferenz free birthday party on Friday at Pk-22 in Kreuziger Strasse. On Saturday night I'm going out for sure though, and I might start with pre-party drinks at Supamolly. For those of you who haven't been to this Friedrichshain anti-establishment, allow me to paint you a picture of it: the atmosphere is thick with smoke; the walls are a pastiche of peeling paint, posters and scrap-art; the seats are full of lefty, vegan punks and the playlist sounds like one of those mixed tapes I cherished as a post-punk, experimental-dance-loving teen. The staff are friendly and discreet and most drinks cost less than 2 euros but the real attraction is the atmosphere, which is as authentically underground as the Koepi's is.

Music lovers can also drop in to Supamolly's adjacent venue, where Anakronic Electro Orkestra will be playing klezmer cut with loops that fall "between hip hop, dub and drum n' bass." I will be giving the band a miss (it may trigger unpleasant flashbacks of a klezmer-loving ex of mine) but the cerebral electronic sounds may help you gear up for the rest of the evening. It is usually a fiver to get in to the venue.

Afterwards, there will be a free party by Rebel Hi-Fi at Canteatro, which is just a few streets away. They'll be playing "deep dirty freestyle electronic dance music from outta space"... whatever that is! But hey, I am willing to join almost any rebellion at that price.

To round off my seditious Saturday schedule, I'll be checking out the new club WYSIWYG on Revaler Strasse. Entrance is 7 euros and the party is being organized by the techno heads at Klangsucht. The DJ list is short and sweet but that should give expert turntablists like A Guy Called Gerald plenty of time to develop their sets and tweak the crowd into a frenzy.


Speaking of short and sweet, that's all the recommendations I've got for this weekend. Have a good one!