Review: Berlin's Nomadic Party Culture

When people arrive in this town - particularly when they take one of the alternative tours that I organise - they usually ask me where the best parties are to be found in Berlin. As anyone who's lived in Berlin a while knows, it is a hard question to answer. That's because the best nights tend to be quite nomadic, which makes them hard to pin down to any single venue.

Berlin's best club nights tend to be more like word of mouth 'name brands' that move around from place to place, never staying in one spot for long. There's a reason why there are so many floating (as in, on a boat) parties in this city, people, and it's got more to do with ease of transport than it does with any desire to be seen "yacht clubbing it"!

Tal der Verwirrung is an excellent example of this: a trippy, downtempo party that plays slow, disco house and trance, it has moved around to at least three venues in the past five years, and probably more that I'm unaware of. As near as I can tell, the architects of this feast for the senses really do enjoy the challenge of decking out different venues, the most recent example of which was Kater Blau.

Here is a write-up that I did of Tal der Verwirrung from the last time that they played in Mensch Meier, which sums the vibe pretty darned well. Even as a die hard anti-downtempo dancer I had to admit to having fun, there!

'Inside, you'll find a warm crowd of night crawlers sprinkled with fairy lights, fun fur, sequins, masks, swaying to pulsating beats in our womblike rooms. They will be friendly, artsy and kind of tasty, just like the pink elephants that the promoters have urged us to 'eat' in their party's blurb. "But, but, are pink elephants even vegan?" I hear you anxiously ask. Yes, but they aren't exactly straightedge... so you shouldn't be too sober, either!  Shed whatever inhibitions you're carrying and embark on a psychedelic safari with us, through sight and sound.'

On the complete opposite end of the musical spectrum, there's Berlin Invasion, a night dedicated to free party music and culture, especially hardtek. And while their nights aren't all that nomadic (they almost always take place at Mensch Meier or Griessemuehle) the DJs, producers and audience all hail from the nomadic free party and teknival scene, which bestows a palpable sense of momentous rhythm upon all they touch.  

What can you expect at Berlin Invasion's quarterly events? Well, pretty much anything that you'd hear playing at a teknival... and many of the same faces will be there, too. Here's how I described the last party that they did (also taken from the Mensch Meier newsletter):  

'From Goa to trance... to psytrance... to hardtek... to hardcore... to speedcore... to jungletek... to whatever's coming up next... the permutations of dance music's sound are usually truest to the original spirit of rave.  As usual, Berlin Invasion is going to attempt to showcase as many of these sounds as possible in one night... and maybe invent a few new styles, along the way. They're dipping us headfirst into the deepest underground currents that are running through the European techno scene, with a sick Funktion-One rig to keep us afloat! Three floors with full live and DJ crews, and not ONE overplayed or commercial record in the mix? Radio rental.'

If Bass Down Borders sticks around on the scene, I predict that it will become a popular new "brand" of its own. Standing for freedom of movement, as the name suggests, it also stands for great vibes and high quality sounds. The last party featured an incredible and diverse pick n' mix selection of styles ranging from punk to techno to acid to jungle to drum n' bass to downtempo. It's a party with a heart and it isn't afraid to share that passion through its sounds, stickers (see above) politics and playful cheek. Check it out if you get the chance!

Stay tuned to this blog and especially my Twitter account for more suggestions; I will share them here as and when they appear on the smoke-filled, dawn horizon to my bleary eyes!