Berghain - formidable fortress of techno and house! I was in Berlin this weekend and of course had to go to Berghain which had an awesome programme (as usual). Booka Shade at 03:00, Vitalic at 05:00, not to mention Richardo Villalobos at some point during the following afternoon. They actually party for over 24 hours straight! (or is that gay?). Besides having some of the coolest DJ's in Europe and probably one of the biggest soundsystems, Berghain also offers some of the most aggresive gay clubbing that I have witnessed - Besides free condoms in the bar, there is actually free rubber gloves - Now that's gay!
The music was as mentioned really good this evening, both Booka Shade and Vitalic playing live (We didn't stick around for Villalobos, we're only human after all). I had my fears that Booka Shade would be a bit boring live - Their album being a bit leaned back and more suited for background music than for actual dancing. How wrong I was. Their live set featured live drumming and a lot of knob and dial twiddling and generally they were really good at breaking down and building up. Playing in the Panorama Bar part of Berghain, the room was packed and people went wild! Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier as Booka Shade are known when of work are also the masterminds of the Get Physical label which also is the home of M.A.N.D.Y.
The songs I have decided to post today are both of the new album Movements which has received rave reviews! Body Language is the single which is nothing less than awesome, live having an added bass drum! This was their second last song on the evening probably the highlight of their show - the ravers just went mental. When listening pay especially notice to the melody line of the synth-bass which is simply beautiful.
Second song is Paper Moon which sounds like it could have real cross over potential, something which actually could push Booka Shade into the popular mainstream a la Röyksopp. The melody reminds me of some UK garage number which name I don't remember. The key to this tracks is the absolute pleasure it induces, you simply can't help but smile and bump your head when the almost silly vocal sounds enter the musical picture.
Besides Booka Shade there was as mentioned also the mighty Vitalic. I think the best way to describe Vitalic is to note that if you had a couple of speakers blaring out Vitalic mounted on top of a tank you would be invincible - The ultimate weapon! The sound of Vitalic Aka Pascal Arbez is that of heavy heavy house, techno and rock mixed. It's a constant beating of your gut, but in a good way! The show in Berghain was also that. You had the feeling that you were lying in fetus position on the dancefloor while a huge Dance Commander was kicking you in the stomach, yelling: "Dance Motherf****r, Thats an order!" Vitalic rocked the mainfloor in Berghain, which was the ultimate setting for this character, the big synths came to their right in the huge room. Though I was pretty caught up in the momement I think that people generally enjoyed Vitalic, if not, their loss.
I'm only going to post one song by Vitalic - An old must-have which sounds like every song known to man, made to have sex in a blender with a nuclear dance bomb! It is of course La Rock! This is the perfect peak time record, the song that has to be played just when you think the party can't possibly get any better!
Aaarrghh...! Sooo wanted to be there!! Glad to hear, that you had a great time, though. And I love your picture. A very clear expression of what Berghain does to you: You're sweaty and nasty, yet cool. ;-)
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Aaarrghh...! Sooo wanted to be there!! Glad to hear, that you had a great time, though. And I love your picture. A very clear expression of what Berghain does to you: You're sweaty and nasty, yet cool. ;-)