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Berlin Techno Clubs
07-31-2015, 12:18 PM
Anyone here frequent the Berlin Techno clubs? I find them interesting and am considering traveling, maybe taking after a few European Trance festivals.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
07-31-2015, 01:28 PM
Quote: (07-31-2015 01:10 PM)Yeti Wrote:
The best-known is probably Berghain but I hear that the wait can be way too long and it's more a place to be seen now than to enjoy the music. But I don't know from personal experience.
Generally my impression is that Berlin is a bit mainstream now compared to the freak show (in a good way) that it was after the fall of the wall, when it pulsed with freedom.
As for places with that kind of energy, outside of Berlin? I would like to see what Dresden holds.
Quote: (07-31-2015 12:18 PM)lowbudgetballer Wrote:
Anyone here frequent the Berlin Techno clubs? I find them interesting and am considering traveling, maybe taking after a few European Trance festivals.
'baller
Interesting. I do Vegas clubs and SoCa trance. I want to see other things. I was thinking of going to Tree of Life and Luminosity in Europe. I would love to read a book after the Berlin clubs after the fall of the wall, but I doubt any exist. There was New Yorker article I read recently about Berlin Techno clubs, but it was pretty dry. Not sure when it came out, though. Found it in a database.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-01-2015, 12:59 AM
While living in Germany, people kept hyping Berlin up and people talked about the awesome club scene there. I first went there in 2008 and returned again in 2013. Over a period of several years it appears to have become extremely hipster and closed off. It was my least favorite city to visit in Germany over the course of several different trips. I usually don't have a rough time getting into clubs or lounges but I had hell in Berlin. I hope you have better luck getting into Berghain or Watergate than I did. I had a great time in Germany and enjoyed the nightlife with Berlin being the worst experience. I was finally able to find a few places where I had success and fun. However for a city with the rep and size of Berlin I was disappointed. If you are a 22 year old hipster or can blend into that scene it might be a good place for you. However, give me any other location in Germany any time over Berlin. If you really enjoy the club/trance music scene there are much better places throughout Europe. Just my two cents.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-01-2015, 01:53 AM
Americans are dreamers too
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-01-2015, 07:21 AM
I've been to Berlin 3 times. Berlin is awful. Its full of unattractive hipster girls with Skrillex haircuts. And to make matters worse, they're German - the most unfun, unfriendly people in Europe. Large parts of it are also god-awfully ugly thanks to the GDR's legacy. It is surprisingly cheap for a Western European capital city though, so thats a positive I guess.
If you want to go to the best clubs in Europe go to Ibiza. Higher quality clubs, better DJs, more relaxed door policy, less Germans. And better weather.
If you want to go to Germany, go to Munich. A much prettier city, and the Southern Germans are friendlier, drunker, and the girls are far prettier.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-01-2015, 07:46 PM
Berlin is hugely overrated
Have you considered Amsterdam ?
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-02-2015, 01:27 AM
I completely agree with Berlin being overrated. I had much better times in Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Nurnberg, Augsburg, etc. and the list goes on. However, a lot of guys love Berlin. It just isn't for me.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-03-2015, 01:46 PM
Berghain apparently is super exclusive but I am not sure if it's worthwhile. I heard it hosts a dark room and had a swing as well. You get the picture. I went to Tresor a few years ago and it was banging hard techno. But then again it attracts a lot of chemical heads and I don't really enjoy that crowd too much. east Germany including Berlin certainly has some hard techno but the harder the venue the weirder the crowd.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-03-2015, 10:41 PM
First of all, I loved Zatara’s post. Sure, I’ve considered Ibiza. I wanna catch those djs at SLS Life in Vegas as much as possible. It seems a little mainstream, though. And I think I heard as an American at least, it’s harder to meet people in Vegas.
I’m 40-ish and straight looking and about half the time traveling with an attractive Asian woman. I probably could freak myself out, but I tend to dress for the Vegas nightclubs. Otherwise shorts and mma or psychedelic t-shirts—maybe some candy. I can fake low-level German language, though I read much better.
The reason I liked Berlin was because when raves stopped in the 90s, I started listening to electronic and space music. Berlin seemed like that mixed with the post-industrial vibe of abandoned warehouses and mental patients. Anyone ever read the Industrial Culture Handbook or listened to the noise band SPK? I want the techno, the debauchery, but could skip the homosexuality. I guess I wanna go to whatever the current Goa/Ko Phangan is, but for the music and unity.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-04-2015, 12:26 AM
Prince8,
You slipped past me. Fill me in. I've only traveled in North America and Asia.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-04-2015, 08:02 AM
I definitely wouldnt say Ibiza is anti-edm, anti-comercial house vibe.
There are much more underground clubs than clubs playing david guetta. Guess what.. david guetta makes 500euro a minute, and he still plays twice a week (ushuaia and pacha) in ibiza, every week of the season.
It would be financially impossible for every club sustain a mainstream lineup everyday for 90 days.
Its way cheaper to produce an underground party with way less known djays, also easier to book them
If you look at ushuaia (best club in the world, imo), the line up is sunday: avicci, monday: david guetta, tuesday: hardwell, wednesday: sebastian ingrosso, thursday: armin van buuren, friday: martin garrix, saturday: ants (a more underground music)
this doesnt exist anywhere in the world (vegas have been focusing more in parties, now that casino revenues went down due to macau growing - and they opened a day club that, even the stage, looks like a copy of ushuaia)
so i would say that if you like mainstream music and djs, ibiza is the best place in the world.
but guess what ? if you dont, its also the best place in the world
the number os clubs is so huge, that everyone had to adapt.. so there are clubs for every taste
just have in mind its a very expensive city
-
about amsterdam (only been once) - compared to berlin (also only been once) - I also had the impression the amsterdam its way more friendly. Berlin try SO HARD to be cool, bouncing people on the clubs with no apparent criteria*. And i have few dutch friends that says underground music/club scene is still very very good.
The city is also much prettier, and girls too (imo)
*i went to a club in berlin, on new years night, around 3-4am prolly. Me and my friend got in the line.. my friend passed, and just after the bouncer directed me to out of the club. I didnt understand anything. Never had been bounced in a club. My friend stood there, before the cashier to pay to get in. After a few min (with me standing next to the bouncer), i get in the line again (there was no one in the line), showed my id again.. and he let me in.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-04-2015, 08:29 AM
Ushuaia is very much the exception, though. It alone focuses on commercial music for the majority of its nights. It's also the most similar in both artists, and general vibe, to Vegas.
Most of the clubs who have commercial nights only have them once or twice a week (ie Amnesia or Privilege) - the rest of the week its more experimental. Then look at the lineups for Space, Sankeys, DC10 etc - even though they're still some of the biggest commercial clubs in the world I'd wager most Americans wouldn't have a clue who most of the headline acts are, seven nights a week. Its very much still the land where Sven Vath and Richie Hawtin are king. Nevermind the smaller scale parties, which are even more obscure artistically.
I think if someone is into EDM/commercial house and is already in North America, they'd be better off going to Vegas these days. Hakkasan, Omnia, and XS have acts like Above & Beyond, Kaskade, Afrojack, Tiesto, Skrillex, Axwell, Martin Garrix etc playing this week alone. Vegas is becoming a real rival to Ibiza in terms of drawing power. The owners of quite a few Ibiza clubs have given interviews recently bemoaning the fact that DJs can earn so much with residencies in Vegas these days, that its driving up market rates.
But if someone (like the OP) is looking for techno Ibiza is the best place in the world for it, still, in my opinion.
Agreed on the points re Amsterdam/Berlin, though.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-04-2015, 09:21 AM
As i said, ibiza has the best of both worlds
Cant speak as an american because im not american. But Ibiza seems like a much more pleasant place to be than vegas. Of course, leaving from US can cost much more to go to ibiza
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-15-2015, 10:00 PM
Quote: (08-01-2015 07:21 AM)zatara Wrote:
I've been to Berlin 3 times. Berlin is awful. Its full of unattractive hipster girls with Skrillex haircuts. And to make matters worse, they're German - the most unfun, unfriendly people in Europe.
Great thread. I'm reading through, now.
Ushuaia looks like Omnia. I truly love XS. I know Vegas clubs are copies of Ibiza clubs. I want far more obscure music, perhaps Leipzich. lol
I actually thought German/Czech girls would be pretty hot.
I never got Jersey Shore douchebag dressed like that here in the US, so I got a good laugh out of that one.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
08-16-2015, 04:01 AM
I know the parties in Berlin and Amsterdam.
Berlin is famous among the party people in Amsterdam, because it is so underground and crazy and everything. Pretty cool to go to Berlin a weekend, to enjoy the parties a weekend.
But Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands have a better crowd on the parties, in Berlin almost nobody smiles and in Amsterdam almost everybody smiles.
Ibiza: I've been to Amnesia and Ushuaia, the clubs are great, but the crowd is less fun than the crowd in Amsterdam, not bad but nothing special either. And overpriced.
From what I have seen, Amsterdam is definitely top notch with regards to techno parties (although deep house, techhouse might be more popular now).
Go to the Netherlands, drug policy is most tolerant and the crowd is more fun. I can recommend open air festivals during the summer, Amsterdam Dance Event in late October, during the winter it is all about indoor parties. Club Trouw shut the doors last winter but alternatives are popping up.
If you want seriously obscure music, Germany might still be the place.
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Berlin Techno Clubs
04-10-2016, 03:29 AM
Planning to go to Berlin for 2-3 weeks in June for the first time. I'm mostly going to experience their underground techno and tech house scene. Why exactly is it hard to get into clubs? If I don't speak German or know anybody in Berlin then how should I go about getting into the better clubs?
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Berlin Techno Clubs
04-10-2016, 12:01 PM
Hi, some info in Berghain:
I lived in Berlin for 3 years and went to Berghain often.
It's actually not really that hard to get in, you just have to know that there is definitely a dress code. What I can recommend: dress all black, get a hipster haircut, and wear a sportswear item (black nike sneakers, black nike track pants etc.) If you are dressed very colourful you will not get in. T-shirts are better than button down shirts. Basically look like you're just coming from a soccer match with your hipster friends.
Also, the gay scene at the club is obviously very large. It's quite common seeing gays assfucking at the club. There are dark rooms at the club, but they are 100% gay.
The music is quite nice, but I personally am not really much of a fan of Berghain. There's a very distinct scene at the club, due to the door selection obviously, and it can all seem pretty uniform. But I guess that's always the case at clubs that have a strict door policy.
What I like to do though is go there at around 1pm on Sunday, go to the top floor (Panorama bar) and get a coffee and a sandwich and just have breakfast there. It's nice getting your Sunday started while around you there's a techno party going where most people have been partying for around 10 hours on drugs.
If you have any questions about Berghain you can just ask me.