Germany - Berlin
About This Journey
Electronic music pilgrimage through Berlin underground scene
📅 Daily Journal Entries
Berlin - The Underground Electronic Mecca
Arrived in Berlin, the birthplace of modern electronic music. The city breathes techno - from subway stations playing ambient sounds to graffiti-covered walls that seem to pulse with bass frequencies.
Checked into a hostel in Kreuzberg, the heart of Berlins alternative scene. The neighborhood is raw, authentic, and unapologetically creative. Street art tells stories of musical rebellion and cultural revolution.
First stop: Hard Wax record store. This legendary shop is a pilgrimage site for electronic music lovers. Spent 3 hours digging through vinyl, discovering obscure German techno from the 90s that shaped the genre.
Evening at Watergate club - perched on the Spree River with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water. The sound system is pristine, and watching boats pass while deep house thrums through your body is transcendent.
Met local DJs who shared stories about Berlins post-reunification music explosion. The underground scene here isnt just about music - its about freedom, expression, and healing through sound.
Berghain Pilgrimage - The Temple of Techno
Today was Berghain day - the most legendary techno club in the world. The queue started at 11 PM, and getting past the infamous door selection felt like a spiritual trial.
Inside Berghain is like entering a cathedral of sound. The Funktion-One sound system is so powerful you feel bass frequencies in your bones. The main floor is a converted power plant - industrial architecture perfect for industrial music.
Danced from midnight to 8 AM without stopping. The crowd moves as one organism, united by 130 BPM heartbeats. In darkness broken only by strobing lights, individual identity dissolves into collective rhythm.
Experienced the famous Sunday morning moment when sunlight streams through frosted windows while Marcel Dettmann plays his closing set. The combination of natural light and synthetic sound creates pure euphoria.
Left at 10 AM, ears ringing but soul elevated. Berghain isnt just a club - its a transformative experience that redefines your relationship with music, time, and consciousness.
Studio Visit with Underground Producers
Connected with local producers through the record shop network. Visited a converted bunker in East Berlin thats now a collective music studio. The space maintains its Cold War eeriness while housing cutting-edge equipment.
Collaborated on a track with Marcus, a Berlin-based producer whos been part of the scene since the 90s. His modular synthesizer setup is like a sonic laboratory - patch cables creating neural networks of sound.
Learned about Berlins unique approach to electronic music - its not just about the beat, but about creating sonic architectures that reflect the citys complex history and uncertain future.
Recorded field recordings around the city - construction sounds, tram announcements, conversations in Turkish and Arabic. Berlin electronic music incorporates the citys multicultural soundtrack.
Evening session at the studio produced something special - a 7-minute journey that captures Berlins spirit. The city has taught me that electronic music is about more than entertainment - its about documenting the human experience through synthetic means.
Shared By
Talisman Music
Travel Enthusiast