Howl: Party Night #1

Hello Again! Its been a while since I posted. Life has been busy recently. I decided to go home to visit family over Christmas and during that time many things happened. One of those things being a potential record deal! I worked hard the last few months and an Italian record company contacted me with interest. Hard work paying off ;) Before I left for Boston I decided to get into the DJ scene I was going to have to break in with a bang. So I decided to plan a party night called Howl.

I got together with my friend Benson and we worked together to create a party atmosphere which we would both like. We first decided on music. It had to be something we both agreed on and something people would like. We decided on techno and deep house. The difference between Berlin and the rest of the world is that Berlin doesn't care what the rest of the world is listening to. So the result is they have a very unique, exclusive choice in music. It seems that whenever Berlin starts playing a song, months later you hear it on the radio. It is truly "underground". 

                  Next Benson and I had to pick a location. The cafe Haus Am See is a very popular cafe in Berlin, world renowned. What many don't know is that they recently opened a club in the basement known as Cosmic Kaspar. It has all the chill vibes of Haus Am See plus a moving floor! When we went to see the space I knew it was right. The old school, industrial scene was just what we were looking for. We agreed upon a price point and date and that was that. Everything came together so quickly it kind of seems like a blur. I was surprised how smoothly it went considering Ive never organized a party before. But the work wasn't over. The most important part of any party is promotion. You have to invite the right people. So we got on it and started our massive Facebook invite. The accepted invites started slowly but in the weeks leading up to the party our hearts jumped when we saw more and more were interested in coming. It's sort of funny how things can change in a second. Of course for the next weeks (I was in Boston at the time) I had to prepare playlists, mashups and organize my itunes for the party. Unfortunately my hard drive crashed two weeks before the party so I had to start at point blank. It had been a while since I really and to crate dig on the internet for music. Luckily I really enjoyed it and in the end a lot of the music I found was even better than what I had before. The next obstacle was getting all of my gear on the airplane, I figured if I'm going to do a professional party I gotta bring pro equipment! So I packed and packed and packed, and if it hadn't been for the awesome lady at lufthansa who let my bag go through despite being 4 kilos overweight I might have not gotten the equipment there. I was to arrive a day before the party, and I was sure I was ready, I packed, double checked, made lists. Everything was there, nothing missing.

              The flight was short and my excitement was rising, the layover felt like hours though, but eventually I had my feet on the ground in Berlin. I arrived at 8 am which meant I was super jet lagged since I got no sleep the night before. Despite that I stayed awake the whole day, making sure everything was in its place and sort of feeling the calm before the storm. Before I knew it it was 4 pm the next day and I had to get packing. Again I made sure everything was in working order and triple checked the equipment. I had a backup and a backup for my backup, yes this is me. I've found that as a DJ you never know what will go wrong, better safe than sorry. We arrived at the Club after carrying my luggage on the train to which I got some funny looks. It was clear that I was carrying about 75 pounds of equipment in my bag, and I was walking around like someone carrying their home. I struggled getting the bag down the steps to the club but once I was down everything was ok. I greeted Benson who was waiting near the DJ table as well as the manager and audio pro.

During our setup there were a few problems, as there always are. The monitors weren't working, the sub bass wasn't loud enough, but luckily for us we had gotten there early enough to do a sound check. I met the first DJ who was a super cool, laid-back guy who loved techno. I asked him if he'd ever been to the states and he said he wasn't really into the US! First person I met who said they didn't want to go, I liked this guy already haha. He began slowly. He worked his way from slow melodic tunes to pumping club beats and with this increase in intensity came an increase in population on the dance floor. Soon enough he had the whole club bouncing, whistling and grooving. As a DJ I got 30 dollars worth of drinks and during his set I began to abuse my benefits ;). It was great to see his technique, the dj. He cared about every transition, every slight move of the Eq and he really connected with the crowd. I had a high bar set. Sooner than I wanted my name was being called for the transition. I stepped up to the podium, and everything slowed down. I picked my music and the clapping for the DJ began. Next we sang Benson happy birthday and I was up. I dropped my first track, I know you like it (Tchami Remix). After that Boy Boy Boy by Andhim. Its seemed that people were starting to understand the vibes I was putting off, but weren't fully into it. I decided I'd go to my computer for a track. Instantly I knew something was wrong, Track A wasn't cueing out of the mixer. The mixer wasn't cooperating with Traktor. In a little bit of a panic I checked the CDJS to see how much music I had put on the machine. I knew it would be a tight squeeze, but I decided to say forget the computer and work with what I had. About half way through I realized I was running out of deep house tracks and so I was forced to play some electro. I blended it in with the deep house and to my surprise I got a great reaction! People were whistling and dancing harder than before. I guess I had been wrong about the music all along. For the rest of the night I forgot all inhibitions and just died like I used to. People loved it, and in the end I got a great applause. I'm really happy The computer didn't work out in the end because the night wouldn't have been the same otherwise. Sometimes mistakes can lead to the best outcomes. My friend Benson was up next and he had a different style, deeper, more dark techno and I really enjoyed it. I greeted friends of my girlfriend, some of them who I've become well aquatinted with. They praised me on my DJing and as a reward we all danced :). Despite having to lug so much equipment back to the apartment it didn't matter in the end. I had a great night and we ended up having 600 people at the club! I learned that mistakes can be fun and that nothing ever goes as planned. Howl party #2 will be soon, Ill keep you guys updated. Thanks for reading as always!

                                      Josh

Day 7: OYE records, into the cave

So instead of sitting on my lazy ass wishing I was doing something I decided to visit another famed record shop called OYE in Prenzlauerberg. Currently the trains in Berlin are still down so geting to OYE was really complicated and shitty. I first had trouble getting my train ticket. I thought it would be simple but no. Berlin has 3 "train areas" A,B,C. not being from Berlin I have no clue what these areas are and I decided to call upon a friend for help. He reccomended train A,B because as I later found out C is outer berlin, so it was a good call. After spending 20 minutes trying to get broken machines to accept cash I finally gave up and resorted to card. People were looking at me as if I had some problem. The machine was making funny noises and I had to do bear through it over and over. Not quite what I expected my first public DJ appearance to be.... Finally I got on the train to merringhdam where tere was construction so I had to wait for the train to Franzosiche Strasse. I arrived and quickly got outside where I had to navigate my way to a U2 stop. I don't quite remember the name, but as soon as i got there I realized something was wrong. Trains out of service. NO WAY. It was super cold out today and walking had already left me freezing, so i in no way looked forward to the long walk to the next stop, Potsdamer platz. I was about halfway there when the construction on the street began. In America usually sidewalks are still accessible during construction, but not here. I was lazy and decided to walk amongst traffic. Weird looks part 2. I raced through traffic to the end, and voila, potsdamer platz. From there it was easy. U2 to Eberswalder Strasse and a quick google maps to the entrance. To my surprise the place is really well marked, and seems inviting, colorful lettering adorns the outside.

Though I can definitely tell you the "colorfulness" ends there. When you walk in the door, or the cave. No one greets you, says hello, offers to help. I was given the impression that this was a help your self record shop, which most are, but a hello wouldn't hurt. I immediately headed towards the back to where I saw the labels for Deep House. My new favorite. I looked around for a while trying to search for familiar labels or artists, but it is clear these record shops stock their shelves with purposefully obscure tracks. If it weren't for this I don't think they would exist. As I browsed I watched the people around me shuffling through old vinyl, new vinyl, disco, techno. OYE has such a diverse mix of records, 80's classics with new age dub step? Seems like a rarity here. I noticed a group of Italians clearly excited by the sheer amount of records. They each had a huge stack, ready to listen to find a gem. I have to say the vibes that are in OYE records are definitely more communal than Hard Wax. People hung out on couches waiting for their significant others to finish their shopping, people conversed telling cool stories from the day but what struck me most was the emotions on peoples faces when they found either an old record or something they weren't expecting. They'd run over to a friend or colleague in disbelief that the record existed. I kind of started to understand how people can connect to vinyl, its like a piece of art in a way. After some people watching I got into my zone of shuffling through interesting looking records and finally found a few. I waited for someone to finish at a turntable and began. The first record was pretty dull. I quickly lifted the needle and put it away. I opened the second one, Oskar Offerman, Apple Crumble Under My Feet. 

I lowered the needle. instantaneously I was met with a tune I really enjoyed, I kept listening and found that in fact I liked a lot of this record. A keeper. The rest turned out to be garbage in my opinion. I went to put the records back. I was lifting a record into the slot I had gotten it from when I was interrupted. "Hey next time you get a record put it in the box, you put it in the wrong place." I was kind of taken aback by the hostility of the man's voice, he didn't seem very interested in pleasing the customer. I guess in an attempt to make it better I just said ok thank you, but it didnt seem like he really cared. I decided to ask him where the closest vintage analog store was kind of testing his attitude. He continued with the whole kind of, I'm too good for you bullshit, explaining in a fashion letting me know he wasn't really there to help. Unfortunately this kind of ruined the experience for me. The guy was even from America, I thought he'd think it was cool I was asking. I left the place a little bit confused. It seems to me that the people at these record shops should be happy to spread love for music, share the passion, especially with a young guy like me. Not make people in the store feel like they fucked up. I guess I should've learned better from Hard Wax. Maybe I'm a little bit against vinyl because the guys who stand for it seem to think they're better in some way for having it. You can buy all the records in the world and play the shittiest dj set ever, it makes you no better. I guess that is kind of why actually. I really feel that people who collect vinyl look down upon digital DJs and the movement towards more compact modes of DJing. I appreciate the presence of vinyl and its importance to the history of music but ultimately we're moving away from it. This group that has formed claiming vinyl is the only real way to listen to music is full of shit. Music isn't about format, it's about content. Ok no more rants. Turns out the analog shop wasn't open. I actually would really like to buy a pair of technics here! So I headed back home and ate some Vapiano (My favorite). I guess I learned a few things today. First off Berlin's train system....still confusing. Second, Berlin's record shops becoming more interesting but pretentious. Third record shops can be a lot of fun, but don't limit yourself to them, there is great music everywhere, you just gotta know where to look. Currently working on my visa still, as last time if you can help me get into contact with anyone who works in the Berlin scene email me at plusminusrecords123@gmail.com. Thanks so much for reading. Auf Wiedersehen

Day 6: The lost weekend in Vienna

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while! I've been busy trying to get my shit together for a visa I'm attempting to obtain. A nightmare by the way... So last weekend I decided to travel a little bit and visit my friend Ben in Vienna. Vienna, unlike Berlin is not specifically known for its nightlife, more its modern art, and old timey german appeal.

An example of Modern Art in Vienna

 But I managed to find the nightlife! On day 1 of arrival I accompanied Ben to an 18th birthday party. If there is one thing I can say about Europeans and 18th birthday parties is they treat them accordingly. I was lucky enough to come in time for the stripper show (haha) pretty unusual given it was a chicks party...also there was a slideshow running showing pictures of her when she was younger, the whole scene was just weird.

Classy strippers showing us how to get down

Even though the DJ was spinning top 40 tracks, he made it a good time, making some cool mashups and mixes along the way. Ben's friends were very friendly offering me their drinks (which were all free) and trying to get me to get up on stage and dance with them. Eventually I stood up and danced away for a while. After a few too many drinks we headed off to the Will Sparks concert. There was a pit stop in order to help a drunk friend get home, but that was short and easy. Besides the throwing up... So we arrived at the club in which Will Sparks was playing. It was in a discreet part of town, almost berliny. The building looked somewhat like a warehouse, and after seeing it I had high expectations! But those expectations were unfortunately not met. The room was filled with 16 and 17 year olds dancing strangely to repetitive beats, if you dont know will sparks look up his music. 

The crowd at Will Sparks

Though he is innovative, his shit is definitely repetitive. It was clear that Ben as well had not been expecting this. We kind of looked like fish out of water being so old. It was clear that the nightlife scene in Vienna was based more towards a younger crowd. That's an aspect I really love about Berlin, it seems like everyone is interested in the music at clubs. You can find 60 year old men amongst 20 and 30 year olds and it is completely normal, no one bats an eye. It's truly about the love of the music. Eventually we said shit this isn't happening and left the club. Luckily I got a really cool hot dog in a bun down the street. 

Interesting invention of hot dog in a bread bun, one side is closed to keep ketchup and other condiments from dripping.

If I told you about the rest of my week into wednesday I'd probably bore you. My friend ben showed me around Vienna and introduced me to some of his friends along the way. I got to cruise in a cabrio, play soccer, eat real schnitzel and see the famed stepanstone or however you pronounce it. Though there wasn't much clubbing, record shop hunting or djing, I got to see another scene which is always important as an artist. All in all I had a really great time, and I'd definitely go back again (yes the strippers were that impressive). So I hope to continue traveling and seeing the sights. Tommorow I think I will visit OYE records (recommended by a djtt user!) and begin planning a party to meet my visa requirements. If anyone knows anyone who works in the nightlife industry or could help me plan a party that lives in Berlin I'd totally appreciate the help. Email me at plusminusrecords123@gmail.com. Also if you know anyone of have personally gotten a freelance visa I could totally use the info!

Day 5: The Berlin Clubbing Experience

On Friday and Saturday I was able to experience both sides of clubbing in Berlin. There are the Hipster underground clubs which offer a cool scene but under the condition that you match their "Look" as well as the mainstream clubs which attempt to pack as many people into a space without thinking about how they will fit. The first club I went to is called Sisyphos. It is located in the East, which is where all the hipsters have decided to cultivate. It looks like this.

As we made our way towards the club it was made aware to me that this club rarely tolerated tourists, and it was going to be hard to get in given that I didn't speak German. So I was basically told to shut up if I wanted to get in. Which I did. Until we got to the bouncer, he spoke a few German words to Charlotte saying she seemed to be quite young but luckily she came up with some smart remark which managed to win his approval. In the midst of almost not making it in I was told to remove my soccer scarf because it was "not suitable for their club". Very Selective. Forgot to mention that we had brought friends who as well had some troubles with the bouncer, but managed to get in. Initially I had this feeling of success which was quickly drowned out by the amazement of the scene that lay before me. The club is styled to match what german call an "open air". Basically an open air is an outdoor party which usually happens in the summer. We entered a small shack which hosted a techno DJ. The scene was quite clear, the club wanted an array of people. Mohawks, Undercuts, Leather Jackets, Populars, Outcasts, they wanted an equal amount of everything. As the techno ran deep into the night people moved with the beat, fully taking in the music and the scene around them. Although I enjoyed the music I could help but think that this club was all a popularity contest. People were looking for a "Scene" or a look they could fit in to. I generally enjoyed this club, and the atmosphere, but was taken aback enough by that fact, that it was hard to feel comfortable.

On saturday night we went to club called Spindler and Klatt. Which looks like.....

We stood in line for about 45 minutes before even making it in to the club, but I was told there was assurance that we would be able to make it into the club given that we were suitable, paying customers. And that prediction turned out to be true. As soon as we entered the club we were met by loud top 40 music and raunchy looking girls who had had too much to drink. We waited even longer to check our coats, but once that was over we were set. We headed for the dance floor, where, just like in the picture we struggled to fit in a one square foot space. I got a very different vibe from this club. Though people were buying into a scene, it seemed they weren't there for the music as much for the people and drinks. The bar was constantly crowded with young partygoers attempting to buy drinks for their soon to be girlfriends for the night, or so they thought. I watched as time and time again boys attempted to talk to friends or strangers in an effort to get them to dance. After a beer and a few shots this was not as relevant, but still very out there. It was fun to dance to familiar hits and laugh watching weird people come and go. We danced all night long to tunes like wake me up, and my friends and I even attempted the Macarena with varying success. By 5 o clock I was pretty burnt out and ready to leave, so we evacuated the dance floor, got our coats and headed for the door. 

Berlin offers a scene for everyone, hipsters, mainstreamers, punkers, hippies and the elite. In some ways this seperation of scenes makes for a more interesting and enthralling night out. But in other ways the scene can become boring quickly due to the lack of overall variety. The underground scene in itself has shaped many genres, and is the primary reason why techno is still alive in Berlin. And the mainstream keeps tourists and mainstreamers at bay. I'd love to explore some more clubs and see what else I can find!

Day 4: Lazy days are addicting

Despite having the motivation to actually do things yesterday, I lost it. But if you want to hear the remix I made yesterday check it out at : https://soundcloud.com/snakesonaplane98/pompeii-by-bastille-gabriel
So the morning was lazy but stressful. Initially, I was supposed to take the bus at like 1230-1245 to go with my girlfriend charlotte to her hair appointment but something happened.... I have a knack for losing things like no one else. I can literally be holding my phone in my hand and somehow it ends up across the room. The world works in weird ways. I unfortunately lost my bus ticket this morning and it still hasn't showed up :(. So I kind of sulked for a while, because these things tend to get in the way of my everyday routine. Lost keys, lost wallet, lost license, credit cards, I've seen it all. So when these things happen I kind of lose it. I distracted myself with the usual Facebook and interesting videos, because I told Charlotte to go on her own to the hair salon. Worked a little bit on music, and the early afternoon just sort of flew by, until my stomach grumbled. Being adventurous I decided to go with toast for my meal, three toasts in fact and a cup of peppermint tea. Tea has kind of become my go too drink in Germany. Partly because it's a good alternative to water, but also because I've been drinking way too much soda. Germany is turning me into a hipster.

Photo title is Lost Hipster hahahha

While eating my brunch I was made aware that I had an email for a possible insurance plan that will further help me chase my dreams to become a DJ. In order to get a job DJing I'm required to have a freelancer visa, and the health insurance is the last big part of the process! So I read over the details and found that it is a great plan and super cheap, always a bonus. And then I decided I was going to stop being lazy and mail a package that I had been neglecting for about a week. So charlotte came back and we made our way to the post office. A few stamps and some info and the package was off. I told Charlotte it was too nice outside not to go for a walk and so we ventured into a local park in Berlin. 

Any park in Germany is like the best park in the USA on steroids. They are well maintained, offer so much for the public and are very beautiful. It seems that people in Germany really appreciate having places to enjoy nature and relax. They also have extra tax dollars to spend on sick shit like 3 playgrounds, great water parks, walkways and soccer fields so everything is top notch. I have yet to be let down by a public park here. Berlin is very beautiful in the fall it has a sort of city charm to it, and these parks are the centerpiece. We finished the afternoon strolling around the park and weirdly ran into three dog owners whose dogs were getting weird in the middle of the walkway. Didn't take a picture of that one but it was quite a scene. The owners just stood there watching making casual commentary on their "Excited" dogs. Pretty strange end to a lovely walk.

Day 3: Is kanye really a genius?

So I decided to be lazy today and not really explore the depths of the Berlin DJ scene mainly because it looks like this outside.  Rainy and gross

So I took to the interweb for inspiration. Ive found recently that my music has become a little bit sporatic and unorganized. Im constantly looking for stuff to motivate me to finish a track or start a new idea. But I didnt think it would come in the form of a Kanye West interview. To be specific a Kanye interview with Jimmy Kimmel. The interview began with Jimmy apologizing for a skit about Kanye and kanye, being himself, took it head on. He ended up talking about how he hates that people limit themselves by what the media, friends and others expect of them. He pointed to a specific example in which he said people in the fashion industry dont take him seriously but he still pursues an interest in fashion. More specifically he told Jimmy Kimmel that he had brought the idea of leather jogging pants to a designer and they rejected it, but quickly thereafter another designer released, surprise, leather jogging pants. This interview made me think, even though there are obstacles and expectations, letting them overtake your dream is pointless. As Kanye says "You gotta protect your dreams" So in the midst pf inspiration I began a new remix and I guess you'll just have to wait until I post it! I guess well see where it goes from here. I explored a little bit of Kreuzberg ( a cool part of berlin) and finished by eating at a taqueria called Lone Star. Saw some cool little knick knack shops and made my way home. Rainy days can be fun.

Day 2: Gema, What is Gema?!

iIn my quest to become a Berlin Dj I,ve frequented the idea that promotion is the key to any business. Ultimately if you can create a promotional angle that targets and interests a certain crowd, then you can succeed. How about trying to target everybody? Today my goal was to create a mobile dj setup to perform in the streets of Berlin in order to create some sort of birth for my DJ career here. Of course this is not easy given that this is the DJ capital of the world, but whatever. So I started my day as yesterday, hopping on a train to get somewhere that i had no clue how to get to. My adress in hand and still fearing the looking down upon of others I slowly made my way to an area of Berlin known as Charlottenberg. Surprisingly easy. That is with the help of a Berlin U bahn app, but lets just say I'm pioneering berlin little by little ;). Of course it being berlin there had to be some sort of weirdness that ensued in my travels, and lo and behold I was met with it in the form of a very large group of friends on the u6. These people had the courtesy to take every seat in site, leaving me with a modest sliver of a chair to which i intended to fill up completely. But not only did they kindly take up the train with their physical selves but also blessed the rest of the passengers with the most ear piercing group conversation ever heard. The one thing I can say about the people of berlin is that they do love to share their opinions. After a slightly akward train ride I made my way through Charlottenburg to my destination of a DJ shop known as Electronic Star. A very well stocked Dj shop. As I walked in the door I was let with eyes and a halo! I quickly explained that I didnt speak german but needed help. From the corner of the shop came a response of "I speak english!" Although most berliners can speak enough english to get by they are embarassed to, so the few that can really speak it are very proud, as was this man. One of the big problems in Germany is the strict music laws that are put in to place. Due to fear of piracy a group called GEMA has created laws forcing anyone who wants to perform music legally to license their music. Everyone seems to know about it but no one really seems to care, so I figured before I invest in a mini mobile Dj rig I better know whats up. So I asked, Whats up with GEMA? The look on his face was one of humor, almost as if someone had told him a joke and he didnt know how to respond. He proceeded to tell me that it was basically a bunch of bull and I shouldnt even worry about it. "So what about performing?" "If anyone bothers you give them the middle finger and get the fuck out of there" Though his responses seemed fueled by the hate of GEMA I figured I might as well just go for it so I ordered a mobile mini speaker. He said my story wasn't the first, that many DJs from America illegally DJ and no one really cares, reasssurance. I made my way back on the U7 and went out for a really great schnitzel at a restaurant called Austria. When ordering, the waiter informed me that the schnitzel came in a manly size and a lady size. Being challenged by Germans aint no joke. I ordered the manly size in an instant. And I ate the whole thing despite not fully wanting to. Naturally being an American people think you have the potential to consume a nation, so Im sure he wasnt surprised when I ate the whole thing. I succesfuly completed step one in my quest to promotion, and got some helpful advice from a stranger today. Can't wait to really begin my journey!