As i only had a midnight to 5am window on my last trip to Berlin, i opted for Tresor instead of Berg. This was primarily to maximize my actual dance time, and also because to attempt just a few hrs at Berghain seems relatively sacrilege. While the Tresor v Berg debate seems dead and buried since pretty much the early 2ks, when Tresor moved locations and Berghain opened its doors, there is still an old skool connection between the two. Tresor is where guys like Sven learned to party in the 90s, where Berlin sister citied Detroit, and where the og Love Parade crew planted their techno roots. And while the door at Tresor is now generally viewed as “easy” vs Berg, i witnessed a still decent number of rejections. Once inside, down the strains and through the winding tunnels, i was enveloped by a dope low ceilinged, fog filled industrial haven with some excellent chunky underground techno to which i could easily lose myself to. The vibe was solid- that inescapable pull that happens when all the elements are just right, and even the amateurs can’t help but succumb to. Upstairs was another rare treat - a live electro PA, to which i was able to rattle my innards with the finely tuned bass thumping out of the floor bins. Straight after, and to to top out the night, an all female b2b from Mor Elian and Solid Blake with some killer 140 breakbeats and speed garage vibes - classics, reworks, and new shit. very modern but with a foot firmly planted in the history. Though i didn’t get a weekend long Berghain marathon in, i did find it an extremely satisfying alternative, with top notch programming, vibe, and sound, which for this OG raver, is in the end for me the ultimate goal. i’ll opt for Berghain next time around, when i can give it the full on weekend it both need and deserves.
I got in no problem wearing neon leopard print assless chaps and a multicolored mesh tanktop. I promptly stripped it off at the garderobe and went naked for the rest of the day, including dancing on top of the tanks in the garten. I do have a face full of German rave kandi and a bright-colored mohawk and face tattoos though ;-) So far I'm 4/4 no rejections
Hell yeah! <3 I don't own a pair of assless chaps, but I've always wanted to experience that feeling of total freedom. Next time, I will spend a few hours dancing totally naked. The freedom!
It’s refreshing to see how celebrity and status are ignored at the door, everyone has a chance based on the energy they bring which is very equitable. I doubt this ever happens in the US.
If it does happen in the US, I'd like to find the place that does it. Some compare Basement NYC's door policies to Berghain's. But I dunno enough about how they run the door at Basement to compare or assess that claim.
Basement hardly rejects anyone (perhaps 10%, and mostly only the most clearly abhorrent to the vibe, often dressed for models-and-bottles clubs). Basement's crowd, vibe, space, and (lack of) artistic inclination could hardly differ more strongly from Berghain. The overall philosophy, too -- Basement sequesters its chosen few away in a green room, with free drinks and soft seating, rather than having everyone contribute to the party together, as in Berghain and most decent clubs. That leaves the actual club with (almost) nowhere to sit, nowhere to socialize, nowhere to find a little quiet (unless the weather happens to be pleasant enough to make the outdoors a good option). Not even a place to sit and change anywhere near the lockers, which would be unimaginable to anyone designing or operating a proper club! At least the sound is decent now -- until earlier this year, it was pretty bad.
Super helpful details. Thank you. Because I used to live there, I remember falling victim to a strain of NYC provincialism that convinced me (and some other New Yorkers) that the city is the center of the world, and has the best of everything. This leads to overly positive evaluations of NYC’s inferior version of things — whether it’s Mexican food, public transit, or night clubs.
Oh, don’t get me wrong — New York has some incredible club experiences and raves. A proper NY house music dance floor is like nothing else I’ve experienced, overflowing with joy. And Nowadays on a Sunday morning is (most weeks) every bit the equal of (often even superior to) Panorama Bar. (Weekend nights at peak times, though, can be dreadful, or decent, crowds.)
I cannot wait for my first nowadays nonstop. I will be going next month and have heard so many good things about it, especially after the drinkers have left.
As i only had a midnight to 5am window on my last trip to Berlin, i opted for Tresor instead of Berg. This was primarily to maximize my actual dance time, and also because to attempt just a few hrs at Berghain seems relatively sacrilege. While the Tresor v Berg debate seems dead and buried since pretty much the early 2ks, when Tresor moved locations and Berghain opened its doors, there is still an old skool connection between the two. Tresor is where guys like Sven learned to party in the 90s, where Berlin sister citied Detroit, and where the og Love Parade crew planted their techno roots. And while the door at Tresor is now generally viewed as “easy” vs Berg, i witnessed a still decent number of rejections. Once inside, down the strains and through the winding tunnels, i was enveloped by a dope low ceilinged, fog filled industrial haven with some excellent chunky underground techno to which i could easily lose myself to. The vibe was solid- that inescapable pull that happens when all the elements are just right, and even the amateurs can’t help but succumb to. Upstairs was another rare treat - a live electro PA, to which i was able to rattle my innards with the finely tuned bass thumping out of the floor bins. Straight after, and to to top out the night, an all female b2b from Mor Elian and Solid Blake with some killer 140 breakbeats and speed garage vibes - classics, reworks, and new shit. very modern but with a foot firmly planted in the history. Though i didn’t get a weekend long Berghain marathon in, i did find it an extremely satisfying alternative, with top notch programming, vibe, and sound, which for this OG raver, is in the end for me the ultimate goal. i’ll opt for Berghain next time around, when i can give it the full on weekend it both need and deserves.
I hope to get to Tresor on my next trip. I've been reading a history of Berlin clubs and this one has a really amazing backstory.
Thanks for sharing this. <3
I got in no problem wearing neon leopard print assless chaps and a multicolored mesh tanktop. I promptly stripped it off at the garderobe and went naked for the rest of the day, including dancing on top of the tanks in the garten. I do have a face full of German rave kandi and a bright-colored mohawk and face tattoos though ;-) So far I'm 4/4 no rejections
Hell yeah! <3 I don't own a pair of assless chaps, but I've always wanted to experience that feeling of total freedom. Next time, I will spend a few hours dancing totally naked. The freedom!
Excellent, as always, my friend. The tortured metaphor was my favorite part...lol.
Hahah, I was hoping someone would dig that part. I had fun with it. Thank you for noticing. =)
It’s refreshing to see how celebrity and status are ignored at the door, everyone has a chance based on the energy they bring which is very equitable. I doubt this ever happens in the US.
If it does happen in the US, I'd like to find the place that does it. Some compare Basement NYC's door policies to Berghain's. But I dunno enough about how they run the door at Basement to compare or assess that claim.
Basement hardly rejects anyone (perhaps 10%, and mostly only the most clearly abhorrent to the vibe, often dressed for models-and-bottles clubs). Basement's crowd, vibe, space, and (lack of) artistic inclination could hardly differ more strongly from Berghain. The overall philosophy, too -- Basement sequesters its chosen few away in a green room, with free drinks and soft seating, rather than having everyone contribute to the party together, as in Berghain and most decent clubs. That leaves the actual club with (almost) nowhere to sit, nowhere to socialize, nowhere to find a little quiet (unless the weather happens to be pleasant enough to make the outdoors a good option). Not even a place to sit and change anywhere near the lockers, which would be unimaginable to anyone designing or operating a proper club! At least the sound is decent now -- until earlier this year, it was pretty bad.
Super helpful details. Thank you. Because I used to live there, I remember falling victim to a strain of NYC provincialism that convinced me (and some other New Yorkers) that the city is the center of the world, and has the best of everything. This leads to overly positive evaluations of NYC’s inferior version of things — whether it’s Mexican food, public transit, or night clubs.
Oh, don’t get me wrong — New York has some incredible club experiences and raves. A proper NY house music dance floor is like nothing else I’ve experienced, overflowing with joy. And Nowadays on a Sunday morning is (most weeks) every bit the equal of (often even superior to) Panorama Bar. (Weekend nights at peak times, though, can be dreadful, or decent, crowds.)
I cannot wait for my first nowadays nonstop. I will be going next month and have heard so many good things about it, especially after the drinkers have left.