The end of my Berlin trip, a few weeks, hardly enough really. I won’t be sad to see the cold go, or the chilly nights in. Managed to get to a few things, though, including the Jewish Museum (hadn’t been inside before, but cycled by it many times when last here), and also gave a talk: “Play at Your Own Risk: Scenes from the Creative City” which went down as well as one might expect at a clubby sort of event. Saw many great acts at Club Transmediale as well, including Jean-Jacques Perrey (which allowed me an opportunity to DJ some serious Moog music for 6 hours, and get a dance floor full of people to swing to it. Thanks to Remco for use of his records to complement mine - must get those many Moog records in storage down to NZ. I’m not sure it would fly as well there.). DJ’d another set this past Saturday, up against Ricardo Villalobos in the Main Hall. I finished that set at 6:30 AM, stayed until 8:30 AM to watch him spin the crowd into a funky frenzy. Amazing stuff, really.

Acts from all over the globe, hardcore pop and electronic music that never manages to appear stale, at least in the three years I’ve been coming to it. This festival keeps getting called a “techno festival” by the press here, which is so far from anything they actually put on that it’s a shame it’s misrepresented so. Hardly a techno beat to be heard in the end. Just out there crazy as batshit music that is inspiring and dancefloor friendly. Another great event put on by the CTM crew. Hats off to them for making it a stimulating week of great music and amazing video and art. Oh, and it was oozing style and cool as well, which makes it all that much easier to take in.

Aside: I don’t usually run into celebrities here in Berlin, but I did a few weeks ago (it’s been that long since I posted, yes, aware, very aware. Words being redirected elsewhere now, so have to use these ones sparingly). Some background first: many years ago I met a Berliner named Barthold in Toronto. We got very well, being into music and all, but we lost touch after a couple of years. Through a series of chance events, we finally met up, in a record shop of all places here in Berlin. Long story short: we only ever meet in record shops, deciding to avoid the hassle of trying to meet for a drink or dinner (we have tried, let me tell you, we’ve tried). So sure enough, I want to visit a local record shop and the first person I run into is Barthold (I’ve been very disciplined, very disciplined this trip - four records bought, less than one a week. Slowly the buying becomes a trickle. It’s a good thing, trust me). Okay, so we’re chatting, catching up, in English, and a woman comes over and asks us where she might be able to find a used guitar for a friend. No real idea we say, and I twig to her voice and realize I’m talking to Parker Posey. I exercised restraint, so nothing embarassing was said or done. Barely blushed. Just a nice little exchange that made my day.

I’m off to Wellington on Tuesday, on the flight to end all flights: 44 hours from doorstep to doorstep I’m calcuating. Madness really. I will console myself with thoughts of….well, thoughts of the many good things going on at the moment. It will be nice to be back on that side of the globe and closer to those that matter. Yes, yes more soon. Things taking very nice shape and I will say more shortly. Truly. Trust me, it’s great.

Music should be drawn from the festival of course, but I haven’t got any and there are plenty of links to the artists on the CTM site, so something more along the lines of what I’ve posted before. One from Peggy Lee, one from Everything But The Girl (their spare version of “Night and Day”), and one from that unknown girl group The What Four. Starting to get the picture? (And it looks nothing the mural above, which is taken from the CTM festival’s Main Hall this year. A larger version here.

Le G.

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