the sound of summer

I have yet to meet someone who genuinely flat-out does not like music. It connects people, helps us through tough times and quickens us when emotions are soaring.

Connected to the latter is the well-known phenomenon of striving for "the perfect holiday soundtrack", which generally hits sometime in the sunny months of June and August.

In the past years, I've put endless efforts into assembling a playlist that is of a light and stimulative nature, works both by the poolside and during longer car rides and reminds me of fun and carefree days with friends without being distinctly associated with previous events or travels. This year, in line with my newfound hang loose-attitude, I've decided to skip endless hours of record sampling and found someone else to do it for me:

The people at RCRD LBL (free MP3 a day, anyone?) have teamed up with Saludos and produced the ultimate summer holiday mix cd. Available as a free download, Cheers to the Summer: 2010 Summer Soundtrack includes tracks by Mishka, The Like, Femi Kuti, White Denim, The Drums and many others. Simply enter your email address, and you will receive the compilation as a .zip file, which can easily be copied into an empty playlist folder in the music player of your choice.

I'm already hooked to my new favourite summer track: The Sunshine Song by The Candle Thieves. Don't miss out on this grand opportunity to lay your hands on free music NOW!

PS: If you don't feel like sharing your email address, you can also stream the playlist online.

(all images by Soludos/RCRD LBL Cheers to the Summer)

sideseeing berlin: take a stroll

Who's in for a little fashion, art and music this sunday? Sideseeing is an open air market/fair comprised of numerous stalls selling self-made jewelry, fashion and design items by local designers. It's known for attracting a colourful crowd of people, delicious refreshments and an entertainment programme that's just as awesome as the items for sale ;)

Come and check it out! This Sunday, 13:ooh - 2o:ooh at Maybachufer Neukölln (more info on the sideseeing website).

MELT! picknick

As I'm typing these lines, a mere 140km away from Berlin in the city of steel Ferropolis (near Dessau), Melt! resident DJ Markus Welby is already serving the first course of finest electro tunes. The musical banquet that Melt! Picknick rightfully can be described as will continue with Simina Grigoriu, a brunette bombshell who happens to double as first-class techno DJ and producer. And if the weather permits and (the predicted) heavy rainfall doesn't bust the party, these phenomenal acts will be followed by none other than Fritz Zander, Fritz Kalkbrenner and Robag Whrume. The grand finale a.k.a the cherry on top of this electronic feast will be a live set by the great Paul Kalkbrenner. Ever since Berlin Calling, this Berlin-based DJ has created a name (or shall we say legend?) for himself even outside the spheres of electronic music and Berlin underground parties, and made his way into mainstream. Whether that's desireable or not remains questionable, his bank account is certainly thanking him.

And while I'm sitting here in Berlin, receiving text message updates about the awesomeness of Melt! picknick by friends and secretly wishing that it would start raining so I'd have at least one teensie reason to be glad about getting stuck in Berlin (for personal reasons), I'll definitely round up a few photographic and video impressions post-picknick to share with you what we may have missed out on.

Ps. It just started raining cats and dogs...

what summer is all about...

melt! klub weekender: LCD Soundsystem à Berlin

Anyone still convinced that all Germany has to offer is bratwurst and beer has clearly never been around long enough to experience what its really like around here. Another common misconception amongst travellers is that the only place to have fun in Germany is in larger cities like Munich, Hamburg and of course BERLIN. Au contraire: especially if you're considering to stop by during the summer, it might of interest to check out one of the many open air music festivals traditionally located in smaller towns and villages.

A true gem of the German festival scenery is the Melt! festival, which takes place annually in Ferropolis, the "city of steel" (near Dessau, Germany). The lineup for Melt! 2010 (July 16 -18) is no less impressive than that of the past 12 years. Among popular indie rock acts such as The XX, Miike Snow, Bonaparte, Johnossi and Two Door Cinema Club, a multitude of legendary DJ acts will heat up the crowd (can you spell Booka Shade, Tiefschwarz or C-R-O-O-K-E-R-S?). If you're still not convinced, check out the entire line-up here.

Anyone unwilling to leave the comfort of good old Berlin for some good music and Melt! atmosphere had the opportunity to check out the Melt! Klub Weekender, which took place May 6 -8 smack in the city centre. After performances by "Errors" and "Yacht", no other than LCD SOUNDSYSTEM took the stage and played an incredible (almost) 2 hour set. Walking home that night with the 1/2 drum stick that hit me during the Errors set and humming "New York I love you, but you're bringing me down", I knew the 20€ for a Melt!Klub day-pass was money very well spent.

stage jam-packed with equipment

Errors frontman Simon Ward
LCD Soundsystem

you be my matt, i'll be your kim.

Thanks to Last.fm, I have discovered many brilliant artists which otherwise may have remained unknown to me for a long, long time. Today, one of the site's suggestions to me was Matt&Kim, a musical duo from Brookly, New York. Check out their fantastic song (and corresponding video), Daylight. It's been stuck in my head all day...

because they are all so cute i want to put them in my pocket.

stop motion sensation

I hadn't heard of Oren Lavie until my good friend Jacob messaged me the link to this video, accompanied with the words "why can I see you doing something like this?". It's good to know that I have friends who know me quite well, because I developed an instant liking for Lavie's work upon watching Her Morning Elegance.

A quick Myspace search (yes- some people still have Myspace...) revealed that Oren Lavie not only works as a singer/songwriter and director, but also as a playwright and "writer of funny books for sad children". Lavie further discloses that he often daydreams, almost always has cold feet and "enjoys squeezing big worlds into small spaces". Her Morning Elegance is the first single release of Lavie's debut album The Opposite Side of the Sea and was recently nominated for a 2010 Grammy Award in the "Best Short Form Music Video" category.

For more information and a few fun facts about the video production, have a look at Lavie's Myspace blog or his web site.

my friend tenzin...

... has an incredibly good taste in music. Every now and then, he sends me links to new music videos on Youtube. And every now and then, I am amazed.

In this particular case, I have to admit I was already a big fan of the Cold War Kids when they released their first album Robbers & Cowards in 2006. Now, the boys are back with their newest EP, Behave Yourself. Thanks to Tenzin, I'm currently hooked on Audience, one of the songs off the record. Not only is it an absolutely catchy tune, the music video is incredible. Enough with the talking - see for yourself:

Last Christmas (I listened to bad music all the time)

A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends said, "I just heard 'Last Christmas' on the radio... that means it's officially holiday season!" I thought about what she said for a while, and gradually, my initial reluctance made way for accepted defeat. No wonder we're exposed to the same old song every year if there's no good alternatives around... right?

Wrong. There are plenty of contemporary artists that can take on Mariah Carey and WHAM any day. Throughout the past years, I've been compiling some of my personal favourites and burning CDs with them for my friends. At the top of the list is Ron Sexsmith's "Maybe This Christmas" - I've been hooked ever since this song came up on The O.C. a couple of years ago. If you're wondering why Lady Gaga made the cut, just listen to the song... it's hilarious. (although you should wait until your relatives have had plenty of eggnog before you start playing this!)

Who knows, one day our combined efforts may succeed in banning "Last Christmas" from TV & radio stations for good ;)

climate action #2 this Saturday! (12.12.2009)

A while ago I reported back from an alternative type of demonstration here in Berlin - the Silent Climate Parade. The event turned into a huge success, international media coverage and a daily increasing amount of fans on the event's facebook page followed shortly thereafter.

(can you spot La Berlina in this shot of the Silent Climate Parade?)

Now, the boys are back. In light of the current climate summit in Copenhagen and the World Wants A Real Deal global day of action on December 12th, it is time to take a stand in the fight against climate change. While the event's organizers once again aim to combine political activism with tons of fun and a kickass soundtrack to back everything up, the concept of climate action numero dos differs slightly from that of the previous event.

After signing up, you will be sent a link to download the audio file that will be used during the demonstration. Transfer this file onto your mp3 player and bring it along on Saturday. Not only will you be listening and dancing to the same music as everyone else, you will also receive important instructions on what to do next... this may include chasing other participants who have dressed up as CO2-molecules ;)

All in all, the event promises to be another big success in raising awareness and protecting our environment. Register now and get all of your friends to join in the fun! More information can be found on the official website or on the event's facebook page.

PHOENIX @ La Blogotheque (Take Away Show)

Alright, so there's some impressions of London I'd still like to share... but in the meantime I couldn't focuse on my studies until I hadn't done my share of spreading the following three videos on the web. 2009 just wouldn't have been the same without Phoenix. Now, the talented young lads have cooperated with La Blogotheque in Paris, and the result is captivating. Sit back and enjoy!

London.2 - inSpiral @ Camden Lock

Clearly a magnet for tourists and locals alike, Camden (one of London's 32 boroughs) can't be fully discovered in merely one or two hours. Along Camden High Street and around Camden Lock, you will come across a plethora of little shops and market stalls, offering everything from scented candles to black leather plateau boots to fresh fruits and vintage records. Chances are you'll find funky gifts for everyone, grandparents and flatmates alike, if you just take the time to browse a little.

When entering Camden Lock, your eyes and tastebuds will most likely be overwhelmed by the variety of foods and beverages offered at the little stalls lining the alleyways.

No insider's tip but certainly a highlight of the area is the café/bar/shop/lounge inSpiral. Situated on 250 Camden High Street right across from Camden Lock, this venue is unique in its concept and implementation thereof.

"inSpiral combines personal and planetary health with creative media to achieve positive conscious change in a fun way for all!"

Apart from offering a great array of vegetarian and vegan dishes (ever tried hemp millet fricadels or vegan tiramisu cake?), inSpiral hosts parties and events every weekend... Why not pop by the Social Sunday Open Mic session and have a couple of organic beers while you're at it?

If you're still not convinced that is place is a must-see, take into consideration that this is one of the few locations in central London that allows you to have an amazing time while simultaneously benefiting your local community and our planet earth. Idealistic? No way. 100% of the electricity consumed at inSpiral comes from renewable engery sources. All packaging is either biodegrable, recycled or otherwise ecofriendly. None of the staff members own a car - most of them cycle to work!


Captivated by the concept and low-spirited because you live nowhere near London? Do not despair. The brand-new inSpiral website not only features an online shop and radio station, but also offers its advice on how to be ecofriendly and posts news and updates via the inSpiral blog.

Kitsuné Maison Compilation 8 (&party)

The new compilation is out, and once again it features only the best of new releases. Not only is the cover design pretty damn cool, but seeing the list of artists featured sent me straight to amazon to order a copy for myself :)

Among my current favourites, The Drums and Le Corps Mince de Francoise, the record also features French Horn Rebellion, Slagsmalsklubben, My Tiger My Timing and many more...

For a sneak preview, either visit the Kitsuné website or check out the funny promo video:

I wish I could keep this hidden from everyone else as I myself won't be in Berlin this weekend to join the fun, but there's a Kitsuné party @ Ritter Butzke this weekend that promises to knock your socks off. Various DJs that are also represented on the new compilation will be spinning, so if all of my advertisement for the CD didn't convince you yet, go and see for yourself!

in retrospect: rave for the environment

I didn't go to the parade to take great photography or shoot award-winning film material. I participated because climate change is a very important issue to me, because I think taking action is always better than simply discussing a matter and its pressing importance. I took part because it sounded like a great idea to spend the day dancing through Berlin with my friends and 350 other people.

Therefore, don't get your guns out when you watch my cinematic snippets of the event.

I was temporarily traumatized after handing back my headphones and finding myself without the tunes of Dirty Doering, which explains why my imbecile self conducted the interview with Peter Esser in German, rather than in English (as I had originally planned). Apologies go out to anyone not understanding a word of what he's saying.

Enough with the rambling ... enjoy!

ein ♥ für blogger

Following a tradition that's been established throughout the past few years, I will share with you 5 of my favourite online blogs. Why? There's a good amount of great blogs out there that you'd really enjoy, if you knew about them. Someone, I don't know who, started this a couple of years ago... I love the idea!



Anyways, here's the deal: Everyone keeping an online blog may use this day to honour 5 of his personal favourites. No restrictions on content or language... just go for it!

5 of my fave sources of inspiration (and procrastination, for that matter...)

1) Le Coolcats Blog - selected DJs and artists signed by the french record label ED BANGER share their thoughts and impressions of day-to-day life.

2) GLAMCANYON - if you've never seen Katja Hentschel's amazing photography, you're either not from Berlin, lacking an internet connection (unlikely, as you're currently viewing an online blog) or have been shacked up at home for the past years. This is one of her many projects, a streetstyle blog focused mainly on people in and from Berlin.

3) Dirtyglam - written by a young swedish girl. Concentrates on fashion, lifestyle and aesthetic photography. Ellen (that's her name) makes great 'inspirational collages', as she likes to call them.

4) Emma Nygren - having gained national media attention and popularity through this blog, Emma Nygren is now featured in the online version of the swedish ELLE and a regular at events surrounding the swedish fashion and lifestyle scene.

5) LesMads - Last but not least, LesMads! Theirs was one of the first german blogs about fashion, culture, lifestyle and art. If it weren't for LesMads, I probably wouldn't be writing a blog myself right now. Hint hint: extremely girly ;)

Je suis tombée en amour avec...

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l'après-midi

New Blog, new luck :) I wanted to start this off with a song that's been running through my head all day long - and all of yesterday, too, for that matter...

The original piano piece is entitled "Comptine d'un autre été: l'après-midi" and was composed by Yann Tiersen. It's well-known due to its feature in the Amélie movie. There's been several remixes of this piece; the one found below was done by a dj called Jay Haze. It's a masterpiece in my eyes... nobody else has yet managed to add to the magic of the original without taking away from the beauty and purity of it.

Minimal toujours! Enjoy...