Daphni in Berlin

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  • Far from the cluster of clubs that Berlin is so renowned for lies Stattbad, a former swimming pool that has been transformed into one of the most impressive venues in the city. Located in Wedding, Stattbad doesn't hold events regularly but arguably lands on the side of quality when it does. Boiler Room Berlin finds a home here, and before year end the space will host appearances from KiNK, Magda and Marc Houle among others. On the night that I recently attended, the aforementioned charm of the venue was combined with an extended set from Daphni and a late addition to the bill: Radiohead's Thom Yorke, who went back-to-back with the DJ after Daphni supported his outfit as Caribou at Wuhlheide. Stattbad's complete lack of signage to indicate set times or directions within the space may sound frustrating, but to complain would mean ignoring the fact that it's downright fun to get lost in the labyrinth of corridors and endless pipes of the building. I eventually got my bearings, and found myself standing on a poolside children's water slide shaped like an elephant, which easily allowed for the best view of Daphni's set in the deep end of the drained swimming pool. The layout of the main room was unusual, but made sense. Decks were set up at the bottom of the pool, with the "dance floor" sloping up towards the steps, allowing everyone to have a clear view of the proceedings regardless of where they were standing. Acoustically it sounded excellent, utterly defying expectations. (A party in a tiled pool had no right to sound so good.) Full disclosure here: A late arrival and the utterly failed attempt to successfully find my way around the venue meant that I missed the majority of Thom Yorke's stint behind the decks, but Daphni made a valiant attempt to win over a tough crowd for the remaining few hours. Everyone in attendance seemed to be paying attention and from the raised vantage point it was clear that everyone was dancing, but the only noticeable reaction from the crowd was an audible cheer at the late inclusion of "Ye Ye." Perhaps everyone was just after "the hits"? Not really. Daphni's mix of "Ne Noya" failed to draw much of an impact, and the MK dub of Jodeci's "I Wanna Freak U" was met with a similarly icy response. So the obvious question seemed to be, was the effort of leaving the comfort zone of more established clubs worth it? Absolutely. It's just a pity that more people didn't seem to agree.
RA