- One of Berlin's most talked-about techno parties hosts Haruka, SPFDJ and Minor Science.
- Herrensauna has been one of the Berlin scene's biggest success stories in recent years. In its early days, the queer techno party took place at Bertrams, a small, unremarkable dance floor in the basement of Kreuzberg's Loftus Hall. But this space was where the party's strong aesthetic shone through. Herrensauna turned Bertrams into a vortex, booking raw, hard techno artists and attracting a queer crowd that liked to party until it hurt. The dance floor had a devotional energy that made it special for any DJ. In one of the party's most epic moments, DVS1 played a surprise closing set after the atmosphere had already been stewing for 15 insane hours.
This kind of potential meant Herrensauna was quick to outgrow Bertrams. Last year, the party moved to Tresor, first taking Sunday nights, before recently switching to Fridays. From the looks of things, this works for both the party and the club. Tresor offers Herrensauna an industrial setting that fits its image, as well as the production setup to do big techno nights properly. In return, Herrensauna brings a new crowd and a stricter door policy, which gives Tresor the chance to confront its reputation as Berlin's catch-all destination for tourists.
When I arrived on Friday a little after midnight, there were already more than a 100 people in the queue. I wondered whether the crowd would be an awkward clash between lads in hoodies and kinksters in harnesses. But Herrensauna's door policy made a dramatic difference, and for once it felt comfortable to be inside Tresor. The crowd wasn't as hardcore as the party's old days, but people still played up the look of trash aesthete. There were men in chains and mesh tops, women in fishnets and black thong bodysuits. The "pee slave"—a Berghain regular who squats by the urinal in hope of receiving pee in his mouth—was one of the first guests through the door.
Downstairs in Tresor, the Herrensauna resident SPFDJ was on opening duty. She hovered in EBM territory until the dance floor filled up enough to hit the accelerator—SPFDJ's preferred mode. She sounded best in the last 30 minutes, blasting the party with aggressive yet emotional techno. Unfortunately, the industrial live set that followed, by Aasthma (AKA Peder Mannerfelt and Pär Grindvik), could have used more rehearsal and struggled to keep the energy going. I wandered up to +4 Bar to catch the beginning of the Japanese DJ Haruka, who played throbbing and psychedelic techno to begin his long journey into the night.
Lately, Herrensauna has offset the hard techno of its residents with more experimental bookings, including Nkisi, Gunnar Haslam and Eomac. Tonight, Minor Science filled this slot by playing bassy techno alongside sounds you'll rarely ever hear in Tresor: breaks, grime, Jersey club and gorgeous snatches of melody, all mixed together with technical finesse. Next, Positive Life Force got right back to it with Herrensauna's usual brand of breakneck techno. The dance floor went mad.
I will still milling around the club at 8:30 AM. The bathroom queues were all slammed, and groups of friends held each other in hidden corners and enclaves. The party had fewer people, but those who remained had that wild look in their eye that made it clear the night was far from over. Sensing this, I made a swift exit into the quiet Berlin morning. As I said, Herrensauna can be a vortex.