- Leisure System, the UK-through-Berlin party that has seemingly thrown everything at Berghain, celebrated its third year in residence at the club in a suitably eclectic fashion. Founded by expats Ned Beckett and Sam Barker, the Leisure Systems brand has been deliberately culled out of a detachment from style. Coupled with an approach to programming that regards music as "reason" over "social aggregator," lineups have been known to lean slightly towards the un-floor-friendly side. You could even suggest that the party regularly goes out of its way to challenge attendees—a bold tactic for any promoter, especially in Berlin where there is such an abundance of competition each weekend. The result is a series that is difficult to describe but rarely disappointing, and a colourful addition to the city's dominant house and techno sound.
Usually contained to the Berghain floor, the recent birthday occasion saw the night stretch out upstairs. While Panorama Bar did well to maintain a 4/4 grip over its guests, a few surprises managed to wrestle free—Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight," for one, courtesy of R&S resident time traveller Space Dimension Controller. Though pitched alongside the legendary 808 State and Numbers party chief Jackmaster, it was Lando Kal's high octane performance that did it for me. With its garage house spiked with Lazer Sword electro bass, the set's overall sound was crystallised in the American's own Hotflush single "Further," which—fittingly—was his set closer.
The other R&S rep, Blawan, was downstairs early on. The producer's penchant for spinning acid-dripped techno should have fit Berghain like a pair of PVC chaps. Unfortunately, the much-championed producer failed to really deliver. Thankfully, the same couldn't be said for Africa Hitech's live set, which in true Leisure System spirit sailed seamlessly back and forth through the Bass Time Continuum, whetting appetites for hardcore stalwarts 2 Bad Mice with lashings of well-received jungle. Objekt then brought Berghain back up-to-date, and with it a crowd just as curious to see the face behind his well-received series of white labels. Resident NED rounded off the affair upstairs in a debauchedly experimental fashion, marking what will hopefully be the start of another three more years for this "whatever" faction of Berlin club culture.