- This time of year can be tough in Berlin. Winter has dragged on for five months and the city is draped in a relentless grey haze that shows little sign of easing up. Memories of sun-kissed open-airs are long gone, meaning promoters need to go that extra mile to pull off a great party. White Nights, who have been throwing events at various venues around the city for six years, seem to have picked up on this. Their bi-monthly sessions cater to a relatively overlooked part of the scene, with a music policy focussed on the smoother, deeper end of house (guests over the years have included Dinky, Christopher Rau and The Mole). Last weekend's booking, Terre Thaemlitz, AKA DJ Sprinkles, was the deepest they've gone yet.
Since November, White Nights has been held at Arena Club, a reasonably-sized space found at the borders of Kreuzberg and Treptow. The club usually caters to tougher sounds—Grounded Theory and Dystopian, two of the city's most distinguished techno outfits, both call Arena Club home. When I arrived at around 1 AM—early by Berlin standards—the place was pretty dead. Local DJ Sabine Hoffmann played a slightly abrasive warm-up, before handing over to Thaemlitz, who quickly reset the vibe. She began with a succession of tracks defined by their smooth, tumbling basslines, simmering chords and echoing vocals. The dramatic shift in energy between the two sets caused the floor to slowly swell, with cuts like Carsten Jost & DJ Richard's remix of Lawrence's "Marlen" warmly received.
The next three hours flew by. Thaemlitz is a true master of her craft, able to keep a room patiently transfixed as she works through one deep, melodic cut after another. Her transitions were seamless and tranquil, helped by just the right amount of echo and filtered delay. At around 4 AM, her set suddenly hit its peak, thanks to a ten-minute track that I can only assume is an unreleased—and hopefully forthcoming—Sprinkles edit. The kind of record you could listen to for hours on end, its intermittent bongo rhythms and outstanding guitar riff got the best reaction of the night.
As 5 AM lurked, Thaemlitz drew her set to a close with another lengthy stripped-back drum loop, this time accompanied by an airy, politically-charged vocal. As applause broke out across the room, she nodded, gratefully, towards the audience. There are several qualities that make a great night, but the most important are a diverse, welcoming crowd, impeccable sound and a brilliant DJ. This edition of White Nights had all three.