Berghain Silvester

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  • Any review of a party that lasts three days will necessarily omit some details. I was there for almost 30 hours—quite a marathon by normal standards—but that still means I can't comment on more than half of what went on in Berghain/Panorama Bar this new year. I'm certain that there are countless tales and escapades that I missed out on, but even without such details, what I experienced of Berghain Total Silvester 2010 was utterly outstanding. Opting for what I thought was an early arrival, I was greeted by an already booming main room as Ben Klock wove his way through his distinctive sparse, fierce techno, playfully intertwined with haunting echoes of underground house. Pulling records from a box that quite literally spanned decades yet sounded consistently and thoroughly "now," Klock's relentlessly precise mixing held together a diverse and ever-evolving tour through the darkest corners of electronic music. Upstairs in Panorama Bar, Prosumer reminded everyone that they were here to party—bouncy, bassy house set the tone for much of the weekend ahead. When out-and-out anthems such as The Style Council's "The Promised Land" caught everyone off guard, even the coolest of Panorama Bar's congregation jumped head-first into the sweaty sea of grins surrounding the DJ booth. Back in the main room, Marcel Dettmann had upped both the pace and the intensity from where Ben Klock had left off, and every inch of dancing space had been filled by a vocal, receptive crowd. Complex and evolving loops provided the foundations for a set that expertly built tension and continually defied expectations. As the sound got deeper and harder, however, I finally conceded that it was time for a disco nap. Session 2 started with the utterly inimitable Tama Sumo, whose infectious smile shone out over Panorama Bar as clearly through the soundsystem as it did from her face. Housey, deep, layered, timeless—the perfect soundtrack to the wintry sunset that gradually bled the light from behind the world-famous blinds. And from this misty twilight emerged Dixon, playing a challenging set that was my personal highlight of the whole weekend. A clear and sharp contrast from the harder, rougher house that Sumo had opted for, Dixon delved into innumerable shades of the electronic spectrum while always remaining true to the unmistakable Innervisions spirit. The progression from timeless selections such as ESP's "It's You" towards deeper house seemed organic and natural, as tensions—and arms—soared skyward. With the final trace of the room's dignity running dangerously thin, David August's "Moving Day" finally pushed things over the edge. There were hugs, there were "happy new year"s, there were cheers like a World-Cup winning goal. This was the party—and, indeed, the club—at its finest. Moments like this simply do not happen outside of Panorama Bar. Dixon called upon thoughtful, house-tinged electronica to bring his set to a close, handing over to Steffi amidst rapturous applause. Steffi started out hard and fast with melodic, organ-driven and vocal house, and the craziness of Panorama Bar's dance floor was topped only by the craziness in the DJ booth. Raucous dancing, ferocious headbanging, flawless song selection and impeccable mixing—Steffi had it all. A later move towards dub techno was equally well received, and a second airing of Steffi's own new release "Do Me Right" caused as large a storm as the first. As the applause eventually died down, I gave into callings from just about every inch of my body to get some rest. Chris Liebing was thundering hard and fast in the main room when I re-re-arrived, and the energetic crowd made it very clear that this was precisely what they needed. Although a little heavier than the easing-back I'd have liked, Liebing's selections were consistently strong and mixing tight. Upstairs, Andre Galluzzi was playing the only set of the weekend that I didn't enjoy. Although others seemed to be having fun, for me the tracks weren't given enough space to breathe and after the third or fourth mixing disaster in as many songs, I headed back downstairs to check out Chris Liebing from the sidelines. Radio Slave immediately put things back on track in Panorama Bar, opting for risky selections that repeatedly contrasted sparse, hard percussive tracks with warm, soulful house. The set kept everyone guessing where things were heading next, and the dance floor was back to its crowded but comfortable capacity before long. The final set of the party was a three-way back to back from Tama Sumo, Prosumer and nd_baumecker, and was yet another highlight. It's a testament to the club that there even exists such a thing as a "Panorama Bar Classic", and this set played out like an expertly selected menu of the very songs that have been the heart and soul of the sound over the past year. Peppered with some unexpected gems (Tama's choice "Gotta Let You Go" by Dominica was both inspired and inspirational), the set was the perfect end to the perfect weekend.
RA