Playful #4 Featuring Patrick Mason, Berlin Food Stories, Dr Rubinstein and many more.

ISSUE FOUR SEP - OCT - NOV 20

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BERLIN PLAYFUL MAGAZINE

PATRICK MASON PORNCEPTUAL - BERLIN FOOD STORIES - VERY UGLY PLATES DR RUBINSTEIN - KOMET BERNHARD - MICHELE BARON TAROT SCOPE - ANONYMOUS STORY

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ISSUE FOUR IMPRESSUM Playful Magazine and playfulmag.com are published by Playful Magazine GbR Publisher: Filip Sandström Beijer Address: Grunthaler Strasse 29 13357 Berlin Umsatzsteuer-ID: DE325812848

EDITORIAL TEAM AND DESIGN Editor-in-Chief: Amanda Sandström Beijer Art Director: Lauren Kavanagh Contact: hello@playfulmag.com

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Copyright @ Playful Magazine All of Playful Magazine’s contributors are responsible and retain the reproduction rights of their own words and images. Reproduction of any kind are prohibited without the permission of the magazine, editor and each contributor.

LIVE COURSES, GROUP WORKOUTS AND PERSONAL TRAINING WILL PUT YOU IN T OUCH W I T H YOUR BODY. FINNISH SAUNA, JACUZZIS AND CHILLOUT AREA WILL CARESS YOUR MIND AND SOUL. BECOME ONE AND ENJOY YOURSELF WITH US. LET’S MEET AT JOHN REED WOMEN’S CLUB!

YOU’RE WELCOME AT Schönhauser Allee 112 10439 Berlin

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CONTENTS INTRO ANONYMOUS WRITER

AMANDA SANDSTRÖM BEIJER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Farah Haze has a sexual appetite and figured she’d go to a sex party in this city sooner or later, here’s all the details.

Something that many of Playful’s interviews have in common, is how Berlin inspired them creatively. In

BERLIN FOOD STORIES

this issue Dr. Rubenstein explains that she had no clue how to DJ and people told her several times that

We meet with Per Meurling over lunch and he spilled the knowledge he gained from having

she’s not gonna make it in Berlin where there’s so many talents – look at her today. Patrick Mason moved

eaten his way through the city.

PATRICK MASON

here to study Graphic Design. Today he does whatever he finds appealing, interesting and fun – and he does it wholeheartedly.

How a city can change you – Patrick entered Berlin modestly compared to how he approaches

Many of us experience a change when moving to Berlin – a city where the creatives are supported with

his creativity today, almost ten years later and he’s not stopping until he reaches the sky.

less tax, where clubs don’t close at 3pm, and where you see street art everywhere, amazing restaurants

ELFEE DUQUETTE The custom designer who’s been working within theatre, opera, film, TV and fashion shoots over ten years – now her magic shines on our cover.

PORNCEPTUAL The team behind Pornceptual takes us back to a time when we could dance naked and there were no contact restrictions whatsoever.

BAR GUIDE We’re guiding you through some of the cosiest bars in Berlin this autumn.

DR. RUBINSTEIN While waiting to get back to Berghain, Marina Rubinstein tells her story on how she ended up in Berlin.

KOMET BERNHARD Don’t worry! The party restrictions didn’t kill the techno grandpa! He’s still going strong and his apartment is about to explode.

MICHELE BARON Photographer Michele Baron is documenting queer night life through his 35mm camera.

VERY UGLY PLATES It’s a theme in Berlin to create businesses on low culture rather than high culture. One of them is Kamila who makes very ugly plates.

TAROT-SCOPE Throw away the lucky rabbit’s foot – get your tarot-scope for September, October and November.

along the streets, where people can be themselves without worrying if someone photographed them in a club and where events are lame unless they are filled with performers.

This pandemic time hits hard on events and artists who often don’t get the credit they deserve even in better times, After all it’s the events and performers that bring energy to a city; like rings on water they inspire people to do more – to give more. The creative scene supports tourism, and city officials can only ask themselves how much taxes the clubs brought to the city last year? Berlin is a Start-up hub and I dare say, that this would not have been the case without the artists, performers, restaurants and events.

I talked to my friend Scotty The Blue Bunny on the phone, and he, very accurately explained that Lufthansa got bailed out by Berlin for €9 Billion, and he asked, what did Scotty the Blue Bunny get? What did the performers, the restaurants, the events, the artists get?

Scotty puts on his mask and his bunny suit and marches together with Berlin artists in the “Protestmarsch der Kulturschaffenden” – group for participating artists, and even if his money doesn’t cover his apartment bill for the moment, he still visits venues where he plans on doing an orchestra event where people can dress up, listen to violin and cello, where people can get inspired and renew their energy so that they can continue doing what they love and contributing to the Berlin that inspires us to share, to give, to do more for each other. ”We need to stay positive and we need to continue inspiring each other and to do what we love,” he says.

No matter how many fans you have on your Facebook page, how many people are watching your DJ streaming, or if you’re scared to bits by sharing what you love doing with others – please continue.

Berlin needs you more than ever. Hopefully they will see that we can do this without Lufthansa, but we can’t do this without the creatives.

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BABY’S FIRST SEX PARTY WRITTEN BY “FARAH HAZE” ILLUSTRATED BY IZA BULECZKA

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I assumed I’d get to a sex party in this city sooner. With a sexual appetite you’d struggle to describe as modest, sane, or even safe, I thought the moment would present itself. The usuals intrigued me, but the queues put me off. I wanted maximum debauchery, minimum effort. I’d like an orgy to spontaneously coalesce around me, please. Don’t the best things in life come to you? And on you, in a room full of strangers fucking?

It didn’t quite happen like that. But it is true things find you in the end. I was a month into a blossoming friendship-romance with Eli, 25, from Barcelona. So it was make or break territory: flirting with being forever refined to the new-friend-graveyard of Insta DMs, a memorial for those relationships that never get off the ground. (The people you have to catch up and need to get a drink with, DM to make, postpone and cancel plans with ad infinitum. This goes on for years. So long one of you moves to Prenzlauer Berg and you are finally free.) But Eli was captivating. Naturally energetic, stunning and disarmingly smart, she’s also a true deviant. An enlightened sinner.

Text from the enlightened sinner. Do I want to come to a sex party tonight? Her friend’s dropped out and there’s a €50 ticket to snap up. I’m deep in my ‘say yes’ phase, before the pandemic essentially cancels the concept of decision making, and chaotic energy is my lifeforce. So I’m in, no questions asked. Well, one. Where the fuck do you get a hooded robe in Neukölln on a Friday night?

It’s the dress code, as specified in on the group message sent out from the organizers. I muster a vintage silk robe and cheap lingerie that just about passes as matching. Of the 150 people crammed into the private party in a penthouse overlooking Boxhagener Platz, I’m one of the few without one. The enlightened sinner is more prepared, wearing strappy lingerie under a full length red velour cape, little red riding hood style. When we arrive, she’s hood up, clutching two bottles of Rötkappchen in the lift up to the top floor.

The hero Berlin deserves.

The place is packed. The 300sqm penthouse is basically a sex club for the night. There’s a main room with a dancefloor. And three separate rooms, each startlingly well-lit and filled with damp mattresses and people grinding unselfconsciously under the bright lights. The enlightened sinner and I take up space on the side of the dancefloor, clutching our wine in cups and watching the bodies in the room. She dives straight in, snogging guys and girls and making a big show of it as others watch.

Turns out, I’m not so much of a natural. I’m not super aroused when two minutes of average small talk is the gateway to guys shoving their tongue down your throat, but I think, I guess I did come to a sex party? So I let go, and one of the two-minuters slips his fingers in my pants. Something about the dull lack of connection and

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awkward dancefloor finger bang makes me feel like a teenager, and I pull away. Consent is sexy. And there doesn’t seem to be a huge emphasis on it from the guys hungrily prodding pussies on the dancefloor.

So I spend a lot of time grilling people about their life in the sex party scene. I meet an NYC rich kid with a thing for ketamine.

Wholesome party people genuinely warmed by the sense of community in the scene. A few unfriendly hotties. While everyone around me’s fucking, my insistence on getting people’s life stories doesn’t make me hugely popular.

On the balcony around 3am, I’m wasted and ready to admit defeat.

I need a final cigarette before I slip away in an Uber. A woman with unbelievable, cartoonishly-perfect boobs softly demands I touch them before I’m allowed one. Next to her, a woman in a mask, bunny ears and latex (under her cape, of course) lightly roasts me for my sloppy German. Straight away, I’m in the palm of her hands. Though not as much as her slave. Stood obediently at her side, she holds a tight grip on a lead attached to the neck of his full face, leather mask. She barks orders at him and tugs on his leash. His devotion is touching. And in her tough controlling of him, there’s true tenderness in her eyes. So yeah, I need the story. He tells me what they have is love. They’re both married and their partners are aware of the dynamic. She offers him something transcendent. And in a way I can’t understand, he does to her.

The dom bunny looks at my waist. “Can I touch it?” Yes! Finally. I blather on about how I’ve been missing that sexy consent all night.

She laughs knowingly. “Can I kiss you?” She pulls me in, her leather harness presses against me. This was the genuine connection I had given up on. She asks her slave if she can take me inside. It’s on.

She walks me to the front of the dancefloor, parks me by a chaise longue. We start making out. Drop our robes. At some point I end up on the chaise, on all fours, ass facing the dancefloor, face buried in the cheap velvet. Kneeling behind me, she grinds against me and pulls my head back to kiss. She asks if she can spank me, tells me to say if it’s too much. Then she gives me loud, hard smacks, increasing in intensity. She knows what she’s doing. In between she puts her mouth on my pussy, her hands in my hair. It’s ecstatic, electrifying, and the crowd behind us melts away. She tells me she’s going to give me some really hard ones. I’m hers. In the moment, I slip off somewhere else, and breathe into the pain.

We’re both pretty blown away. We gather our things and have a drink by the bar, giddy. Brought back to life, the crowded room comes back to us and we can’t match the same intensity. I lose the dom bunny shortly after that. I leave the enlightened sinner to her debauched evening, and sit my flushed ass in an Uber back to Neukölln, smug and giddy about the moment that had presented itself, when I wasn’t looking.

SHE DIVES STRAIGHT IN, SNOGGING GUYS AND GIRLS AND MAKING A BIG SHOW OF IT AS OTHERS WATCH

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BERLIN FOOD STORIES

PER MEURLING WRITTEN BY AMANDA SANDSTRÖM BEIJER

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PLAYFUL MET PER AT RESTAURANT OTTO IN PRENZLAUER BERG FOR LUNCH, AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED TALKING ABOUT RECIPES. I JUST BOUGHT THE INGREDIENTS FOR A DISH THAT PER POSTED ON HIS INSTAGRAM STORY YESTERDAY - ITALIAN SAUSAGES, TOMATOES AND PEAS WITH MACHERONCINI PASTA IN A VERMOUTH LEMON BEURRE BLANC SAUCE.

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13 13 “There was something that came to me during the lockdown, to put up some recipes with local ingredients. That particular dish comes from a cookbook written by Nadine Redzepi, the wife of René Redzepi who started Noma. It’s a damn good recipe indeed.”

Maybe Per has plans to create a cookbook himself, but he’s not going to promise too much.

“I’m really restless, which leads to that I’m starting new projects over and over, which I, in turn, may not finish. That’s in my nature,” says Per humbly.

But given that he’s Berlin’s most renowned food reviewer, I am not really willing, as an outsider, to agree with him. His Instagram is constantly updated as if it was run by an entire team. But no, Per is alone in the project.

“I have my brother-in-law who is a photographer and helps me with some pictures sometimes, and a freelancer who helps with a some admin stuff, but I mostly do it myself.”

There has always been an interest in food. Although he doesn’t come from an especially food loving family. Growing up on the Swedish west coast, he had an interest in fishing and enjoyed reading cookbooks.

“It started to get more serious when I moved to southern Sweden to study. Then I started working in a kitchen at Campus. There I helped with everything from lunches to Sunday dinners and seating in restaurants. I did this for several years and that’s also where I met my wife, who shares the food interest with me.”

It wasn’t until 2009 that he came to Berlin, a city that has always been something of a focal point.

“I have always been drawn to Berlin and the liberal mindset here.

It’s like there’s less of the bad things about Germany. Less of the rural and conservative.”

Back then Per worked full-time in the tech start-up scene, something that was in line with his studies in finances. At the same time his food interest grew into an obsession and became a major focus. “I didn’t consider working in the food industry back then.

Although I was of course hoping that there might someday be an opportunity.”

Even though Berlin Food Stories was started in 2012, it wasn’t until 2016 he could go all in on the project. “When the company I worked for lost an investment round and was forced to kick half the company, the timing was good. Things had already started going well for me and Berlin Food Stories then.”

What had started as a pure interest project, where he had mostly created lists of different restaurants, had now evolved into a place where people went to get restaurant tips.

“I’ve always had the entrepreneurial spirit, like many of my friends, and this platform became my way to reach an audience. Then the forum grew, attracting more followers and a wider audience through social media and all that. I got a start-up capital when a company I had been involved with and built up got sold. So I thought, fuck it, I’ll take a year and see what could happen if I work wholeheartedly on Berlin Food Stories.” 

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kebab, but here there’s plenty. They can certainly cook better Michelin food in Copenhagen or Stockholm, but when it comes to the simple and more casual, Berlin is very good nowadays.”

Per says that Berlin has been less good at finding its own dishes, and has instead followed trends from other food cultures, but done that very well. “It has happened a lot within the Asian cuisine, restaurants that you see everywhere in Berlin. Just by sitting here we can see maybe ten, or even twenty places.”

“There’s Ramen over there, simpler Vietnamese, a more modern Vietnamese there, dumplings there, and a really cool sushi place with dry ice that smokes and all that stuff, over there and so on.

It is the Vietnamese who have built them and own them. And they are never bad. Especially if you visit Berlin, you will be very pleasantly surprised.”

Per is currently updating his pizza list. This makes us change the subject to how the pizzas have evolved here over the past years.

“In Berlin the development has been exemplary. Only ten years ago there was only really bad pizza in this city, but today there are maybe ten world-class pizzerias. It has evolved so much. ” Kumple & Keule, photo: Per Meurling And so, he stayed on. “After starting to work on something that you are completely passionate about, it’s hard to let go and do something else.”

Per launched a website and realized that he must be a good photographer to reach his audience. So he took a photo course together with his brother-in-law. “He got completely hooked, and still works as a photographer today. Even though I sometimes feel that I may not have sufficient ambitions for professional photography, I enjoy to constantly evolve my photography and my aesthetics.”

Per says that he has grown together with Berlin, and that he’s happy to do what he does in this city and not somewhere else.

“When I came here in 2006 to live for three months, the food culture was completely different from what it is today. Back then the first tourist boom began to hit Berlin and the restaurant scene was nothing like it is today.”

“If you wanted to eat something fancy, there were only hotel restaurants to chose from – and that’s not too nice. They are damn traditional, boring and inanimate, like, a lack of soul. And then there were casual eateries. But nothing in between. Like this place for example,” he says, throwing a glance at the restaurant we are sitting in.

“There were simple Turkish, Chinese and Thai places and there was a lot to discover there. But Berlin has become a bit like New York or London, in the way that there is such an extreme variety today. You can eat, from low to high, anything, and find at least one good restaurant in any original kitchen. It’s very special.”

“Something that doesn’t exist in the Nordic countries for example.

You won’t find, a North Chinese place or extremely good grilled

If you have followed Per for a while then you know that Pizzeria Standard is one of his favourites – just for their toppings. On Danziger strasse there has also opened the Malafemmena that he mentions. “They are even part of the Neapolitan bakers’ association, and they also make world-class pizzas. I would like to argue that Berlin is the city in Europe that offers the best pizza.

There’s also Estelle, close to here, where they create thinner, sourdough pizzas. Really fun, not at all Italian, but their completely own creations. “ “I also have to highlight the Syrian cuisine that has come here in the last five years. It has opened up absolutely incredible restaurants where they have changed the game completely for shawarma. Syrians are like the Middle East’s Frenchman when it comes to cuisine. This is where all the food culture comes from.

They have a completely different quality mindset than many others.”

“A very well-known chef named Malakeh, a woman who owns a restaurant in Schöneberg with the same name, prepares Syrian home cooking which is incredibly tasty. Such restaurants are so easy to find in Berlin compared to other places in Europe, there’s so many that I have not even closely enough time to cover them all.

Although it’s not uncommon for me to go out and eat at three or four places in one evening to be effective.”

It’s obvious that Per feels grateful for being able to work with what he loves, although the restaurant industry hustle a lot. Per himself works a lot with Patreon but has an ambition to be able to create a safer source of income where he can continue to increase value in the restaurant world.

“Yes well, I’m not 25 anymore. But Patreon is a new way of working and it gives a lot to those who are interested in food. They can subscribe for a few euros a month and thereby get access to a more exclusive content. Since I don’t post everything I eat and 

St Bart, photo: Anders Husa

SO I THOUGHT, FUCK IT, I’LL TAKE A YEAR AND SEE WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF I WORK WHOLEHEARTEDLY ON BERLIN FOOD STORIES.

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“Maybe the coolest thing that we offer on Patreon is the access to our secret forum. There we gossip a lot and have open discussions. Both positive and negative angles. We are about 60-70 really serious foodies who are active there and nerd out completely about food. It’s so fucking fun.

Many of them do not even have kitchens at home but are just eating out all the time, so it’s updated on an incredible level. But there we also have food quizzes and other creative stuff.”

“The influencer career, it’s not really something that I have worked hard for, it doesn’t work within food the same way it does with fashion where you work with companies that have a lot of money.

Restaurants have no money, not even Michelin restaurants. And it also would become completely contradictory to take money from the restaurants. Then I would be bought, and being bought in the food world is a completely different thing than in the fashion industry. Well, you can, but there will be no project that you can scale in the way I want, to be able to work with food.”

In 2015-2016 he barely had his own name on the blog. But the more he became a trademark the more Per realized that he needed to use his name.

“Even though my face doesn’t have to be there all the time, the brand is built around me. And today, the stuff I write about can have a huge effect on the restaurants.”

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ALTHOUGH IT’S NOT UNCOMMON FOR ME TO GO OUT AND EAT AT THREE OR FOUR PLACES IN ONE EVENING TO BE EFFECTIVE.

my thoughts about it on Instagram, but I save a lot for this forum. We have a group, which is like a news feed, where we post all the openings, all the rumors, all the events and such.”

In the food world, one can imagine that a platform like this makes restaurants hold the door for you wherever you go. At the same time, it needs to be nuanced to be credible, and Per himself has a strong principle about always paying for the food he eats and reserves tables under false names.

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Mrs Robinson, photo: Per Meurling

“People have begun to understand what I’m doing and see the quality of what I create, which can only come from being nuanced and not bought. I can’t be invited, that’s the way I work. The principles I work on are based on the 8-9 years that I’ve been working on this. It’s not only to increases credibility, but the reason that I book a table under a different name is also that it changes the whole experience. If they know who I am, the dining experience will tend to be more stiff and boring. The food is almost always worse, and you don’t get the same vibe. The worst thing is restaurant openings. The food at restaurant openings is terrible. So I tell people not to invite me to openings. Then I just get a ghastly impression of ​​the place.”

“A general rule is, take pizzas for example, I wait for three months or so to go there, because they need more time to get set than other restaurants. All the good pizzerias I know were useless the first few months. It’s like they need to get to know the oven and the dough and everything, and after three months you can get a more nuanced picture of what they serve.”

But what everyone wants to know is what it takes to get mentioned on the blog.

“In addition to booking tables in the wrong name and paying myself, I will have to come there on several occasions. My first experience needs to be really good for me to post on Instagram, but to end up on the blog it has to be really fucking good and entice me to come back. It must be pure and eternal love for me to go there. Then I will interview the people behind the kitchen, shoot photos and put it on my blog.”

“And if there’s anyone I want to impress with all of this, it’s the chefs.”

– www.berlinfoodstories.com – www.finestfoodstories.com

Khao Taan, photo: Per Meurling

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top five restaurants in berlin

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PER’S BEST: Khao Taan - contemporary Thai family style eating in Friedrichshain Örnek - extraordinary Turkish Lahmacun and Kebaps Mrs. Robinsons - contemporay casual fine dining with an eclectic mix of styles and cuisines Kumpel & Keule - market hall butcher with a spectacular offering of grilled German sausages Otto - casual German bistro eating and wine drinking

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PATRICK MASON WRITTEN BY AMANDA SANDSTRÖM BEIJER PHOTOS BY LAMIA KARIĆ

Top: Comme des Garçons Overknee Boots: Ninamounah Rings: Vintage

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PATRICK MASON USED TO THINK BERLIN, AS WELL AS TECHNO, WERE APPALLING. SOME YEARS LATER, FINDING HIMSELF SUDDENLY LIVING IN THE CITY, HE STARTED SEEING HIS TRUE SELF COMING THROUGH. TODAY HE’S A DJ PERFORMING IN BERGHAIN, NEVER SETTLING FOR LESS THAN WHAT HE’S DARING HIMSELF TO DREAM OF. Hat: Maja Silfwergård Coat and Knit Dress: Maison Mason Boots: Maison Margiela X Reebok

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Meeting Patrick is how you would picture meeting a star. He’s well spoken, well dressed and you quickly get the impression that he leaves nothing to chance. His perfectionism and dedication made him successful not only as a fashion designer, a model, DJ, singer or Illustrator, but also as a Creative Director. Hold your horses, don’t get anxious just yet. This will not be an interview about unattainable success, but Patrick will spoil some secrets on what he believes to actually be a big reason behind his success.

Patrick arrives some minutes after me and apologises for lateness. As we start talking, he admits that being on time is on his weak side.

“Time management is very difficult for me. I guess if you do five things at the same time and have success as a goal for all of them, it can be difficult to keep up with things. Of course, with the corona all things slowed down for everyone, and that was really good for me.”

“Because I think if I would’ve been going on for another year I would’ve burned out. So, it helped me calming down and realizing a lot about myself.”

“My social life was basically non-existent during the last years. Luckily, my best friends have known me for some time, and always got my back. They know why I’m not coming down to the bar or joining that pick-nick. But this year helped me to figure out that I am missing something.

It gives me so much pleasure and so much energy to meet them.”

Patrick grew up in the South of Germany and moved to Berlin from one day to another to study Graphic Design.

“I actually hated Berlin before I came here. When I grew up it was the capital of criminals, and German rap and everything you saw on the German trash tv. That was Berlin.

I hate German rap more than anything, I’d rather hear like schlager. Back then I was also doing a lot of stuff. I have always been interested in preforming art and I am very creative, ever since I was a child. Always the center of attention,” he laughs, “I guess it’s a Capricorn thing.”

Another Capricorn thing is being ambitious (check), persistent (check), disciplined (check) as well as sensitive.

The transition from last year has been intense for Patrick – from Fashion shows all around Europe, touring in Asia, shooting music videos and designing shades for Ray Ban to staying at home alone in his apartment in Kreuzberg.

“Well, I’ve finally realized that I need to put my mental health, sanity and health first.”

But no, Patrick is not the person you’ll see on Instagram posting meditation or yoga videos. In fact, he doesn’t do anything like that.

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I HATE GERMAN RAP MORE THAN ANYTHING, I’D RATHER HEAR LIKE SCHLAGER. “I don’t have the patience. I can’t focus that long on myself.

During the lock down this spring I basically got out of bed, showered and smoked weed. I had so much thoughts in my head. I was like how, why, and questioned everything.

Everything was going so well until corona happened.

Suddenly I found myself in an existential crisis.”

“Since I was traveling so much before and always with someone, I developed a problem with being alone by myself. But I’m 30 now and told myself, like, calm down bitch. Everything will be alright.”

Self-talk is very important they say, and Patrick is not the last person to agree. He believes in sending out positive energy to yourself as well as to others and is the first person telling you about the power of visualization.

Something you may have come across when “The Secretera” in 2010 was on.

“I believe in a higher power. All the people in my life that are still with me, I know I met through energies. I saw it happening to me so many times, when I visualized something super banal like this pair of Rick Owens shoes. I even dreamed about them, and then I met the co-designer and actually had those shoes two weeks later.”

It all started when Patrick switched from graphic design to fashion design around 2016.

Hat: Maja Silfwergård Arm Cuffs: Burberry Corsage belt: Maison Margiela Pants: Y/Project Rings: Vintage & Versace

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“I knew I wanted to bring something to the table, and when I started visualizing, I wanted a fashion show at Berghain, and it happened after the second semester. So, I realized that anything I can put my mind to and want, I can get. I had the least tendency in school, like I literally came to do the exams, and instead I was working every day on my own stuff. That’s how I was raised. Being persistent and really going for what I want 130 procent has been essential.”

We decide to try it out and make him spoil what he’s visualizing for the moment, to see how well it works.

“Okay, I wanna have my next gig at Berghain next Easter, 2021 in Panorama on prime time, Sunday evening. So, my goal is to work as hard as possible to release my new album by the end of the year.

Let’s see if it becomes reality.”

Fun fact, speaking of; when Patrick first started listening to electronic music when he moved to Berlin, he didn’t like it.

“To me techno was like; why does everybody listen to the same beat for 15 hours facing the same direction.”

“So, the first years I preferred Pano in Bargain, because I liked house music and disco that was more uplifting, bright and not as aggressive. But of course, suddenly I reached my inner devil and found what I love – Being super sweaty almost fainting because you can’t get no oxygen on the dance floor, high on music and enjoying the lights – that’s what I’m missing at the moment. That’s something that inspired me. When the sound and the lights are at its best in Berghain, oh – it’s good. Sometimes I just stand there or sit down and just watch it. The environment, the details, can shift and transcend in you and that’s so precious to me.”

“Berghain is like a community, how it’s built up, the values that are represented. I have never seen anyone fighting in there. The inclusiveness, the lights, the music. Well sometimes they fuck up, but don’t we all. Berghain literally pushed me into the direction where I am right now. If I hadn’t had Berghain I would’ve ended up somewhere else.”

The love story is real, and I guess it has been love at first sight since he started going there and almost became obsessed.

“2016 and ‘17 I think I missed one weekend. But I normally didn’t stay for more than 12 hours. Now, years later, my longest stay was 42 hours. That was on New Year’s Eve three years ago. But they had showers and food trucks and everything in there, so there was no need to leave. You could just take a nap somewhere.”

Not only was it the freedom in the clubs that affected Patrick creatively. The city in itself has, as he said in various interviews before, made his true colors come through.

“Of every capital I’ve been in so far, especially in Europe, Berlin is the most appealing. Especially for my age group. Because all cultures are coming together to experience art, music, dance – it’s a crossway for all creatives.

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“Berlin is unapologetic and real. Mostly. Of course, there are areas that are more authentic than others. I haven’t been in Mitte for like half a year, since I moved to Kreuzberg. To me Kreuzberg is like the pinnacle of the city. Just stepping outside my door, I have all the amazing restaurants, Görlitzer park, the canal, an inclusiveness with people in all different ages and races coming together. It’s very up front too, like people don’t tend to speak behind your back, but say it as it is. That’s what I like.”

“While I was living in Bavaria I was still in the closet, and I was very aware of how I spoke, how I acted, my gestures, and basically everything. When I came to Berlin, I saw that everything was so open and free. That nobody gives a shit and I can be and do whatever I want to be. I don’t have to apologize for it. That was the first step into coming out of my shell. In my case everything happened very fast. In like a month I did a 180 turn. The way I dressed, the way I dated. I was a total slut for the first month. Every day I was like bam, bam, and then after a month I felt like, okay – now I can concentrate again. I just had to bang the ten past years out of my system, he laughs.

“Berlin gives you a feeling that you can be whatever you want to be. Just walking down the street in Munich for example, people are starring and talking behind your back. Munich and Düsseldorf and these cities are very pretentious, like they show what they don’t have. Everybody looks the same and wears the same and if you move just a little bit aside from what is perceived as normal, they get angry. They’re also super racist. They don’t understand how a colored guy can be dressed this well, how he can afford it, and they’re like; what is he even doing in Europe. They’re confused about it. And they get frustrated, probably even jealous.”

Patrick doesn’t deny that there is some racism in Berlin as well, with the uprising of AfD and the right-wing winds that blow all over all Europe.

“But it’s still a safe haven compared to many other places. I feel comfortable here, I feel comfortable walking on the streets in whatever look I chose to wear. Although I don’t feel safe in all clubs, I don’t go clubbing in straight clubs, because I don’t like the energy.

It’s super testosterone driven. I have never been to Kater Blau, I have never been to Sisyphos and I don’t even wanna know. Not that I’m not open minded, but I’m content in Berghain where I know people and where my friends go.”

But if he chooses another club, he prefers one of OHM, About Blank:// or Zur Klappe among a few other places.

“Before I used to dress up in layer of clothes and colors and all, and I didn’t even sweat. I don’t know what changed. But now I’m like the others, just with my little rave bag – I just wanna dance and be free.” 

Hat: Maja Silfwergård Coat and Knit Dress: MAISON MASON Boots: MAISON MARGIELA x REEBOK Sunglasses: LOEWE Ear cuffs: Alligator Jesus

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I WAS A TOTAL SLUT FOR THE FIRST MONTH, AND JUST HAD TO BANG THE TEN PAST YEARS OUT OF MY SYSTEM.

Hat: Maja Silfwergård Arm Cuffs: Burberry Gloves: Kenzo Corsage belt: Maison Margiela Rings: Vintage & Versace

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It’s been two years since Patrick and Matt Edwards (Radio Slave) teamed up as SRVD. A way for Patrick to combine almost all his talents and passions in one project.

“I get to be on stage and perform, being dressed up in the finest couture, singing, DJ’ing, and being outspoken on stage. Even illustrating.”

The love story between Patrick and Matt started off when Patrick was in his club phase and on the edge of leaving Berghain.

“I wasn’t into the music, but the DJ’s were about to shift so we waited to see who’s up next, and on the schedule it said ‘Radio Slave’ a name that we made fun of for like ten minutes. All of us had these expectations of who was gonna show up, and then in comes this middle-aged skater, and we were like, okay this can go really wrong. But from the first beat he dropped, literally we got shocked and all of us went to the front and stayed for four more hours, no drugs just the beats. After his set I grabbed him and told him it was insane and that we need to get some shots, right now. From that moment on he taught me everything and mentored me, and today I’m like godfather of his children and his wife is my manager and I’m basically part of their family.”

The music is something that goes deep, and connecting with it means connecting with a bigger issue in the industry. Patrick understands this frustration that can have an undertone of some sort and he has a lot of respect for its roots.

“Techno and house come from the black community, it comes from a lot of despair anger and frustration. It’s very whitewashed. The scene today is very male and white dominant.”

Therefor being accepted in the underground techno scene is not the same as being accepted in the commercial industry.

“Being cool within the techno scene means being underground and means not being a sell-out. It means staying true to yourself – and that’s very important to me. I want to learn where it all originates from – and build up from that.” 

At some point Matt found out that Patrick could sing and invited him into the studio to do something together.

“We played around for one day and then next time he was playing in Pano, he was like: ‘I’m gonna request a microphone, and you’re gonna do your thing – just improvise.’”

“And when I was up on stage, I blacked out but then the lyrics for Elevate just came to me. Since people don’t sing live in Pano normally, people freaked out and after that he was like; write the lyrics that you sang down. Tomorrow we gonna meet at the studio and record it. A week later we had Elevate. We did it again at Pano, like we had our try outs there pretty much.”

“Then we got our first legit gig as SRVD, I’ve never been more nervous in my whole life, I had four outfit changes. Pano was packed, and half-way through the set people were taking their clothes off. The bar personal went up and danced on top of the bars and people were dancing naked in the windows. While I was playing, I was literally crying. I realized that this is it, this is what I want to do, and I want to do it with Matt. We have something really unique together and can read each other, for example we finished 12 tracks in a week. That says it all.”

PATRICK‘S FAVOURITE BERLIN DJS “Before I go on stage, I’m always super nervous, but the moment I go up there something clicks in my head and I become this performer identity.”

LEN FAKI FREDDY K SPENCER PARKER HONEY DIJON HYPERAKTIVIST LSDXOXO

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Wrap dress & Jacquard Palazzo Pants: Nobi Talai Belt: Maison Margiela Shoes: Maison Margiela Rings: Vintage & Versace

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COSTUME DESIGNER AND STYLIST ELFEE DUQUETTE HAS BEEN WORKING WITHIN THEATRE, OPERA, FILM, TV AND FASHION SHOOTS IN OVER 10 YEARS.

ELFEE DUQUETTE PHOTO BY SHARLENE DURFEY

THIS TIME SHE’S LETTING HER MAGIC SHINE ON PLAYFUL’S SHOOT TOGETHER WITH PATRICK MASON.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born in Seattle, Washington. I have a twin brother, (Michael Walrond), and he’s my best friend and an amazing photographer.

I studied at L’accademia di Costume e Di Moda in Rome for Costume Design.

How did you end up in Berlin?

It just felt like the right time to be here. So I just decided to pack my belongings and bought a one way ticket.

What got you into costume design?

The reason why costume design has so captured my interests is that there is something intrinsically immersive about the transformation an actor, actress, or model undergoes once they are put into a costume.

An opulent costume or a period piece completes the talent’s ability to assume a role. It allows them to distill some more referential material from the apparel they don. I love nothing more than to be a part of that catalytic process. Clothing can become inseparable from one’s identity as well as the character portrayed, whether perceived or inherent to their nature. What one does and what one wears has always been a topic of interest to me as the power of another’s gaze transforms us in numerous ways.

Who’s your top 3 favourite designers?

Christian Lacroix, Alexander McQueen and Elsa Schiaparelli.

What’s your favourite thing about working as a costume designer in Berlin?

In Berlin I have the ability to be as weird as I wanna be.

What do you do in Berlin to feel inspired when/ if feeling uninspired?

Go to art openings, listen to David Bowie, read romantic poems, read fashion magazines or talk to my mentor.

What’s your favourite thing about this city?

Appreciation for artists and the quality of life!

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Meet the intersectional creatives disrupting Berlin tech Factory Berlin and Sónar+D’s Artist in Residence program supports artists exploring new lines of inquiry, intersecting technology & society. With support from Beats by Dr. Dre, the program aims to discover how creativity in technology and exploratory art can work together.

This autumn the program is launching its second edition, with hundreds of applications from artists all around the world. The multidisciplinary designer, AR filter creator and creative technologist Tabitha Swanson was one of the participants.

– I joined with 11 creatives from a collective I’m a part of, Digi-Gxl. We all came from slightly different creative backgrounds, myself coming from multi-disciplinary design and creative tech backgrounds. I work in art direction, UX/UI, and XR, but have a background in marketing, design, and fashion as well. So many of the other creatives are also multi-disciplinary and I think that allowed us to look at things from many different angles.

The main project Tabitha Swanson and her fellow colleagues worked on during the residency was a collaborative VR gallery where they all showcased pieces of the work in a surreal fantastical space that the user could walk around and experience.

Today she is very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the program.

– It meant a lot in different ways, honestly.

The Factory Berlin team is incredible, with a special shoutout to Sandira Blas (Curator & Researcher, Artist Residencies) who’s the backbone of this program. I appreciated having a safe and open space to work on and talk about ideas that were sometimes very outside of common practices. I think it’s what naturally happens when you put a bunch of creative people who are very passionate about what they do in enclosed quarters for a long time – the ideas just start flowing and don’t stop. Factory Berlin has taken up a very solid part of my life in terms of community and the people I worked with in the program have not only become peers to work on projects with, but dear friends.

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THE COZY BAR GUIDE HOLZ-KOHLEN Another participant was Caroline Barrueco, experienced in 3D printing and experimental tech, who was also involved in the VR gallery.

During the residency she took the opportunity to collaborate with several fellow residents and finalized many creative projects. With residents Yifan Pu and Jutta Babak she developed a facial recognition blocker mask and with Reep100 she 3D printed a vocal sculpture, giving a physical shape to his voice.

– I learned a lot about how to brand my art.

This connection of artists and entrepreneurs is truly needed by both parts, and the Factory Berlin residency was good in bridging such conversations.

MAMA BAR Hobrechtstraße 61 On a rather quiet street in Reuterkiez, lies a gem of a bar. When you enter Mama Bar you are taken on journey somewhere warm. The deep tones of the lamps, artwork, and unfiltered Czech beer make Mama Bar special. In our recent visit, we were told to stay tuned. They are working on opening a Spanish restaurant connected to Mama Bar.

DION & GEFOLGE

Creative roundtable mentor session with DIXON (Founder, Innervisions).

to learn more about the program, the artists, and meet the new residents!

Bürknerstraße 32 Dion & Gefolge is a unique deli/boutique which has an incredible variety of selected beers, wines and spirits. Andre and Salem will gladly tell you stories and assist you in your choice of taste. I often grab a beer and sit outside, enjoying the views of the canal and the lives passing by.

Dion & Gefolge’s beer collection is stacked with over 150 different kinds of German beer, so if you are interested in diving deeper into Germany’s beer culture, this is a wonderful place to start.

Weserstr. 28, After indulging in a beautiful glass at Motif Wein, we would recommend travelling across the street to the lit-up sign which writes “Bar” This spot is great for a late night drink in a very authentic and cozy environment.

AN EINEM SONTAG IM AUGUST Kastanienallee 103 This local café and bar is a wonderful place for cocktails. The vibrant loungie mood makes it a great place to meet friends after work or grabbing a couple of drinks before moving further into the night.

When the weather allows, it’s a good spot for people watching as well.

UEBERECK Prenzlauer Allee 47 This local neighborhood restaurant is all you need for an autumn evening when the weather is cold. The beer is cheap, you can smoke indoors and the staff is nice.

A relaxed alternative near the tourist-filled on Kollwitzplatz.

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PORN-

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PORNCEPTUAL IS GETTING READY FOR COMEBACK – AND IT WILL BE MORE INTENSE AND SWEATIER THAN EVER. WE HAD A CHAT WITH ORGANIZERS RAQUEL FEDATO AND CHRIS PHILLIPS. WRITTEN BY FILIP SANDSTRÖM BEIJER

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First of all, as a club and event organizer how’s life been so far this year?

R: Life has been certainly different. We are usually quite busy with events and festivals, so it is an unusual circumstance. Besides that, we will be hosting a few smaller Pornceptual events in Berlin.

Pornceptual is famous for its intimacy, will it be possible to arrange parties with the 1,5 meter distance?

R: It will not be possible to host club nights following social distancing regulations. But Pornceptual goes beyond dancing, so we see this as a challenge to explore other event formats such as performance nights, movie screenings and art installations.

C: Nothing is impossible, you can always find a creative way to deal with limitations. I also believe that intimacy goes beyond skin contact and it’s more about how people are able to connect, so this can happen even if at a distance. But we are not planning to host any offline club nights with those restrictions, we prefer to wait until we are sure that we won’t put any of our guests at risk.

Earlier in 2020, Pornceptual together with Klub Verboten organized a massive online party to celebrate sexual expression, fetishism and freedom, will there be more of these parties while you’re not allowed to do the physical ones?

R: We have had two online events that went very well as this was a way to connect with our international audience. It was a great experience, but from now on we will focus on coming up with concepts for events in real life.

Let’s go back in time. Where did the idea to start Pornceptual come from?

C: After having repressed my sexuality for so many years, being raised in an ultra-conservative family, the idea came from my own personal need for sexual liberation. It was a way of expressing myself and feeling free.

Today, Pornceptual is a concept that includes parties, fetishes, clothes in your webshop, a magazine, artsy and erotic porn pictures and more. Tell us about what you’ve become today.

R: Pornceptual is a participatory multi-disciplinary project that questions how sexuality is represented in pornography. Throughout the years, we expanded into different areas – events, online shop, festivals, art – but above all, Pornceptual became a community and platform for people to express their sexuality creatively.

We are familiar with the Berlin parties, but Pornceptual travels around the world. How does the mood differ in different cities?

C: Traveling with Pornceptual is both about exporting our artistic concept of body/sex-positivity and collaborating with different international queer scenes. So the mood is always different because it’s also a dialogue. Unfortunately, we do have to face some limitations in other cities because some countries have a lot of regulations when it comes to hosting the kind of event that we do.

R: Bringing Pornceptual to different cities is challenging, but an important part of the political aspect of our project. We want 

NOBODY HAS TO GO ON A FULL FETISH LOOK OR TOTALLY NAKED THE FIRST TIME, UNLESS THEY WANT TO

PHOTO BYBY LUKK PINK PHOTO JAVIER CERRADA

PHOTO BY LUKK PINK

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to spread our concept to cities that are not so open-minded.

Working around the legal and sometimes even cultural limitations of each city is difficult, but we have had incredible experiences around the world. The mood is certainly different as there is no place like Berlin, but the crowd in most of the cities we have been to has been very welcoming.

What would you say is unique about the parties in Berlin?

C: Berlin has a very authentic party scene. It’s unique because it allows people to be themselves.

R: Berlin’s subversive counter-culture and the community around Pornceptual. The freedom we have in the city majorly reflects on the mood of the party.

Pornceptual’s got a reputation of being a very open minded- and dirty party, how dirty does it get?

R: Come and see ;) no spoilers!

Wanna share some of your own best experiences from the club nights?

R: Recently, my best experience at one of our club nights was in Kiev at ∄. We had a collaboration with them in the beginning of March before all events got cancelled because of the pandemic.

Not only the club is incredible, but the crowd was so willing to participate in the concept we proposed that night. From the DJs we had – Alinka, Norman Nodge, Jamaica Suk & The Lady Machine – to the performances and the guests, everything in this event felt special.

C: It’s always hard to pick one specific experience. But I do agree that Raquel and I think that the Kiev event was special because the community we met there was incredibly welcoming and it was inspiring to see a young scene so committed to creating a safe space for queer people in a place where homophobia is still a huge issue.

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THE FREEDOM WE HAVE IN THE CITY MAJORLY REFLECTS ON THE MOOD OF THE PARTY

C: We want people to make an effort and that means not coming with casual clothes to the events. They should come to participate, not only to observe others. But it’s about feeling comfortable and exploring options in a creative way. Nobody has to go on a full fetish look or totally naked the first time, unless they want to. Wearing a latex suit, for example, can feel amazing for some people, but very uncomfortable for others. We always publish a mood-board to inspire people, so my advice would be to check it and try to improvise with something that they already like. And to then slowly feel more comfortable with their own bodies/nudity while exploring their own fetishes. 

PHOTO BY LUKK PINK

Regarding dress code. What is your advice to someone who’s about to explore Pornceptual for the first time?

How do you find what you are?

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PHOTO BY LUKK PINK

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Looking back through history, society hasn’t always been as open as it is these days. What do you think about the future, and how can the future generations become more open about expressing our sexuality, fetishes and freedom?

C: Sexual liberation is human progress and for sure we now benefit from social movements that have facilitated women emancipation, more LGBTQ+ rights and more awareness towards some minories.

But the popularisation of far-right movements have also proved that this fight is far from over because society can go back to being as closed-minded as before. So it’s important for us to stay political about it in order to have a proper impact on people’s view.

R: Honestly, I consider pornography and sexuality more of a taboo now than I believe it has been previously. Future generations will only become more open towards sexuality by developing and questioning societal rules and notions that have been previously imposed on us.

What can we expect from Pornceptual when this pandemic is over?

R: This time has been very valuable for us to reconsider our practices

and come up with new ways of engaging with our community. It is tricky to say what the future holds, but when the pandemic is over we hope to host even better events applying new realizations we had during this time.

C: We had so many plans and so many expectations for this year and the pandemic crisis showed us that everything can change in a very short period of time. It was personally really hard for me to deal with everything getting cancelled at once, so I’m still a bit anxious about making plans. But I also think that this time has made us appreciate the things we once had. So I hope that the post-corona events will be even more intense and sweatier than ever.

When you’re not hosting your own parties, where do you find yourself on a Saturday night/ Sunday morning in Berlin?

C: Normally meeting people or supporting other queer events that I like. I also love hosting brunches on Sunday and preparing unusual dishes for my friends.

R: This happens rarely. The few weekends that I am at home, I am either catching up with friends or getting stoned and watching Disney movies. ●

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CREATE YOUR OWN MUSIC – ON THE GO

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Have you ever considered that you would like to create your own music but never really took the step to do so? Maybe because it seems like it’s too much to learn?

Then this is your chance.

Launchkey Mini MK3 from Novation is all you need to get started right away. It’s the manufacturers most compact and portable 25-mini-key MIDI keyboard controller, so small that it easily fits in a regular backpack. That makes it your perfect keyboard for both making music at home and when travelling, and you never need to pause the creativity.

It’s not just the compact size that makes the Launchkey Mini K3 available.

The price tag of € 109.99 also means that most people can afford to start creating.

The Launchkey Mini MK3 is easy to use in Ableton Live and gets you instantly going. It’s got its own inituitive Ableton control, an arpeggiator, fixed chord mode, MIDI out and a lot of different sounds available in the box. This will make you put less time into learning the techniques behind it and more time on getting creative.

When testing the keyboard, the first thing that strikes us is how easy it is to use by just plugging it into the computer. An hour later we have our first intro to a track.

Availability is crucial for the Launchkey Mini MK3, which makes it easy to experiment and play in Ableton Live in search of the right soundscape.

With this product, Novation makes music creation accessible to everyone and only our creativity now sets the limits.

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PLAYFUL HAD SOME COCKTAILS WITH THE TECHNO DOCTOR OF BERLIN. WRITTEN BY FILIP SANDSTRÖM BEIJER

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Marina Rubinstein, better known as Dr. Rubinstein slides into the bar where we decided to meet, in the middle of Volkpark Friedrichein on her baby blue bike.

“They don’t have mate, but they have paper straws...” she notes a bit ironically and decides instead to let an Aperol Spritz accompany the interview.

Having followed her through social media during the spring and summer, it feels like we’ve already met.

Her personality shines through – to say the least – on YouTube, where she and one of her best friends, Lukas, started streaming live during the Corona quarantine. It is both honest and spontaneous and Marina feels like self-assurance personified. Therefore, it surprises me a little when she produces a printed paper with notes, which she prepared for our meeting.

PHOTOS BY LUKAS VIAR “I always want to prepare as best I can. That’s how I am,” she says, laughing.

We’re starting to talk about how everything started, and how Russia-born Marina Rubinstein ended up in Berlin and became a hyped DJ with constant bookings at Berghain.

“I was born in Russia and I speak Russian. I love it. Most people don’t know, so when some fans are talking to me in Russian, I’m getting super happy. I’m like ‘Oh my god, that’s kinda cute’, like, they really know me.”

DR

RUBINSTEIN

In school she was bullied for not being like everyone else, and also for having a Jewish last name. Yes, her real name is Rubinstein and as a teenager she moved to Israel and Tel Aviv. In previous interviews, she’s been described as a “True Raver” in the Israeli party city, something she wants to take the opportunity to bury.

But just because it sounds a bit silly, not that it isn’t true.

“That ‘True Raver’ will hunt me forever, I said it years ago and since then it follows me everywhere. It sounds so silly, but yeah, I love to party always.”

That she liked going out and dance was no exaggeration though. Marina enjoyed partying, especially at one specific club, and people started to think that she got paid to be there.

“I always enjoyed partying, and in Tel Aviv I was always this party girl. Coming to the parties early, staying late.

I have a friend, Partok, who lives in Berlin right now. He used to throw parties in Tel Aviv and me and my friends came immediately every time. When I met him a few years later he told me that people thought that he was paying us to come and dance at his parties. I’m like, ‘Bitch where is my money?’ He’s like, ‘I made you soup, here, eat it’,” she says and laughs. 

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A little more than nine years ago, Marina came to Berlin for the first time. Then as a tourist, eager to explore the nightlife of the German capital. She traveled alone and stayed for a total of twelve days.

“I booked a flight and found this room on Craigslist. You remember when we used that, haha? It was next to Hermanstrasse, a very tiny room. Then I rented a bike and bought a bag of weed and went to all the parties by myself. Berghain, Watergate, :// About Blank, Club De Visionaire, open airs in Rummelsburg, Golden Gate. I stayed for twelve days and I was like ‘Oh my God!’.

Her love for the city was a fact and almost cinematic, she also found love personified at the end of the trip.

“On one of the last days I met a person who would become my partner for the next seven years. In Golden Gate actually. I was kicked out of Golden Gate and this person left with me, took me to my bike, started to be in touch. A few months later I moved here,” she says and looks nostalgic.

“All of my friends said, ‘don’t do it’, but it was like ‘I have to’. When I think about it it’s crazy. No money, no job. It wasn’t always easy, but it worked out. If someone wants a boyfriend, they should go to Golden Gate and get kicked out. I am probably the only person who got kicked out of there” she says and laughs.

Marina says that she often gets intuitions about what to do. When she gets them, she doesn’t hesitate, but just does it. And in a way, it was her intuition that made her a DJ as well.

“I have a very good intuition. I just know it.

It’s not in the stomach, it’s in my mind.

When I told people that I wanted to start DJing, so many of them told me ‘you can’t make it as a DJ’. Everyone told me that. But you know, there are no rules, it’s art. There is no formula.”

Getting the first gig in Berlin was not a that easy. It all started with her recording a mix, which she never dared to send to any booker or agency. But when an acquaintance heard that she was a DJ and asked her to send the mix, she took courage and sent it over. 

I CAN STAND IN THE RECORD STORES FOR HOURS. I SIMPLY GO THROUGH EACH VINYL AND LISTEN TO EVERYTHING.

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PIONEER DJ “ I couldn’t mix properly. I did it over and over again and then I cried and then I had to redo it. Then when we were partying, a friend heard that I was a DJ. I sent her my mix and she showed it to another person who did parties at About Blanc. They liked it and suddenly they offered me 50 bucks for a 1,5-hour gig and the party was in three days. I was like ‘oh my God!’” During the gig, one of the visitors, also active in the club scene, caught the eye of Marina and shortly thereafter she was invited to do a gig on New Year’s Eve. “From that evening I continued to play there,” she says.

Nowadays she is one of Berlin’s most well known DJs with gigs at Berghain and the other iconic nightclubs when she’s not touring the world. When she’s not in the DJ booth, she goes through the city’s techno offerings in the record stores, record by record. She is known for finding narrow acts, new to the general public.

“I can stand in the record stores for hours. I simply go through each vinyl and listen to everything. Among a hundred records, I might find something I can use. Sometimes you find the gold nuggets and then the search is worth it,” she says.

Every time we talk about the city of Berlin, Marina lights up. It is clear that she did not lose the love that was born nine years ago when she came here for the first time. She is no longer banned from the club, admittedly, and today she is single, but the relationship with Berlin is as deep as ever.

“It’s really intense though, and it can be the most amazing but also a super depressing city. Especially in the winter when it’s not conventionally pretty. When the days are shorter, yes, everyone I know is like crying in the winter, including me. It’s the dark. It’s something about the city. It can be the best on the weekend, then on Tuesday you have this massive down. It’s a very extreme city but it really fits me ‘cause I’m very extreme too”.

Like all other artists and DJs, her life has changed during the prevailing corona pandemic for Dr. Rubinstein. But instead of sitting around waiting for better times and for the clubs to open again, she finds joy in streaming on YouTube and Facebook where she invites guests and friends to every episode.

“At first, when corona came, I was like, ‘Okay’, I didn’t think it would be this serious. Then I realized it did and I got those panic attacks, and everything was a mess. Then I started with the streams and it kinda brought me back to life, to just be working on something and sharing it. I realized that all I actually wanted was to talk to people. To get feedback and socialize with a community and invite people to my living room”.

After a few drinks in the Biergarten, she tells me that her friend Lukas, with whom she makes the YouTube stream, is on the way and it doesn’t take many minutes before Lukas rolls in on a speed bike and joins us. I ask them what the first thing to do is when the clubs open again. They look at each other and I get a mantra-like answer in chorus. ”Berghain, Berghain, Berghain, Berghain” ●

”I love everything about this city. It gives me life and I love it with all its flaws and hardships. Every time I cross a bridge during sunset, I stop to look at it and I’m getting so emotional”

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KOMET IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE

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THIS IS THE STORY OF ONE OF BERLIN’S GREATEST ORIGINALS – 73 YEAR OLD KOMET BERNHARD. WRITTEN BY FILIP SANDSTRÖM BEIJER PHOTO BY CHRIS NOLTEKUHLMANN

If you have been out clubbing in Berlin, it is not unlikely that you have encountered a charismatic old man with a white beard and gleam in his eyes.

Maybe you have even been lucky enough to be invited to Ritter Butzke, where he has a standing guest list. The man we are talking about is of course Komet Bernhard, one of Berlin’s strongest personalities and artists who is known for gathering groups of party people on the U-Bahn to join him on his party path. Sometimes he goes under the nickname “Techno Grandpa”, famous for dancing non-stop in the Berlin techno clubs.

Playful Magazine has decided to meet him at the brand-new bar The Haus (Graefestraße 92) in Kreuzberg. It is his manager Patrick who is responsible for the culture program there and when we meet, he takes the role as a translator. Komet understands English but is more comfortable expressing himself in German.

A few minutes before we enter the bar, we see that Komet is already sitting on the outdoor terrace. He sits and focuses his gaze on a small plant that is placed on the table and makes gestures with his hands. When we meet and I ask him what inspires him as an artist, and he tells me: “Everything. Everything in everyday life and everything that exists inspires me. It makes me who I am.”

He was nicknamed “The Komet” early on, growing up in his hometown of Mainz because he devoted most of his time awake to thinking about the universe.

“I have always been fascinated by space and that we are part of the universe. What is it not to be fascinated by?”

Komet Bernhard is known to have many strings on his lyre. He has always worked as a carpenter, making frames that he has now stacked in his apartment. A lot of them, are stacked there, actually.

Just Google “Komet Bernhard” and you’ll see. The apartment is a centre for his creativity, and this is where he both collects and creates his art and music. Yes, of course he is also a DJ. Komet looks at me with an intense gaze when I ask if the apartment is starting to get full of things. He makes a facial expression and closes his hands as if something is going to explode.

“Kaboom! I’m just waiting for it to explode!”

As the apartment is on the verge of rupture, he looks forward to it eventually expanding. That’s when his art goes to the next level and a black hole will open, he tells me.

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ADVERTORIAL BERLIN PLAYFUL MAGAZINE

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BERLIN THE CAPITAL OF LONELINESS CO-LIVING Wishy-washy? Maybe, but who said that an artist should be concrete?

For the partygoers, Komet Bernhard is a well-known face. He usually goes out clubbing 4-5 times a week when there are no Corona restrictions and assures us that he managed the break well.

Patrick and Komet met for the first time a few years ago when Patrick was to record a music video that Komet was invited to participate in. Patrick says that he was convinced that the old man, whom he had only heard of and seen on YouTube, would not show up. But he was wrong. In good time before the appointed time, Komet Bernhard was on site, well dressed and ready to deliver. In other words, the prejudices about being a madman were shattered.

“I have so much else to do, so it has been no problem.”

Among other things, he creates music and in recent years has made a name for himself on Berlin’s DJ stage. This is one of many things he’s been focusing on during quarantine. The style of his music is, to say the least, distinctive and experimental, completely in line with Komet’s personality. He talks about trips and tours abroad, hotel nights and luxury restaurants.

My prejudices tell me that Komet must be difficult to travel with.

That he has a hard time arriving on time, because he gives the impression of being on the go all the time. But I’m wrong. Patrick describes him as the complete opposite. Perfect to travel with and very reliable. It is not what it seems to be and the space fanatic is more down to earth than you might think.

The two are today colleagues and close friends, so close that they even celebrated holidays together.

“I celebrated Christmas with Patrick’s family this year,” says Komet.

During the interview, we are constantly interrupted by people who come by and say hello to Komet. He is careful to greet back and meets everyone with a smile and an honest look.

It is almost as if he is Berlin personified, something he himself also agrees with. He loves the city that gives him the opportunity to dance, be creative and at the same time inspire him again every day.

“Berlin is like a small universe. It is infinite.”

In Berlin, he has, among other things, been contempt for Fritz Kalkbrenner at a secret concert, where he basically stole the show.

I ask him what inspires him in life and in the creation of all the art he does. He looks me in the eye and says.

“When I stepped on stage, everyone thought I was the surprise, so it was almost as if they were disappointed when Fritz went on afterwards,” says Komet and laughs.

“I am because of you,” with a big smile and looks in my eyes.

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MICHELE BARON WRITTEN BY AMANDA SANDSTRÖM BEIJER

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PHOTOGRAPHER MICHELE BARON IS DOCUMENTING THE QUEER NIGHT LIFE THROUGH HIS 35MM CAMERA. PLAYFUL CHATS WITH HIM ABOUT INSPIRATION, BERLIN AND MUCH MORE.

59 How did your interest in photography start?

I started to go out to more alternative queer rave scenes and to capture individuals, creatures and my extended queer family in our own environment and intimacy. What I portray throughout my work with a 35mm camera is representative of a social context not everyone is aware of and which I personally could not find back in Italy, where I come from.

The whole process of analog photography is what really got me into photography. Back home, I had found my mum’s old 35mm Olympus MJU and started taking pictures of friends. I then built a darkroom in the basement of a friends house and we started developing by ourselves the films we had shot. Photographers among Nan Golding, Larry Clarke and Terry Richardson were and still are a big inspiration to me.

What inspires you?

People have become more aware of the queer community over the past years. It remains a fact it’s not accessible to everyone to be part of this bubble. Being queer myself, I have found people with similar ideas over the year, and I guess my biggest inspiration is to be part of this incredible energy and freedom which is not permitted within the traditional normative constructed society. People coming from all backgrounds come together to share their lives and this is very much unique.

What’s your relation to Berlin?

I have discovered Berlin through the queer rave culture and have spent one month every summer for the past seven years in the city.

Where I come from, the queer community is non existent and I was first amazed to finally meet people like me. This feeling made me fall in love with Berlin.

Queer people are a strong part the structure of cities like Berlin, Paris or London where I usually like to spend time documenting the realness of people’s lives.

WHERE I COME FROM, THE QUEER COMMUNITY IS NON EXISTENT AND I WAS FIRST AMAZED TO FINALLY MEET PEOPLE LIKE ME. THIS FEELING MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH BERLIN.

What’s special with Berlin?

In Berlin, I feel the queer community is politically engaged and radical in a sense that people are challenging the base of the economical constructs of capitalism and society.

What makes Berlin unique is this feeling of freedom when you are there and the openness of people. People have redefined themselves not from the traditional conversation capitalist point of view but from a more accepting and human perspective – I love it.

What’s the first thing you do when you get here?

What is the first thing you do when you get there?

Ahaha What do you do to get inspiration?

The people are my main source of inspiration. It’s the people themselves who share their energy with me by letting me in their world. 

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THE PEOPLE ARE MY MAIN SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. IT’S THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES WHO SHARE THEIR ENERGY WITH ME BY LETTING ME IN THEIR WORLD.

Rascal

Ruby Joy

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What photo project are you dreaming of doing?

I’m not working on any particular projects but document the present and realness. This documentation is my project.

Who is your role model when it comes to photo/artists?

Any individual is worth being photographed. It’s an exchange and a communication between me and the individual within their own environment they let me in. I’m not photographing a person for who they are but for what they want to share with me at a specific time. Documenting is not intruding or planning ahead – it’s being part of what is happening and capturing it very naturally. Nothing is forced onto people but only comes with the flow.

What Berlin based person are you dreaming about photographing?

I have a lot of incredible memories from the night out in Berlin, and meeting people and following them into their intimacy and world always feel like a privilege. Being part of the queer community is what makes any of my night outs so special.

Micheles favourite: Restaurant: Madami Bar: Klunkerkranich Club: There are so many, but I feel to say Kake which is not a club but a party I lately discover, so much fun.

Who’d you like to see us interview in the future?

I would love to see Spyros Rennt in the next issue, he’s someone I deeply admire – love his work. ●

I’M NOT PHOTOGRAPHING A PERSON FOR WHO THEY’RE BUT FOR WHAT THEY WANT TO SHARE WITH ME AT A SPECIFIC TIME.

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IT’S A THEME IN BERLIN TO DO BUSINESSES ON LOW CULTURE RATHER THAN HIGH CULTURE. SOME PEOPLE JESTER IN FRONT OF CARS WAITING FOR GREEN LIGHT, AND OTHERS SPANK PEOPLE IN CLUBS. PLAYFUL GOT CURIOUS ABOUT KAMILA WHO MAKES VERY UGLY PLATES. YES, THEY’RE NAMED VERY UGLY PLATES.

UGLY PLATES WRITTEN BY AMANDA SANDSTRÖM BEIJER

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Why Very Ugly Plates?

I knew they will be naughty and in Polish “naughty” is the same word as “ugly”, like dirty in English. I didn’t like to go with “dirty” as no one likes dirty plates, and I like when people tell me that they’re not ugly.

How did you get the idea to start making them?

I support some charity organisations in Poland and one of them was organizing an auction. I saw there was a cute mini plate with baby seals and it was so cute that I wanted to paint something dirty on it. The whole idea started from that point.

When I was waiting for that plate to be announced for bidding, I bought another one, which says happily unemployed. I posted them on Facebook and all my friend went crazy, so I decided to continue that project and open an Instagram account What people buy them?

Every person with a sense of humor may buy my plate! Age, sex or religion doesn’t matter. It’s important for me to have different plates so everyone can find something that would make them smile. Some of them are super naughty, and some are just cute and family friendly.

What about Berlin inspires you with the motives?

Berlin is an absolutely special place for me. It’s my home that I chose when I was a teenager. It gives me a lot of disappointment, and I guess that’s the most inspiring feeling to me. Most of the plates were inspired by some events with my friends. Currently on my Instagram I let people guess if it was based on a real story or not and after that I told the story behind.

Which one is THE ugliest?

The one with a hand painted dog from the 80s that says “mom says I’m marvelous”.

What does your grandma say about these plates?

My grandma is dead but the rest of my family loves them. As my parents don’t speak english, I always translate to them what it says on the new plates. Though I skipped the one about squirting since I was worried I might have had to explain what that is to them.

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TAROT FORECAST: 09 - 11.2020

BY MADAMA NARA

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THEME: 9 WANDS FOCUS: 5 CUPS GROWTH: WORLD - spread by Liz Worth This quarter brings the theme of last obstacles. What aspects of your life do you need to finish? This is the time to face these conflicts head on so that you can move on and not remain stagnant. The card with the 5 of cups reminds us to open up to our own doubts and everything that generates anxiety. Facing and seeking for what’s real is the goal. To reach the world, here the growth card, we need to face these two lessons, because only in this card does the cycle actually close, everything is balanced and we are prepared for the next chapter. Be organized, be prepared and be aware.

facebook: madama nara // instagram: madama.nara

ARIES JUDGEMENT + BAT

TAURUS HANGED MAN + MOUSE

GEMINI FOOL + WOLF

CANCER CHARIOT + DOLPHIN

LEO WORLD + DRAGONFLY

VIRGO MOON + DOE

“To be born, to die, to be reborn. They are cycles of the same life. An eternal restart. The soul’s journey ”

“Each detail has a specific weight, a particular truth and an exact place in the puzzle.”

“Wolf, teacher, master. Pathfinder, moon dog of my soul. Howling, Singing, teaching how to live.”

”Dolphin, breathe with me. Divine breath. Manna from the Universe. In the unit we intertwine.”

“Dragonfly, dispel all illusions and bring visions of power.”

“Doe, so kind and affectionate. The flower of sweetness, a hug from far away.”

Each person sows his own path from his long journey. We are responsible for building our own reality. It is necessary to confront the Judgment and all that has been planted. The bat represents shamanic death, it is the moment to break free from the ego to commit to abandoning old patterns and having courage and determination to grow.

Aries this quarter face a great need to see themselves, to analyze themselves in order to look ahead. Do not let this moment of great wisdom pass.

The hanged man is a card that involves a difficult learning: sacrifice. But not a banal sacrifice, a conscious sacrifice.

As Jung said, “make it sacred”. You need to look around and understand what you need to abandon, embrace this opportunity by consciously accepting your destiny. Use the minutia and attention of the mouse to catch a glimpse of the bigger reality than what is in front of your nose and take the necessary steps to correct whatever is needed in time. Taurus this quarter need to create awareness of their own issues and take responsibility for it. Only then will you be free to move on to the next lesson.

The Fool is the beginning. The blind launch into a sea of opportunity. The child who is open to the world without the slightest fear of being happy. The Fool represent us, who are going step by step learning the lessons of life. Just like the him, the Wolf has a solitary adventure, enlightened man wades through the forest to find his true self.

Gemini this quarter has a very fertile soil to launch on adventures, there is no need for expectation, just an open heart to see what life has in store for you.

The chariot is a card full of energy, it calls for movement, for activity, to take your life by the hands and build the path you want to reach. As Alice in wonderland came to the same lesson: “’Which road do I take?’ She asked.

‘Where do you want to go?’ Was the cat response. ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered.

‘Then,’ said him, ‘it doesn’t matter.””. The dolphin owns the vital energy needed in this moment for Cancer, connect with what is true for you, capture the signs of life so that you understand if where you are going is where you want to go.

Important quarter for proactivity, but beware, worse than a stationary chariot is an adrift one.

Leo just celebrated his birthday, closed an annual cycle but still has doors that need to close, processes that need to be done and be balanced. This is an important quarter because people do often get stuck in an idea, a hope and postpone the end of our phases. And the dragonfly card here is vital to remind us that change is necessary, we always need to evaluate ourselves and know how to follow. We don’t have the past anymore, it’s over, we have to let go and move forward.

The Moon is the deep connection with our unconscious. The unconscious can be messy and confusing, and that can be a hard idea for Virgo, but it’s always important to embrace your processes, sometimes we have to lose ourselves to be able to find ourselves again. The Doe, a card of love and kindness, comes into this context to remind us that an act of love is always the way to go, it’s extremely powerful to lift us up and heal all our wounds. This is a quarter to get along with your purest emotions, dive in.

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LIBRA TEMPERANCE + TURKEY

SCORPIO STAR + SPIDER

SAGITTARIUS LOVERS + FOX

“Dear brother turkey, you willingly offer everything you are, so that others can live.”

“Spider, weaving a dazzling web. Weave for me a peaceful world.”

“Fox, where are you hiding? Are you watching, without me noticing?”

Libras are the only ones who fully celebrate their birthday this quarter.

Temperance is a great power card for this period. The dance of the water, the dance of time, everything follows its flow, as long as you allow it. Focus, life has its rhythm and it, even if it doesn’t seem like it, is as balanced as possible.

Connect with the teaching of turkey, learn to donate more, donate your time, donate your affection. The great wisdom is in preserving the collectivity, because that is the understanding of the real integrality of the life experience, each one donates a little of himself and together we create something great.

All structures fall and get out of control.

The Star is the liberation obtained after abandoning the standards, as it allows us to get in touch with our emotions and create a promise and hope. When we are vulnerable and intimate is when we are really free. And then it comes the time to build again. The spider is the symbol of infinite possibilities to build your own life. If you google about their cobweb you can see they have all different designs.

This is the quarter to be innovative, design your life to be personal to you.

The Lovers card is one of the greatest lessons of the Tarot. The lesson of choice, a decision with love. In life we ​​ are faced with choices over and over again that need to use our emotions and feelings. These are not easy choices, but they need to be made. The fox as the master of observation becomes wise. Learn to observe in silence, so that you can anticipate your decisions and make them easier and more accurate.

Beware of impulsiveness this quarter, Sagittarius, you may find yourself in a situation that you could have avoided.

CAPRICORN STRENGTH + RAVEN

AQUARIUS HERMIT + SKUNK

PISCES HIEROFANTE + ROOK

“Tell me about magic and I will fly with you, very soon.”

“Skunk, are you really dead or just faking it?”

“Are you making a sacred sound to remind me of universal laws?”

The strength card expresses a need to look at your processes, to have the courage to face difficulties that may arise, so it’s really time to be focused, to prepare yourself to experience whatever difficulty you may need to overcome.

Use the Raven as a spiritual guide, your personal messenger that leads you to your ultimate goal. Faith, strength and focus this quarter, Capricorn. Trust your intuition and follow through.

Lonely old man, is the figure of the hermit, walking slowly but always ahead and always aware. Very perceptive, he looks wherever he goes to avoid falling down. The skunk is a totem that brings us the energy of strategy. Perceptiveness and strategy, as we may think, go very well together. Something about the life of the Aquarius this quarter calls for patience, cleverness and wisdom. Trust your instinct and be ready for unforeseen events.

Hierophant is a spiritual figure, he is the great master who teaches us to get in touch with our inner master, to heal internal wounds, which are always the most difficult, both to admit to oneself and to properly treat. But the rook comes to help Pisces to realize that their personal integrality is their own guide, and in the most intimate moment is that you find strength and courage.

It is important to take advantage of this quarter to reconnect with your spiritual world and see what needs to be resolved, healed, admitted and accepted.

THE JOURNEY OF LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS SIMPLE, IT IS OFTEN A REAL ROLLER COASTER RIDE, BUT HAVING AWARENESS AND CHOOSING TO GROW IS A PRIVILEGE, SO GO AHEAD. GOOD RIDDANCE.

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Wacholderbeeren und Zimt verneigen sich vor der gross artigen darbietung feiner Zitrusfrüchte und frischem rosmarin.

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“THE BEST MATE I’VE EVER TRIED!”

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