BerMuDa: Berlin Music Days 2011

Following hot on the electronic heels of October’s Amsterdam Dance Event, the clubbing community will shift focus this November to dance capital of the world, Berlin.

FOR its third consecutive year running, independent dance fest BerMuDa (Berlin Music Days) will feature a comprehensive and eclectic smorgasbord of exhibitions, workshops, panels and parties to nourish the hungry movers, shakers and ravers of the dance industry over four fun-filled days.

From David Bowie’s ‘70 exploits to today’s techno craze, generations of music lovers have flocked to the German capital – a city long-shaped by its vibrant music scene – for their fix of one of the world’s foremost clubbing destinations.

From November 2 to 5 many more visitors will indulge in the minimal, house, techno and electro sounds reverberating across a host of the city’s venues, including Cookies, Watergate, Tresor, Berghain and Weekend, exposing Berlin dwellers to the diversity of dance culture with a jam-packed programme divided into two parts; BerMuDays – for the dance industry’s distributors, bookers, business bods, artists and enthusiasts to meet, greet and schmooze during the day – mirrored by BerMuNights, with screenings, fashion shows, label events and parties for the nocturnally inclined to celebrate the spectrum of evening sights and sounds.

The festival – the brainchild of the Watergate crew Steffen Hack, Niklas Eichstädt and Ulrich Wombacher – will culminate with FLY BerMuDa, the grand finale at Berlin’s former Tempelhof Airport, which last year attracted over 10,000 music lovers from Germany and beyond.

Expect to see big DJ draws like Ricardo Villalobos, Loco Dice, James Holden, Sven Väth, Ellen Allien and Tiefschwarz on the decks, plus Richie Hawtin resuming his revered Plastikman alias. Expected scheduled highlights include the Get Physical label showcase with M.A.N.D.Y. and Tim Green and the FLY finale on Saturday 5 November from 8pm with a host of heavyweight performances from Fritz Kalkbrenner (live), Moonbootica, Lexy & K-Paul and many more.

First published on I Voice, Ibiza, October 2011.
© Abbey Stirling