Alexandra Dröner discusses Robert Henke’s vital role in creating music-making software Ableton Live and the role of tech in Berlin.

Under the name Monolake, sound designer, programmer and techno icon Robert Henke mined the intersection between abstract computer music and dance-derived techno. Today, albums like 2001’s Gravity remain touchstones for new generations of electronic musicians. On this episode of Berlin Zwanzig, Sick Girls DJ Alexandra Dröner joins Vivian Host to discuss Gravity standout “Zero Gravity” and Henke’s vital role in creating music-making software Ableton Live.

Royal Bunker founder Marcus Staiger discusses the Kreuzberg rapper's hometown anthem and the social implications of its lyrics.

The RBMA 2018 participant speaks on her debut single, creative reinvention and the distillation of her rock and electronic sensibilities.

The Chinese-born experimental producer discusses the inspiration behind her cathartic soundscapes and how she found a home in Berlin.

Journalist Martin Böttcher discusses the indie rockers’ place in Berlin’s contemporary music scene and culture outside the thump of techno.

The native Texan discuss their powerful Tri Angle debut and the realities of navigating Berlin as a queer person of color.

Alexandra Dröner discusses the hometown heroes' breakthrough and the roots of Modeselektor’s enduring appeal in Berlin and beyond.

René Pawlowitz discusses the influences behind his essential discography, his intro to dance music and Berlin’s vinyl institution Hard Wax.

Former BPitch Control label manager Daniel Rérat discusses the singer-songwriter’s hit and the famed techno label’s non-techno oeuvre.

Dirty Doering talks Berlin rave tourism in the late ’00s and the legacy of the film that memorably captured the period, _Berlin Calling_.

The singer-songwriter/producer discusses her charged 2008 single, the changes her city has seen and its lineage of female music-makers.

Journalist and Royal Bunker boss Marcus Staiger discusses the Berlin posse’s hit, a clever comedic outlier in an era of German gangster rap.

Journalist Sven von Thülen discusses the cult of German minimal maven Ricardo Villalobos and his celebrated 2003 track.

Royal Bunker founder Marcus Staiger talks Berlin rap history and one of the city’s defining and game-changing ‘00s hip-hop singles.

Spider of Berlin dancehall crew Supersonic Sound discusses the history of the city’s reggae scene, and Seeed’s critical 2001 anthem.

Martin Böttcher discusses one of ‘00s Berlin’s most enduring house tracks, which took Innervisions from cult concern to the main stage.

Journalist Sven von Thülen recalls incredible nights (and days) at Berlin club Berghain, soundtracked by two of its most famous residents.

Longtime BPitch Control affiliate Kiki discusses the impact of the label founder and techno mainstay's essential love letter to Berlin.

The seminal group's Claas Brieler discusses the DJ/producer collective’s nu-jazz classic “Caravelle,” and its impact in Berlin and abroad.

The band's frontman Alec Empire discusses the birth of “digital hardcore” and why ’90s Berlin felt a bit like the end of the world.

Alexandra Dröner, a witness to Peaches’ early ’00s Berlin performances, recalls the impact of the feminist icon’s biggest hit.

After several years in Halle, Annegret Fiedler moved to Berlin in 2010 with aspirations of producing a new sound. She combined her rock sensibilities and love for electronic music to create Perel, her current alias as a DJ and producer. Her debut single “Die Dimension,” released through DFA in 2017, shows a multilayered approach and helped establish her as an emerging force in the Berlin scene. Vivian Host is joined by the 2018 RBMA participant to discuss the track that started it all.

From the margins of techno and noise, Chinese-born artist Pan Daijing pulls from myriad influences, including migration, dreams and sensuality, to create catharsis-inducing soundscapes. Since moving to Berlin in 2016, the PAN affiliate and RBMA alum has been an integral part of the post-club scene in Berlin. On this episode, Vivian Host is joined by Pan Daijing to discuss the inspiration behind her track “Exile” and the roads that led to living and working in Berlin.