There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs. And madmotormiquel has climbed them all, one by one. His charisma has made him an icon and a favorite within Berlin’s Kater family with regular gigs at the infamous SaSoMo events as well as other big nights at the legendary club, ever since the days of Bar25 and KaterHolzig.
With a warm energy and simplicity, he transmits his love for nature, people and new experiences through his music. He’s that breed of DJ who inherently pulls you to the dancefloor, make you want to skip work on Monday morning and make it worth your while.
Born and raised in West Berlin, the multitalent has released records on leading labels in the scene including Heinz Music, Katermukke, and Underyourskin records. Moreover, being the co-founder of URSL records, he has left his musical imprint in Berlin’s techno cosmos and around the world.
As if this wasn’t enough, madmotormiquel—real name: Michi—has been a part of Fusion Festival since the early 2000s as well as the heart and soul of the infamous Bachstelzen party collective for the past 12 years.
Berlin’s abandoned Willner Brewery is expecting the same fate as many other locations in Berlin—an investor bought the areal and put an end to the countless cultural events that used to take place in the old buildings.
As a last tribute to this unique location a high-profiled artist collective created the LOST art festival during the last days before Christmas 2017.
Now imagine this abandoned brewery filled by 160 artists from the basement to the attic with all kinds of art for a 48h non-stop show. You walk from one room to the next and find an amazing piece in every corner.
“Madota” is the Farsi word for “us two”. Because all good things come in twos. It is the balance of the universe.
About a year ago, Behnam and Mehran decided to embark on a musical journey to the capital of house and techno. Since then, the exceptional duo known as Madota has proven to the world where talent, hard work and dedication can rapidly take you. In this short time, Madota has conquered the underground scene in Berlin and infected the crowds with their radiant energy.
Hailing from Vancouver’s nightlife, the incredibly gifted DJs bring their Iranian roots and Canadian influence together to create banging sets and podcasts; one after the other. Layered melodies with a dark melancholic touch and an upbeat organic sound characterise their music.
As a joint musical force, they have instantly set their footprint in established clubs such as Kater Blau, quickly becoming part of the Kater family hosting their own successful event: Pishi Circus. With fresh releases on Underyourskin records and the Buddha Bar 2017 compilation by Armen Miran and Ravin, Madota is climbing the ladder at an incredibly fast pace.
“For me, Burning Man is an experience that deeply defines you because it is about recognizing your mistakes and taking steps to become a better person and bring out the best in your future.”
MAGA’s sets feel like an escape in time. The French talent creates the perfect mixture of oriental, ethereal and hypnotic tunes taking you into an unexpected journey of sound. From Black Rock City to Africa, his carefully curated track selection has taken him to burn the decks in top venues all over the world. This month alone he will play in 5 different locations from Hong Kong to Europe and Tulum!
Interview with Ida Daugaard for the online creative magazine WITNESS THIS:
“I actually never made the choice to become a full-time DJ, it just sort of happened.
I started getting a lot of requests to play after I moved to Berlin around 4 years ago.
Luckily, I never had a 40h-per-week full-time job that required me to decide between that or DJing.
As a model, sometimes I’m on a shoot once a week and other times even less.
It’s a job that gives me a lot of free time, so combining modeling and DJing is actually perfect.
Both jobs are quite similar, they require a lot of travelling and the working rhythms are very flexible…”
“It feels great not to be boxed, but just express yourself as an artist freely with your own signature sound throughout any genre.”
Often we forget that a career in music is not always glamour and fame. We only see the beautiful outcome, the music. But just like any other profession, being a music producer can have its challenges as well as its rewards. Robot Koch is no stranger to this ballgame.
The German producer/composer who now lives in LA, California, is known for creating futuristic sound with human character. A style that is not only inventive, but also creatively reflects how his downs were in parallel his new beginnings. We sat down with the producer and owner of the label Trees and Cyborgs to talk to him about his unique beats and the transition from being a Berlin-based artist to a global pioneer.
Give a listen to the podcast mix he put together exclusively for you on WITNESS THIS… See more pics
My picture of the three founders of the New York Startup NS1 got published in The Wall Street Journal.
“A startup that aims to modernize one of the fundamental protocols of the internet has raised $20 million in funding.
NS1 seeks to reinvent one of the web’s fundamental protocols: the domain name system, invented in the early 1980s, which translates website addresses into internet protocol so a browser can find the content that users request….”
