Well-known for his long upbeat-music DJ sets, Norman Weber is able to tune in with his audience allowing the crowd to go crazy and forget about everything—thanks to a lively and catchy groove.
Born in Jena, which is often called the Thuringian “green heart” of Germany, Norman grew up swinging between different types of music from Funk and Disco to Hip-Hop and Acid Jazz, as his dad was also a musician and a touring DJ. Later on, House Music would become the final ingredient to his dance floor recipe allowing him to offer something for every taste.
From those early days to his last release Happenings of LifeNorman Weber spent almost two decades conceiving the art of DJing and producing as a gift. Both under his own name, or together with Marco Resmann as members of the renowned duo Luna City Express, he cheers up people on dance floors everywhere.
For the Berlin non-profit organisation Ocean. Now! I photographed 36 portraits of the project ‘In Your Face’.
“In Your Face” is a media-driven collective project by Ocean. Now. with participants from around the world. Over a period of 3 months, ocean lovers collected microplastic samples that are now shown symbolically in the shape of a “beauty mask” on “known faces”. The bloody nose stands for the destructive character of microplastics. Our collective wave of resistance aims at sending a clear message: It’s time to finally ban microplastics in cosmetics and cleaning products. It’s time for us humans to look ourselves in the eye.
The artwork ‘Microplastics II’ of artist Swaantje Güntzel, was model for the project. We replicated it on the faces of Dieter Hallervorden, Ranga Yogeshwar, Luisa Neubauer and Oliver Koletzki, among others.
‘Each scene treasures its icons. And if we talk about Berlin’s techno scene, David Dorad is not only one of its most recognized and beloved figures, having starred the DJ culture since the beginnings. He can also bear witness to how Berlin—from the fall of the Wall until today—rose to be the capital of freedom and also the city of techno….’
Interview and podcast for WITNESS THIS
‘Shamsa’ is an old Bedouin word that translates into ‘the sun’. –“Being the first female DJ in Amman, there were no footsteps I could follow… toughest thing though was convincing my mother of the idea that I choose DJing as a career, especially in a culture that has yet to grasp the spectrum of this field of work.”
Technically, CRYING VESSEL is a one-man-show most of the time. Probably best described as a postwave-industrial-indie-synth-pop project, it is the artistic outlet of US-born musician and recording engineer Slade Templeton. From time to time he seeks out support in the studio or during live shows from various accompanying artists, especially drummer Basil who is planning to become a more steady member of the band going forward. Slade and Basil are both living in and working out of Bern, Switzerland.
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.
“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…”
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