The Sound Above Berlin

Few cities have managed to inspire and influence music over the last fifty years as much as Berlin, becoming at the same time a precious incubator for it. Hence the idea behind this highly eclectic playlist, spanning genres through the single common thread of belonging to the city of the Wall: from the cosmic couriers (Tangerine Dream, Schulze) to the underground (Hagen, Malaria!, Einstürzende Neubauten), from the world rock icons who relocated to the city (Bowie, Pop, Cave, Depeche Mode, U2, Rem) to the unmistakable techno stamp of the '90s (DJ Hell, Kalkbrenner, Ellen Allien, Apparat) right up to the decadent cabaret of the new muse Andrea Schroeder.

Berlin, symbol-city of the Cold War, of a torn Europe, of the two opposing blocs – West Germany vs. East Germany, NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact – with the Wall physically sealing the division. Berlin, metropolis of the avant-garde and cradle of Germany's rebirth after the fall of its hateful barrier and the reunification of the two Germanys. A magnetic, fascinating metropolis that has churned out new trends and music scenes on a continuous cycle, while also drawing countless artists from the rest of the world. A mecca of music, with its festivals, its clubs, its endlessly vibrant scene.

We've tried to tell its story through music in this playlist, retracing some of its key sonic evolutions through both its natural and adopted children. From the “gates of the cosmos up there in Germany” (quoting Finardi), thrown open by Berlin's cosmic couriers Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, to the punk and industrial seeds of its extraordinarily rich underground scene (Nina Hagen, Malaria!, Einstürzende Neubauten), from the heartfelt tributes of Lou Reed, Milva/Battiato and Alphaville to the rock icons who put down roots in the city for a while (David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, U2, Rem) right through to the unmistakable post-reunification techno stamp of the '90s (DJ Hell, Kalkbrenner, Ellen Allien, Apparat) and the decadent cabaret of the new muse, the sublime rock poet Andrea Schroeder.

So here is this long journey spanning the decades, retracing the moods of each era, without forgetting key dates (such as November 9, 1989, the day the Wall fell, or October 3, 1990, sealing the reunification of the two Germanys), events and places, from the notorious zoo, setting for the tragic story of Christiane F. (brought to the big screen in a film that also featured David Bowie), to the cool districts of Schöneberg and Kreuzberg, from Alexanderplatz to the once-devastated Potsdamer Platz, from the temple of Hansa Studios by the Wall (birthplace of David Bowie and Brian Eno's Berlin trilogy and countless other musical projects) to the historic clubs Zodiak Free Arts Lab, Dschungel, Ex'n'Pop, Risiko, Tresor. A journey that inevitably intertwines with other arts, from the visual arts to poetry, from the theatre of Bertolt Brecht to the cinema of Wim Wenders and its unforgettable soundtracks.

Ride the wave of great music

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08/01/2026