I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world playing music and it’s only this month that I have had the opportunity to visit one of the coolest cities in Europe – Berlin. Already back for the second time in February, I’ve been working on a new project which involves a new album and then (hopefully) ultimately a live show. I’ll keep you posted on that as it develops.
I’m working in an area called Prenzlauer Berg which is in the North East of the city. This part of the city was part of the soviet block and once the wall came down became a little bohemian I guess, but now this older part of the city has become a bit more ‘upmarket’. It’s a great place for me to work as there are a lot fewer of the temptations Berlin has to offer!
After seven straight fourteen hour days, I though it best to leave the studio so me and a couple of friends headed to an edge of town warehouse for sightseeing I really didn’t expect. My friends mate is Christian Lorenz and he is the keyboard player of industrial metal band Rammstein – I’m a little ignorant with my metal – but by all accounts Rammstein are globally absolutely massive. In true rock and roll style Christian collects cars, from vintage ones like Bentleys, to wacky vehicles like American fire trucks and ex soviet diplomatic cars. I buzzed around an industrial estate in some of these for an hour or two (not the Bentley) and had a great time skidding around in the snow.
Yesterday I took a little break from full on studio sessions and took a trip to, well another studio. This time it was in Templehof, Berlin’s historic airport, although closed to air traffic, it (now in part), contains a number of studio suites. One of the rooms I ended up in contained really antiquated pieces of kit, another had the latest, and I have to say I was in geek heaven.
After a swift visit to Mathew Jonson in his room, I popped in to join Dinky making a video for her forthcoming Album. It’s very different to her known sound but cool music none the less – all of which by the way she has written and performed herself. It’s coming out on Seth Troxlers label Visionquest very soon so keep up to date with that info here www.dinkyland.org.
It was nice to see the video being put together – I ended up helping with lights and making cups of tea! All for a good cause because it was lovely meeting Dinky and her husband Matthew Styles and always great meeting creative people doing their own thing – I look forward to the ‘best boy’ credit.
Although over the last month I have seen very little of the tourist side of things here in Berlin, I have (as usual) been lucky to meet some really cool and interesting folk. My new project has been the priority, it’s all still a little hush hush but it’s been a game changer for me and I know a little bit of that is because of this city.
