{"id":1786,"date":"2021-04-14T06:15:39","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T06:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/june-2015-uberlin\/"},"modified":"2021-04-15T06:43:06","modified_gmt":"2021-04-15T06:43:06","slug":"june-2015-uberlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/june-2015-uberlin\/","title":{"rendered":"June 2015 &#8211; \u00fcberlin"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post hentry\">\n<h5 class=\"postDate\"><abbr class=\"published\" title=\"2015-06-30T07:11:10+0000\">June 30, 2015<\/abbr><\/h5>\n<div class=\"postContent\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"\/lisa-jeremy-and-toro\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Doggystyle: Lisa, Jeremy and Toro<\/a><\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"vcard author\">by <span class=\"fn\">Zo\u00eb Noble<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p id=\"top\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13841\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-doggystyle-007.jpg\" alt=\"berlin doggstyle streetstyle Shiba Inu\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\"><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first German word we learned is \u201cFuchs\u201d, because a lot of people were asking us if Toro\u2019s a fox. He\u2019s actually a Shiba Inu, an ancient breed of Japanese hunting dog, which was almost killed off during World War Two.<\/p>\n<p>I always knew I wanted this breed. About seven or eight years ago there was a woman who had a litter of Shibas, and she put a live webcam on the puppies six hours a day. That was when I first learned about them \u2013 sitting at my computer at work, watching. Oh my god, they were so cute.<\/p>\n<p>But they\u2019re a big internet meme now \u2013 such Doge \u2013 so we\u2019ll be on the U-Bahn now and people will be taking pictures of him. Toro has a very expressive face. He usually looks really happy but he can look sad too. When he hasn\u2019t been fed, he\u2019ll get in this crouch pose and stare at you like, \u201ccome on\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13842\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150525-120905.jpg\" alt=\"closeup Shiba Inu beside owner\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150525-120905.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150525-120905-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13843\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150525-120933.jpg\" alt=\"closeup Shiba Inu \" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150525-120933.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150525-120933-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssb-share ssb-share-13840 defualt\" post_id=\"13840\">\n<div class=\"defualt-button-fb\"> <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http:\/\/www.uberlin.co.uk\/lisa-jeremy-and-toro\/&amp;width&amp;layout=button_count&amp;action=like&amp;show_faces=false&amp;share=false&amp;height=21&amp;appId=743541755673761\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; height:21px;\" allowtransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"defualt-button-twitter\"> \t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-url=\"\/lisa-jeremy-and-toro\/\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postMeta\">\n<div class=\"postMetaCategory\">Category: <a href=\"\/category\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"postMetaTag\">Tags: <a href=\"\/tag\/doggystyle\/\" rel=\"tag\">Doggystyle<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/shiba-inu\/\" rel=\"tag\">Shiba Inu<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"comments closed\">           \t             <span>comments closed<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post hentry\">\n<h5 class=\"postDate\"><abbr class=\"published\" title=\"2015-06-17T13:31:00+0000\">June 17, 2015<\/abbr><\/h5>\n<div class=\"postContent\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"\/portrait-mike-shannon-cynosure-recordings\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Portrait: Mike Shannon, Cynosure Recordings<\/a><\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"vcard author\">by <span class=\"fn\">Guest Blogger<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p id=\"top\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13913\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-115023.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Shannon Berlin rooftop\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-115023.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-115023-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>by <a href=\"http:\/\/little-city.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Emma Robertson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lovecity-central.com\/portfolio\/mike-shannon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Shannon<\/a> hates interviews. A DJ, producer and label boss for over 15 years, Mike is the kind of artist that prefers to let the music do the talking. When I ask him about it over coffee at his flat in Kreuzberg, he laughs. \u201cSometimes when art is over-conceptualised,\u201d he says, \u201cIt takes away from the actual art itself.\u201d Luckily for us, his music speaks volumes on its own. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>It\u2019s not that Mike is shy \u2014 in a city like Berlin where everything is in excess, there\u2019s no room for timidity. Mike chooses to stand out in a different way. His particular brand of music doesn\u2019t jump on trends or ride the bandwagon. A pioneer in the Canadian techno scene, his career has seen a steady upwards trajectory over the years and much of that has to do with the authenticity of his music: \u201cFor me, what I\u2019ve been doing\u2026 I haven\u2019t really moved around. I\u2019ve stuck with it, and in a city like this, people appreciate that. Even if it doesn\u2019t make you stand out, it earns you a different kind of recognition: respect.\u201d It\u2019s for that reason that when people write about Mike Shannon, they call him a DJ\u2019s DJ. His technique, creativity, and understanding of music are very special. The art of performance is something he will never compromise.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13918\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-112824.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Shannon Berlin studio\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-112824.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-112824-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>As a DJ and a live act, you must experience a lot of pressure in your life: creatively, on stage, in the studio, in the office\u2026 What\u2019s your favourite kind of pressure?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Favourite pressure? I don\u2019t know if I like pressure at all! (Laughs) My favourite would have to be the way we\u2019ve been doing things lately with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lovecity-central.com\/portfolio\/dewalta-shannon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">my live act with David DeWalta<\/a>! We only know more or less half of what we\u2019re gonna do\u2026 Maybe less! The other half is wide open territory! There is a certain amount of pressure when you\u2019re improvising like that that creates the best possible situations. When you\u2019re in unknown territory, it\u2019s amazing what can happen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>At the same time, though, you\u2019ve talked previously about your move to Berlin lending you a sense of calm, particularly when you\u2019re DJing. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sure. That\u2019s an example of a pressure that I\u2019ve felt very relieved from playing in Berlin. There\u2019s a big difference to the way things are here, as far as DJing is concerned. You play six, seven, eight hour sets. You pace things very differently. You take your time. There\u2019s a different school here for that sort of thing. You play a whole lot differently than you would in an hour-long timeslot, for example.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Does that sort of energy affect you? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Totally. When you\u2019re playing an hour-long DJ set, you have to get to the same point in a fraction of the time. There\u2019s less time to tell the same story. I always prefer the sessions where you have time to build up to those explosive moments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is it difficult to maintain an element of surprise with your sets?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Digital culture has kind of exploded, so it\u2019s definitely hard to pull out tracks that no one\u2019s heard before. People are just generally way more aware of things than ever before. It\u2019s easier to get access, which is kind of cool but it also means that the only way I truly surprise anyone these days is when I play my own things that no one\u2019s heard before.<\/p>\n<p><strong>We talked about improvising earlier\u2026 Does that play into your DJ sets as well?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yeah! I think there are certain combinations of records that I always somehow go back to putting together. They\u2019re two things that fit together like a glove so it\u2019s hard to separate them, but otherwise, even my DJ sets are pretty much entirely improvised.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I know you love to just get the gear on stage and see how things go on the fly, particularly with the live act with DeWalta that you mentioned earlier.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s funny, once we were playing at this Arma17 event in Moscow and we were on after this really amazing experimental jazz band. We changed the plan last minute and just did half an hour of ambient stuff and we had this really long droney intro. The transition that happened there was really amazing. We did it all on the fly, right then and there. It\u2019s funny how those things just work out sometimes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13917\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-113149.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Shannon Kreuzberg studio\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-113149.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-113149-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><em>Born and raised in the suburbs of Ontario, Canada, Mike\u2019s career has taken him everywhere from Montreal to Santiago. He fell under Berlin\u2019s spell in the mid 2000s: he\u2019s happily made a home here with his wife and seven-year-old daughter, and likewise carved out a niche for the distinct type of techno that he creates, collects, and shares through his labels <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cynosure-recordings.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cynosure Recordings<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/haunt-music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Haunt Music<\/a>. He hasn\u2019t forgotten his roots, though. His days in Kitchener-Waterloo throwing parties, booking his idols from across the river in Detroit, and cultivating a music community with like-minded friends has done a lot to propel him to where he\u2019s at now.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13914\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-115240.jpg\" alt=\"The view from Mike Shannon's flat\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-115240.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-115240-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you feel at home here in Berlin?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I couldn\u2019t imagine being anywhere else really. I\u2019ve planted a lot of roots here. I can\u2019t imagine having the same kind of quality, even in Canadian cities like Toronto or Montreal. There\u2019s no way I would have the culmination that I have here anywhere else.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why not?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It was always a struggle for me to make a living as an artist in Canada. The sound that I was playing, that wasn\u2019t really happening enough to sustain myself the way that I can here. In terms of success, of course it depends on how you gauge those things. But it\u2019s funny, the grass is always greener on the other side, you know? You become a bigger artist in Canada when you\u2019re away from it. People get excited about something that\u2019s from somewhere else. You\u2019re never famous where you\u2019re from! (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you think that your hometown, Kitchener, Ontario, had any influence on you, creatively or musically?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a small town, so there were many moments where you had a lot of time on your hands! We built the scene there. We really built that ourselves! We had our headquarters downtown in a record shop\u2026 It was a meeting point for so many people. It became a community. And that was something that really influenced us. You realise how important it is all these years later, to have that kind of community around.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can you tell me about the parties you used to throw back then?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We threw all kinds of parties, from warehouse events to art scene kind of nights. We were very lucky in terms of where we were geographically, we had connections with those artists that were just south of our border in Detroit, and they weren\u2019t huge artists at the time either: Theo Parrish, Mike Huckabee, D-Wynn, Boo Williams, Robert Hood\u2026 Those guys would drive up sometimes, you know what I mean? I remember a party way back when Dan Bell played and he was cool with, like, a case of beer basically! (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wow. Times have changed!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Way different times. Those were the days! We were able to bring in high-calibre people. That\u2019s what made it special, too, just having those deep connections and having those DJs come up and play what they wanted to play. We just kept plugging in the things that we loved and our heroes that we wanted to have play there. Every time we had the opportunity to take advantage of that, we would.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13919\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-112934.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Shannon modular synth\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-112934.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-112934-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><em>Like most music producers, Mike is a nerd at heart. His studio space recently relocated to a small room in his home in Kreuzberg, and when he brings me downstairs for the grand tour, his face lights up. He can barely keep his hands off the gear: even when he\u2019s talking to me, he\u2019s tinkering around on his self-built modular system or on his laptop. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13920\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-112949.jpg\" alt=\"MIke Shannon modular synth\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-112949.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-112949-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell me about your studio set-up. What\u2019s going on here?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sure, yeah! Everything is based around my computer. I do a lot of sequencing and sound design with computer editing. Next to it, I\u2019ve got this modular system that I\u2019ve been building for years. I add a little bit to it over time, and recently I\u2019ve gotten into building some of <em>those<\/em> elements from scratch, which is really interesting. I\u2019m getting even deeper into the nerd thing! (Laughs) More than ever before!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is this where you feel most at home?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Probably! I love being in the studio. For me, when things are getting stressful, or when things are getting to be too much, I disappear in there. It\u2019s the best way to relieve some of my daily stresses. It\u2019s my escape. For the moments that I\u2019m in there, it\u2019s an escape.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13916\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-113318.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Shannon studio nerd\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-113318.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-113318-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>You just moved your studio back here, right? How important is it to have this space in your home?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been a big change for me. There\u2019s certain moments where you have an idea and you can bounce on it right away! Whereas before, the time it would take me to go down the street to the studio, I\u2019d lose the momentum or get completely distracted\u2026 It\u2019s perfect to have this ability to wake up in the middle of the night and work on something right away if I want to. It\u2019s easier to act on creativity in this environment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In <a href=\"http:\/\/deeptransmissions.blogspot.de\/2009\/03\/artist-interview-mike-shannon.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">another interview<\/a> of yours from years ago, you said that, \u201cMy goal is to make a track that won\u2019t be forgotten after one play, a record that you could put on years from now and still get the same feeling.\u201d Do you think your productions so far have accomplished that?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Not everything has been timeless, no. There are certain things that I slightly regret that definitely sound like they\u2019re from a very specific time. I think if you can put a date on it, then it\u2019s not timeless. It\u2019s not so easy! But I do think I\u2019ve made some tracks that are timeless. I hope there\u2019s one at least!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13906\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123919.jpg\" alt=\"Space Hall records close up\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123919.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123919-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><em>Mike is a vinylphile. His record collection spans multiple walls in his office, and it\u2019s not uncommon to leave his place with a stack of CDs or records that he just has to have you listen to. He grew up in a musical household \u2014 a tradition that he carries on in his own home. There\u2019s always some kind of melody floating around, whether it\u2019s a Bohren &amp; der Club of Gore track, a tune he\u2019s working on with his daughter, or the latest release from his label. Ever since buying his first record (Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock\u2019s \u201c<\/em>It Takes Two\u201d<em>) when he was young, Mike was hooked on vinyl. He\u2019s become a regular at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spacehall.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Space Hall in Kreuzberg<\/a>, so he takes us on a quick tour of his favourite sections. Flipping through the house and techno crates, he\u2019s completely in his own world.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13908\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-122959.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Shannon Space Hall records Kreuzberg Berlin\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-122959.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-122959-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>I <a href=\"http:\/\/deeptransmissions.blogspot.de\/2009\/03\/artist-interview-mike-shannon.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">read<\/a> that you used to listen to Thomas Dolby\u2019s <em>The Golden Age of Wireless<\/em>. You said something funny, which was that it was \u201ca record that would fuel your little world.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It really was! I still have that record in my office! (Laughs) I still listen to it. I put on \u201cWindpower\u201d and it changes everything! I\u2019m moving in the office when I put that on!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is there a record that kind of accomplishes the same thing for you today? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think probably the coolest record that that I listen to endlessly is <em>The Hearts of Empty<\/em> from these guys called <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dakotasuite.com\/www.dakotasuite.com\/home.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dakota Suite<\/a>. It\u2019s on a label called <a href=\"http:\/\/karaokekalk.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Karaoke Kalk<\/a>, which is by far my favourite German label. I\u2019m rarely disappointed with the records they put out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s talk about Space Hall for a bit \u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is my favourite record store in the world! I buy all kinds of different records here \u2014 you can buy just about any genre here. That\u2019s the best thing about this place is that they have a massive backstock that really expands all the way through every genre. Their techno and house section is particularly good, which is what I like to buy mostly. The guys that work here are crazy as hell! It\u2019s a very relaxed atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-13905 size-full\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123640.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Shannon Space Hall records\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123640.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123640-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s my first time here and I feel very welcomed. I\u2019m always secretly a bit intimidated coming into record shops for some reason.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve totally been there. People get really scared! Some people get <em>really<\/em> intimidated in record stores, especially these famous shops; you walk in and your tension goes up and you\u2019re scared to talk to anybody. There are definitely certain shops in Berlin that are like that but at Space Hall, it\u2019s way more relaxed. I can light up a smoke in the shop and be completely at ease with what I\u2019m doing there. I can almost always find what I want to find, too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When you\u2019re shopping, where do you start? Do you know what you\u2019re looking for?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No, no, no. I almost never know exactly what I\u2019m looking for in there. I start by looking at everything that\u2019s new in house and techno, I look through and listen to all of them. I skip through and I like to shop maybe twice or three times a week. I start there in the morning and go through as much as I can. I could spend days at Space Hall and not get bored.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13910\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123114.jpg\" alt=\"Cynosure records Space Hall\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123114.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123114-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>There\u2019s definitely a certain romance about wax. Those who love it really love it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s something about flipping through records in my bag or at the shop, something about that whole process that I find way more comfortable than scanning through CDs or files. I try to do that! I\u2019ve had a couple of situations where my records didn\u2019t come and I had to try to play with just burning some CDs\u2026 I couldn\u2019t do it well at all. Totally lost on how I organise myself. With vinyl, you\u2019re touching it and feeling it. There\u2019s something really special about that.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13907\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123254.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Shannon Space Hall records Berlin\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123254.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150518-123254-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssb-share ssb-share-13893 defualt\" post_id=\"13893\">\n<div class=\"defualt-button-fb\"> <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http:\/\/www.uberlin.co.uk\/portrait-mike-shannon-cynosure-recordings\/&amp;width&amp;layout=button_count&amp;action=like&amp;show_faces=false&amp;share=false&amp;height=21&amp;appId=743541755673761\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; height:21px;\" allowtransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"defualt-button-twitter\"> \t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-url=\"\/portrait-mike-shannon-cynosure-recordings\/\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postMeta\">\n<div class=\"postMetaCategory\">Category: <a href=\"\/category\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"postMetaTag\">Tags: <a href=\"\/tag\/cynosure-recordings\/\" rel=\"tag\">Cynosure Recordings<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/dj\/\" rel=\"tag\">DJ<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/kreuzberg\/\" rel=\"tag\">Kreuzberg<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/mike-shannon\/\" rel=\"tag\">Mike Shannon<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/portraits\/\" rel=\"tag\">Portraits<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/producer\/\" rel=\"tag\">Producer<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/space-hall\/\" rel=\"tag\">Space Hall<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"comments closed\">           \t             <span>comments closed<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post hentry\">\n<h5 class=\"postDate\"><abbr class=\"published\" title=\"2015-06-12T07:06:25+0000\">June 12, 2015<\/abbr><\/h5>\n<div class=\"postContent\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"\/brewberlin-big-berlin-beer-week-roundup\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Brewberlin: The Big Berlin Beer Week Roundup<\/a><\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"vcard author\">by <span class=\"fn\">Guest Blogger<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p id=\"top\"><strong>By Hannah Graves.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Craft beer is officially A&nbsp;Thing. It\u2019s not going anywhere, so it might be time to embrace it. The people behind <strong>Berlin Beer Week<\/strong>&nbsp;insist&nbsp;that they aren\u2019t hipsters intent on ruining booze for everyone, but instead want people to try something other than watery yellow piss beer \u2013 maybe something with actual <em>flavour<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>They want us to appreciate beer in Berlin, the same way we\u2019ve come to appreciate burgers. Who eats at McDonald\u2019s when they know they can go to <a href=\"\/the-bird-west\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Bird<\/a>? There are some seriously strong Berlin breweries and bars that do&nbsp;what they do exceptionally well. So, whether you\u2019re a seasoned beer geek or someone just venturing into the world of craft beers, this week should be a good one.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.berlinbeerweek.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Berlin Beer Week website<\/a> has a full run down of this&nbsp;\u201ccelebration of beer culture\u201d, starting tomorrow!&nbsp;And&nbsp;here\u2019s my pick&nbsp;of the eventsI\u2019ll be attending over the week. Prost!<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/1619131778303168\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Opening Party<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been behind the scenes at a&nbsp;brewery before, so will be taking the chance to snoop around Brauerei Lemke, where 10 Berlin brewers will be pouring their beers. This isn\u2019t one of the free events but the very reasonable ticket price does get you the Berlin Beer Week glass and two small beers. Beer bonus!<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/444380952398554\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Das Gift<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s possible that you MIGHT be a wee bit tipsy after that&nbsp;opening party, and while there will be food trucks at the Brauerei, I\u2019d recommend getting to Das Gift. This Neuk\u00f6lln favourite is going to be serving up its <a href=\"\/das-gegengift-scottish-food-das-gift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">famously good Scottish food<\/a> next to Scottish ales. Some dishes have been paired with matching beers, and I\u2019ll be having the haggis!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/MG_8026-650px.jpg\" alt=\"Das Gift Scottish Food\" width=\"650\" height=\"918\"><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/867616346651859\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Muir<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sunday has long been my favourite day of the Berlin week, and I am more than happy to spend it eating barbeque. The bar with the speakeasy vibes is teaming up with Spice Spice Baby and the Berlin beer team on a bike, Flying Turtle, for some seriously summery vibes.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/1428657117443270\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Monterey Bar<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going to be drunkenly throwing the horns after trying the Slayer beer at <a href=\"\/tag\/monterey-bar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Monterey<\/a>, where they will be celebrating creative design and rock music in beer culture. Three local artists from Berlin\u2019s street art scene will be creating original mockup labels live, accompanied by a rock and metal DJ set.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/20140801-223939-u.jpg\" alt=\"Monterey Bar Berlin\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\"><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/1440504856254459\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Das Gift (AGAIN!)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This one was an easy decision to make.&nbsp;Cake. Beer. Beer cake. \u201cA sculpture of cupcakes all made with craft ales as ingredients\u201d. SOLD.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/508103276003357\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Closing Party<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Apparently, Stone Brewing are a big deal, the people behind&nbsp;beers with names like \u201cArrogant Bastard\u201d. Being cool, they want to have their bit of Berlin too, so this event will be held at the site of their future new brewery and restaurant. There is a mind-blowing list of beers on offer, as well as non-alcoholic drinks, food and music. Also, 100% of proceeds from the event will go to a local charity organisation, so you\u2019ll be drinking beer for a good cause.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Good luck making it through seven days dedicated to beer. I\u2019m going to give it my best shot ???? There\u2019s SO MUCH going on, and for those who aren\u2019t allergic to physical activity, there is even climbing with craft beer (?), and walking tours and bike rides. Even if you just try a craft beer at some point this week, Berlin Beer Week will have been a big success.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ssb-share ssb-share-13897 defualt\" post_id=\"13897\">\n<div class=\"defualt-button-fb\"> <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http:\/\/www.uberlin.co.uk\/brewberlin-big-berlin-beer-week-roundup\/&amp;width&amp;layout=button_count&amp;action=like&amp;show_faces=false&amp;share=false&amp;height=21&amp;appId=743541755673761\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; height:21px;\" allowtransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"defualt-button-twitter\"> \t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-url=\"\/brewberlin-big-berlin-beer-week-roundup\/\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postMeta\">\n<div class=\"postMetaCategory\">Category: <a href=\"\/category\/opinions\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Opinions<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"postMetaTag\">Tags: <a href=\"\/tag\/berlin-beer-week\/\" rel=\"tag\">Berlin Beer Week<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/brauerei-lemke\/\" rel=\"tag\">Brauerei Lemke<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/das-gift\/\" rel=\"tag\">Das Gift<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/john-muir\/\" rel=\"tag\">John Muir<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/monterey-bar\/\" rel=\"tag\">Monterey Bar<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"comments closed\">           \t             <span>comments closed<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post hentry\">\n<h5 class=\"postDate\"><abbr class=\"published\" title=\"2015-06-09T20:30:32+0000\">June 9, 2015<\/abbr><\/h5>\n<div class=\"postContent\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"\/doggystyle-giulia-mattia-nacho-and-ninja\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Doggystyle: Giulia, Mattia, Nacho and Ninja<\/a><\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"vcard author\">by <span class=\"fn\">James Glazebrook<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p id=\"top\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13886\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153746.jpg\" alt=\"Doggystyle Berlin Streetstyle Couple with Chugs\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153746.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153746-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p>\u201cNacho is very chill and quiet, and you can find him looking out at the sea, and thinking a lot. He\u2019s a real philosopher.<\/p>\n<p>But Ninja is super active. He wants to play all the time, and always lets his brother know when he\u2019s won.<\/p>\n<p>We went to pick up Ninja, but they were playing together and they were obviously inseparable. They really stick together. They watch Game of Thrones with us and bark at the bears!\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13888\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153929.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13888 size-full\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153929.jpg\" alt=\"20150525-153929\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153929.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153929-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nacho<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_13887\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153844.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13887 size-full\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153844.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153844.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-153844-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ninja<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-154748.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13889\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-154748.jpg\" alt=\"20150525-154748\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-154748.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-154748-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssb-share ssb-share-13882 defualt\" post_id=\"13882\">\n<div class=\"defualt-button-fb\"> <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http:\/\/www.uberlin.co.uk\/doggystyle-giulia-mattia-nacho-and-ninja\/&amp;width&amp;layout=button_count&amp;action=like&amp;show_faces=false&amp;share=false&amp;height=21&amp;appId=743541755673761\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; height:21px;\" allowtransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"defualt-button-twitter\"> \t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-url=\"\/doggystyle-giulia-mattia-nacho-and-ninja\/\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postMeta\">\n<div class=\"postMetaCategory\">Category: <a href=\"\/category\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"postMetaTag\">Tags: <a href=\"\/tag\/doggystyle\/\" rel=\"tag\">Doggystyle<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"comments closed\">           \t             <span>comments closed<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post hentry\">\n<h5 class=\"postDate\"><abbr class=\"published\" title=\"2015-06-03T19:22:34+0000\">June 3, 2015<\/abbr><\/h5>\n<div class=\"postContent\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"\/berlintercourse-first-sex-party\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Berlintercourse: My first sex party<\/a><\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"vcard author\">by <span class=\"fn\">Guest Blogger<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p id=\"top\"><strong>You all know by now that my <a href=\"\/tag\/berlintercourse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">quest for new experiences<\/a> knows no bounds, so you\u2019ll probably only be half surprised to learn that I recently attended my very first sex party.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It all started during one of my Sundays spent dancing the day away at Berghain. I met a fairly good-looking guy, and our conversation turned quickly and naturally towards sex. Before I knew it we were comparing our number of Tinder matches and sexual partners. I mentioned this upscale sex party I\u2019d heard of, and my new companion told me about a secret one happening regularly in Berlin. He suggested we go together and, without hesitation, I said I\u2019d love to.<\/p>\n<p>Fast-forward a few weeks, and this guy is telling me that he\u2019s arranged for us to attend the next edition of this secret sex party. But as this is Germany, I still had to submit an official application full of disappointingly pedestrian getting-to-know-you type questions, and include a photo of myself. I nervously waited for a reply, and felt like I had won the lottery when I finally received an email welcoming me to this very special club.<\/p>\n<p>It was a fancy dress party, so I spent a few days carefully planning my perfect outfit. I tried to look my ultimate sexy self, in my most slimming high-waisted thong and a transparent mesh crop top. But when I entered the venue, I found that most people seemed more interested in looking fun and artsy than hot. Just as I was wondering, \u201chow come everyone is wearing more clothes than I am?\u201d a girl walked past wearing nothing but a pearl thong, immediately&nbsp;making&nbsp;me feel better about my revealing outfit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>We grabbed our first drinks and scanned the main room, a vast space that nonetheless fostered an intimate atmosphere. I remember anticipating the moment that it would start being all about sex. Was there going to be some kind of signal? <\/strong>Right&nbsp;now, it looked like a large group of old friends catching up and having a regular night out.<\/p>\n<p>Well, except for the guy proudly displaying a drill with a dildo attached to it. He was a non-threatening old bear, but I couldn\u2019t help feeling a little violated when we pointed that thing at me. I sought refuge in the smoking area, always a good place to meet new people. Little did I know I was about to make my first <em>almost<\/em> faux pas.<\/p>\n<p>I had brought fortune cookies to share and decided to hand them out to the smokers sat next to me on a worn-out couch. After everyone had read out loud what was&nbsp;written on their strip of paper, someone asked, \u201cSo, what did you get?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMine says \u2018You will have good health\u2019, which I\u2019m happy to hear considering my flatmate just told me that he has chlamydia!\u201d Everyone went silent for a minute, and that\u2019s when I recognised that this might not be the best place to joke about STDs. Then everyone started laughing, and I realised that I might have stumbled on the perfect ice-breaker. Phew!<\/p>\n<p>After a few more drinks, I was approached by a young man who told me: \u201cThe first thing I noticed upon entering the room is your butt.\u201d Given what I was wearing, this came as no surprise. He offered me wine and told me he wanted me to meet somebody, before walking off towards a girl who was chatting with somebody else.<\/p>\n<p>He interrupted her to point at me and whisper&nbsp;something into her ear. Then they both walked my way and stood around me. She was his girlfriend and they attended this party with the sole purpose of finding girls to have threesomes with. I actually even got to meet the girl they had hooked up with at a previous party, which I guess was weird \u2013 but it takes a lot more than that to make me feel uncomfortable these days.<\/p>\n<p>We flirted for a little while before they made it clear it was time to go to the other room \u2013 the darker one filled with mattresses placed on top of piles of euro-pallets. I couldn\u2019t believe I was actually going to have my first threesome, after several missed opportunities, and I had no idea what to expect. Was it going to be awkward? Were they going to get busy with each other while leaving me out? How was my second time with a girl going to be? I had no idea, but we got undressed after making out for a little while. What happened next ended up being one of my best sexual experiences so far.<\/p>\n<p><strong>There I was, lying on my back, while a hot guy <em>and<\/em> a hot girl were making sure I had the time of my life.<\/strong> I never felt left out and I\u2019m pretty sure neither of them did either. And the other people getting busy on the nearby beds hardly even registered with us. A very natural synergy arose and I kept on thinking, \u201cI can\u2019t believe this is finally was happening.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once we were done, we got dressed and I retrieved my shoes from a tangle of arms and legs&nbsp;on the opposite side of the room. I had one more drink with the couple and decided to finally hit the dance floor. The DJ had started playing ridiculous pop songs and the party was approaching&nbsp;its end. Unlike the \u201cregular\u201d music-oriented parties that Berlin is known for, this one was indeed set to finish promptly at 4 am.<\/p>\n<p>I spent the rest of the night talking to other guests, save for a single detour back into the second room on the invitation of a friend. I was seriously impressed with how uncomplicated and easy-going the vibe was. It felt like a hippie, free love-inspired gathering \u2013 think more Burning Man than the <em>Shortbus<\/em> sex club scene.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I never would have predicted that this night would meet \u2013 let alone exceed \u2013 my expectations. After reading about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vogue.com\/970637\/that-time-i-went-to-a-sex-party-karley-sciortino\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Slutever<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/adult-mag.com\/yall-ready-for-this-chelsea-summers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chelsea Summer\u2019s<\/a> experiences, I wasn\u2019t sure I\u2019d do anything sexual even if I found myself in a similar situation. But I guess that after all this time I shouldn\u2019t have been surprised to find out that, out of all the cities in the world, Berlin is the perfect place for these kind of liberal, experimental, mutually rewarding parties.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssb-share ssb-share-13856 defualt\" post_id=\"13856\">\n<div class=\"defualt-button-fb\"> <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http:\/\/www.uberlin.co.uk\/berlintercourse-first-sex-party\/&amp;width&amp;layout=button_count&amp;action=like&amp;show_faces=false&amp;share=false&amp;height=21&amp;appId=743541755673761\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; height:21px;\" allowtransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"defualt-button-twitter\"> \t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-url=\"\/berlintercourse-first-sex-party\/\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postMeta\">\n<div class=\"postMetaCategory\">Category: <a href=\"\/category\/opinions\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Opinions<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"postMetaTag\">Tags: <a href=\"\/tag\/berghain\/\" rel=\"tag\">Berghain<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/berlintercourse\/\" rel=\"tag\">Berlintercourse<\/a> : <a href=\"\/tag\/sex\/\" rel=\"tag\">Sex<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"comments closed\">           \t             <span>comments closed<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post hentry\">\n<h5 class=\"postDate\"><abbr class=\"published\" title=\"2015-06-01T17:49:04+0000\">June 1, 2015<\/abbr><\/h5>\n<div class=\"postContent\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"\/jodi-max-luna-and-moose\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Doggystyle: Jodi, Max, Luna and Moose<\/a><\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"vcard author\">by <span class=\"fn\">Zo\u00eb Noble<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p id=\"top\"><a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090651.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090651.jpg\" alt=\"2jodi luna doggstyle berlin park\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13987\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090651.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090651-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cLuna (left) is part Burmese Mountain Dog, Labrador, Boxer and German Mastiff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe found her on&nbsp;eBay Kleinanzeigen, and got her from an old man in Treptow. He had her grandmother, her mother and father, ten puppies and a cat in this tiny apartment. Luna was the odd one out \u2013 the only long hair in the litter \u2013 and she was always off by herself playing with bottle caps and things. We were like, \u2018this is the one!\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving a dog has changed our lives in lots of positive ways. The only negative is that Luna really doesn\u2019t like being on her own. Berlin is such a lovely dog city, so we take her most places. But if we ever go out somewhere she can\u2019t come, then it\u2019s like having a baby. She knows when we\u2019re getting ready to go out, and she prances arounds, throws toys, shows off her skills, and does absolutely anything to get your attention.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo we have to find a sitter, and either trade off with our friends who have dogs (like Moose\u2019s owners) or leave her with someone who\u2019d like a surrogate dog for the day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe always call Luna&nbsp;\u2018the cat\u2019. She licks her paw and cleans herself, and the way she eats is very delicate and dainty. Once I took a bit of ham and threw it at her, and actually landed in the face! It dropped to the ground and, even then, she sniffed it before she ate it. She\u2019s really picky \u2013 she\u2019s a total princess.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut it\u2019s the love you get every day, that makes it worthwhile. I laugh every single day looking at my dog \u2013 she just makes me happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090851.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13988\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090851.jpg\" alt=\"20150525-090851\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090851.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090851-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090947.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13989\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090947.jpg\" alt=\"20150525-090947\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090947.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-090947-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-092756.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13990\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-092756.jpg\" alt=\"20150525-092756\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-092756.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/20150525-092756-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssb-share ssb-share-13828 defualt\" post_id=\"13828\">\n<div class=\"defualt-button-fb\"> <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http:\/\/www.uberlin.co.uk\/jodi-max-luna-and-moose\/&amp;width&amp;layout=button_count&amp;action=like&amp;show_faces=false&amp;share=false&amp;height=21&amp;appId=743541755673761\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; height:21px;\" allowtransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"defualt-button-twitter\"> \t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-url=\"\/jodi-max-luna-and-moose\/\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postMeta\">\n<div class=\"postMetaCategory\">Category: <a href=\"\/category\/people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">People<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"postMetaTag\">Tags: <a href=\"\/tag\/doggystyle\/\" rel=\"tag\">Doggystyle<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"comments closed\">           \t             <span>comments closed<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post hentry\">\n<h5 class=\"postDate\"><abbr class=\"published\" title=\"2015-06-01T06:08:48+0000\">June 1, 2015<\/abbr><\/h5>\n<div class=\"postContent\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"\/a-year-of-uberlin-coworking-what-weve-learned\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">A Year of Coworking: What We\u2019ve Learned<\/a><\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"vcard author\">by <span class=\"fn\">James Glazebrook<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p id=\"top\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150531-173423-2.jpg\" alt=\"20150531-173423-2\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13876\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150531-173423-2.jpg 650w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150531-173423-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"><\/p>\n<p>Happy birthday to us! It\u2019s been a year since we opened the doors to the <a href=\"\/coworking-at-uberlin\/\" onclick=\"__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article', '\/coworking-at-uberlin\/', '\u00fcberlin coworking space');\" title=\"coworking at \u00fcberlin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00fcberlin coworking space<\/a>, and we\u2019ve learned a lot in the past twelve months. What started as a <a href=\"\/big-announcement\/\" onclick=\"__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article', '\/big-announcement\/', 'dream of turning&nbsp;our online community into something tangible');\" title=\"A big announcement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dream of turning&nbsp;our online community into something tangible<\/a> has become a bricks-and-mortar reality, an actual business, a space where <a href=\"\/uberlin-coworking-space-update\/\" onclick=\"__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article', '\/uberlin-coworking-space-update\/', 'great things happen');\" title=\"\u00fcberlin coworking five month update\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">great things happen<\/a>, and one with&nbsp;potential for even more awesomeness.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been rewarding, but it hasn\u2019t always been easy.&nbsp;We thought we\u2019d share our experiences, which should be of interest to&nbsp;anyone who\u2019s thinking of starting something, be it a coworking space or any other kind of enterprise. Hope this helps!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keep it simple<br \/>\n<\/strong>When we first opened our doors, we experimented with flex desks and day rates \u2013 until&nbsp;we worked out&nbsp;that we just aren\u2019t big enough to accommodate everyone\u2019s specific needs. We also tried to rent out our&nbsp;downstairs to event organisers, or photographers who wanted to use <a href=\"http:\/\/www.zoenoble.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zo\u00eb\u2019s<\/a> studio, but the extra income wasn\u2019t worth the disruption to our coworkers.<\/p>\n<p>Now we\u2019re really clear about what \u00fcberlin is \u2013 a coworking space that offers <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0B-SKSFOMymvZTW1FSl8tR2hjOU0\/edit\" onclick=\"__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article', 'https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0B-SKSFOMymvZTW1FSl8tR2hjOU0\/edit', 'full-time fixed desks');\" title=\"Coworking details\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full-time fixed desks<\/a>, and a&nbsp;private photo studio that doubles as a space in which to host <a href=\"\/category\/workshops\/\" onclick=\"__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article', '\/category\/workshops\/', 'our own workshops');\" title=\"Workshops on \u00fcberlin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">our own workshops<\/a>.&nbsp;We\u2019re always open to new ideas about how to use our facilities, but we\u2019re focused on being a space where our close community can do its best work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Not (just) a place for expats<br \/>\n<\/strong>This blog brings us into contact with Berlin\u2019s somewhat transient international community, so we just assumed (but didn\u2019t intend) that ours would be a space for expats, by expats. We were pleasantly surprised to find that, from the very start,&nbsp;actual Germans (even Berliners!) wanted to join as coworkers.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve maintained a nice mix of about 50% Germans&nbsp;and&nbsp;50% other \u2013 people from all over the world who benefit from Deutsch Dienstag practice and just being around native speakers who know how the country works.&nbsp;As an added bonus, our neighbours seem to be into what we\u2019re doing, and some have even rented desks here!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Location, location, location<\/strong><br \/>\nWe always we knew we had a great location \u2013 a minute\u2019s walk from Sch\u00f6nleinstrasse on the U8, 10 minutes to Kotti (and the U1) in one direction, and 10 to Hermannplatz (U7) in the other. But what we didn\u2019t appreciate is just how local people like their office&nbsp;spaces to be.<\/p>\n<p>Most of our current coworkers live in Kreuzberg or neighbouring Neuk\u00f6lln, a handful are based&nbsp;in <a href=\"\/tag\/graefekiez\/\" onclick=\"__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article', '\/tag\/graefekiez\/', 'our beloved Graefekiez');\" title=\"Graefekiez on \u00fcberlin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">our beloved Graefekiez<\/a>, and one even lives on the same street! It seems that, in Berlin at least, people love a coworking space they can walk to.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/20140506-115242-u.jpg\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" class=\"\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A big empty \u00fcberlin, this time last year<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Be selective<br \/>\n<\/strong>A year ago, we were pretty desperate to fill desks. We had rent to pay, other costs to cover, and our egos on the line, so we let pretty much anyone who was interested rent desk space. That included people who wanted to be in desks part time, wanted to share them with others, only planned to be around for a month \u2013 or, for a host of other reasons, just weren\u2019t&nbsp;<em>right for us<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Now we have enough people in place, and enough desk capacity that we don\u2019t have to be stressed about being full all the time. That affords us the luxury of being really selective about who we let join the space, so we pick people we like, who we think will get on with our other coworkers, and are into the idea of sharing \u2013 space, ideas and doggy cuddles ????<\/p>\n<p>This is probably the biggest lesson we\u2019ve learned: pick your coworkers, don\u2019t let them pick you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Un-break the internet<br \/>\n<\/strong>Forget desks, chairs, doors or a roof \u2013 the most important thing in a coworking space is fast, reliable internet. We had some serious teething problems that it took us a while to sort out, even with the help of an expert. But now we have lightning-fast wifi that\u2019s accessible from anywhere in our space \u2013 a must-have for an office of any kind.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"\/pro-tips-shop-ikea-like-boss\/\" onclick=\"__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article', '\/pro-tips-shop-ikea-like-boss\/', 'How to shop at IKEA&nbsp;like a bossn');\" title=\"Pro tips: shop at IKEA like a BOSS!\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to shop at IKEA&nbsp;like a boss<br \/>\n<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Do It Yourself\u2026<br \/>\n<\/strong>When you run your own small business, you learn how to do everything for yourself.&nbsp;Coworking space managers are often glorified janitors, so we\u2019ve earned our black belts in IKEA construction, unblocked sinks&nbsp;and&nbsp;done so much DIY we\u2019re practically German! But as well as the practical stuff, we\u2019ve learned about accounting, marketing, community management, customer service, tech support\u2026 and found people to help with the&nbsp;things that we can\u2019t teach ourselves.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2026but know when to ask for help<br \/>\n<\/strong>We couldn\u2019t have done any of this without the help of a wonderful bunch of people. At the risk of getting all awards-speechy, we\u2019d like to thank:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/welance.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Welance<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/m.appleseednetwork.eu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Morgan<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/joeldullroy.blogspot.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joel<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.danilosierra.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Danilo<\/a>&nbsp;for the advice and expertise;<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/laviniast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lavinia<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/stb-karin-richter.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Karin<\/a> for the business support;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kathy-kunz.squarespace.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kathy<\/a>&nbsp;and <a href=\"https:\/\/de.linkedin.com\/pub\/judith-wahle\/73\/376\/4b6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Judith<\/a>&nbsp;for the invaluable interior design input, Olli for branding our space and Dan for building us beautiful custom furniture;<br \/>\nEveryone who came to and helped out at our <a href=\"\/uberlins-official-opening-party\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">official opening party<\/a>;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.expath.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Expath<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.raysume.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ray<\/a> for running our workshops;<br \/>\nAll of our coworkers, past and present, and all of our friends and family for the support.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s to a great year of coworking, and hopefully many more!<\/p>\n<p><b>We currently have a few desks open in our coworking space. If you\u2019re interested in joining our little community, check out the full details <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0B-SKSFOMymvZTW1FSl8tR2hjOU0\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>, or <a href=\"mailto:contact@uberlin.co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">drop us an email<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;We look forward to hearing from you!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img class=\"alignleft size-large wp-image-13872\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150531-172645-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"20150531-172645\" width=\"650\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150531-172645-683x1024.jpg 683w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150531-172645-200x300.jpg 200w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/20150531-172645.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssb-share ssb-share-13695 defualt\" post_id=\"13695\">\n<div class=\"defualt-button-fb\"> <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http:\/\/www.uberlin.co.uk\/a-year-of-uberlin-coworking-what-weve-learned\/&amp;width&amp;layout=button_count&amp;action=like&amp;show_faces=false&amp;share=false&amp;height=21&amp;appId=743541755673761\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; height:21px;\" allowtransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"defualt-button-twitter\"> \t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-url=\"\/a-year-of-uberlin-coworking-what-weve-learned\/\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postMeta\">\n<div class=\"postMetaCategory\">Category: <a href=\"\/category\/coworking\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Coworking<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"postMetaTag\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">                                 <a href=\"\/a-year-of-uberlin-coworking-what-weve-learned\/#comments\">3 comments<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pageNav\">\n<div class=\"prev\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"next\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>June 30, 2015 Doggystyle: Lisa, Jeremy and Toro by Zo\u00eb Noble \u201cThe first German word we learned is \u201cFuchs\u201d, because a lot of people were asking us if Toro\u2019s a fox. He\u2019s actually a Shiba Inu, an ancient breed of Japanese hunting dog, which was almost killed off during World War Two. I always knew [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1786"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1786"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3227,"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1786\/revisions\/3227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uberlin.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}