Watergate Berlin is of course known for its majestic clubbing experience. Each weekend the sprawling hotspot treats its visitors to carefully chosen line-ups that sport both the best German underground artists, labels and international headliners. During the summer months Watergate also hosts one of the city’s most anticipated festivals: the Open Air series. On the 27th of July the third Open Air event will kick off at the trusted Rummselsburg location and Watergate will play the central role this time.
In June, FLY–Watergate kicked off their festival season with a Life And Death takeover and a Mobilee x Suol label showcase two weeks thereafter. The terrain is the perfect adult playground with more than enough to do if you want to escape the dance floor for a while. And as Watergate would never renounce its own name, Rummelsburg is of course located next to water where you can cool off as temperatures are rising through the day, not in the least part because of the necessary dancing you will be doing.
When doors open at 12:00, ticket holders can indulge in a fine collection of musical delicacies from varying genres. The absolute headliner here is none other than mr. Carl Craig. This veteran house DJ needs little introduction. Being knee-deep in the game from the very start, this citizen of Detroit has shaped the house and techno sound like few others have ever since releasing his first record back in 1989 under the guidance of Derrick May. Next to his stellar production catalogue he has built up, Craig is the embodiment of true party instigator, conjuring his listeners into that special Craig reverie with his selection of foot-stomping, hip shaking grooves. A must-see for everyone attending the festival.
Just because they have fewer years under their belt, Pan-Pot certainly aren’t any less energetic in their sets than Carl Craig. The pitch-black techno duo have gained a baffling amount of attention over the last two years and are still unstoppable in their rise through the ranks with their forward-thinking sonic capabilities. The only things keeping their unforgiving 4/4 beat in check are the intricate sound designs, minimalistic frameworks dueled with throbbing bass lines, epic builds, and murky, off-kilter melodies.
Another duo following in their wake are Greg & Voitek, aka Catz ‘n Dogz (interview), the Polish tech-house trailblazers that have been steadily rocking the global scene with big releases and holding residencies at Watergate, dirtybird at Sankeys, Ibiza as well as hosting multiple Pets Recordings showcases across Poland & Watergate. Still remembering very clearly their epic performance during Park Am See Festival back in May, where these guys were tearing up the place with their growing portfolio.
If you wanna take things a bit more easy-going then there is plenty of choice as well. Starting with M.A.N.D.Y., the moniker for two of the founding members of house imprint Get Physical. Their renowned record selecting skills will again be put to the test at Watergate Open Air, where the two gents have the task of getting a lot of feet of the floor. Stattbad Wedding troopers Keinemusik will also appear behind the decks, in their spirit of refining House and Techno off the beaten track as always. Their motto “You don’t necessarily need to be overly serious to be taken seriously” also seems the perfect credo for this event.
Out of the ordinary but oh so enchanting is what will be heard through the speakers when DJ Koze is on. The progressive chameleon producer has had a taste of pop success with his hip-hop formation Fischmob, but he’s always been equally interested in experimenting with other forms of electronic music from ambient to break beats to wild sound collages from a myriad of musical genres. Expect the unexpected from this cat.
A favourite of ours is Marco Resmann, who is somewhat of a Berlin secret. While bubbling under the surface, Marco has perfected his studio craft through a series of high-quality releases like his ‘Life About To Change’ EP (with remix honours by Steve Bug). A fine Watergate discovery that we’d like to see more of over here as well. Last but not least, scribble a big fat exclamation mark next to the name Jimi Jules (mix) on your timetable, for you don’t want to miss this force of nature who feels just at home in laying down a couple of funky, down-tempo gems as he is with destroying the dance floor with his high-caliber tech sound. If you’ve witnessed him live in Watergate this year, then your insides are probably still shaking from his set too.
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All in all, Watergate Open Air no. 3 festival this Summer is promising to be one of those events that are much like their club nights: high-quality, well chosen and, most likely, unforgettable as well.
Carl Craig | Pan-Pot | DJ Koze | Catz ‘n Dogz | M.A.N.D.Y. | Marco Resmann | Ruede Hagelstein | La Fleur | Matthias Meyer | Jimi Jules |
July 27 | Watergate Open Air | Tickets | Rummelsburg Berlin |
