When we look at the underground electronic scene in the past decades, we could easily state that Berlin stands as an ultimate powerhouse, catering to almost every imaginable taste across the house and techno movements. From the massive gatherings such as Love Parade to the iconic events held at the legendary Tresor, this city has brought the attention of many souls towards electronic music.
However, the true catalysts of innovation are the city’s smaller, underground venues. These intimate spaces quietly redefine the scene by breaking genre boundaries, reviving forgotten sounds, and inspiring a new wave of producers and selectors.
They create a unique ecosystem where you have the opportunity to hear world-renowned festival headliners play extended, back-to-back sessions, or you get to experience the sounds of hidden talents from throughout the local and international scenes.
One such place which holds great significance to the underground scene is Club der Visionaere. Located in Treptow-Kopenick, in one of Berlin’s largest boroughs, situated at a distributary channel for flood water in a former boathouse, and opposing the border of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, lies this small but emblematic venue.
For more than 20 years, Club der Visionaere has been a defining fixture of Berlin’s nightlife, earning a reputation as a spiritual home for the city’s deeper, more minimal take on techno. Its annual Mayday party have become a tradition, regularly featuring artists like Ricardo Villalobos, Sonja Moonear, Sammy Dee, Margaret Dygas, and Zip.
Founded in 2001 by Gregor Kraemer, who is also the owner of Hoppetosse, Club der Visionaere started as a series of private parties and has now become a sought after intimate dancefloor for artists and music enthusiasts alike. It is a place where a lot of spontaneous events had taken place, you could go there expecting to hear an artist play for a couple of hours but find yourself 10 hours later still stomping your feet to the beats of the same DJ.
Being able to create a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for artists to express themselves musically is a rather impressing achievement, and if you’ve ever been dancing on their wooden platform, you probably know this place is sure to make you feel like you’re home, where almost everything is allowed to happen, you don’t feel the pressure of time and everything seems to go according to an unwritten and spontaneous plan.
As it usually happens in life, not everything goes down smoothly, and Club der Visionaere has also had its rough times. Over the years, the venue had survived a crash, a fire and a pandemic, but after all these pivotal moments, where you’re not certain how the future looks, CdV has managed to survive all of it and it’s still going strong, even now, while you’re reading this.
Last year we had the pleasure and opportunity of hosting our first Misbits event in Berlin. We’ve teamed up with Clovis, and together we did a Misbits x Understory joint event, one that took place on both the main floor and the chill stage. It was definitely the highlight of last summer for us, and we say that taking into account everything that took place, the music, the atmosphere, the people who came and danced, our friends who travelled to support us, every little detail has made it a day and night we will for sure remember for a long time.
This year, on the 10th of July, we hit the road once again to gather under the shade of Club Der Visionaere’s willow tree, for a day+night event. As last year, the speakers will be bumping beats on both chill and main floors, with a tightly-knit selection of artists. Our kindest thought go towards everyone involved into making this happen, to the people that work at CdV, to the artists that have joined us on the line-up, and to our dear Clovis for inviting us for a second year in a row!
