The Paris DJ got his Berlin moment: "I think it's the moment when I learnt what underground, sexy and TECHNO mean."
You know the feeling of visiting a city and to instantly feel at home. Paris DJ Ben Manson had this feeling and now he's a regular visitor in the city he fell in love with.
You live in Paris but have said you feel at home in Berlin, how come?
My first time in Berlin was on Summer 2010 when I came to play at GMF. I spent a full week in Berlin and I really fell in love with the city and its people. I think it's the moment when I learnt what underground, sexy and TECHNO mean.
What’s your history with the techno queer scene?
I started 20 years ago at "Queen", the legendary Paris club, and since that moment I travelled all around the world to some of the best QUEER parties from Tokyo warehouse to Sydney amazing Extra Dirty, London's Trought, Milkshake festival in Amsterdam, Pratersauna in Vienna where I played with Marcel Dettmann... and of course my LESS DRAMA MORE TECHNO where I invited Boris, Volvox, Frazi.er,... and a lot of local HEROES
How is the queer scene in Berlin compared to Paris, would you say?
It's getting more and more similar today because a lot of Paris promoters went to Berlin to get inspired, but I think it's still a smaller scene here. What you find everywhere in Berlin is still something really underground in Paris. A lot of people in Paris go to Berlin for the Queer scene, but they don't feel that same freedom in their own city. Also, the legislation is not the same. Things we see in Berlin clubs could only happen in warehouse parties around Paris, not in clubs.
Who is your biggest music inspiration?
I started in the Punk-Rock scene, I was a drummer before my first rave. I'm more inspired by places than people. But some of the most important inspiration have been Berlin's DJ:s like Boris, Kaiser, Somewhen, Steffi, Amotik,... I also love Slam, Matrixxman, Shlomi Aber... not to forget about all the local DJ:s I can meet around the world who are a BIG source of inspiration too.
Do you have any plans in Berlin for this spring? Tell us about them!
I will play a few times at Kitkat Club for Revolver party. But I'm really looking forward to spend time with friends and experience new things
I would like to do my first Pornceptual (I will finally have a weekend off for the next one) and the whole festival in June when I'm back from Tel Aviv pride.
What do you like to do in Berlin when not playing?
I'm not a huge party boy but I love to spend time with friends, try vegan (Berlin have the best vegan restaurants), enjoy the sun in the Tiergarten, visit some local brands we can't find in Paris such as UY Studio... and have some good studio time to produce new music.
What is your craziest memory in Berlin?
Not very original but I will say my first 12h at Berghain (I know it's not that much) and one rave in Neukölln with a punk concert in one room and a huge dark rave in the other one!