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BDSM and Kink Coach for Playful Magazine For Dan, BDSM and kink play has always been part of life. After he started working as a business consultant for a major car developer, he found out that he didn’t care about cars and started to use his social skills to teach a topic he found much closer at heart – kink. When did you start discovering your own kink? I realized very early that I had some “strange” interests, around 9-12 years old I had some kinky ideas on my mind and I was drawing pictures with ropes around people or in Dom-sub situations. But it was never strange for me, it just felt natural. These thoughts of what I today would call BDSM came even before my first orgasm. Then I had my first session when I was 19 years old, but it all started more seriously in my early 20’s. I come from a background which is kind of conservative. I had a conversation when I was a kid with one of my best friends, about these thoughts and fantasies. It just existed. I never worked on the BDSM topic these days. I was more working on my gay coming out process. Between the age of 19-24 it started good conversations around the subject, and it helped me develop my gay identity. I became a part of the community and we started to talk about what we could do together. Then it developed from there also much deeper into kink. For gay people who’s been going through this coming out process, I think it’s much easier to explore the kink. But the development of my own kink wasn’t easy. I had the luck to find a really good teacher for that. The best part was that he took me as I am and wasn’t even trying to influence me with his own beliefs. It all just came as a part of our chats. He inspired me and helped me with my personal development. I had many other teachers after him as well, probably even better in regard to technique or experience, but he just had the right mind-set and became for a while a real mentor to me. You went from selling cars to start as a BDSM coach in Berlin - What about Berlin inspires you in the work you do? For me it was about my personal development. I was a decent student. Had my good education, did masters and bachelors and I was going in direction for a classical business career. I worked in the development department of a German car company, but I realized that I had not that much interest in cars, but much more in people and communications which made me good at what I did. I could see that just by talking to people, I could change things, and that made me think that I could use my skills for other topics that I was more interested in. I could see that the kink topic could need some development and I’ve had problems myself, when I was younger, to find good teachers and non-judging information.Maybe I should do it, and then I started to combine business and kink talk, developing models for the kink world. There are so many people that practice BDSM without any background knowledge and I saw the opportunity to do something good. What would you say BDSM has taught you? I’m a sadist, a rigger, a dom master, an owner, a handler, and a caregiver riggler. I love the freedom of my partners, but I also like to have influence on them. It’s part of my life. It’s my lifestyle and my identity. My husband and even my friends are all kind of linked to this topic. Especially the dominant side is greatly impacted by responsibility – and you must respect other humans around you. It’s such a deep learning. A lot of people are lacking in these respects and that’s why it’s important to learn. If you are so deep in that topic, You get a new understanding of respect and the co-existence of many perspectives. Consent, challenges and tolerance become new core elements which we are too often missing in everyday live. You have a connection to ’puppies’ too. We’ve heard that your husband is a ’puppy’ at times. Could you tell us more about the fetish to dress up in dog costumes? It’s not about zoophilia, it’s about changing your own mindset. That’s always important to mention. If you look at the pet play, this is a fetish where you build up an inner headspace of a dog or a cat, or any imaginary animal. You can work on different levels, some go deeply into their pet spaces, they can only bark, not talk, and only behave like a pet. Others are on another level, and maybe it’s just about wearing a mask and then it’s more about anonymity. Some use if for having sex, others as an escape from reality. Others behave like a cuddling pet. It’s all about the personal headspace and how you want to use it. This is an element, to develop a kink and fetish identity. Young fetish people especially enjoy the puppy community as a place where they can identify with each other and find new friends, partners and so on. It’s a little bit like a subculture that offers them a new home. In fact, it plays a big and important role for people who are starting to discover kink at first. What’s the biggest risk about practicing BDSM if you’re a newbie? There are many risks, from physical to psychological, social, reputation, impact into family and old friendships. But in my regard the biggest problem for an inexperienced sub is that he doesn’t know his limits and likes, he doesn’t know how to communicate it the right way and it’s sometimes really hard to say, but also to give in to this situation. Others can abuse this insecurity by purpose or just by excuse and for the sub it’s the task to identify whom he wants to trust and with whom better not… a difficult choice if you are very new. As a dom on the other side you need competences, you must know what you do. You also need to have a big amount of empathy for your partner to know what your partner wants. To be in control doesn’t mean that you can do whatever you want. You must know within which frames you are playing. You can’t just cross the boundaries. Many doms are not self-secure enough in their own identity. When you know what you want to do, ask yourself if you are already skilled enough to do it and then comes the question of how to learn it in a safe way... There is so much to think about and learn. For example, are you really a dom or are you playing an asshole just because you’re insecure? One thing is important and that’s that the sub is always the dom of its own body. Tell us about the Gay BDSM nights. What can one expect? The club nights are open for all males and male-queer people. There is no need for any experience, no gear, or outfits. It’s for people who want to play and get to know like-minded people. The newbies get an introduction to the venue, we offer workshops where newcomers can learn things. It’s also a way of getting into the crowd, to be in the room. To be thriving and being present. Very quickly you get into conversations, people will get to know people, do some kinky stuff. We also have some guides at the spot. As a guest you can always use the place to play and use the equipment and gear. If you’re experienced and you know what to do there is a lot to play with. If something feels negative for you, then you can always just ask for help from others around you. By: Filip Sandström Beijer

By: Filip Sandström Beijer Photo by: Zeina Idris FKA.M4A for Playful Magazine If you're out and about in Berlin, it's likely that you've come across FKA.M4A behind the mixers. For Playful, they tell their story of growing up in London, their love of traveling and food as well as their goals of dominating the electronic music scene, and a relatively new and special friendship with Peggy Gou. Born and raised in London, they were a quiet, withdrawn kid who didn't have many friends. In their teens, an interest in fashion and clothing developed, much thanks to their mother. And you can safely say that they've got "the look". "Plenty of my fashion interest came from her and started from young age. I go for quite simple and comfortable things, but also vibrant. My mum is my fashion inspiration." Their mother, whom they describes as an extravagant person, didn't only inspire with her style, but also with the music, which she introduced to her child even before they were born. "When I look back, music has been there for as long as I can remember. When my mum was pregnant, she used to hold headphones to her stomach and played music to me through them. I grew up in a house of music. They started playing their own instruments when they were around 11-12-years old. "I started playing Piano, but I found it really hard for some reasons. I also wanted to be a drummer, but my dad convinced me out of it when he said that it would mean that I wouldn't get to stay and talk to the girls at the end of the gig and also that I would have to pack down the drum kit '. But now I'm like well, neither of those are relevant anyway. There are no girls In my life, at least not in that way," they says and laughs. Instead, they started their musical journey via YouTube and began singing. "I used to open YouTube tabs and I started to play instrumental in one tab and do it acapella in another. That was what I was doing as a little awkward teenager". With pop influences from the family and a love of nightclub life, they started DJ: ing in London and quickly felt that it was something they wanted to continue with. FKA.M4A for Playful Magazine After a trip to Berlin, they immediately felt that this was their domicile of choice. "It's kind of hectic in London compared to Berlin. In London, a lot of people don't have a quality of life. Here in Berlin, I think people are having a better balance" As a Berlin tourist in the middle of the summer, it was a little shock when they finally moved here three years ago and arrived in the city in the middle of winter. "I felt like I was catfished. I had only visited Berlin in the summer, and I was like 'Oh my God this is amazing!' And then I moved here in January. I didn't see the sun for two months ". Even so, the love for Berlin came immediately. "I've always been searching for my home. In Berlin, I fell in love with the possibility to sit at a table with ten people where everyone comes from a different part of the world. And just the mix of so many cultures and different kinds of people! I've learned so much from cultures and people since living here. Berlin just makes me happy." Musically, it was also an obvious choice, after getting a taste of the electronic scene as a tourist. "I wanted to challenge myself and make a name for myself on the European electronic music scene. I have a love and connection to Amsterdam and other places, but I really wanted my Berghain booking. And I said, I'm gonna move here and focus on these goals, with the main focus to dominate the music scene.” FKA.M4A for Playful Magazine Under the artist name FKA.M4A, they're now on their way. Despite the pandemic and it’s closing of the club scene, FKA.M4A has managed to play at Panorama Bar, closed Buttons and played as a support act for Peggy Gou among many other memorable gigs. In addition, a good friendship has been built between FKA.M4A and the latter, much thanks to a DM from Miss Gou on Instagram. "I was just at home one day, chilling. Suddenly I got a DM from Peggy, asking if I would like to come and play at the release party for her new single. And I was like, wow, that's quite big and I said yes. And then she was like 'Are you also available this weekend? Because I'm doing a gig in Mannheim and I would love it if you could come and open for me, so that we can get to know each other a bit before the release party'". They consented again and boarded the train to Mannheim, and this became the start of a good friendship – and also a learning experience. . ”She basically become a mentor for me. She takes such good care of me, giving advice and support about the industry and music production. And it’s crazy – back in 2019 I was listening to a lot of her music and having it in my sets, and now we're friends.” It's clear that FKA.M4A:s inspiration and admiration comes from female artists. ” I really admire a strong woman who is at the top of the music industry and killing it. Especially someone like Honey Dijon, a black trans woman.As people of colour, we have to work two or three times as hard for less of the success. I really admire the strength that women and people of colour have, making It through the industry” In normal cases, when there is no pandemic going on, FKA.M4A is often on tour.They like to travel, but not just for the concerts. Food is also something that is close to their heart. ”I mostly travel for the food. I love to eat. Eating is my biggest passion besides music. It's not to the benefit of my health because I eat what I want, and I don’t work out or anything. I really love touring. This year I was grateful for the break the fourth Covid wave brought me, of course not for the clubs having to close down, but for me personally. I’ve learnt my lesson this year, I learnt to start saving money by now”. As a touring DJ and food lover, we can't refrain from asking about their best food tips in Berlin. "Korean food is my favourite food in the world. There's amazing fried chicken in Berlin, even if the Korean kitchen is so much more than that. My favourite is Kokio, by Danziger Strasse and I'm actually heading there after this interview", they laugh. Besides the happiness Korean food brings them, it seems like the feeling is leading the way even on stage. "Everything I play always roots in happiness and motivation. The fact that I'm pretty much smiling through my whole sets, looking people in the eyes, and that I do occasionally drop classics where everyone sings along. That creates the vibe on the dance floor", they says and continues; "I think the Berlin sound, and electronic music in general is quite pretentious. Sometimes DJ: s take themselves too seriously. Just relax, I want my music and my sets to be as unpretentious as possible. I don 't like the vibe of it feeling forced. " FKA.M4A for Playful Magazine At the dinner table with FKA.M4A Grill Royal (€€€) - This is my favourite restaurant for the best possible meats & seafood I could enjoy. Everything is prepared to the highest standard and has the best service i’ve experienced in Berlin! Kokio (€) - For super fast & easy Korean fried chicken, there’s several different Korean Fried Chicken spots across Berlin, but for me this is #1. The Soy Wasabi flavour is the absolute best! Arirang (€€) - The best Korean BBQ in Berlin I would say, it has a very homely feel and it’s extremely laid back. It’s in a residential part of Prenzlauer Berg or Kudamm and I like that it’s a bit hidden. Food is always super delicious! Five Guys (€) - it’s so simple & easy; but for me it’s easily the best Burger & Fries combo here in Berlin! Lucky Star (€€) - The best Chinese restaurant in Berlin, in my opinion - it’s in a super busy neighbourhood, but usually the vibe is just 100% perfect! The food is spiced incredibly (if you enjoy that) and the drinks are extra strong!

By: Amanda Sandström Beijer Photos: Zeina Idris Wallis for Playful Magazine Already there when I arrive, with her notes, and a fruit smoothie - Wallis is not your regular Berlin DJ. She dreams of the future, wonders where techno music is heading, and why Berlin feels like a Gregg Araki movie. Wallis gives a serious impression. The kind of person who likes to have everything neatly in order and done just right. Some people call it a ’Type A personality’ (and one of them is Wallis herself). Wallis laughs about it, saying it may not always make her an easy-going person. Right from the start she had asked that this interview be focused on ideas rather than history, and on the future rather than the past. Even if she's aware that her past made her who she's today, she's always keeping her focus on tomorrow. Today, however, she's at a musical crossroad. “It's weird, in the last year I got somehow bored with everything I used to love. All the music I used to find so intriguing two years ago somehow lost its magic. I guess I heard those sounds too much by now, and my mind is craving something different. I don't know yet exactly what kind of techno I want to make, or even how to create it. I just know it's time for a new chapter.” Dancing in clubs during the pandemic she noticed that a lot of the sets started to sound oddly similar to one another, following somewhat of a template structure. Each DJ is trying to play faster than the previous, and it feels like a race to keep up ”I've been missing this feeling of seeing an artist through their set, because all those sets started sounding the same. Same BPM range, same bass lines, same vocals, same rave stabs, same pop edits. Each DJ trying to play faster than the previous, and it feels like a race to keep up. I think the pandemic awoke a lot of fear in all of us, especially those that based 100% of their income on performing. Suddenly the number of gig opportunities got divided by ten, only five months out of the year on a good year. Headliners were agreeing to play for much cheaper, and promoters could make massive line-ups with nearly only big names, leaving not so much room for anyone else. Add to this that many governments offered little to no financial help to DJs, plus everyone spending all their time on social media, forced to constantly see what everyone else was up to”, she said and continues; ”It's no surprise that this somehow fueled a lot of change in our scene and unconsciously put some pressure on artists to conform to what others are playing, by fear of not getting any gigs otherwise. We even saw DJs going on public rants against other DJs, trying to destroy their careers, at a scale that was unprecedented. This was 100% the result of the pandemic and the fear it induced in all of us. This conformity was also emphasized I think by the amount of time we all started spending on social media. Never before were we so aware what everyone else was doing, watching so many livestreams or spending that many hours on our phones. I realized recently how addicted to my phone I am, and it scares me.” Wallis for Playful Magazine Wallis watched what was happening within the scene and took a backseat rather than jumping on that same train, even though she used to drive that very same train herself before. “Weirdly enough, when everyone is going faster, I am vibing hard to slower beats”, she laughs. ”Actually, I was recently playing in Spain and chatting with the promoter before the event, and I saw his face decompose when I told him I would start my set around 131 BPM. Because for him it meant I would play an unengaging set – which he quickly found out wasn't the case. You can reach just as much – if not more – intensity without over-pushing the BPM counter. My vision is that it’s not speed that conveys energy and power, but grooves. And most grooves actually shine through when the music is slower. When the music is 150 BPM you can basically only use a kick drum and a hi-hat, and that's it. But if you go slower, you have a much bigger room for creative drum patterns. Not that there's anything wrong with those that love hammering it out solely with 150 BPM music filled with totally unprocessed samples, following only basic drum patterns. I just find myself drawn nowadays towards very personal sounding music, which is more achieved through heavy creative sound design. When I say sound design, I don't mean only synthesis-based music, I really don't care how the music originally came, sample or synthesis, I just like it when it's unique, made super personal. The best pieces of music are the ones that convey emotion. After hearing them, you think ’Ok, I know this artist better now’. Her new preferences as well as the late predictability of techno has made her very interested in sound design when searching for tracks for her DJ sets, and how to construct new intensity, yet creative sounds that are powerful, but more complicated. Let's be honest there's no better feeling than hearing a track and wondering how the hell someone managed to create something like that ”If, after hearing a track, I can right away identify everything the producer did or used, which drum patterns there are, and sometimes even which samples they used, I am not very interested. I am always searching for something new, and – let's be honest – there's no better feeling than hearing a track and wondering how the hell someone managed to create something like that. And being left with absolutely no definitive answer to that question. I may not know exactly in which direction I’m going right now, but I know this is where I hope to go when it comes to my sound design process.” What we hear is that Wallis is undergoing some changes, and is not yet clear over where she’s headed, although thankfully she’s still able to release tracks. ”I wouldn't call myself perfectionist, which is great because it allows me to actually finish and release music. I know some people who get stuck on tracks for ages, constantly making insignificant tweaks, trying to reach something that ultimately doesn't exist. I try to be a bit more down to earth when it comes to that, and I know that even when you love a piece of music, in six months, you'll hopefully have made so much technical progress, that you'll most likely be unimpressed with your previous work. So, it's a bit pointless to chase perfection in music – it doesn't exist. Maybe it’s also part of being an artist, if you don't somehow question what you’ve created before, maybe it means that you haven’t developed enough.” “This is true especially now as the pandemic made the vinyl pressing process much longer than it used to be. We went from a duration of three to four months to a whopping eight to nine months. That means that, if you add production duration, and super busy label release schedules, tracks that come out on vinyl these days are at least a year old – and that is if the label was quick to send the music to the press. It just makes it harder for artists to still see the music as fresh by the time it comes out, because they have most likely finished producing it nearly a year and a half ago.” Wallis for Playful Magazine Being creative and looking for creative outlets has always been part of Wallis. The level of artistic disciplines, activities or concepts that fascinates her is almost comic. She thinks it's all connected to the music she makes today. “Recently I discovered a concept called mind-mapping and I think this is genius. Putting different concepts next to one another to build mental maps of just about anything. I think this is what unleashes creativity. Learning new things constantly, about the most random stuff sometimes, and trying to link them to one another and include them somehow in your work. Besides being a ’Type A person’. I noticed her interest in films. From the moment we started talking about the interview, it’s been a common subject. Now I’m finding out the way it influences her creative process. ”Definitely movies have had a huge influence on me. Recently, I was watching Twin Peaks and immediately noticed that the music I started producing got way too eery, so I just had to stop watching it, as I was on a short deadline at the time, and needed something finished soon, she laughs. For a more obvious connection between my work and cinema, there would be quite a few of my track names referencing movies, that I am sure cinema fans will easily spot. Undeniably cinema has had a huge influence over my work. People telling their story and sharing their perspective is always fascinating, be it in written or visual art forms, or via sound. Movies are made at the intersection of someone telling a story together with visual and music, and this combination is what makes movies, in my eyes, one of the most powerful art forms out there.” Speaking of films, she mentioned how Berlin is reminding her of one and once you’ve heard it I bet it won’t leave your mind for some time. Berlin is like a Gregg Araki movie ”Berlin is like a Gregg Araki movie. Moving to this city, into this massive gathering of misfits, expressing themselves loudly every day, it’s a bit surreal. It feels a bit like a dream, sometimes a bit absurd, not everything always makes sense. There's this prevalent nihilistic behaviour going around, with sometimes a bit of a sad and depressing vibe to it, especially in winter. In Araki's movies, it’s not mainly the characters that are doing horrible things, but the society around them, and maybe that’s also the case here. Many of those who felt alienated and felt like outcasts in their own society, migrated here to create something new. I guess the biggest difference is that in Gregg Araki’s films everybody dresses colorful”, she laughs. ”Besides that, even though the characters pretend they don't care, they do. Which I feel is the same in here. Berlin is also somehow romantic, once you pierce through the nihilistic facade everyone puts up. It’s in many ways the opposite of Paris, where I grew up that leaves you with this lingering feeling of social pressure. It's a pretty judgmental city, that doesn't really want you to become too unique as an individual. It sometimes felt like an ant colony filled with people checking each other out – so exhausting. In many ways, Berlin is the exact opposite of Paris. Berlin is a city where I felt given back the right of anonymity, nobody cares about what you wear or what you do, there's this freedom of doing what pleases you without this impeding sense of doom I felt in Paris. To me Berlin is the city of freedom, where everyone who have felt like misfits in their hometowns can gather.” Wallis for Playful Magazine So far into the interview, no one could have missed that Wallis has a strong character. During the pandemic, she stopped drinking alcohol as she meant to stop drinking for a short period of time, to cut back on partying until her R-label EP was finally finished and sent to vinyl-pressing but ended up enjoying sober life so much that she hasn't gone back to drinking since. “In the end it gradually happened, and wasn’t a very conscious choice, but many thoughts came together and suddenly I had created a completely new lifestyle for myself. Once I was in it, I could see clearly that alcohol didn't bring enough positive things into my existence to make it worth all its downsides. Even just one or two drinks makes me less productive the next day. I also found that drinking is actually not a necessity in order to have fun, at all. Of course, some aspects of alcohol I miss sometimes. But what I definitely don't miss are the hangovers or meaning to go out only for a drink and staying up until dawn and spending more money than I had planned. Or oversharing super personal details about my life with random strangers. And let's be honest never ever have I woken up in my bed, fresh with a clear head and a full night sleep, thinking ’Man, I wish I had drunk and stayed out longer last night’, she laughs. Cutting alcohol gave me full control over where I wanted to head in life.” Alcohol didn't bring enough positive things into my existence to make it worth all its downsides ”No alcohol in bars, no ’after gig Gin & Tonic’s’ and all that went along with it was hard at the beginning. I'm a creature of habits and old habits die hard.” Except from trimming the alcohol, the new lifestyle also led her to trimming her circle of friends. ”It got easier to notice who you actually connected with on a deeper level and not. I’m just not available anymore to the people whom I’ve noticed haven't been a positive addition to my life. I guess that was an awakening during the pandemic. I’m less and less tolerant of bullshit and need mutual respect. I’m also much more mindful of my time than I once was. I realized that I became uninterested in people with whom I can't connect with outside of the club. The small talk doesn't really flow in the same way when you’re sober, and I can’t do drunk talk anymore. Although I miss going on those funny little adventures at parties, when everyone is silly drunk, but that’s basically it.” The gigs didn’t change much though as Wallis never drank alcohol when she played before that either. ”I know a lot of DJ’s drink as it helps with the nerves, but I’ve noticed very early on that having a drink during a set was not for me. I would play and feel less in control over what I was doing, and that just annoyed me, so I was never a gig-drinker. Not even at the artist dinner before the gig I would have alcohol. Your ears don’t work the same when you drink, which is a no-go for me, as everything that changes how you perceive things also changes your ears. So, I had just always waited until after my sets to drink anything.” Wallis for Playful Magazine Although she has a new addiction: ”Caffeine. The last pleasures I have in life are coffee and Club Mate”, she laughs. The rock star touring life is, as you can imagine, nothing she takes part of. When others go from the after party straight to the airport and the next gig, Wallis takes a nap and wakes up in time for her next flight. ”I was never as busy as I’m now when I used to party though.” Wallis film recommendations: Soylent Green Brazil Gattaca Whiplash Gregg Araki: Teenage apocalypse (1,2,3)

By: Filip Sandström Beijer Curses. Photo: Alicia Devaux The Pornceptual resident and producer Curses is dropping a brand new album for the first time in five years. 'Incarnadine' is now finally being brought into the universe and we want to know all about it. Hi Luca! A new album is on it’s way from Curses, and we like what we’re hearing. Tell us about it! Ciao, Playful! It's been 5 years since the first album dropped, so between writing and Covid-related delays, been so ready for 'Incarnadine' to finally drop into the universe. While touring the first album live, me and my bandmate, Dame Bonnet wrote a lot of new music in rehearsals and on stage improvisations, and the majority of the new LP is the music we wrote while on the road. I read the book and revisited the 80's film, The Hunger, starring Catherine Deneuve and Bowie, and found a new attachment to the aura of the tale; the yearning for- and romance of, immortal love. I also collaborated with some of my favorite Berlin based artists as well, Jennifer Touch & Terr. Besides admiring their work, they're good friends, so the album as a whole is very personal one. You’re from New York, now based in Berlin. What made you choose Berlin? I will always call NYC my home, but I began to feel stuck in a monotony, and searched for a challenge creatively. I had lived in Berlin in 2005, and missed that feeling of having the freedom to be able to afford to make your craft without compromise or sacrifice, so in 2015 I returned and found like-minded people who understood what I was trying to express musically. In USA, the music I was making and playing wasn’t translating so well at the time. It all really clicked once I became a resident at Pornceptual, and found such an open minded judgement free space for performance, DJ:ing and dancing. I was able to finally play New Beat, Italo, EBM, and Electro without worrying if the mix of genres would confuse the floor. The album is operated by Jennifer Cardini, tell us about your different roles in the collaboration. When we first met, Jennifer had a big hand in really pushing me to embrace my "sound" and not worry about what was popular or hype at the time. We both come from different musical backgrounds, but also very similar. We both are ravers at heart and also goths who dance to Sisters of Mercy in the Kitchen while cooking some cacio e pepe. Specifically, we both have a strong love for the movie, The Hunger, so when I came with the 2nd LP idea and single, 'Miriam' to be an ode to this book and film, Jennifer really got behind it and understood the direction. There is a strong collaborative relationship, in selecting the final tracks ultimate tweaks and mixing elements. You build a trust with the label, letting them interpret and hear different details of your music you maybe didnt appreciate or realize when making it. We’ve read in previous interviews that you’ve had an upbringing involving both opera and classical music, as well as sounds from the 80:s. Where do you get your sound influences from today? Besides scowering bandcamp and digging through promos for the music I DJ, which is a mix of new and old, I really should listen to new music more often. I have such a habit of primarily listening to old music. Especially from the 80s. In the beginning of the pandemic I was listening to the Radiooooo app a lot. You can select music to play at random from an archive of user uploaded tracks, and organize them by decade and geographical location. It's like the modern day record crate digger's dream for discovering some absolute gems. I found some amazing Turkish post-punk to Ukrainian synth wave and Vietnamese Italo. I love it. As a New Yorker in Berlin, where do you get your slice of the Big Apple? One of the things I miss the most is a proper NYC slice of pizza. When you ask "where do I get my slice of the big apple" my immediate reaction was .. "Pizza?" haha. Magic Johns is the winner, hands down. They are the only place in Berlin who's pepperoni does the curl-up when it crisps in the oven. I am still waiting for someone to serve a proper Bodega-style egg and cheese.. this is still missing. If anybody knows a spot, please let me know! What’s the plans and expectations for 2022? If all goes to plan covid-wise, we have a really nice string of live dates planned in EU/UK and Mexico.. and I'll return to S. America in May/June for DJ gigs as well. The album's first single, 'Miriam' will also have a music video from close friend and amazing director, Jordan Hemingway as well as remixes from The KVB, Boys Noize and Kim Ann Foxman... super excited for these all to come.I have a lot of collaborations that happened during the last 2 years of pandemic limbo that will finally drop! I've got ravier side project called Venice Arms with a new EP out on permanent Vacation, as well as some vocals for Massi Pagliara, and an EP with Younger Than Me - for our Y2C hardwave project....some others a bit Shhhh for now. Hoping 2022 is better than the last, and we are finally out of the pandemic and into a new paradise.

By: Filip Sandström Beijer JASSS for Playful Magazine JASSS aka Silvia Jiménez Alvare is releasing a powerfully concentrated in sonic form named A World Of Service. Playful Magazine catches up with the Spanish producer who’s doing her debut on Ostgut Ton. You’re releasing a new album ‘A World Of Service’ which digs in ideas of gender, identity and interpersonal relationships. Can you tell us a bit about the concept? “AWOS” talks about limits that bend and unfold, turning boundaries into portals, almost in the way a fractal “starts when it ends”. I stared at faces, at my face, for a very long time, until the features became meaningless. I bet this is something a lot of people do.It turns out the same thing happened to my notion of gender, when I finally had a good long look I found myself in need to create some custom made parameters that could bring me closer to a sense of identity. Almost like my own internal vocabulary that helps me understand how I feel more accurately. All this affects very much the way I exist in the world, with others. In a very positive way. I wanted to sing about this, to make music from this place. ” AWOS" started as your radio show in Berlin and it will become an A/V live show in collaboration with Ben Kreukniet. How did the project evolve in this direction and what’s the core they have in common? That name randomly appeared (was it randomly tho?) in my mind when I did those shows, the only common ground with my current project is the concept of “service”, which can be very elastic. I recycled this name, I thought it was full of meaning. While sitting with some of the ideas, it kept coming back to me. You are from Spain and lived in the Netherlands before relocating in Berlin. How has this city affected your career and creative process? When I came here I eventually started meeting people that I felt were like minded, this excites me. I think Berlin was the first place where I felt I belonged, where strange wasn’t so strange after all. It lifted the weight of importance off things, It exposed me to other peoples realities ina more diverse way. I come from a place that is quite limited in many ways, so I guess the stereotype of Berlin being the land of freedom suits me well. I think moving here gave me the fuel that I needed at the time, to dream strong enough to pursue what I really wanted to do. What do you appreciate from Berlin outside of the music scene? The people, how not pretentious this city is in many ways, the spätis, the street markets, the random mixture of people, the cultural offer in general, Victoria bar, the parks, the trash, the coincidences, how wild but gentle it is. What gets you warm when the weather is bad? Nothing gets you through the winter like good company, cuddles and soup

Cyberesque Photo: XIK & Mar/us You can find the unique clothes from Cyberesque at The Code . Founded in 2007, Cyberesque has 15 years in Berlin. How did your creative ideas start to take form, and finally become a brand? As crazy as it feels, in April it will already be 15 years, yes! I'm planning a big event to celebrate, so stay curious. I have always been a very creative and visual person, and started to design, sew clothing and build things at a very young age. I always knew I wanted to become a fashion designer, and have been obsessed with ethnic and tribal cultures, but also involved in the goth, techno and fetish scene, so I mixed it all up and started Cyberesque. What did you see was lacking in the market? Exactly what I mentioned before, a creative weird mixture of all kinds of influences. I wanted to be able to wear my designs in all occasions and parties that I go to, be it in the goth scene, techno scene or at a fetish party. Is there anything about Berlin that has inspired you? Many things inspire me in Berlin! When I moved here back in 2004, rent was still affordable, and therefore the amount of artists in the city was enormous. And everyone was. and still mostly is. very open for collaborations. Inputs and constant inspiration came from photographers, designers, party promoters etc. to do projects with. Also the club scene is so big in this city that literally every weekend after coming home from some wild party, I had new ideas to realize. If you could describe Cyberesque with three words, what would they be? Futuristic, ethnical, with a little twist What are your hopes and dreams for the future? If I really had to choose one thing, it would be to do the costume designs once for a big movie production. Maybe for the next Dune or Star Wars! But this is a question that comes up regularly, and honestly it's not so easy to answer after 15 years working, being a workaholic as I am, to achieve all my dreams, as most of them I already have! I did fashion shows literally worldwide on some of the biggest stages, of fetish parties and festivals, worked together with famous inspiring models and actors, had a booth in the burnermarket before entering burning man, selling my clothes in the best shops I can imagine, in summer I get to travel to festivals to set up booths there, and get rewarded with my clients worldwide who keep supporting me by buying my clothes!

OBECTRA for Playful Magazine Find the unique Berlin fetish brand at The Code . OBECTRA seems like more than a brand. Guide us through the story and your journey. The idea of Obectra was always to design and produce clothes and leather accessories that I wanted to wear. During the day, or nighttime. And I couldn’t find a fashion brand which does both with a fantastic style and with an affordable price. So, it was quite easy to find our starting point of the brand? Through all these years, the identity of the brand grew and we established a fashion house that produces great fashion, with great quality and for affordable price. What would you say is the ”essence” of OBECTRA? The brand was built on the idea that anyone will feel powerful in Obectra. What makes Berlin the hometown of OBECTRA? Berlin is a great place to start a business, if you are focused enough. And to build a fashion brand with the style of Obectra, there is no better place than Berlin. Free, open-minded and sexy. Endless inspiration! What is your main inspiration? My main inspiration was and will always be the color black. It's one of the most balanced colors, of great power and fragile softness. It can be aggressive, provocative, yet shy and laid back. A great contrast, full of different textures that is fantastic to work with. Plus, everyone looks great in black. What are the plans for the year, where can we catch a fashion show or other events? Plans for 2022 are tricky, as we know the current situation is limiting a lot of things. But, that means we need to be more creative in the space we are given and bring the best of it. This is always a great challenge! And we will definitely do a new collection, new shows and do new great things. Stay tuned! OBECTRA for Playful Magazine

Bloodshrimp, Latex fetishist, Playful TV In this episode we speak to Bloodshrimp about latex fetishism, sex clubs, polygamy/monogamy, the latex community, finding your fet1sh and so much more. And if you’re a supporter of the podcast as a Patreon you get to hear more about their turn ons… Playful Podcast is as always available on all podcast platforms, Spotify and YouTube. Playful Podcast is recorded at Factory Berlin and covers underground culture, kink and electronic music.

Playful meets with Theo and Victoria – the Brutalismus 3000 duo. In this week’s episode of Playful podcast we get to know Brutalismus 3000 and not only play some games, like always in the podcast, of "This or That", and "Who’s Most Likely To..." but also dig deeper and speak about their musical journey that blew up during the pandemic, what influences them musically, their different personalities, superstitious habits and much more. Push play on Spotify , YouTube or any of the Podcast Apps and join in. In the extra material we get to know more about the strategies that made them successful, according to themselves, what roles they take on–, who they are–, and how they work in the studio, and much more. Go push play and enjoy!

DJ Volvox interview by Playful TV DJ Volvox is up next in Playful Podcast and we talk about the importance of safe spaces, or safer spaces as Ariana refers to it, within a subculture that is getting more and more mainstream. We have to create the communities we wanna be part of, Ariana means. Listen to the full episode through all podcast apps or watch the full interview on YouTube. Links to be found where they usually are! Recorded at Factory Berlin.

Anetha video interview by Playful Magazine In this podcast episode we meet with DJ Anetha at Glitch Festival, Malta, to talk about how the birth of her daughter made her more aware of sustainability, on all levels, as a touring DJ, producer and label owner. We also go back to the past and get to know how it all started, what made her switch from architecture to her music path and much more. And for our Patreons we dig deeper on the situations that shifted her whole career. Tune in to the new episode on Spotify , any of the podcast apps or YouTube, and don’t forget to subscribe to not miss out on our next episode. Enjoy!

By: Amanda Sandström Beijer Photos: Philipp Fussenegger Big biceps and a soft heart - Tischa ’The Tigress’ Thomas is the woman behind the 17-inch biceps. From New York to Berlin, Tischa talks to us about her journey into the subculture of female bodybuilding and the world of BDSM. Tisha The Tigress, bodybuilder, Berlin Current in the documentary film about her journey and strive t owards the goal to reach number one in the world of female bodybuilding. The documentary film ’I Am The Tigress’, by Philipp Fussenegger of Fun Fair Films, lifts ’The Tigress’ who behind her huge biceps is also a vulnerable human being who struggles with self-doubt, discrimination and acceptance of others . With much admiration, Playful takes the chance to get to know Tischa better and be inspired by her incredible mentality, as well as her soft heart. Tischa grew up in Bronx, New York with her mother and older brother. During her first year of college, she got pregnant. ” I had my first child, Jasmine, just before my eighteenth birthday – so I didn’t return to school. Two years later I met and married my first husband.” I was at my lowest in my self-esteem and at my highest in bodyweight Together with him she got two more children. They got divorced, Tischa got remarried and divorced again, something that took its toll on her mentally. ”At this time in my life, I was at my lowest in my self-esteem and at my highest in bodyweight reaching my peak at 300 pounds. I decided that I wanted to focus on myself and work on getting back to my high-school weight, which was half of what I weighed at that time. I hired a personal trainer who worked with me.” ”As I approached my goal of 150 pounds, that same trainer convinced me to enter into a local bodybuilding competition. It took nine months to prep for the show and on the big day I not only hit my weight-loss goal of 150 lbs, but I also won my very first show.” My confidence and self-esteem were non-existent. Bodybuilding means so much to me because it taught me to love myself again It took Tischa six years to go from amateur to pro in bodybuilding. A sport that has meant much to her, not only as proof of her mental strength, but also as a successful way to fight bad self-image and insecurity. Tisha The Tigress, bodybuilder, Berlin ”Bodybuilding has meant a second chance for me to claim my body back. When I started out on this journey back in 2008-09, I was a few pounds shy of 300 pounds. My confidence and self-esteem were non-existent. Bodybuilding means so much to me because it taught me to love myself again. Bodybuilding gave me the discipline I needed to not just loose the weight, but also to get the confidence and stamina to transform my whole body.” The challenges have not only been the metal and physical, regarding the body transformation, but also the social challenges of being harassed and questioned. ”The biggest challenge in being a female bodybuilder was always having to gender-proof myself when I was in social settings or just out and about. It used to really get under my skin, but now I try to use these moments to teach and give a better or different perspective of what strength and beauty is.” Tischa qualified for the world championship after her first year of turning pro, which took her six years of hard focus and discipline to achieve. At this championship show, a film director from Berlin was holding a casting call for a movie he was working on about a female bodybuilder. ”I went in for the casting call along with about a hundred other girls, and I landed the lead role. That brings me to how I wound up in Germany. I thought that It would be easier to be physically here when the production for the movie started.” Tischa applied for and got a three-year visa. She gave up her apartment and furniture back in New York, packed two suitcase and headed to Berlin. ” Many of my friends and family think that it was a bold and courageous move. I didn't think it was such a big deal. I knew Berlin was where I wanted to live from my very first visit.” In the US Tischa was constantly questioned, since many people found that a female bodybuilder was something unnatural – and there were a number of other topics of harassment as well. It has been a lot easier for her to be accepted in Berlin. ”My view on living in Berlin versus in the U.S. is like comparing apples to oranges. It's like night and day the way that society sees and receives me here just as I am.” ” Here many people appreciate and admire my uniqueness, strength , and my fearless confidence to embrace my authentic self. Where I was constantly harassed for my physique over there, I now perform live here in Berlin for the masses that have literally told me ’Thank you for being you’. Which is one of the best compliments that I've ever received.” ”I have been on this body transformation journey for ten years now and it wasn't until the 10th year when I moved to Germany that I actually felt accepted for just being me. It was the first time that I didn't feel like I was standing outside of society looking in, but Instead felt proud to embrace my uniqueness as a female bodybuilder. No one wants to be where they don't feel accepted or where they are looked upon as a freak of nature. That was my daily experience back home. The US may be my birthplace, but Berlin has now become my home. I feel accepted and I feel that I belong here.” The guys love to be lifted or taken down by a female in a mixed wrestling match. A side income for some bodybuilders is to work as a dominatrix, or within the BDSM culture, something that Tischa has been doing for almost ten years back in New York. ” I actually got started in the session business offering mixed wrestling matches because of my physique. The guys love to be lifted or taken down by a female in a mixed wrestling match. However, l was never a big fan of offering that service because some guys try to prove a point by really trying to hurt you during the match. So, I started to offer more fetish and BDSM type services.” The role of a Dom has also taught me how to be confident in myself ”I like to entitle myself Professional Fantasy Facilitator . I help bring to life gentleman's ultimate fantasies. Some may get into the business strictly for the money, but I truly enjoy getting into character according to my client's request and bringing their fantasy into frustration. Also, I feel working as a dominatrix has helped me to find and use my voice as a powerful and assertive woman.” ”The role of a Dom has also taught me how to be confident in myself .” When coming to Berlin Tischa was offered work as a performance artist and dominatrix at the KitKat Club. ”I started to work there in August 2019. However, the idea that I could even pull something like this off came about on New Year eve 2018 during my first trip to Berlin. I'm much more comfortable in my skin now, but back then I was very torn between how I felt about my body and how others felt about it.” Tisha The Tigress, bodybuilder, Berlin That New Year Tischa decided to go to the party without worrying about what or how people felt about her physique. ”I just decided to celebrate me and my body-transformation accomplishments for that night. In a world of my own, I danced the entire night. To my surprise, days later, many people at the party approached me to tell me how much they enjoyed watching my New Year Performance”, she laughs. ” People thought that I was performing. Anyway, enough people from the party approached me with the same compliment, I decided to meet up with the owner to see if I could do my dance performance as a permanent gig at the club. He liked the idea, and the rest is history.” ”Pre-Corona, I was one of the top main headline performers at the club with my "Muscles in Motion and ’P.O.P (Power Of Pussy) CULTURE performances’. I totally love working there. KitKat is more than just a kinky night club. Its environment encourages uniqueness and individuality. It's the perfect place for me to be just me without being judged.” Tischa’s view on BDSM is open. She’s come a long way by being brave and standing up for herself in situations where people who believe they deserve to take power over others try to push her down and humiliate her. In many ways the play with domination is something that made her become friends with her strength and enabled her to be proud of her physical accomplishments in the public light as well. What I really enjoy about being a dominatrix and offering BDSM service is having the creative power to make another person's fantasy come to fruition. Even if that fantasy is to get their ass whipped by a huge muscle chick ”I am a free spirit so I welcome opportunities to explore different aspects of pain and pressure, dominance, control, and all the powers of being a woman. Practicing BDSM to me is like an adult playground where I feel I can practice and work on my confidence, self-esteem, and how to assert myself to get what I want or get the other person to behave in a certain way. These are qualities that go beyond the session but are valuable in my day-to-day life and interactions with other people.” ” What I really enjoy about being a dominatrix and offering BDSM service is having the creative power to make another person's fantasy come to fruition. Even if that fantasy is to get their ass whipped by a huge muscle chick.”