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Berlin + Hot Girl Summer = Hot Human Summer (And how to make your own p*rn) By: Alexis Smiley Smith We all know the drill. Instagram pics of 20 something ladies LIVING THEIR BEST FA-A-ACKING LIVES perched on the bow of a speeding motorboat or posing on a Balinese beach donning suspiciously pristine white bikinis sans any dirt or ketchup. Not. A. Care. In. The. World. Alone or surrounded by their entourage, they’re serving up the lyrics that ‘hot girls win’. Welcome to #hotgirlsummer. When Megan Thee Stallion released her track, she unleashed a cultural trope with a staying power complete with spinoffs, a constant flow of memes and ironic edits from our more sardonic influencers. Ubiquitous is an understatement. Social saturation is more like it. I fell curious to its cause myself, but in the context of Berlin. At the beginning of June and with the city as my lens, I made plans with the flowers and bees to open those petals and drink up the nectar. I would create my own version in tandem with the city, following Berlin’s lead. But first, I had to reshape #hotgirlsummer into something way less problematic. I’m in my forties and pretty sure I haven’t been a girl by any standard in thirty plus years. Hot girl summer also reeks of lacking inclusivity. Where is the space for humans who don’t identify as girls or women? There would be no performing no fucks given with a glam squad in the background ever ready for touch ups and hairspray. No catering to this tired ass capitalist patriarchal feedback loop. No bowing to the rampantly active male gaze. So, in the spirit of Berlin’s ever evolving curiosity and activation around deconstruction, social collaging and getting weird… I welcome you to #hothumansummer. Hot human summer is all about the authentic embodiment of self. And then move from that place into pleasure and wild sexual and sensual reflections. Take that mirror colonized with the past and throw it out your window. Admire the gleaming shards below and then toss your hair with a bit of sass. Walk away. Get to some serious productive ‘oude hoer’ with yourself. Do the opposite of glam squad, get your fingers deep inside your pussy or/and your ass or/and firmly gripped around your cock and/or other pleasure centers and let’s ride. It’s Berlin, remember, we have no idea where this will take us. But if I’m looking for authentic embodiment in this city, I can trust resources exist. And probably give me what I need, not necessarily what I want. And that’s exactly what happened. With a massive infection from swimming in the Spree bookended with Corona 2.0, I spent most of my hot human summer in my flat. Physically divorced from accessing Berlin, I slumped around and gave into what might be called not-feeling-so-hot-human-winter-of-the soul. But that’s the thing about this city, just when you feel all is lost or got a serious case of the humdrums, magic possibilities can rear their lovely heads. Finally free from my flat, I went to my local to slurp a half dozen oysters, sip on Crémant and seek out some sage advice from my favorite bartender. A total badass through and through, she bluntly enlightened me. Make a homemade porn, mate. That’s what I do. I don’t need anyone except myself. Only in Berlin can one eat the food of mermaids whilst getting that kind of tip. I licked the brine from my lips and hatched my plan. So what if I was a little late in the game for my hot human summer immersion journey? All I needed was a camera, a little courage and… …a professional porn actor as my guide. Enter Noir, a Berlin based performer who works with Hardwerk Studio in creating adult films that not only reshape the mainstream porn narrative, but also actively dismantle the porno patriarchy altogether. He graciously agreed to come to my flat and share his insight and support. This would be the playful act of authentic embodiment I was looking for, but also create a conversation between my sensual self and my inner critic. Berlin + Hot Girl Summer = Hot Human Summer (And how to make your own p*rn) Could I find a space for integrating shame and vulnerability and somehow alchemize this into self-worship or acceptance? And what would happen when I watched the footage later in some meta sexual encounter of ‘myself pleasuring myself watching myself pleasure myself’? Meeting Noir for the first time, I can describe his presence as deep deep water. I felt my nervous system slow down. I knew I was in safe company. His energy sang soothing and soft, but I also sensed a strength in being very clear on boundaries. For him, making porn has been an agent of change beyond the screen. Not only did he learn about his sexuality, but also his trauma and how being in the moment with it while filming actually helped release a lot of shame. Being present with both the positive and difficult moments can create a sense of power and autonomy. With this is mind and in body, and Noir as my guide, I got the camera out and spent a couple of sexually alchemized Saturday hours making a homemade porn. HOW TO MAKE A HOMEMADE PORN STEP ONE Ritualize. Ritualize. Ritualize. Take some time to set up yourself and the scene. Fresh sheets and soft pillows. Build a playlist called ‘music to fuck myself to’. Soak in a lavender infused bath. Cut up pieces of watermelon and juice up your mouth. Create some intentional space for yourself and what’s to come. STEP TWO Logistics of the lens Start with a tripod if you have one. With the camera fixed, it’s easier to explore that sweet spot between performance and authenticity, which Noir believes can co-exist in a porn. When you’re ready, get into handheld close-up mode. Noir invited me to focus on the parts of my body I tend to ignore or shame. Slowly moving the lens over my varicose veins and cellulite felt more worship than critique. Allow for the possibility of your shame demon to transform into a sexy little beast. STEP THREE Do what turns YOU on To start, Noir asked what gets me hot. I get turned on by pouring oil or good quality lube on my tits and rubbing it in until my nipples are hard and slippery. Then down I go. Maybe you have a favorite toy or position or like to lick a latex glove. Whatever it is, be true to your pleasure pathways. STEP FOUR Noir says, If it’s not a fuck yes, it’s a fuck no In your home porn studio, enthusiastic consent reigns. Don’t want to be naked? Great, put on a black lace body instead. Not sure you want to orgasm? Then don’t and focus on other acts of self-pleasure. Feel the need to wear white sneakers? Put ‘em on. Noir also reminded me that taking a break is totally okay. Pause for the cause and continue when you’re ready. Delete anything you want. Just because you filmed it, doesn’t mean you have to keep it. Noir blew my mind when he told me I wasn’t even required to watch the footage. Maybe this is just about enjoying your body as a sensual self-study. You are literally and figuratively calling the shots. STEP FIVE If you choose to watch… Remember this is ‘by you for you’. You’re not the perfect porn performer but you’re a showy little exhibitionist worthy of praise. Maybe your sex face is a bit cringe, but so is everybody else’s. If you’re in the mood, touch yourself. I did. Watching the footage, I saw an imperfect goddess. I saw a nymph discovering her body even with the fire trucks screaming by. I saw a siren, a come hither, a white shoe begging to be licked. I saw a hot human at the end of her summer. I saw me. Happy filming, kittens. And a big extra shout out to Noir’s generosity of time and spirit to co-create not just a scene, but an experience that left me juicy with confidence and ready for more.

Lucas Unklevon speaks to Playful about what took him to electronic music, producing and AI-technology as well as hopes and dreams for the future. What has your musical journey looked like? I started listening to electronic music and rap when I was 13-14 years old. At school every Friday lunchtime we spent time digging and playing music with my friend Marius on the school speakers, that was fun. Then I started to play music and then I wanted to learn how the music I was listening to was constructed, so I learned how to produce music by myself. And year after year I had opportunities to play for events with music collectives in my city, in France, and at bigger and bigger events outside of the city like Astropolis Festival, and then i signed my music on Boys Noize's label, Jensen Interceptor's label for a collab with Salome, and on Nastia's label as well and I started to export and play my music outside of my country in Europe and America. Alex (Boys Noize) trusted my vision and my music and I’m very thankful for that. What drew you to producing Electro music? I think that by listening to albums of Underground Resistance, Kraftwerk, Dopplereffekt, Detroit in Effect, 2LC, Drexciya, Zwischenwelt, Arpanet… I really fell in love with the music which for me has a real soul. I visualise a lot when I listen or produce music and this genre is the one that gives me the most thrill. I am indirectly inspired by all these projects because it’s a part of my culture, but I do it with my own vision, in a new way, I try to blend old school electro sound and next gen electro. What is your creative process when producing a new track? For me when I create music it has to be instinctive. I can start by recording my voice and transforming it robotically and start from that loop and create a song around it, or it can start from a synth or drums or a vocal. When I talk about instinct, I need to feel the song live when I'm building it, and if I start to find it boring I delete everything even if I've spent days on it. I can be inspired by a lot of things around me, the environment, peoples, or technology, space documentaries, if I hear interesting noises inside, I can sample it and integrate it in my music to create a very robotic atmosphere, that’s why some of my tracks have names that is connected to technology and space like Planet Robot Choices, Cyborg Romance, Frequence Zero or Meta Synapse and that’s why you can hear a lot of robot voices in my tracks or in my livesets. How do you approach incorporating new technologies and techniques into your productions? What’s your view on AI when it comes to productions in the future, for example? I think that there are many interesting things to use from technologies, for example to be able to capture sounds inaudible with the human ear. I think that in the future we will be able to integrate sounds that react with the body according to certain frequencies, which can lead to having an even more intense experience with the music. As far as AI is concerned, I think it's very interesting for jobs like science and medicine to succeed in finding solutions for health problems or helping people. As far as music is concerned, maybe it's gonna be interesting for some reasons, create new machines or plugins, but I think, in the other side, that it can be the door to more lies, there are already enough lazy DJs who paid ghost producers so imagine if they just have to pay a machine to make the sound for them… Is it important for you to stay true to your sound, or what’s your view on that and the whole “staying true to techno” conversation? For me it's important to stay true to the music I defend. Because I want to prove that Electro (in a wide spectrum) can be as powerful on a dance floor as any other genre. But it's important to stay open to listen to many different types of music, music is always evolving. About my global vision, I think that everyone is free to do whatever they want, Music is an infinite space of freedom, nobody has any order to give. What I think is bad on the « techno scene » it’s all the dj’s who played the tiktok trends hits inside their sets, some artists are following these trends, to stay bankable, I encourage them to make the music they really like and to stop being followers but leaders of a music they really defend. Music should be timeless, not ephemeral. But you know, do what you want, I just gave my opinion.. What has been your biggest challenge as a producer so far, and how have you overcome it? I had the chance to travel a lot these last months for music and gigs, and I was able to collaborate for my next tracks with producers/singers from North and South America which made me go out of my comfort zone by working differently by mixing my vision and their musical culture whether it is EBM, Rap, Pop, or something else. It's a challenge that I love and I want to do it again and again. How do you approach collaborations with other artists, and what are some names you dream of working with? For the collaborations I've already done it was quite natural, It needs to be a real connection and a shared vision. When it comes to the artists that I dream about collaborating with, there are some, but I keep them to myself, I’m too shy to say it ahah, let’s see what happens.. I trust life, if I get to work with them one day I will be happy, but just chatting with some of them is always very enriching. What are your upcoming projects or releases that we can look forward to? There are a lot of projects on the way. My next EP « PARIS75 » on Boys Noize Records is coming out the 26th may, and I have some very exciting collaborations coming up too. Then I've got releases on compilations, remixes and most of all I'm currently working on my own label. The first release will be out at the end of the year with a very strong line up, I’m really grateful to work with these legends for my first release. I'm so excited, I want to write my own vision, my own story with this label. What’s your hopes and dreams for the future? In a large perspective, I want people to open their eyes a little more to the problems of our planet and that they respect everyone's choices, cultures, and make more places for the minorities. From a very professional perspective I want to be able to continue playing my music, to continue discovering new countries and meeting new people, culture, and exploring new stages. To be able to share my vision with my future label, staying true and happy. To be honest, it's already a dream for me to travel with music, i couldn't have imagined this when I started making music, and I feel very lucky and grateful about that. That's why when I go far away from France for gigs I try to stay few weeks to meet the local artists, make studio sessions, and visit, instead of taking 2 planes of 11 000km during the same weekend. It makes no sense to do this. What would you like to change within the techno scene? That the promoters propose more eclectic lineup where you can have different kind of electronic music represented, like in a « festival » way, and more spaces for minorities. And another point, that people focus on their own business and make it evolve, stop wasting time comparing themselves and waste energy for nothing, Everyone has their own path, some go faster than others, and others come down as fast as they went up, it's not a race. And especially put your ego aside. It's crazy, the number of assholes that we can meet in this environment. You should be proud of yourself, that’s true, but please, stay humble.

Three years in and now an established club with a steady following. Playful had a chat with Natalie Petek and Mark Elms, the duo behind one of Club Ost's flagships Stimulation. Stimulation has been around for a while now and is now a main player within the k!nk/s3x positive club scene in Berlin. How’s the journey been? The journey was wild to say the least. It was always our main goals to establish a community and we were lucky to have this from early on so we just continued to build on it. We worked very hard last year to build up trust with a wider audience and establish a safe space. When we started we played mostly hard techno but as we’ve grown we’ve moved away from only hard music and now the focus is less on big names and more on the people and the energy of the party. We like it upbeat, exciting, colourful and sexy. We’re comfortable with where we are at and we think people know what to expect when thinking about Stimulation. What does Stimulation bring to the table? I think we bring a lot of variety and freedom. We don’t class ourselves as just a fetish event so when you come here you come here and you will find a broad selection of people but all of them understand the space. It’s never boring. Of course we have the fetish people but there’s also the colourful characters who come month after month that make our event what it is. We like the idea of an extended, dysfunctional living room and our door policy reflects this. The social aspect is just as important as the music. What can we look forward to this summer? We are celebrating our 3 year anniversary and we are already heavy into planning for our big celebration in august. We can’t say too much but we prepare some special treats for our community also the club itself is going through some major changes until summer. Stay tuned.

By: Farah Haze Illustration: Marta Braga These past years I swapped hedonism for therapy. I had to. The pandemic shrunk my world. An orbit of daily stimuli dropped away. A newsfeed I couldn’t handle too much of slowly faded out. Joy got swallowed up by the void of video call technology. Until it was me, a few friends and our mood swings for entertainment. As they say, the only way out was in. This summer, life switches on, and my friends and I don’t have the same energy reserves. All nighters with club slime turn into evenings with natural wine, talking about trauma. There is little tethering me to my old lifestyle. I spend my time floating around Neukölln hotspots, sweating out my climate anxiety. I feel morally bankrupt. I leave a pandemic tech job I’m not proud of with no clear path back into god’s light. I stare wide-eyed at the housing crisis memes from my rent-controlled altbau and I wonder how long it is until I meet my fate as an anmeldung-not-possible Neukölln slumlord. I watch what’s going on in the world and I know we are so lucky here. One of my favourite activities this summer is ‘kiez safari’. You cycle or walk around neighborhoods, taking in people lazing out across the tree-lined streets – just the sight of it feels like a life force. But I also get the sense we are all people at brunch trying to ignore the wasps – the wasps with attitude that get in your face here as summer ends – side-eying the swarming crises and hoping they don’t sting us. I try partying again, and I feel neutered. I don’t have the same stamina. The first night out post lockdown in autumn 2021 sets the tone: I enter an event at Funkhaus to discover that of the people packed in, the average age must be 19. I see a group of boys who can’t be older than 15, giddy, looking as surprised as I am that they made it in. This is absolutely fine, it’s encouraged, we love to see the kids having fun. But I feel I have aged one thousand years in the past two. On this night I’m soon turning 30 and it spins me out. I glance around at the faces in the heaving tunnel and it genuinely pisses me off as I think, they don’t even know. They don’t even know how young they are. How depressing; I’m getting old. The timeless ‘when to leave the party’ dilemma that might hit around 30 feels accelerated by the past years, where there was no smooth offboarding from the 20s lifestyle. Nearing the end of my sad girl summer, clearly I need some fun. At the very least, drugs. I go to clubs and feel increasingly on the outside looking in, so it seems to fit the mood to swap club drugs for some psychedelic processing. I go to a hotel by a lake and munch through two grams of ‘golden teacher’ magic mushrooms. I lay down and start to experience the baggage being squeezed out of me. A long grey tube appears in my visual and I feel I’m being squeezed out along with it, the last of the mess I worked through the past years getting out of my system. At one point the image takes on a vibrant, disco-like tone. As if it’s taking place inside the giant stalls at Hasenheide fair where you win those big teddy bears that cascade among the flashing lights. The tube is now firm and pink and glittering, and there’s a lever being pushed down the length of it by two Berlin rave fairies. They are cherubic versions of the kind of people you see at Berlin Pride. I’m vibing. They hang off the lever, cigarettes casually between their fingers, taking drags and shrugging like they’ve seen it all before. People who come to Berlin to run from something, people who find an escape from it in nightlife, people who work through it in other ways, people who don’t, people who come back to the party, people who don’t. Baggage is the great equalizer. I haven't really found my way back to the party yet. I couldn’t even bring myself to for the purpose of this piece. Instead I go on club queue safari, cycling between the big Berlin institutions taking in the kids with their black and mesh and expectant glares. I say a little prayer for them – I know I am a ridiculous person – I hope they find what they’re looking for, the people at the start of a journey as I seem to be reaching the end of mine. Maybe like this print magazine (love you guys!) I’ll be back in some way. For now, that feels ok.

By: Filip Sandström Beijer With the returning party "We Are Not Alone" she's creating 30 hour (and even longer to come) lineups with techno DJs from different generations. Ellen Allien is the woman behind We Are Not Alone, a party that has been a staple of Berlin's techno scene since 2015. The event is known for its diverse lineup and open-minded program, and it has evolved over the years to become a must-attend party for techno lovers. When asked about what inspired her to create We Are Not Alone, the answer is easy. "To share techno journeys together with dope lineups and an open-minded program." This statement reflects the spirit of the party, which aims to bring together people who share a passion for techno music. Ellen Allien curates the lineup for We Are Not Alone by selecting the best techno DJs from all generations to create a colorful night. Nowadays the event takes place at Revier Sudost, a larger venue than the previous location at Griessmuehle. Even though we all know that Griessmuehle was a special place for Ellen, she's satisfied with her new location. "RSO is a bigger venue and I love the location a lot! The soundsystem is also much better and playing louder at the open air floor is now possible. RSO is an outstanding location in Berlin." The party is a place where people can dance, communicate, kiss, and smoke joints, according to the icon herself, and as frequent visitors we agree on her description. On the 11th of March We Are Not Alone is back with a 30-hour line up on two floors with a very eclectic techno vibe. Get your tickets here

By: Kristina Kirkliauskaite Kristina Kirkliauskaite speaks with four Ukrainian artists who now live and foster their music careers in Berlin. The world counts one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One year that takes forever for Ukrainians and their supporters. For some Ukrainian DJs, the war became an anger-fear-desperation-forced decision to move out of their motherland and land in Berlin – not only changing their life but also shaping a new perspective on their musical journey. In this interview, we share thoughts of ALIS , Cheka , Ruslan Mays and Travis – originating DJs from Kyiv, Zaporizhzhya, Odessa – who now live and foster their music careers in Berlin. The vibrant rave scene in Ukraine Born in different cities in Ukraine, they have mostly experienced Kyiv's electronic music scene, which can briefly be described as "incredible and uprising" by Cheka or "something you can be proud of if you're local" by Travis. Before the war broke out, Kyiv was a city that didn't skimp on clubs and festivals, inviting music lovers to enjoy a complete range of electronic gigs from venues and communities like K41, Arsenal XXII, Closer, Keller, Veselka, Drift, Brave!, Otel,, ICKPA, Cxema, Strichka, Laboratorium or Rhythm Buro. Sharing her experience in the Kyiv rave scene, Travis mentions: "The level of quality of the raves and the clubs was always so high, so every new project that appeared was following standard, and so eventually, you have a dozen sick places and events you want to visit on any given weekend." Moreover, Ruslan adds: "Before the war, Kyiv was one of the club capitals of Europe." Although the war is still happening, the Kyiv rave community puts possible effort into maintaining the scene. "Many talented people play and produce in different styles, even in wartime", – says Cheka, and ALIS. highlights: "It is my dream to play in Ukraine again since before the war, its rave scene there was only thriving along with phenomenal clubs, venues and events. All of this has a special place in my heart." Moving to Berlin after the life-changing morning The early morning of February 24th was a tragic turning point for everyone in Ukraine and their friends or family outside the country. While ALIS. has been living in Berlin since 2015, Ruslan, Cheka and Travis moved here during the first week of the war. They all share what went through their minds and hearts that fateful morning. "I was embraced by the paralyzing mixture of fear, anger and desperation. Imagine your biggest fears come true. You just couldn't stop thinking of all the worst-case scenarios. And every time I texted my parents and friends, "I hope to see you soon again", I fell into long, deep and brutal mental breakdowns. I couldn't properly eat or sleep and stay on my own for like a week or two, so I spent this time at my friends' places on their couches. I needed someone to calm me down," – says ALIS. Travis also comments: "Berlin was not my first choice of city to move to, but now it feels like the only logical choice for me. I was lost and confused. I was feeling very sorry about what was going on and also angry and disappointed. And I was watching our people hating each other over one person being able to leave and another person not being able to or choosing to stay." Further, Cheka adds: "I was lost and didn't understand what I was supposed to do next. All plans built before just turned into dust for one apparent reason. Moving to Berlin was one of the most serious and fastest decisions I ever made. It's horrifying to leave your motherland, your family and your friends in this kind of situation because we can't even imagine what it will be like tomorrow. Every Ukrainian has suffered to a greater or lesser extent, and people need to continue supporting Ukraine in different ways." "It was unexpected and forced. I understood that it would be easier in a place with friends' support. Before the war, in January 2022, I performed at HÖR at a showcase of the Ukrainian queer community Veselka. After that visit, I had the desire to come back to Berlin to play. Unfortunately, my next visit was because of the war. In March, together with my family, we came to Germany," – notes Ruslan. In between finding stillness and supporting Ukraine Settling down in another country can have a different weight on everyone. Especially when you're forced to do that. Gladly Ruslan, Travis and Cheka found their so-called home in Berlin, even under these circumstances. Travis shares discovering the sweet spot within music and Berlin's culture: "During warm sunny times, I feel really blessed, winter is tense with no snow, but then I am just trying to be as productive as I can, so it's also good. I love my place and can sit at home daily, just working with music. But then I know that when I want to return to society, I can do it easily. The people and places here are amazing." Wherefore, Ruslan says – "Berlin has become a second home. This city reminds me of Kyiv in some places with its architecture and weather." Also, adding to it, he mentions: "I remember receiving many messages from friends in Europe who offered their homes for family and me when the war had just begun. The closest city to my friends was Berlin. We also lived in Bavaria for a while and, after a little adjustment, returned to Berlin." Talking about her experience, Cheka notes the evolving music career and discovered friendships: "Right now, I'm trying to get used to living in Berlin, to find myself here even temporarily, and to grow up as a DJ, thanks to my friends supporting me here. I had friends here before the war started, and to be honest, I have moved thanks to one of them. ALIS. is also a Ukrainian DJ. We invited her to play in Kharkiv and participate in our Ukrainian tour with the collective Laboratorium, and we became really good friends." Moving to Berlin 7+ years ago, ALIS. put her focus, heart and creativity towards supporting Ukraine and all Ukrainians who were also moving to Berlin. She says: "When everything happened, I hosted 2 of my friends from Kyiv and a cat for a month in my small one-room apartment, and I think we managed to live quite sustainably together. It was quite obvious to offer help with my already seven plus years of experience in Berlin, German language knowledge and some first steps in the Berlin DJ community. Helping my close friends get bookings, guest mixes or other jobs is a natural phenomenon." Adding to that, ALIS. actively participates in fundraising parties to support those who need it the most: "Fundraising parties, EPs, merch sales, etc. make a huge difference, and I can definitely feel the power of the community. I personally collected over €6k by simply placing a donation box at parties where I played or creating a PayPal pool. The whole amount was donated to different volunteer collectives or individuals affected by the war and is reported on my IG page. I am really grateful to every person supporting us. Donating money from my fees also became a daily routine." She also has organized one fundraising party herself. Shifting to a message-driven musical journey Multiple intercultural changes and emotional roller coasters create a combination of a newly formed perspective towards many parts of life. It wasn't an exception for ALIS., Cheka, Travis and Ruslan. When it comes to music, Travis feels the war has affected her deeply: "Still, being away from my motherland has impacted everything, from music selection to how I perform. Without being too obsessive, I am kinda trying to represent as much Ukrainian music in my mixtapes and shows as possible. I started to dig a lot through Ukrainian releases, there is a lot of very crazy and cool stuff, and I am happy to see people in Berlin or Vienna going crazy over another sick dubstep track written by Kyiv homies. I want to keep working with Ukrainian projects in the future, and will definitely release some collabs too." Although coping with emotional pain, Ruslan highlights embracing and learning to express his feelings through music: "When you come with pain, it's not easy to adapt to another country and do creative work. Every day you cope with the news from Ukraine, and at the same time, the intense scene of Berlin inspires me to keep believing in music. This "bipolar life" is reflected in my creativity. I am still learning to translate all these emotions into music and performances." Cheka shares being warmly welcomed and inspired by the community in Berlin: "Despite the stress, I found people who supported me, developed in music, and started learning how to produce and support my country from abroad. I overcame my emotions, moved on to my goals, and found myself a super hard-working and strong person." Further, ALIS. notes the importance of bringing a clear message to the Berlin rave scene and the whole world – "saying "no war" is not enough now. You have to prove your words with actions" – mentioning that, she adds: "I will never share a booth with a Russian artist who hasn't shared a clear anti-war statement or done anything to support the victims. Or saying "no war" and then organising huge events or playing gigs in Russia to earn some cash, a part of which will be taxed to kill my people and destroy my home is a no-go for me, and I am not only talking about Russian artists who play in Russia now." Advice for others coming to Berlin – how to settle For more positive reflections, aka final interview remarks on their current journey, ALIS., Cheka, Travis and Ruslan share some important tips for new-coming DJs moving to Berlin. ALIS. notes the essence of hard work and learning the local language: "The only thing I'd say is that It's not gonna be easy, and you have to work really hard to achieve your goals and make it as a DJ/producer here. I genuinely recommend you try to learn a bit of German, and don't forget to take care of yourself." Cheka recommends every DJ coming to Berlin be sharply focused and work on reaching their dreams: "There are many opportunities for DJs and producers here, which is one of the reasons I moved here, and you have to be really hard-working and stress-resistant to find your place here and have a solid motivation to build your part of life outside of your home country. For me, it's a temporary part of life, I hope." Staying authentic to yourself and being dedicated to your creativity – the message that Travis sends: "In Ukraine, you might have felt much more important than you will be feeling in Berlin, and this will be frustrating for you. You will have to start from the beginning, but it's OK. Many more doors will open for you in the end. And for newbies: don't be afraid of well-known competition. In Berlin, there are as many parties as DJs. If you have something catchy, if you are original and confident, you'll be noticed very fast." Running down his personal experience, Ruslan shares his three quick tips: "Have the support of friends, establish good communication with new people in the club scene, and actively show your creative skills in music in the form of sets and tracks." How to Support Ukraine Any kind of help matters – support these organisations to stand together with Ukrainian people: Kyiv angels Charity Fund "Hugs" Save life in UA

In this weeks episode of Playful Podcast, we meet with Antigone, who is at the forefront on the French techno scene and is also seen as a leader and mentor for a new generation of producers and DJ’s. In this episode we speak about his journey up until today, compare Paris and Berlin and talk about the scene and the new generation amongst much more. Playful Podcast is available on Spotify, all Podcast Apps and YouTube. In the extra material we speak about who Antigon’s is in the studio and how he works when producing, as well as his view on goal setting. Go to Patreon.

It’s Christmas and not everyone is having a jolly time with their family. We are therefore inviting you to accompany us on Playful Podcasts Christmas episode with the amazing fetish photographer Raf Gaweda. In this episode we speak about how it was celebrating Christmas with a homophobic father, not being accepted for who you are, share tips on what to do when feeling taken down by your own family, and we also dig deeper and get to know much more about Raf and his past. From building a career that wasn’t accepted in the family, fighting through a crystal meth addiction and so much more. Playful Podcast is available on Spotify, all Podcast Apps and YouTube.

Written by: Fido Illustrated by: Ickis Mirolo My first time visiting Berlin was exactly six years ago. The main event I had planned during my stay there was an acoustic gig at this old, scenic concert hall, which I was incredibly excited about. Little did I know that the cherry of my trip would be waiting for me on a different cake. I call my first Berlin visit “my sexual awakening”. By then I already had a long list of things I wanted to try and yet no one to try them with. I guess that’s the joy of living in a small country in Eastern Europe. Where I’m from even sex is considered a taboo, let alone BDSM or ‘unusual’ kinks and fetishes. I was put in a tiny box and I couldn’t wait to break it and get out of it. I couldn’t wait to be and feel free. About two months before my trip I decided to test the deep OkCupid waters and see if I could find someone who might be into some of the things on my to-do list. My ‘research’ ended up with me meeting someone who would not only tick all these boxes but will add some more (and tick these too). He was exactly my type - painfully skinny, big blue eyes, mischievous smile and long, wavy hair. The phrase ‘He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus’ didn’t apply to him at all; instead, he was an exact copy of Jesus. Except for the fact that his brain was filled with endless ideas of torture, and his eyes were simply screaming ‘Danger!’. Fine by me - this was exactly what I was looking for. I met him on my second night there. I was incredibly nervous and didn’t know what to expect. A little (or a lot) scared too but that fear was so well mixed up with arousal that I could barely see the line. As Joey from ‘Friends’ would say, ‘the line was a dot to me’. And I loved it. My poor brain was bursting with adrenaline to the point where I didn’t even flinch when on my way to meet him, at 11 pm, the guy next to me on the subway started breaking glass bottles and had a complete meltdown. I did not care at all. I remember sharing that with my depraved Jesus and his only response was, ‘Don’t get hurt. Leave that to me.’. That’s exactly what I intended to do. We had a quick drink at this cosy, candle-lit bar close to his place in Neukölln where I tried to ease up my nerves with a pint of German beer that he chose for me. No luck there. I was overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety, arousal, fear and lust. That’s the cocktail that I was actually getting drunk on. His piercing blue eyes were staring at me and, even though he was smiling, I could sense his evil thoughts and his depraved plans for me. Right on that table he was the hunter and I was the prey. I was the scared little doe who knows that she needs to run for her life, but her curiosity and endless waves of desire keep her legs firmly glued to the floor. So, after a quick chat and a few reminders of him to finish my beer, I gave up and voluntarily fell into the hunter’s trap. When we entered his room, the first thing I noticed was a whole bunch of sex toys placed carefully on his table. Dildos, floggers, whips, a big pack of condoms and, my favourite sight, a collar and a leash. Pet play was something I really wanted to try as the whole idea of giving someone full control of my body and actions was a major turn on for me. It was kind of cute seeing that he put a real effort to facilitate it. He got a collar for me and even a cat toy that he would swing in front of me as I was on all fours. He was incredibly eager to help me explore my kinks and to me, that was mind blowing. Not long after we found ourselves in his room and I had a proper look around to check for “normal” objects (luckily, the Beach Boys vinyl and Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’ on his desk managed to calm my nerves a bit), the hunter and prey game began. I had never truly experienced intense impact play before that (spanking, face slapping and choking don’t count) and he was really mean to me, so the pain was excruciating. I took it for as long as I could before I had to use our safeword and ask him to stop. I could feel my skin breaking from the stingy flogger, and I was a crying, sobbing, whimpering mess. I hated it and loved it at the same time, with equal amounts of passion. Now, if you ask a submissive person about the things they like the most when it comes to BDSM and impact play, I’m sure somewhere along the lines you’ll hear the word ‘cathartic’. That’s exactly what this whole experience was for me. The pain from the flogger did make me cry and shake, yes, but it also provided a sweet release of all the troubles and worries I had in my head. I could let go without caring about how I would look (or sound) and to me, that was beautiful. As a bonus, the attraction and sexual chemistry I had with my sadistic OkCupid match were so powerful that, without realising, I ended up surrendering myself to him. Completely. To the point where he would flog and slap me and I would cry and shake, but then immediately calm down with each one of his kisses. As scary as this sounds, it was also extremely liberating and, at that point, I genuinely didn’t care whether I’m in real danger. What was the worst thing that could happen? I could get seriously hurt, maybe even die? I did not care at all. At least it would’ve been during an experience I was craving for for years. Plus, the cliché concept that is dying during a BDSM session in Berlin’s most hip neighbourhood sounds weirdly romantic… right? There’s something incredibly fucked up about the idea of a sadistic, depraved man, who, at the same time looks perfectly innocent, with his cute smile and his Jesus ‘outlook’. The contrast between innocence and depravity has always been a massive turn on for me and I found it all in him. From walking me on a leash around the room and giving me a milk enema (RIP to his white furry rug), to hitting me repeatedly while making me count each slap out loud with him, his hard hands were touching all my soft spots and I couldn’t get enough. It was a night of blood, sweat, spit, tears, milk and every bodily fluid possible. All of that was mixed well and served to me in the form of an experience that I’ll never, ever forget… even the fact that we fucked six times in just a few hours takes a step back compared to all the fantasies that came to life that night. An unholy cocktail I could get drunk on over and over again.

By: Alexis "Smiley" Smith Illustration: Allis Bergstrand As a human growing up in a household with little or no control over its chaotic contents, I evolved into quite the control freak myself- the queen of the grasp, the clutch, the manipulation. Monitoring the way my partner cleaned the sink, only to do it ‘right’ after they left the room. I am a hover agent, a wasp with rules. I can even control the tone and timbre of the air in a room I enter. I am so tightly wound; I wake up with my hands in fists. It’s exhausting to be in charge. Berlin is the perfect collage of a city to look, to be a searcher or a seeker. I came here four years ago as an act of some version of faith. A fool at the edge of a cliff, armed with a writer’s mind and maybe a little talent, but certainly not prepared for the labyrinth the city is…a twist of turns and tunnels, dark corners and millions of endings and beginnings. Berlin was the perfect place to embrace my old patterns of finding any sweet deliverance into a loss of control through drugs and partying. But this methodology…so tired. So tired of this easy fix. I wanted something else. There’s a complexity to the hedo-liberated psychedelic sex geometry of Berlin. If you’re open or already know who you are and what you want, let the sexual shapes begin! If you have the courage and ferocity for exploration, welcome to adventure! But, if you’re like me, and found yourself so far divorced from your own body, your own deep wet, your own map to any pleasure…you can feel like a stranger in a strange land amidst so many sex positive humans. Isolated, confused and certainly not ‘Berlin cool’. I am 43 years old and haven't had a proper fuck in ages. I haven't made love in who knows when. I am disconnected from my body. I don't know myself. Where is my g spot? What do I want? Am I pretty? No, am I beautiful? How do I cum? How to slow fuck to slow screw, to grind in a sticky wet? How to say there or there or here and here? No performance necessary. Sweet, let it be sweet, but deep and slightly dark, slighty rough. Give me back to myself, let me back in. As Rumi says, I was a hidden treasure and desired to be known. I'm looking for something, someone, but what is it? Is there a player out there that holds the key to unlock this fist inside, rolled rubber bands, hard knots? It’s time to go to the professionals. I decide to honor my inner submissive. Let’s make a death ritual for these old internal patterns that keep me from myself. My deepest gratitude to Berlin is that the city normalizes just about anything considered deviant or transgressive elsewhere. And because I have an air for the dramatic, I decide on attending Mozart’s Requiem followed the next day by an afternoon session with a dominatrix. This will be the juxtaposition to unlock, to release, to give me back to myself. The beauty of paying for an experience is the purity of transaction. Cash. No head games, no rejection. It’s a ritual. A beginning, a middle and an end. After, you’re on the other side. I won’t give you a step by step of Requiem. I’m not a music theorist or critic. However, I will tell you three things. One, I brought a fellow friend who is also a latex fetishist. She is deeply complex, totally in her power and the perfect witness and co-conspirator for a death ritual. We get stoned and dress like we’re a couple of lesbian Manhattan art dealers. Personas are best when close to the truth. Two, I paid for good seats and we switch to even better ones at intermission, fueled by the courage of Cremant. Three, I cried. I cried because there is nothing that can rival the power of insane acoustics coupled with live human singing and an orchestra. Sound and its reverberations echoed and danced and rearranged my DNA, my atoms hummed and renegotiated themselves. I died, I was born, I died again. The next day, still humming. I have the taste of Istanbul tea on my tongue as I step inside Sir Alanis Lilith Cane’s studio. Black tea with mint. Sexy. I want to be sober, present, aware. I want to remember. Sir invites me in and I enter the main chamber. I can smoke while we have a little chat about what’s to come. The room is more than I imagined. Wall to wall of things, shapes, items- some I know and can name, some I’ve never seen before. A massive upside down pentagram made of chains adorns the wall opposite to the dark wood four poster bed. Sir asks me why I’m here. I’m oddly shy and totally at home all in the same moment. I tell Sir I want to find my way back into myself, I want pain to be my guide back into my pleasure. They listen and nod and smile and their whole being is an invitation. Sir briefs me on the green, yellow and red ample system. Because this is my first time, we will take it slow and consider this a tasting menu of the dance between dom and sub. I am ready. I am shown to the bathroom where I’m told to shower and ring the bell when I’m ready. Every article of clothing I take off, every drop of water that runs down my skin is all an undoing, a cleansing, a removal of old skins and beliefs. I slip into a silk smoking jacket and ring the bell. Sir opens the door. They are dressed in a black lac dress and I can smell a deep floral musk emanating off their skin. They lead me back into the main chamber. Between the candles’ glow, the pagan-esque mise en scene and the classical music playing, I don’t know what year it is, I don’t know what time it is and I don’t give a fuck. ‘I move you. You don’t move you. Understood?’ Yes, Sir. I’m positioned standing at the foot of the bed. The robe comes off and I am naked, except for the black knee high socks I kept on for warmth. First things first. Sir adjusts my posture because it’s important that I present myself to my dom as a proud offering. We don’t slouch in this room. ‘Now turn around slowly and show me how pretty you are.’ I start to turn. ‘No, no, no. Slooowly. Take your time. Let me look at you.’ I’m struck by the intimacy between us. The power Sir holds balances my power as a gift. I am a gift. Sir calls it motivation. The nipple clamps will motivate me. What I know is that the specific pain, hyper focused on my nipples- these raw eruptions of sensitive skin now made even more sensitive with pinpointed pain- this is driving me into the moment. I am the moment. I’m only in this room. With Sir and scent and touch and that taste of mint still on my tongue. And as I’m led through the metaphorical corridors of bondage- its own twists of ropes and tightening- I am beginning to release, relax, lose myself. By the time I’m led to the bed and told to lay down, every cell in my being is at attention. Like a sentinel, like a receiver and watcher. Both. I feel my flesh warm and shatter and regain itself at every contact of the crop or flog or open palm. The dark sheets I press my face into become a black chasm I sink into with every SMACK. Sir turns me over. A kiss like a warm peach at my lips and then the blindfold. Without sight, everything is on hyper now. I hear the buzz of the vibrator. My pussy is now my eyes and ears, sensing the contact just before it actually occurs and then the warm pour of vibration through my labia, my clit, deep into my solar plexus. Those reverberations and sound find my cavern of knots and tightly wound untouched bands. I find out later that it’s called edging. With the wand, Sir takes me almost to the point of orgasm and then…stops. Takes it away. A cliff, but not I’m not a fool this time, I am standing on the edge and at the mercy of a wind, Sir is the wind, almost pushing me over and then bringing me back again. The blindfold comes off. ‘I want you to ask me if you can cum.’ I start to speak and have misbehaved. I get a spanking for that. ‘I’m not done speaking.’ I wait. ‘I am going to count down from ten and when I get to zero, you will ask me if you can cum. And if I think you’re being honest, I’ll let you cum. Yes?’ Yes, Sir. 10. 9. 8. 7… I don’t know if it’s the wand, or Sir, or my heightened senses, but I’m falling, falling as if finally my illusions of self have been undone. Not a violent fear falling, but a silk fall, a sweet release fall, down down down. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2 1… Please, Sir. Let me cum. I want to cum. Lacrimosa. This tearful day. This cry of slick wet now night. I come back into myself, I meet myself somewhere between life and death. My orgasm fills in the shadows with a diamond streak of light. I arch my back as an offering to Sir and we pour into each other. Sub and dom, a oneness of giving and receiving. The borders blurred and who gives a fuck? This, my dear, is the now pain pleasure you’ve been looking for. I’ve arrived on the other side. Sir holds me close. This is aftercare. I can smell myself. I’m leather, I’m mint, I’m musk. I’m night, I’m diamonds. I am atoms rearranged, I am a reunion. I am a perfect shattering made whole again. I am requiem in lac.

In this weeks episode of Playful Podcast we meet with DJ Rebekah to speak about her past and how heavy partying made her change the perspective and outlook on her life choices, the launch of the campaign #MeTooMusic against sexual harassments and assaults and how it’s been to carry the movement on her shoulders as well as the ripple effects it has caused, and much more. In the extra material we speak about Rebekah’s experience of what made her success hit the roof, share some tips to fellow DJ’s and producers as well as what she would tell her 20 year old self, if she could go back in time. Become a Patreon , get access to extra material, pre-releases and amazing perks such as free merch. You can also listen to the episode on Spotify.

In this weeks episode of Playful Podcast, we meet with stripper for over 20 years - Chiqui Love and speak about how she became a stripper, some lessons learned at the strip club, how and why she started Berlin Strippers Collective, how the Stripper industry has changed over the past 20 years, and some of the backsides within the scene. In the extra material we hear some entertaining stories from her days at the office. Available on Patreon.com . Playful Podcast is available on Spotify and all Podcast Apps. Enjoy!