Community: Ungesund
A Berlin collective shaped by friendship, love for sound exploration, and sincere intention.
The first in-depth article of the year is always a special one for me, and this year it makes no exception. It’s been a long while since I last had a community feature on here, so today I would like to introduce you to a group of passionate people from Berlin called Ungesund.
Ungesund is a music platform consisting of an event series and a podcast, created and curated by Timo (nuúm), Mario (Admos) and Elias (Elias.). I met Timo and Elias years ago as I was still living in Berlin via a mutual friend Lukas (Svar), who some of you might remember from an earlier Nachtblumen podcast. I knew right away that these guys have a big passion and very pure love for music, and we connected immediately. I have always admired their approach to music. When Timo shared with me that they are thinking of making their own contribution to the scene by creating their own platform, I was so happy and supported them from day one. I knew that they would manage to create and nurture a community of people with the same passion and excitement. Ungesund came to life in 2022, and now that the guys had a chance to gain some experiences, I thought it was time that we sat down to tell their story. I recently visited Berlin, and had a chance to meet with them in person, where I also met Mario for the first time. What follows is a portrait of three individuals—pure in intention and united by sound—who are building something with care, vision, and heart.
Introduction to Admos, nuúm and Elias and their individual backgrounds
Admos
Mario: ‘’I got into electronic music through my big brother Timo, with whom I have a 6 years age difference. He has always been a big influence to me since childhood. In our teens it was more about punk/rock, and I was a drummer for a long time too. Our dad also worked in the music industry as a sound engineer and we sometimes went with him to concerts, staying behind the booth and seeing how it all works. Electronic music came some time around the age of 14. I first started with tech house, and I did not actually start as a DJ. I started producing first. I downloaded Ableton and started turning knobs, and learned how to make music by myself. I never released music, but I kept producing and I have a small collection of my own tracks that I sometimes like to listen back to.’’ So valuable! It’s the archives that can reveal your own evolution in both skill and taste. Mario agrees and goes on ‘’Of course, that’s part of it! When I was around 15-16 years old, Timo started to organize parties with his friends in Nürnberg at a club called “Desi” and there I played my first live set. I did not know how to DJ, and I was somehow scared of it. My brother and his friends were always DJing, but I preferred to play my own music live. This went on for a while, and at some point we invited the artist Black Nakhur from Leipzig to one of our events, who had already heard some of my music and found it really good. He invited me to his event at Westwerk in Leipzig to play a live set. It was such a nice chance to do this. It was my first nightlife experience other than in Nürnberg. Funnily, that same night at this event the booker of Herrensauna was there and he heard me play, so he invited me to play on the 1st year anniversary of Herrensauna in Berlin. I was not even 18 at the time. I was even a little nervous if they’d let me in the club.’’ How interesting! I guess Herrensauna was not the same as it is today? ”Definitely not! Soundwise it was very different and a lot more techno-oriented. Such a crazy experience to play my first live set at 17 in Berlin. I had another alias (Void) at that time, and my sound has significantly changed since then of course, but I am actually glad that this set is still online on SoundCloud. That night I played only with hardware and I remember Henning Bear coming on after me and seeing 136 bpm and saying ‘wow that’s really fast.’’
Mario artistically known as Admos
I couldn’t help but laugh hearing this, as I realized how much things have changed for the past 9 years! Nowadays one could only hope to hear a techno set at this tempo, with little to no chance for it happening at most clubs, but I guess it’s all part of the cycles of constant change that we are in. Mario continues ‘’This experience and the whole weekend that also included our first time at Berghain, opened my eyes to Berlin and to this culture, and really inspired me to move here and start a life. Timo moved here first a year before and then I followed. I have been living here happily ever since.’’ I love to hear that story, and to also witness the special bond between brothers, who have such a strong connection despite a rather large age difference. Speaking of my own experience, siblings are the best, but when you share a common passion it feels so great!
‘‘When I was around 15-16 years old, Timo started to organize parties with his friends in Nürnberg at a club called “Desi” and there I played my first live set. I did not know how to DJ, and I was somehow scared of it. My brother and his friends were always DJing, but I preferred to play my own music live.’’
Having mentioned such wild parties like Herrensauna and Berghain, I always wonder how it feels for young people that are only 17-18 starting off at ‘the top of the mountain’ so to say in terms of music experience, and going forward after that? For example, I also started listening to electronic music around 13-14 years old, but due to coming from a small town in Bulgaria, my access to events and parties was so limited. I went through so many different genres and events before I even got a chance to go to Berghain for example, which once I arrived there felt like the final destination in many ways. Luckily, that is definitely not the case, and those days are well behind me, but for a moment when I saw it all for the first time I thought to myself ‘It does not get better than this.’ Mario answers ‘’In fact for me, the first club I ever visited in Berlin was ://about blank and I truly fell in love with it. After I moved here, it was still the most visited place for me, despite having Berghain and its crazy soundsystem there. I never stopped wanting to discover new places and go and experience new things.’’ That’s really cool, and I think it comes from the fact that Mario is a true music lover and a community person, who was looking for different things when going out.
nuúm
After this brief and lovely introduction, it’s time to hear Timo’s story. ‘’I had my first contact with electronic music when I was 18 in Nürnberg at a club called “Die Rakete”. I got to hear Marek Hemmann and this kind of sound, which is stuff that I still like to this day. I fell in love with the vibe instantly. I have tried other music genres and cultural movements, but with electronic music I felt like I have truly arrived somewhere for the first time. I started digging and finding my own niche and sounds that I like – deeper and more atmospheric. I was going to Rakete very often, and at some point moved to Bamberg to study. During that time I was digging, getting music, arranging playlists and thinking about playing, which led me to buy my first controller. I started to record sets, but only for myself because I simply like to create a story. At some point I started to upload them on my SoundCloud too. Bamberg is quite small with a small scene, so I quickly got in contact with other people who were into this music. Not long after that I got invited to play my first gig in a club there called “Morph”. I had a few more gigs there, but then I moved back to Nürnberg to do an apprenticeship.
Timo artistically known as nuúm
That was a moment when I already had some knowledge, and I started networking and finding likeminded passionate people. The scene there is also pretty small, but nice. Especially back then, the times before social media, where the parties and everything was word of mouth.’’ Those were the days right! ‘’Totally! At some point I even created a Facebook page, but I didn’t post anything. I played somewhere and someone who was attending would come and tell me they loved how I played, and either invite me to another gig, or would say they know someone that organizes and would like to introduce me, and that is how things started to evolve – naturally, no socials. In Nürnberg I already moved on to learning how to play with CDJs, and later on I also got turntables and started with vinyl. For about 2 years I played vinyl only! In general those years were quite busy, I played 2-3 times a month at different clubs, venues and parties.’’ That’s really cool to learn about Timo. I had known him for so long and yet I never knew that he had a vinyl only moment! New dimension unlocked! Timo continues with a cheeky smile ‘’Yes that’s right! I spent a long time shaping my sound and the way I like to play. I always loved to gather people and to create an experience for them, which was why I started hosting my own events together with friends. First we did small parties in off locations, but then we founded a collective. We did trips to Berlin and Leipzig on a regular basis, and the vibe, sound and bookings we experienced there we could not find in Nürnberg. That was the reason to found our own collective and organize events, because we wanted to bring this sound and vibe there.’’ I was wondering if they managed to succeed? ‘’Yes we did! We succeeded in a way that our events were always crowded, and attracted lovely people, that created a warm, positive and ecstatic vibe with us. I am talking about a capacity of 300-400 people. One time we booked Anastasia Kristensen before she was as popular as she is now, which somehow made us a Resident Advisor pick and there were a lot of people coming from other cities in Bavaria to attend our party. That was a special night and one of the biggest events. „For me some of the greatest feedback I have gotten was some years later from younger people, who told me that they found their way to electronic music because of our events. Some of them are now producing, others DJing, but we’ve been their first touchpoint to this kind of music and the scene that comes with it.“
‘‘I spent a long time shaping my sound and the way I like to play. I always loved to gather people and to create an experience for them, which was why I started hosting my own events together with friends.’’
I get goosebumps hearing this, because in the end that’s why we all do it! We want to make a difference in someone’s life, we want to show and share the beauty of this music. ‘’Absolutely! We definitely had our time! The project was called Minds ⌀n Edge and it lasted for about 4 years. After that I moved to Berlin, because I got accepted to study at UdK (Universität der Künste, in English University of Arts) and I just wanted to live in a bigger city. We kept doing the events back home, but we quickly realized that if we don’t live there anymore we lose the contact with the local community and things are not the same anymore.’’ Understandable, and at the same time very respectable approach! Instead of ‘milking’ a concept and turning it into a formula, a sincere approach with care and honesty towards the community and themselves, which shows the values and true passion and love towards this music. Timo goes on ‘’I wanted to start something in Berlin too, but I thought that at first it’s better to understand how things work here. I always like to use the metaphor that being a DJ in Berlin feels like being on a market – the seller that shouts the loudest gets the attention and the customers. I did not want to be like that. In Nürnberg things were organic, and happened simply because people liked my music. Maybe in Berlin it’s like that for some too, but I did not want to be the loud guy who is trying to sell himself.’’ That’s quite an accurate metaphor actually. I have never thought about it, but in fact it’s true and it’s not only Berlin, this is happening everywhere. Especially with social media entering our realm, being able to ‘sell yourself’ as a DJ or producer has become a vital ‘skill’, which often weighs over the music itself or the quality of it or both.
Timo agrees wholeheartedly and goes on ‘’I had some gigs here at the old Griessmuhle and ://about blank and at some open airs, but it did not really evolve from there. I thought that it could work organically like back home, but in order for it to happen you really have to be in people’s face here. Every weekend in the club, talking, showing that you are there, constant networking and so on, which was not my approach. I would rather keep it like it always was for me – a passion, and if then things would come up it would be nice, but I do not want to force it. I thought that maybe hosting my own events would make a difference, so I came up with the concept for Ungesund together with Lukas (Svar). But then the pandemic hit and we buried it in a drawer, but after it was all over I was still thinking about it and wanted to make it happen’’ I actually remember seeing the concept deck for Ungesund back in 2021 and I remember thinking how cool and well thought through it was. The guys had thought about everything and it was ready to go out in the world.
Elias.
It was a good moment in our conversation to pause and first hear Elias’ story before we delved into the depths of Ungesund. ‘‘I was born near Passau, Bavaria, and my father originally from Greece came to Germany in 1985. He ran a restaurant near Passau for 25 years and still lives in Bavaria. Greece is my second home - I visit at least every year to see my grandmother also frequently with my two smaller siblings and of course my dad. I got in touch with electronic music unknowingly when I was around 5 years old, but I did not understand what I was hearing. My parents are quite young. They had me in her 20s, and my mother at that time was listening to electronic music and similar genres. She had these tapes and CD´s, and we always listened to music all the time in the car when she drove me around. Even pop music back then was kind of more electronic. My mom loved that stuff and of course it influenced me too, but I took another decision because you may know, when you are young what your parents listen to is not cool, and you want to be cool, but maybe later you actually end up getting back into it.At around 13-14 years old things turned again. On the one hand my friends were all still in their hip hop era and I wanted to be part of the group, but on the other hand my friend Belal gave me some CDs with sets by Alexander Kowalski, Sven Väth and Carl Cox. It was in 2003-2004.’’
The classics! Those were names from my early days back in Bulgaria too, as these kinds of artists were already really popular and some of the few that would be invited at major events where I could go. Elias goes on ‘’You know it comes again to the same thing. You listen to that stuff and you barely understand, but you somehow develop a nice connection. I ended up listening to these sets on the CDs so many times. I still have them at home to this day! My friend Belal, who gave them to me, is still one of my best friends now 24 years later. Back then he was my only reference to electronic music. He was already DJing with 13, first hip hop but quickly moved on to electronic music. He taught himself with a midi controller, and we would chill together and play together. The years went on, and he moved to Munich and was telling me that there is a really good scene going on there. Whenever I had the chance to visit we went out a lot actually. Mainly to the old Harry Klein, which was at Ostbahnhof.
Elias Philipp artistically known as Elias.
We saw acts like Dario Zenker, Speedy J, Dubfire and more. In the small club they were all great, playing amazing stuff and the crowd & staff was super friendly. We also went to the first events at the Hammerhalle where Chris Liebing performed. We took every chance we could to listen to new artists and this kind of music we never listened to before, and eventually around 2008 I discovered an old set from Sven Väth again, where he played a track by Maurizio. It was the track M-4.5, super long track, an endless loop and I thought to myself ‘Jesus what’s that actually?! When I produce music I want to do exactly this kind of stuff!’. First I tried Fruity Loops, but after some days I lost patience and realized that this software is not for me.’’ I have heard that from other artists too, an overwhelming interface. Elias goes on:
‘’We kept going out and absorbing as much as we could, and I bought my first midi controller when I was around 18 years old. Things started to develop a bit, also Traktor software got an upgrade. Things were more accessible for people who didn't have that much money or who did not want to spend so much on their first gear. Eventually, I bought gear, created a setup, started digging a lot, taught myself how to do everything, and played a lot of music. I had a small cellar, and actually for about 2 years every single day I spent hours and hours there practicing and learning and just living with music.’’ Basically the first studio! So cool! ‘’Yes it was my first studio! In 2013, I decided that I was ready to get back to producing and started with Ableton. The same intensity and energy I invested in DJing, I did for producing too.’’ That’s respectable! It’s a passion rooted in real love for the craft—a rare mix of discipline and devotion. It also requires a special kind of character and determination to pull it off!
‘’I skipped much of my social life. Yes I went to parties, but instead of going for meetings with my friends or other things different than party, I was always back home producing.’’ I was wondering if he regrets that approach? ‘’Not at all!’’ I bet that when you do something that you love, it does not feel like missing out on something else. ‘’There were 2-3 years where I worked a lot and I was so happy. My first vinyl release was in 2016, which still sounds quite fresh even today.’’ I am not surprised with that, because one thing I could say about Elias’ music is that it stands the test of time. It strikes the perfect balance between minimalism and deep evolving soundscapes accompanied by textured basslines and dreamy atmospheres. Mario and Timo agree with me and Elias goes on.
‘‘I skipped much of my social life. Yes I went to parties, but instead of going for meetings with my friends or other things different than party, I was always back home producing. There were 2-3 years where I worked a lot and I was so happy. My first vinyl release was in 2016, which still sounds quite fresh even today.’’
‘’As time went on, I was almost 28 and I decided to take a chance and move to Lisbon. I released another EP, this time on Analog Solutions, Eduardo de la Calle’s Label. We became friends and it took off from there for me. When I moved to Portugal I changed a lot on a personal level. I went out and approached people. I went to record stores and talked to people. I went out of my comfort zone a lot. It was a new world for me. I contacted a guy called Lile via Messenger and introduced myself shortly and shared that I am freshly landed in Lisbon. He was really amazing and instantly said ‘Come to the Ministerium Club I need to introduce you to two people’ – Nuno (VIL) from Hayes Collective and Nuno Ramos. They became both some of my best friends to this day. We had such a fun night together and talked about music so much, and the next day I was still in awe of what had happened. VIL, he introduced me to everyone there.
Nuno Ramos called me again and invited me to his studio and things went from there also on a deep personal level. I went to his studio almost every week and he taught me about gear and how to use an Oberheim OB6, Yamaha Synths and Tape Machines etc. In that year I got so much knowledge.‘’ Sounds like it was a big transformation! ‘‘Local Promoters from Lisbon invited me to play and treated me like a local. It was amazing and I am deeply grateful for the time.
I wonder if Portuguese culture had something to do with that too? I mean, people within electronic music are always very open and welcoming, no matter in which country, but pair that with the warmth of a southern country like Portugal. Could it have been also a reason for such a warm welcome? Elias answers ‘’Probably! I know the culture from Greece, it’s pretty similar to the Mediterranean approach. It was easy for me, but on the other hand I had done so much in advance already, so that was maybe somehow also the return.’’ Of course! He absolutely put in the work first, which was then recognized. People can be welcoming, but if there is no talent and no hard work or substance to back up the words, it stops pretty soon.
‘’Eventually a lot had to do with my own personality, because I opened up a lot and started to talk to people. With Nuno (VIL) for example, it was such a match on a friendship level it goes much beyond music. He pushed me a lot in a good way, and gave me great advice like for example to play my own music in order to understand better what I have produced. Somehow I started to make more music and I ended up releasing on Hayes. That EP actually is a reflection of my time in Portugal. The opening track ‘10.26’ is the day I met my partner, a week after I met both Nuno`s and so on. The whole EP has so much meaning. I stayed there for a year altogether and decided to move to Berlin for private reasons. From a work perspective I am actually an accountant, so professionally it was easier for me to develop in Germany as opposed to a country where I don’t even speak the language. I also wanted to live together with my partner Mica who is from Argentina, so in Germany at least one of us knows the language. It was end of 2019 and then Covid came anyway and things started to freeze. To sum up the Portugal chapter, it was also the first time I had actual gigs. My biggest one was the 3rd Anniversary of the Vertice Party playing alongside VIL, Drumcell and Nuno Ramos Live. Since I left, I return there once a year. I keep my friendships and it’s my third home. The last two or three years I applied a lot into production. I am making a lot of effort to constantly step out of my comfort zone and work a lot. Finding my own ways how to sound unique but also to keep things fresh.’’
I have deep respect for Elias when it comes to venturing out of his comfort zone and really sharing that openly with me. It is one of the hardest things to do as a person no matter what the context is, but it is such a vital ingredient for growth. In the artistic context, it can lead to new inspirations, new points of view, clarity, enhanced creativity and so much more! Chapeau for people like Elias who make it their mission to incorporate this approach, and to overcome the difficulties that come with it in order to be able to enjoy the rewards of this hard labour! ‘’There is one more thing that I want to mention in this context. My partner and my mother are so supportive in this entire process. At first, my father wasn’t very familiar with techno and electronic music or what I was doing, but over time, he came to understand it and what it means to me. Their support means a lot to me. ’’ Invaluable! Family is everything and I’m glad that it plays such a big role in Elias’ life too. After hearing the personal stories of each member of the collective, I start to piece together even more how the combination of their unique individual experiences make up this lovely symbiosis that we can feel coming from Ungesund.
The moment that Ungesund met and sparked a connection to become the team they are today
Timo already hinted a little at how the idea for the project came about and what the relationship was between the three of them, but I was wondering if there was this special moment, you know the ‘’right person at the right time at the right place’’ kind of situation that led to forming the team as it is today? Timo replies ‘’As I mentioned before, Elias was a friend of Lukas also, so we have been hanging out for a while before the idea for the concept was even there. As soon as the idea was born we actually shared it with him, because he had also mentioned that he would love to start a collective or platform, or do events. From then on Lukas kind of retired and we remained with the two of us. We discussed if we were still up to do this, which we were, and I thought that I’d love to involve Mario, so we asked him and he agreed. That’s how our team was born!’’
Sounds like a natural progression of things, which is always the best way to start a venture like that! Before we move on to how it actually went down with the events and the platform, I wanted to talk a bit about the concept. Timo is in fact a marketing professional like myself, and he was the one that created the entire brand identity, the name, the concept and visual identity behind Ungesund. As the name of the organisation is provocative, challenging and slightly paradoxal, I wanted to know the idea behind it. For non-German speaking readers the direct translation of ungesund is ‘unhealthy’.
As I ask this question, Mario challenges me to answer first what ‘ungesund’ means to me. I am a little biased because I have seen the initial concept a long time ago, but I try to articulate. To me they chose this name to make a point about electronic music culture and the prejudice that society has against it. People that are not in it or know it, associate electronic music with the stigma that comes from mainstream media, that this is a place for the unsuccessful people that associate only with substances and escapism in the worst form, trying to avoid being a functioning part of society. While it pains me that I cannot deny that there are people like that in our wider community, a big part of it couldn’t be further from this. There are many people who are healthy in every sense of the word contributing in a healthy way, and doing things out of passion, love and heart. For me Elias, Mario and Timo are an example of that kind of presence, and I believe that they are trying to make people aware that the things that are perceived ‘unhealthy’ are in fact not entirely, and it all depends on how you decide to participate in this community. I wonder if I got that right? Mario laughs and says ‘’Pretty much yes! I always like to ask this question, because sometimes even friends were unable to tell what was the idea behind it, and did not perceive it the way we intended.’’
Artworks and layouts by Timo
‘‘You are going out and that is some sort of a ‘’deal’’ that you are making with yourself. There is so much that allows you to ‘flee your hamster wheel’ and daily routines. You know why you are doing it, and you keep on doing it because it gives something to you. We wanted to choose our name based on that thought to also provoke people to think about both parts of the deal, not only the good one, but also not only the bad one. ‘‘
I think the way that the visual identity unfolds is quite a clever way to reveal the meaning of the concept. The way that we have the blurred ‘un’ in the beginning of the word poses a question, is it gesund? (healthy) or ungesund (unhealthy)? Timo goes on to explain ‘’There are several thoughts and meanings behind it actually. First of all, we did some sort of observation of the scene here. To us it felt that the majority of the techno events here in Berlin all look the same. They have quite similar visual styles – trippy or industrial, dark colors. To me that was an unhealthy development because it's really not the spirit that the scene was founded on – diversity and acceptance. Secondly we wanted a German name that is easy to pronounce and remember, but that is also provocative. The last and deepest thought that we had was actually centered around what you said. You are going out and that is some sort of a ‘’deal’’ that you are making with yourself. You go out and it starts with skipping a night where you don’t get sleep, maybe you drink alcohol or smoke and even consume substances and all that is unhealthy for you and you know that. Maybe you don’t think about it but you know it, but you also get something out of it. The things that you get out of it are social interactions, inspiration, relief, new friendships. There is so much that allows you to ‘flee your hamster wheel’ and daily routines. You know why you are doing it, and you keep on doing it because it gives something to you. We wanted to choose our name based on that thought to also provoke people to think about both parts of the deal, not only the good one, but also not only the bad one. That’s how we continued with the visual identity also. We first wanted to break the status quo and use a lot of colors. The main idea is always to have an unhealthy product that is metaphorically standing for the unhealthy part, but then it's put on a bright and colorful background that stands for the positive things that you get out of it.’’ Mario adds ‘’That same approach is applied to the logo too. ‘UN’ which is same as in English and makes the negative of a word is blurry, but the gesund, which is the good part, is clear and present.’’
The way it sounds to me is that this concept invites people to make their own choices about how they participate in the scene and how they put their own boundaries to every aspect of it. Almost a moment of re-evaluation. In Berlin specifically I know how it can very quickly escalate from the gesund to the ungesund, and it takes a strong character to notice that and make the rational choice. I also relate to the desire to be different in a sea of industrial darkness. It was at that moment that I shared with the guys what Nachtblumen means to me, and why I chose to break from the traditional visuals and just do my thing and express myself in my way. It feels good to do what you want rather than what is expected!
The development of the platform, the events and the formation of the wider Ungesund community
With that it is time to transition to the events and dive deeper into the development of the platform. All three artists already mentioned that they had a special connection to ://about blank, and it seems like a natural progression that they held most of their events there. I wanted to know was there more to it? Timo started ‘’For many years that was my favourite club, and I had the best times there. When we sat down to think about what would be the best place to host our concept, we all came to the conclusion that it has to be at ://about blank! Elias knew the booker and set up a meeting for us to present our concept. We got our first date there on a Thursday together with another Berlin collective – Entourage Concept. They hosted the lobby and we curated the MDF. It was a really nice party with around 600 attendees on a Thursday.’’ I’m instantly triggered by this number especially for a day like Thursday, and I had to ask how did they manage that? For a new organisation that is hosting for the first time on such a difficult day that’s quite a lot. Mario swoops in ‘’We cannot forget that it was a collaboration, that’s why we took the chance.’’ Timo expands on his reply ‘’I think what played a role was that it was something new. We thought that our artwork was also quite bespoke and intriguing for people to check it out. Reka (the booker at ://about blank) even kept the poster and hung it up in her flat after, which we thought was super nice. Additionally, the magic of the first time was there. Almost all our friends came to support us too. From then on we started to host events every 2-3 months and we did them entirely on our own without other collectives involved.’’
I wonder how things developed in the following editions? Timo continues ‘’The amount of people decreased. The second party was one of my top 3 that we did there. We invited Deluka and Kameliia, and at that time she was not very well known as opposed to now. I mention that to explain that our wish really came true – we just found an artist that we liked and invited her regardless of how famous she was. With the following events we sadly got less and less guests for different reasons. Firstly, there was a difficult campaign against ://about blank as a club. Secondly, it was hard that our events took place on Thursdays. We really wanted to attract a mature crowd but of course most of these people have to work on Friday. We gave it a lot of fair chances, but since we were not able to get a weekend day to host, we had to take the difficult decision to stop hosting there. Before we ended things at ://about blank, in parallel we started to host events in an off location in Neukölln. I normally do not like to use this word, but in this case it’s true, it’s a very underground location.’’ Don’t I know it! As a former resident of Neukölln I can confirm that some parts of this neighbourhood are as underground as it gets.
Trailers by Simon Hahn, IG @latenight.lasagna
Timo continues ‘’Definitely! It’s very DIY, not a real club or anything, but hosting these smaller intimate events really showed us what we are actually going after. We were able to host on weekends, there is an amazing soundsystem, we love an intimate atmosphere, we have the freedom to invite any kind of artist – big or small, it doesn't matter as long as we love the music. In general for the off-location events we wanted to have a different approach. We didn’t want to announce the line up, we just wanted people to trust us and invite friends who are quality artists but not known to play. It all came together this way for us.’’ Elias and Mario nod with excitement and agreement and Mario shares further ‘’When we were hosting in a club, we had the pressure to book headliners in order to make sure that we will have visitors.’’ Elias adds ‘’If you go to a club and do everything ‘proper’ you also have the preparation phase, which can last months in advance. The promotion, the communication and the pressure. You have a lot of workload that comes on top and can be much especially if you have a full time non-music related job next to that.’’ Absolutely! Especially when you do things professionally and with care. It can sometimes be nice though, if there is a good connection with the artists that you invite on both a music and human level. Elias agrees and goes on ‘’Luckily we always worked with amazing artists that we connected well with, but as a promoter you still have a big responsibility. For us the weekdays were just not doable in the long term.’’
Photography by Daniela Da Cruz
For me this progression sounds quite right. All three of the guys are in fact community-oriented people and artists. They come from small communities, they have experience with creating communities, and even though their event started in a club, they got back to their roots and found what works for them. To me that is a great example of a community-based event and it is one of the reasons why I sit with them here today to share their inspiring story. It takes courage to stop and evaluate and accept that maybe a certain situation does not fit at the moment, but it is not per se that in the future there won’t be a club that could provide conditions that allow for the concept to unfold more. It makes me very happy that their passion made them persist and find a way to keep doing what they love in a way that they love and that makes them happy. In the end every organizer should keep doing things because they are fulfilled. The moment that your project takes more energy from you than it gives, is a sign that maybe it does not make so much sense anymore. They all smile at me and enthusiastically agree. Mario shares:
‘’Every time that we hosted at an off location, we came back together and said to each other that we actually had so much more fun doing this.’’ Timo adds ‘’We could also enjoy the night ourselves without all the pressure whether or not people will show up to fill the room.’’ Elias says ‘’Also when it comes to performing. For example when I have the closing slot at a club event, by the time it comes I am often exhausted from all the work that I have done the whole day and night during the event.’’ Mario adds ‘’We used to do everything ourselves at ://about blank including things like the door and ticket sale in shifts. It could also happen that you might get stressed by seeing that the room is nearly empty by the time it’s time for the closing.’’ Timo goes on ‘’That’s why for us our last event in our off location in April was so wholesome. We felt that this is it for us – small venue with an intimate vibe, hosted without any pressure. If normally you need a minimum of 300 people to create a vibe, here the room is packed with 100-150, and there is no stress. We love that we can make the rules and truly see who our community is. In a club you still have the regular crowd of it, and the tourists, but at this venue it is only the people that truly come for our concept and we can really say this is our community.’’
Artworks and layouts by Timo
The sound aesthetic of Ungesund
Having had a peak into their organizing experiences, I wanted to steer the conversation towards the sound that the organisation stands for and is trying to promote. All three artists are quite different and have their own sound identities rooted in different inspirations. Somehow there is a point at which they intersect, but I think it can be both a challenge and something really great having a team with different sound directions that curates line ups and the podcast series. For example, Mario (Admos) is leaning more towards deep and experimental textures, Timo (nuúm) loves a minimalist Detroit sound and approach, and Elias I only know as a producer where he demonstrates very big dub influences. They laugh and share ‘’Actually Elias probably plays the hardest of us as a DJ.’’ He goes on to comment ‘’Yes that’s true! Even though I have different phases. I don’t play fast, but I play with substance. When I produce I make music that I like to listen to. This is where a lot of people are clashing somehow.’’ But that’s great right? Just because an artist puts one way of expression out there, it does not mean they don’t have different interests. It’s cool to be able to express yourself in more than one way as an artist. Timo continues ‘’In fact we are all inspired from various music genres, and different niches of electronic music. To kind of describe our sound and music approach with Ungesund, we have put it into words. We say that Ungesund is deep, dub and Detroit sound, and that is the bandwidth. That kind of resonates with our own bandwidth of what we like to listen to and play. Of course there needs to be some sort of a ‘red thread’ that you are representing. For instance, what I wouldn’t want to do is to say ‘Let’s have an all night house music event.’ That’s not what we stand for. Our ‘red thread’ is techno and from there it can go in different directions – breaky, deep, dubby, Detroit, faster, slower… as long as it has soul to it. When you listen to our podcast series that we curate, you can definitely recognize the bandwidth. It’s kind of a similar aesthetic, but there’s a variety with different niches, styles and moods.’’
‘‘Our ‘red thread’ is techno and from there it can go in different directions – breaky, deep, dubby, Detroit, faster, slower…as long as it has soul to it. When you listen to our podcast series that we curate, you can definitely recognize the bandwidth. It’s kind of a similar aesthetic, but there’s a variety with different niches, styles and moods.’’
I totally understand and agree with this approach. It’s good to have an overarching idea, but it’s also good to not be stubborn and stuck with only one thing, but rather evolve and discover and in our case educate people in the different dimensions that there are within. I wonder how they choose the artists that they want to invite to the platform. Timo answers ‘’It’s artists that we personally like soundwise, and that we have some sort of relation with. Artists that you can actually approach. Mostly Elias is the one that invites artists and leads the communication after we brainstorm. What we also like to do for a podcast is to ask artists that have already played at our events for example.’’
‘‘What I am missing is a more professional approach and eagerness to work together rather than something musically.’’
Hearing all that I couldn’t help but think if there was something that the guys were actually missing in the local scene in terms of sound or events? Berlin has an abundance of offerings, each one crazier than the next sometimes, and it could be hard to actually miss something that you want to experience musicwise. Mario answers ‘’There are not that many dub events in Berlin anymore actually.’’ Timo adds ‘’What I am missing is a more professional approach and eagerness to work together rather than something musically. We could see it in the communication with different clubs’’ ‘’Or with bookers’’ Elias adds. Timo continues ‘’You wouldn’t expect that from a city and scene like Berlin. What I’m also missing is that clubs and promoters would work more together. For example, as a club you have a bigger reach, and sometimes if you give a chance to a smaller promoter you should also push them and help to create a community or a healthier economy within the scene.’’ I guess that’s the ideal world that we all hope for. In my experience, whether you are in Berlin or another country or city, these things are kind of universal and the only thing we can do, as cheesy as it sounds, is to be the change that we want to see. To make different choices which could potentially inspire others to also dare to make such, and hopefully over time a chain reaction could transform the current situation and improve it, especially for up and coming artists, agencies, bookers, promoters, producers and everyone who is just starting with a lot of motivation and pure passion. In the end even the famous and successful people were once in the position of a beginner and what helped was simply getting a chance.
The Portuguese chapter
After discussing their Berlin endeavours, I couldn’t miss to ask about a couple of cool events that Ungesund hosted in Portugal in the summer of 2024. Now that I know that Elias has left a piece of his heart in that country alongside many friends, it makes more sense to me how they got there as a collective in the first place, but I still wanted to hear the full story.
Timo starts ‘’It kind of evolved because I went to Waking Life with Mario. On the other hand, Elias was already having discussions and thoughts about possibly doing something in Portugal, so we decided to build a whole plan around that time. He reached out to his friends, and my partner at the time Daniela is also from Portugal and had some contacts there. So in the end we got the chance to play three gigs. One was at ‘Alinea A’ – a cultural platform that does streams, a bit similar to Hör but a lot more curated and underground. They are two really nice guys that are doing it, who share our values and vision for music. They put so much effort, time and passion into it, it’s amazing. All three of us performed. Then we had a showcase at Gare in Porto.’’ That’s a legendary location! How did it go? Mario says ‘’Not as full as our showcase in Ministerium in Lisbon, but still very nice! It was a very long dancefloor, and even though we did not fill up all of it, the light technician actually did magic with the lights and made it comfortable for the crowd and for us, and the vibe was amazing.’’ Timo shares ‘’What was really nice about the Portugal events was that Elias and Daniela already knew so many people and before the party we already had 20+ people in our Airbnb having some drinks and a social moment. We then moved on together to the club and it was a strange feeling that we are in a foreign country, but it felt like we already have some community there! That was the showcase at Gare. After that we drove to Lisbon, and Ministerium was really full. Almost 600 people. We only curated one floor and it was just the three of us playing. In Gare we invited one other artist called A Thousand Details who played a live set, but in Lisbon the focus was only on our sound. It was a really nice night!’’
Wow that sounds like a mini tour almost! How cool! I wonder if this helped to improve the growth and visibility of the platform? Of course there were already many connections over there, but going to a new place gives the hope that there would be a positive impact in terms of people discovering you after that night, maybe more engagement on social or SoundCloud? Timo shares ‘’It’s hard to say.’’ Mario continues ‘’What was worth a lot to us was that there was this one couple that celebrated their wedding anniversary at our event at Ministerium. They shared with us that they were curious after checking RA and seeing our event. They were front row the whole time having the time of their lives, and were also from Tbilisi showing the Bassiani logo on their phone screen and later on said to us that we would totally fit to play there.’’ Timo says ‘’For us that was great feedback because obviously Bassiani is an incredible club and ravers that go there truly know good music, so hearing that they enjoyed us playing was quite nice. What I also really liked about our Portuguese experiences was that the scene there is of course smaller, but a lot more about supporting each other. It reminded me of Nürnberg, where even unknown artists have a chance. We are a small collective from Berlin and not a lot of people know us in Portugal, but they still gave us a chance because they like what we do and they don’t care about how many people we would bring. Everything is more organic, people are more approachable, the artist handling was also more connection-focused than business-focused.’’
Photography by Timo shot at Gare, Porto
Photography by Timo shot at Ministerium, Lisbon
‘’When you peel the layers though locally, of course there is a business side to it too! You also need that side because it keeps things professional. Imagine that you pay a fee and the artist never shows. Business keeps the security around everything.’’
Elias continues the thread ‘’That’s what I was saying earlier when I talked about my time in Portugal. For example Nuno (VIL) he is established as a DJ/Producer, in fact he was first a drum & bass DJ since ca. 2008. In Berlin it can happen that if you meet a famous DJ, the approach is that I wouldn’t really bring them anything so why even bother to connect. In contrast, when I met VIL, it was so nice and he actually integrated me there without even knowing me. He brought me everywhere, including to his family and friends. So approachable and warm!’’ That’s so sweet and lovely to hear. What the guys are saying is true, but let’s not forget that the grass is always greener on the other side. Once you are living there in that reality, probably other challenges come, but still it’s about finding those nice people that you can really connect and build something with. I was curious if there is going to be another edition of Ungesund in Portugal in 2025? Timo says ‘’Well, we are going to Waking Life again so let’s see! There are also other clubs than Gare and Ministerium, so let’s see how the plans will form!‘’ I sincerely hope for the guys! They already set foot there so to say, and have made lovely experiences and connections, so it would be amazing to continue building on that. Timo adds ‘’Yes and we also have a lot of Portuguese artists on our podcast series, and as I have said the scene there feels natural to me and I love to explore that.’’ Elias adds ‘’When you peel the layers though locally, of course there is a business side to it too! You also need that side because it keeps things professional. Imagine that you pay a fee and the artist never shows. Business keeps the security around everything.’’ Of course! There will always be some sort of business as long as there are people who devote making a living to this. It’s important to keep a healthy economy in the scene, where everyone gets compensated for their work and time.
Future plans, hopes and dreams
I am slowly approaching the end of our conversation so I make a shift towards Berlin and ask what follows next there? Timo shares ‘’We would love to try and find another club to try again in a set location, but hopefully more intimate. Until then we will keep doing our events at our off location. Unfortunately due to high demand, the available dates there are very limited.’’ That’s totally fine though right? Having a few, but quality nights that encompass everything you want to do and feel wholesome in every way – crowd, sound, artists, vibe is way more valuable than having more events where things don’t necessarily go that way. The guys agree collectively and Mario adds ‘’I guess that way also our community would truly be excited and show up!’’ Absolutely! This limitation would actually bring the organisation forward in my eyes. This conversation happened at the end of 2024, and the guys had one last event planned at the off location. Timo shares ‘’Actually for our last event for the year, our third brother Nick (Kurier) would be opening the night! We are excited because he is 10 years younger than me and he is now in his discovery phase, and we are happy to have him on board! He really found his own sound and niche and we are so proud’’ Mario smiles and agrees! Wow! To me it was already a miracle that there are two brothers that are equally passionate about this, but a third! That’s a nice surprise, and I am very happy for all that they are able to share their love for music together behind the booth and on the dancefloor.
‘‘We would love to try and find another club to try again in a set location, but hopefully more intimate. Until then we will keep doing our events at our off location.’’
Photography by Daniela Da Cruz
Since Elias is a producer who is often releasing music, it was high time I asked about his upcoming releases and what he is most excited about! ‘’There is a lot actually! I have an EP called ‘’Resilience’’ with Volpe on a.r.t.less, the sub-label of Mojuba Records. I just released an ambient album on CD and vinyl, where I used 90% field recordings. It blends nature and ambient. My process with this album was long. First, I handpicked every field recording, edited and made it possible to listen and named after different places. If I have the time I color them too normally. I collected sounds of water, nature and the most present sound is the heartbeat of my girlfriend actually. I always bring my recorder everywhere with me. I had about half a year worth of recordings to process and go through. After I choose the recordings I mix them, layer them, cut and process. I sometimes add some pads and some short waves. There is a Dutch university that transmits all the short waves. I included some stuff from there and it was really a lot of work. I released the album under a different alias (user.exp). Which might never come up again, but I wanted to dedicate it to this ambient project. Very soon I will release music together with Divide from the Label Evod called “Physarum LP” on Tremsix - Jonas Kopp’s Label - with great remixes from Alexander Kowalski, Jonas Kopp & Oisel. I have another EP coming on Mosae Recordings from Maastricht. There is a track on a VA on Flash Recordings, Florian Meindl’s label. Additionally, a full EP is also in the making with Florian. Markus Suckut got a new EP on Odd Even, where I participated in two tracks, and another LP on CD in Spring 2025 which will be released on Ranges, where I released an EP called “FM Therapy” last year.
I am so impressed by this release schedule! It’s honestly amazing how many individual but also collaborative releases Elias has coming up, and I wish him to always be this busy with amazing projects! Timo comes in ‘’I think this is so well deserved. It’s really a skill that I highly appreciate – being able to produce dub techno which is kind of very similar, but every track sounds so different! Elias uses our Ungesund SoundCloud account to upload his projects, and every time I am checking there are always tons of new tracks that I really enjoy to listen to.’’
As there is one more producer in the room I turn to Mario with questioning eyes and a smile in anticipation of hearing from him on the subject. ‘’I studied audio engineering actually. I always held myself back, but I needed to learn how to mix and master my own music before I think about releasing. I wanted to have my first release independently, and not for a specific label. I have a bunch of music laying around, and I am working on a live set.’’ I am curious what is the sound dimension that he is leaning towards in both the live and possible releases? ‘’I actually have two aliases currently. Admos is aimed more at techno, and the other - Unison Scheme - I dedicate more to experimental music. Right now I am planning to do an ambient live set and combine it with smells. This is something you don’t find out there as an experience. The idea is to play 10 to 12 ambient tracks which have field recordings in them. Basically sonic spaces that you get transported to, and then you’d smell something that relates to the sounds that you are hearing, which makes the experience more immersive. I got really into the world of smells after a deep research. I ordered not the usual oils that you get in shops, but the actual chemicals that smell like for example freshly cut grass, or rain, or the ocean. It was really hard to get those I must say, as they're pure chemicals. Basically the raw materials that are used in perfume making.‘’ I am absolutely amazed as I never heard of a concept like that! I lean in eagerly to hear more about the actual event experience.
‘’The only way to do this properly and as immersive as possible is to do it in a very tiny space, as the reach of the diffusers is not that big. I would first have to create the mix of smells in advance and measure that each bottle would last exactly as long as the duration of the track that it belongs to. As the track transitions, the smell should also transition. I have already tried it at home and I know that it works! I came up with the idea, because years ago I went to Gropius Bau (a great gallery in Berlin, dear readers make sure to visit next time you are in town) and there was this Austrian artist who had this one room full of pipes – something like 60 or 80 pipes. It was without music, but it was all about the smell. It was like a big suction that would change the air in the room every 5 seconds. This was so impressive to me, because it was so unique and you really had to be there to experience it, recording it wouldn’t work. I also think that smell is kind of an ‘underrated’ sense in humans, but in fact it can be so powerful - it evokes memories, emotions, feelings and combined with music it would be really crazy. When it comes to the music itself, I would like to not only focus on drones, and classic ambient pads and chords, but also incorporate the sounds that are associated with the smell. For example, you’d hear birds and wind, and then the smell of forest would come up.’’
A true crossover between art and music. Sign me up! I love that honestly, and I really wish Mario the best of luck with this endeavour and I hope that soon it will come to life! I already knew that the guys have a passion for art in addition to music, for example Timo is also a great photographer in his free time, but I love to see how everything makes a full circle and somehow gets incorporated in what they do.
With that we have reached the end of our lovely conversation. Honestly, I could talk to these guys for hours, as they are so pure and passionate and kind! There is a lot I can learn from each of them, and I am so glad I had the chance to invite them to share their story. I hope all you dear readers can take inspiration and motivation to pursue your dreams and projects the way that Timo, Mario and Elias do! Ungesund isn’t just a name or a series of nights—it’s a reminder that even in a city full of sound, sincerity still resonates. I am happy to be part of the their community and to contribute to it with this feature. There is one last treat for you dear Nachtblumen, which is a live set by Mario, which has been once performed at one of their events, but now he re-recorded it exclusively for this feature with some new tweaks and changes. It’s dynamic, it’s textured and wildly polyrhytmic, it’s truly unique and like nothing else that I have ever released. Enjoy the crazy sound design and complex rhythms he prepared for you and till next time!