MyMy Talk about Berlin’s Creative ‘Bubble’

MyMy Talk about Berlin’s Creative ‘Bubble’

5 July, 2008 | 3.35AM

• Section: Music News Topics: Beatport Blog
• Written by: Amanda Connon-Unda

Nick Höppner and Lee Jones, one German native and one Londoner, along with Carsten Klemann form the trio known as MyMy.

By 2003 the trio’s music was being released on Playhouse records and was a big success in Berlin’s minimal techno scene and beyond.

To this day they continue to enjoy the creative atmosphere that Berlin’s Mitte provides them with.

In New York, the MyMy duo (who now play less often with Carsten), played an energetic expert set at Bar13.

After their set, in conversation MyMy shared their opinions on music and the Berlin scene.

When will your next release “Everybody’s Talking” come out?

Nick: July 21, 2008 on Playhouse (Playhouse 147).

Has your working relationship in producing music together evolved over the years?

Lee: In the studio sometimes we work together in the beginning and work on our own later, and sometimes we work alone and bring the stuff together at the end.

There’s no pattern, there’s no rule really.

Nick: Most of the times Lee was in charge of production because he was doing music 24-7.

I had a day job, so I had to split my time.

We are much more of a team as a live act, because we do that constantly every weekend.

But production-wise – it’s always different.

Tell me about your job between 1999 -2002 as the editor for Grooves Magazine. Did you like it?

Nick: No… I had two main reasons to quit the job – I was offered a job at a record label, and I was so fed up with my journalistic skills.

There are so many bad writers, and I thought the world didn’t need another bad writer.

I still don’t see myself as a pure musician.

I am managing a label, playing live, and producing music, and that’s how I feel comfortable – doing lots of different things.

I am happy with the set up as it is, not doing one thing 100%.

I think it’s nice to play music instead of writing about it.

It’s much more immediate.

You don’t have to talk about it, you just play the f’ing record.

Are you cynical about media coverage of music?

Nick: No. I find interviews exciting.

It’s the only situation where I am forced to think about music.

In daily life I don’t intellectualize it, I just do it.

Interviews are challenging and nice, but I am not so articulate about the music.

Beatport: With an influx of so many artists coming into Berlin in the last 5 years, do you feel the character of the city has changed? And, how so?

Lee: It’s strange.

It’s nice having this massive community – we have so many lovely dinners and parties, and there are people there who swap ideas.

But it’s getting silly – everyone is moving there.

And there’s only so many clubs in Berlin.

You know what happens to a city when it becomes aware of itself, and how trendy it is?

People start talking about themselves and the city and the scene.

It becomes very self-sustaining and it’s not about the music anymore.

There are already these trendy magazines coming out in Berlin which are just celebrating how wonderful Berlin is.

It’s getting to be like East London in the ‘90’s… It doesn’t feel as edgy anymore.

But it’s great because we have been there for years and we made friends with a lot of people already and we know the club owners already. [laughter]

Nick: If you’re an outgoing person and you have talent then Berlin is the place.

If you know what you’re doing and you have skills then you’ll find your place there.

It has grown so much and the possibilities have, too.

Everyone has a real chance to make it there.

When I moved there more than seven years ago I was thinking of riding the crest of the Berlin hype and I was expecting a backlash.

But it never happened.

First a bunch of Germans moved there and then it started to become more international.

It’s amazing.

Lee: I think it’s going to get bigger and more expensive and less German and more international.

A bit more like London, with a scene for young people.

Nick: In fifteen years a million people moved out of Berlin but more than a million moved in.

Approximately a third of the city was exchanged.

That really shows you how much change has happened.

Lee: Maybe it’s a big bubble.

The population has refreshed itself and a lot of young people moved there – all under 35, they’re in the phase of trying things and not settling down.

Nick: If you can speak of an industry at all in Berlin, then it’s a creative one.

And it’s never really connected to a certain place.

All you need is a laptop and a dsl connection and then you can get that wherever.

So maybe once the backlash starts people might move out really quickly.

You mentioned a third of the population being exchanged. Who’s currently moving out of Berlin?

Nick: A lot of the original population – mostly East Berliners, because there are no jobs.

A lot of builders, construction workers, dentists’ assistants, and regular people find jobs elsewhere and then move out.

A lot of students, hobos and creative people have moved in.

Lee: It could go incredibly wrong.

There are a bunch of young, creative and hopeful people moving, and there are no jobs there.

There’s massive unemployment, there’s no money in the city.

Some people can succeed, but not everyone.

So, I wonder if it will be a centre of starving artists instead of a flourishing community.

They are tying to attract all the media to move there, but I am not sure what’ll happen.

The reason it’s so attractive now is that it’s really cheap and there’s so much space in the city.

I am not sure it’s going to last… We’ll see.
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If you’re in Berlin be sure to check out their monthly at Watergate with MyMy + guests.
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Photos taken by PJay@nyex.org

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