Fritz Kalkbrenner: “Partying has become less common”

Producer, DJ and singer Fritz Kalkbrenner (43) will release his new album “Third Place” on November 1st. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the Berliner explains what lies behind the “third place”, how he looks at the younger generation in the DJ scene and whether he still enjoys being in the party scene himself.

The musician also reveals what he finds special about the techno scene in Berlin and how he sees the award for Berlin’s techno culture as an intangible UNESCO cultural heritage, which, among other things, is intended to support the preservation of the scene.

Fritz Kalkbrenner: Recognition is nice, no question, but sometimes it is also an empty shell. Of course it is an important award and appreciation that obviously extends beyond Berlin. What would be desirable, however, is that it should not remain an empty shell.

Kalkbrenner: There are also many other cities in which techno is a cultural component, whether Barcelona or Copenhagen – cultures are cosmopolitan and not location-specific. Even after these many years, there is still a very high concentration of scene in Berlin because many organizers live here, there is a large audience and of course the clubs are there – even if unfortunately there are more and more closures. The infrastructure that is against this and has been supporting itself for several decades does not exist everywhere.

Kalkbrenner: As things go, at some point the older ones are sorted out, which is completely fine, and a new generation grows up. Of course there are also stylistic things that are the new zeitgeist. If you look at the last twenty years broadly and then into other genres such as: For example, if you look at Rock, the differences there are much more striking. There are also changes in electronic music, but unlike others it is very consistent.

Kalkbrenner: There are numerous and also many usual suspects, whether Ritter Butzke, Berghain or Watergate. And why exactly these are, for me, has to do with a good booking. During the time when I went out a lot, in the end it was always the artist in the respective location that determined where I went.

Kalkbrenner: It has become less common, which has a lot to do with the time factor. In your mid-twenties, there are often significantly fewer more important things to do and more time and reserves available. For me it’s now more about class than mass, so we go to selected happenings, where we’re back with the artists who tempt us to go out again. For me, a good evening is when I go home feeling full of spirit and not artificially dragging it out until dawn.

Kalkbrenner: I don’t necessarily sense a conflict, but perhaps others are hiding something from me. There is of course a possibility that something like this exists. I don’t feel that way, even if the next generation is noticeably younger and has different starting points, but that should be viewed positively in order to broaden one’s own horizons.

Kalkbrenner: The third place is the one that forms a counterpoint beyond living and working. This can be related to creativity and community, but also many other needs. It can be many things, from a club to a local pub to a dog breeder’s club – the needs of each individual are very individual. Therefore, it is not crucial what kind of place or space this third place is, but rather that these third places continue to be animated. And yes, there should definitely be more of this, especially if you look at it across Germany, in the more rural regions and not just from the bubble of a metropolis like Berlin.

Kalkbrenner: With the release of my new album we’re not dropping the pen. On November 2nd I’ll play another release show at Metropol. I’ll most likely end the year with a show on New Year’s Eve. Hopefully in 2025 I’ll be looking forward to a lot of new music again, which in the end is my passion and work that fulfills me and fortunately it’s not something I have to be forced to do – the urge for it comes all by itself.