BERLIN: Tresor Records

2001 has seen the legendary techno club/record label Tresor's tenth year anniversary. In the shadow of the newly refurbished Potsdamer Platz celebrations took place in an old vault of the Wertheim department store in true Tresor underground style. Europe's most famous techno institution blended the Detroit sound of Jeff Mills & co with European acid house elements. Perhaps another factor joining Detroit and Berlin was the gloomy atmosphere of the two cities. Even today Berlin techno sound seems slightly darker compared to Frankfurt or Munich. The first Jeff Mills solo albums are milestone classics in their own right, inspiring new producers and converts. The club DJs are a raft of established names open to sound experimentation. The Tresor club and record label combination works well for many DJ producers. At first nobody understood Brighton-based Christian Vogel's unusual sets. Now the club is packed when Christian plays his sounds, which have been released by Tresor records. The diverse roster of Tresor artists includes Juan Atkins, Joey Beltram, Neil Landstrumm, Christian Vogel, Blake Baxter, Jeff Mills, James Ruskin, Surgeon, The Advent, Stewart walker and many more. Tresor continues to specialise in uncompromising techno, without buying into a more commercial crossover vibe. The Tresor club was sadly was forced to close in 2005 (see Berlin episode 1). The last two weeks of the club saw an amazing two straight weeks of parties every night, featuring artists from around the world who came to Berlin to pay homage to a legend. This is documented on the new Tresor Compilation Volume 13: It's Not Over, a club farewell soundtrack. The Tresor's “true spirit” continues in exile on Wednesdays at the club Maria am Ufer in Berlin, until a new location is announced. The Tresor homepage features an online shop for merchandising and music in CD, vinyl or mp3 formats.