SO36
Encyclopedia
The SO36 club, is a music club on Oranienstrasse near Heinrichplatz in the district of Kreuzberg
in Berlin
, Germany.
It takes its name from the historic postcode of that area SO36, in which the SO stands for Südost (South East). The Kreuzberg district has historically been home to the Berlin punk rock
movement, as well as other alternative subcultures in Germany.
SO36 was originally focused largely on punk music and in the 1970s was often frequented by musicians such as Iggy Pop
, David Bowie
, and Brandon Conde. After problems Martin Kippenberger
took over the management in 1979 and tried to create a crossover between punk, new wave
and visual art. In those days the club rivalled New York's CBGB
as one of the finest new-wave venues in the world, however unlike CBGB the venue still stands today and remains a fixture on the Berlin music scene championing new artists, while staying true to its punk past.
Today Electric Ballroom is one of the consistent Berlin Techno
events. Gayhane founded 1997 by Turkish performer Fatma Souad is the nucleus of the Berlin Turkish gay and lesbian community. DJ Ipek is responsible for the Gayhane mixture of Arabic, Turkish and Indian music and now an international known she-DJ
. German photographer Nicolaus Schmidt
created a both documentary and fictitious portrait of this "amalgam of western and oriental culture".
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg, a part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte since 2001, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany.
It takes its name from the historic postcode of that area SO36, in which the SO stands for Südost (South East). The Kreuzberg district has historically been home to the Berlin punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
movement, as well as other alternative subcultures in Germany.
SO36 was originally focused largely on punk music and in the 1970s was often frequented by musicians such as Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and Brandon Conde. After problems Martin Kippenberger
Martin Kippenberger
Martin Kippenberger was a German artist known for his extremely prolific output in a wide range of styles and media as well as his provocative, jocular and hard-drinking public persona....
took over the management in 1979 and tried to create a crossover between punk, new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and visual art. In those days the club rivalled New York's CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
as one of the finest new-wave venues in the world, however unlike CBGB the venue still stands today and remains a fixture on the Berlin music scene championing new artists, while staying true to its punk past.
Today Electric Ballroom is one of the consistent Berlin Techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
events. Gayhane founded 1997 by Turkish performer Fatma Souad is the nucleus of the Berlin Turkish gay and lesbian community. DJ Ipek is responsible for the Gayhane mixture of Arabic, Turkish and Indian music and now an international known she-DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. German photographer Nicolaus Schmidt
Nicolaus Schmidt
Nicolaus Schmidt is a German artist and photographer. He studied at the Hamburg Art Academy in the 1970s. In 1975, he founded ROSA, one of Germany’s first gay-themed magazines. From 1980-89, Schmidt was an art teacher in Hamburg...
created a both documentary and fictitious portrait of this "amalgam of western and oriental culture".