Dissident
Berghain | Panorama Bar | Säule, Berlin
This night happened — Thu 18 Sep 2025
Press play
Who was billed4 artists
In the order the promoter listed them.
- next: Tresor / Globus, Sat 21 NovAkua
- next: Renate, Fri 13 NovCarly Zeng
- next: RSO.BERLIN, Sat 24 OctCryptofauna
- next: Berghain, Thu 5 NovSpekki Webu
Set times were not published.
Most of these pairings were meeting for the first time that night.
the pairs that have met
3 of the 6 pairings on this bill were first meetings.
- Carly Zeng and Cryptofauna — 6 shared bills before that night, first on Sat 12 Jul 2025.
- Akua and Carly Zeng — 1 shared bill before that night, first on Thu 18 Sep 2025.
- Cryptofauna and Spekki Webu — 1 shared bill before that night, first on Thu 14 Aug 2025.
Who they are
“Akua has cemented herself as one of the most distinctive techno DJs coming out of the U.S. in recent years, shining brightly at the forefront of a new generation of techno artists who are reviving the innovative and rebellious spirit of techno’s enduring velocity through their work.”
their own biography
the whole biography
Akua has cemented herself as one of the most distinctive techno DJs coming out of the U.S. in recent years, shining brightly at the forefront of a new generation of techno artists who are reviving the innovative and rebellious spirit of techno’s enduring velocity through their work. Her practice is a passionate dedication to archiving & activating timeless strains of raw and mechanized expression - leading the new school of North American machine funk, while harkening back to the revolutionary sonics of Detroit, Chicago, & New York City DJs throughout history. A recent move to Berlin, a city that has held a crucial role in the evolution of techno, has provided her with the opportunity to further develop her craft by embracing the transcontinental connection that originally ignited the inspiration for the techno movement worldwide. Her one-of-kind, no-nonsense style brings a necessary & poignant intensity to today’s dancefloors, eschewing trends of the moment and channeling the essence of techno into an authentic wavelength that’s completely intuitive to her being. This unique display of influences plays out in Akua's unrivaled sets heard around the world - from exerting her celebrated prowess behind the decks at renowned New York clubs like Basement and Nowadays, to unleashing landmark sets at Movement Detroit, Berghain FUSE Brussels, Dekmantel, Draaimolen, & FOLD London. Already seasoned on the European tour circuit, 2024 sees her career encompassing new trajectories & widening her global reach into tours through Asia & Australia. With a wealth of knowledge and expertise, she effortlessly embodies an enthralling old-school sound while keeping her finger on the pulse of contemporary producers that also embody the authentic energy of techno’s turn-of-the-century peak. As her boundless legacy steadily expands, she continues to cultivate respect and adoration from the most discerning of DJs & dancers alike through her incredible mixing finesse and constantly expanding repertoire of futureproof classics.Last at RSO.BERLIN in Aug · often with ROBUS, Yazzus, SUMME, none of them here that night
“When Carly Zeng DJs, it’s highly unlikely she’ll do the same thing twice.”
their own biography
the whole biography
When Carly Zeng DJs, it’s highly unlikely she’ll do the same thing twice. Chinese-born and now Berlin-based, she has formed quite the community in her chosen city through her party, Dissident, which fosters a nurturing approach to music discovery. Her long love affair with vinyl-focused digging is no secret. And the ripple effects of such veracious collecting can be heard in the way she weaves together the many genres that she likes–be it a trippy tribal or prog track with a weird structure or an off-kilter sound effect in a punchy house tune – she’s forever on the lookout for tracks with that little extra spice. Carly’s entry point into dance music in NYC, led her into smaller parties, DIY spaces and warehouse raves and the community spirit she found there is something she still carries with her today. A known name within Berlin’s queer music scene, she is regularly billed at parties such as Cocktail D’Amore and Body Language. Whether as a DJ, community organizer or dancer on the floor, Carly is staunchly attentive to her role within the dance music ecosystem and how to best curate a warming experience for everyone involved. Words by Sophie Mcnulty Headshot by Vincent TiberiusRecently at arkaoda Berlin, OXI, Latitude Record Store · often with Byron Yeates, Ariel Zetina, Jen Cardini, none of them here that night
“Cryptofauna's style embraces forward pushing Techno, complemented by gritty soundscapes and a sonic aesthetic that carries warmth, dust and eccentricity.”
their own biography
the whole biography
Cryptofauna's style embraces forward pushing Techno, complemented by gritty soundscapes and a sonic aesthetic that carries warmth, dust and eccentricity. She's a resident of Berlin based collectives Dissident and TILT. Her work envisions the dance floor as a common ground of light and dark, always holding space for the freaks, hoes, gays, thems and dolls. For Crypto, the club is a refuge that breaks barriers – between abstract and functional, moon and sun, right and wrong. A place that brings people together through frequencies and movement. One nation under a groove.* Spending 10+ years of finessing her abilities in selection, mixing techniques and crowd control, Crypto’s power lies in the way she leads the dance floor from collective immersion to euphoric peaks and back to tunnel zone. Expect a candid dance floor and sultry madness while she's zoning out in the booth, pouring her heart right in front of you. Still a dedicated club kid, joining her community on nights free of duty... Crypto’s connection to club culture keeps staying strong and growing deeper, weekend after weekend. On her journey through club culture, Crypto used to be a promotor, worked at digital and vinyl distribution Word And Sound and wrote music reviews. Combined with handling the books herself for more than 10 years, she unlocked deep insight into what makes the industry tick. Across Europe, Cryptofauna made appearances at various venues, including Panorama Bar and Säule as well as Tresor, OHM and RSO in Berlin; POING in Rotterdam; Macadam in Nantes; FVTVR in Paris; and Club RAUM, Radion and Lo-Fi in Amsterdam. In 2025, she landed her first intercontinental bookings spanning from New York (Nowadays, The Lot Radio, Lettone Dance) to South/East Asia with debuts in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea. Returning with fresh inspiration from meeting with the local communities, that tour was a perfect way to tap into new sonic adventures in 2026. * The line „one nation under a groove” refers to one of the pioneering tracks of house music called „House Nation Under A Groove" by DA Rebels (a duo formed by Curtis Alan Jones aka Cajmere/Green Velvet and Liddell Townsell)Their RA profile lists Lehult and TILT.Recently at Latitude Record Store, RSO.BERLIN · often with Red Rooms, Ignez, Sub Sahara, none of them here that night
“Spekki Webu was born into contrast, half Afro-American, half German, raised in the Netherlands and shaped by a history of black music.”
their own biography
the whole biography
Spekki Webu was born into contrast, half Afro-American, half German, raised in the Netherlands and shaped by a history of black music. Long before he became the artist he is today, he was already listening deeply. Exploring scenes. Observing people. Absorbing stories. What started as curiosity turned into devotion, not to genres, but to a psychedelic stream of sound that refuses to be boxed. Moving through the formative underground of hardcore and freeparty culture, Spekki embraced experimentation from an early age. Making music and playing records were never career moves, but natural extensions of his lifelong observation practice. He didn’t chase styles; he time-traveled through them. Carrying forward what mattered, leaving behind what didn’t. Music became a lifestyle. Freedom became method. Both on and off stage, Spekki is known for his explosive energy and direct presence, yet beneath it lives a profound sensitivity for community and spirituality. Through his Mirror Zone label, he welcomes talented outliers into a space where differences can exist and sound has many colors. As he often states, “Mirror Zone is a mirror of life,” reflecting the introspective vision behind his label and audiovisual projects such as Signal Transmutations. Today, Spekki operates at the forefront of the global electronic music scene while remaining grounded in the same values that shaped him decades ago: autonomy and creative freedom. “Don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking you belong in one place. Stay open-minded.” Like a reptile shedding its skin, his transformative craft is an open invitation to step into ever-evolving states of sound.Their RA profile lists Blue Hour, MIRROR ZONE, Amniote, positivesource and 4 more.Last at RSO.BERLIN in Aug · often with Ellen Allien, Lilian Stark, Carmen Electro, none of them here that night
names these artists often play with — not that night
- ROBUS5 with Akua and 1 with Cryptofauna
- Sub Sahara3 with Carly Zeng and 2 with Cryptofauna
- SUMME4 with Akua and 1 with Cryptofauna
- 1morning5 with Akua
- Ariel Zetina5 with Carly Zeng
- Yazzus5 with Akua
- Byron Yeates4 with Carly Zeng
- Ellen Allien4 with Spekki Webu
138 said they were going — busier than a usual Thursday at Berghain.
how this compares
- Median final count, Thursdays at Berghain93
- Middle half finished between71 and 114
- Past Thursdays at this venue counted46
The room
Berghain | Panorama Bar | Säule — 210 events and 1,019 distinct artists since Aug 2025.
Who put it on
OstGut GmbH — 202 events and 979 artists since Aug 2025.