Aesthetics Exploration – Berlin Techno

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02025, Post 01-2025 Aesthetic Explorations

If you have been on TikTok for the past couple of years chances are you may have seen the viral trend of people playing Berghain trainer, an online simulator where you answer a series of questions to determine whether you would get into Berlins exclusive techno nightclub Berghain. However, long before techno captured global attention online it has been the soundtrack of freedom and rebellion, the lifeblood of Berlins underground scene. Tracing all the way back to the fall of the berlin wall in 1989. Abandoned buildings near where the wall had once stood became a place where young people could take creative refuge and express themselves free from the cities past. Inspired by bands such as Kraftwerk and various African American Detroit producers and DJs a new subculture of music and fashion was born.

Dimitri Hegemann is a techno pioneer in the city. He was there when the wall first came down and founded the iconic techno club Tresor in 1991. “I was there when the Wall came down,” he was quoted telling the BBC. “That was an incredible situation. It generated a very positive atmosphere in town. When the Wall came down everybody was open for something new.” Tresor is in the vault of an abandoned department store. This is a common theme for techno spaces. Berghain is located in an abandoned power plant and if you spend some time walking around Berlin you will often see posters plastered on abandoned buildings advertising upcoming events taking place in those same spaces.

View of DJ both located in an old department store vault in nightclub Tresor.

Techno music itself is best described as having short repetitive loops or rhythms, minimalist production and often feature long intros and outros. The songs themselves are also often twice or three times as long as the standard 2-3 minute mainstream songs we hear today. Techno although already a subgenre of electronic music has sub-subgenres such as industrial techno, minimal techno and Berlin techno. Berlin techno is known specifically for its gritty sound and intense beats.

Today Berlin is the techno capital of the world. If you find yourself taking public transit in the city late at night or early in the morning you will see many individuals with acentric haircuts dressed in all black often sporting leather articles of clothing and accessories like chains, sunglasses and various silver jewelry. The Berlin techno aesthetic pipeline begins with artists such as Ellen Alien, Dr Motte, Charlotte de Witte to name a few but as you go deeper your fashion, lifestyle and even philosophy can be consumed by the many facets of this subculture.

Everyday fashion inspired by techno aesthetic and subculture.

Berlins techno fashion influence as trickled upwards and can be seen on runway shows across the world. This aesthetic and subculture has become such a staple it has been recognized by Unesco and inscribed on the German national registry. New clubs and artists are consistently coming onto the scene as this aesthetic continues to grow more and more popular.