When the first STAUB party took place at Berlin's ://about:blank club in 2013, the city was a different one from today. Rents were still somewhat affordable, flats (with anmeldung!) not mythical white wales half of the city were chasing after, and the planned expansion of the A100 motorway-a serious threat to the existence of ://about:blank and half a dozen of other clubs-was something that felt more theoretical than imminent. It was also a different time in regards to the city's vibrant techno scene, which had just emerged on the other side of the minimal age. The sound was dark, the nights long, and the timelines of techno fans chock-full of pictures of DJs presenting their take on the Christ the Redeemer pose.
STAUB's approach was unusual in every respect. First off, the collective's parties started at 10 a.m. and went on until 10 p.m., meaning you would be confronted with a healthy mix of people not-so-healthily making it their second or third stop on a 30-hour bender and people who, after a full night's sleep and maybe a Sektfrühstück, were just starting out. All of them were drawn by the moderate prices, the relaxed atmosphere, and, last but definitely not least, the dry yet joyful sound. They certainly did not come for the line-ups though, which to this day are never revealed in advance. At STAUB, the party itself is the true headliner. Quickly, it became an institution in Berlin's multifaceted techno landscape and is still here to stay. Its next, expanded instalment is coming up on June 10th.
Having celebrated the series' tenth anniversary earlier this year with a 24-hour long party and the release of a compilation on the affiliated label Intergalactic Research Institute For Sound, its founder Irakli Kiziria picks ten EPs and tracks that have shaped the sound in recent times. Kiziria-who runs STAUB together with two partners-in-crime Ines Manseder and Jan-Frederik Henschen-in true STAUB spirit hasn't picked all-time classics, but rather vinyl records that he has recently been buying and playing as a resident there, and which thus represent it today. After all, that's precisely what the series is all about: getting lost in and enjoying the current moment. Get ready to get dusty, and don't forget to rinse once you're done.