What happened at Kater Holzig in Berlin about a month ago had the majority of the visitors on the same page. The 3rd of October is traditionally the celebratory holiday of the German reunification back in 1990 and Kater Holzig staged a reunification of its own. They managed to bring back a time that nobody expected to relive again after the end of Bar 25 last year.

written by Erik Helbl

Going out on a limb, one could say that Kater Holzig is more or less a replacement of legendary Bar 25. Even after it closed down, Bar 25 still has a symbolic value. It stands for its own sound and a way of living electronic music in Berlin – well known also across borders. It was the Afterhour Club – without limits and formative. The new place, named Kater Holzig found its scratch tree -including a restaurant- on the opposite waterside of the Spree. Needless to say, the expectations of many of the followers of the Bar 25 ran high when Kater Holzig opened its mousetrap in July this year.

With an unfinished charm and not always fascinating music at the beginning some people left the Kater more deflated than enthused after their first visit. Kater Holzig is, after all, a completely new club in a different time – the present. This was a widely spread opinion. An Opinion that changed with a bang on October 3rd – the day of reunification; in a dual sense.

You might want to ask, if this was only short lived or a real relaunch of earlier days. Who knows! The answer is open, like the “libre” sign over the entrance says for itself. When you pass it, you will find the freedom to do whatever you want. Sometimes even fall back into moods of your childhood, back to the 80s or early 90s, like I did that Monday in October. All of this takes place in an old setting infused with open mindedness and where everything is connected by music, especially on this day including a marathon DJ set of SiD. Guess how many hours. 25!

A detailed description of this 3rd October would blow the frame of this post and of course is not my aim to write about but I’ll give you an idea: self-made entry visas, border patrol officers, staff and even guests that wore original uniforms and fashion of the former GDR… to see them between the ordinary guests painted a crazy picture. Snow cannons, fire cannons, haze, haze and again haze. To find out how it must have felt, is something you have to explore for yourself instead of reading or writing about it.

All I can say is, that the whole scene showed how to deal with this holiday and its historic importance in a humorous way and that it was the long awaited return of an atmosphere you could only find in the Bar 25. The unofficial conclusion: Bar is back.

The Kater is casting its feathers. Every day is new in this growing process. Till now, every weekend you can find new places and corners arranged by people with love for detail. Especially in terms of music you will find a base to discover and listen to great artists again. One difference has to be pointed out here: unlike the Bar, the Kater is still alive in wintertime. It seems get hot.

Erik Helbl is part of VARIED Records; a new and coming record label based in Potsdam/Berlin with a strong focus on outstanding minimal and electronic DJs. For BLEND Magazine he will report on the Berlin nightlife.

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Kater Holzig