The afternoons and evenings at Unkompress, a refined little listening bar in Kreuzberg, are always divided into 15–20 minute intervals. Why? Because, as vinyl fans (and anyone of a certain age) will know, 15-20 minutes is roughly the length of one side of an LP. The bar falls silent for a moment as owner Kevin Rodriguez takes a break from serving NYC-style drip coffee and Oaxacan mezcal to turn over the record. This combination – classy drinks and even classier sounds – first originated in Japan, where listening bars have been an institution since the 1950s. More recently, they began trending in New York, which prompted Kevin, a music collector and audiophile from New Jersey, to open one in Berlin in February 2023. The rules here are simple: one (vinyl) album at a time, BPM no faster than 115 and a genre slant towards jazz, soul and (laid back) disco.
The musical specifics of Unkompress might pass you by if you’re just here for a post-work tipple with friends, and that’s totally ok. There is plenty on the menu (natural red wine from Tenerife, Brooklyn Lager from…Brooklyn) to keep everyone amused. Fun too is the interior, which goes heavy on the wood and light on the sharp edges. All the furniture is rounded – a nod, perhaps, to the smooth waveforms of analog sound. Kevin will happily tell you about said sound, and how his custom 300B valve amp from Japan does such a good job of reproducing it. After that, it’s time to get comfy. And believe us: with a seat by the window, a liberal pour of organic fizz and Sade’s sexy-smooth “Diamond Life” filling your Spotify-weary ears, you’ll certainly want to stick around for the B-Side…
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Unkompress
Unkompress, Fichtestr.23, 10967 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Wed–Sat 14h–late
@unkompress
