Kottbusser Tor may not be geographically in the middle of Kreuzberg, but it is its undisputed center. U-Bahn above, U-Bahn below, roundabout all around, pavements full of pigeon droppings. It is the unwashed navel of the city, a gateway to limbo and paradise at the same time. If Orpheus were to descend to the underworld in Berlin, he would do it at Kotti. There are plenty of songs the poet could sing about this place: from Ideal to Peter Fox, Kreuzberg’s hub of interchange has inspired countless musicians. Now an entire album is dedicated to it, and it is anything but a mere collection of samples: Kotti Island Disc from producer Cecilia Tosh will be released tomorrow (12.05.2023) as an online release on Tresor Records. The release follows the exhibition of the same name that Tosh brought to Kotti and its surroundings in January.
Field recordings and observations of Kotti are central to the work. The result is ten tracks – musical interpretations of the place in all its multifaceted fantasy. Ten very different artists take you on an auditory journey through Kottbusser Tor, a snapshot of an urban island whose change seems faster and more constant than anywhere else in the world. The result is music that almost seems like a photograph. It brings the city into your headphones, and your legs to the city: tonight (11.05.) at 23h is the release night at Globus (Tresor). Participating artists include: Zettka, Ray Kajioka, Cecilia Tosh, Philipp Gorbachev, Jon Hester, Sofie Superflyin Jackson, .VRIL, Kat Davids, Rocko Garoni and Solid Traveller.
Text: Hilka Dirks / Photos: Jaś Maciek Miszewski & Hannah Haasenritter / Design: Formal Settings
Kotti Island Disc – Album Release 12.05.2023
Tresor, Köpenicker Str.70, 10179 Berlin–Mitte; map
Release Party 11.05.2023 from 23h
