The death of Techno could mean the rise of Karaoke

Jemimah Muusha
Nov 21, 2025
3 min read

It is no secret, especially with the closure of iconic clubs like Watergate and Renate, that there is a real fear in the techno community of the dreaded *‘clubsterben.’ The reason for this fear, after much research as an outsider, is more than justified. The history of techno clubs is a story of community in uncertain times. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, people like *Dimitri Hegemann went looking for places to party, stumbling into old abandoned buildings that were not well secured in East Berlin, like the Wertheim Department Store cellar, which would later become the renowned Tresor. A lot of techno clubs at the beginning didn’t have entrance fees or the club structures we experience today, and relied on the people who came to party. Frequenters of the party scene would bring in their own furnishing and decoration, actively participating in making these clubs a riveting place to be. This is something that managers and club owners want to protect, the sense of community, of looking out for your neighbour, partaking in techno culture and freedom.

It is becoming increasingly hard to have this non-commercial outlook in a city struggling with gentrification. On an individual level, it is very expensive for many people in the city to survive; *“Der scheiße ist teuer geworden,” a conversation that is becoming more common among friends, colleagues, and U-Bahn riders. Unlike rent for residents, clubs in Berlin don’t have the protection of rent control. Many would lose money just hosting parties, places like Griessmuehle now have theatres and host flea markets to keep afloat. It is completely true that the clubs that made Berlin the renowned techno capital and party city are under threat, especially in this age of unchecked, greedy Capitalism.

So why am I comparing the impending feeling of doom of these clubs to karaoke? Well simply put, as someone who was recently introduced to the karaoke scene in Berlin, I see a lot of moral similarities in the two forms of nightlife. The very stark difference is that in karaoke the sense of community screams at you, the very first thing you notice, as a room of strangers each take turns to perform for each other and cheer each other on. From the moment you sit down at the bar, you are unintentionally connected to a room of people, whether your favourite song is performed by a patron met with a woop, or when someone who is clearly nervous receives encouragement from the others, for that night, this room of people becomes your people.

A story like Offbeat shows this sense of togetherness. In a world with many challenges, kindness and looking out for one another are the only ‘currency’ that really matters. Protagonists like Wolfgang and Lady Dina give this ‘wealth’ to everyone around them, sharing their knowledge, creativity and openness to rooms of strangers in Berlin. This is something worth protecting and cherishing. So no, I’m not saying that Karaoke is going to replace Techno, Berlin would spit me out for such a ‘blasphemous’ statement. I’m saying when you find nightlife that brings people together and makes them look out for each other, guard it, hold it close to your heart and participate in it. For the currency of kindness is never depleting, and community cannot be broken easily.

If you see me at Rosie’s or Monster Ronson’s, don’t be afraid to say hello, because for that night, you are also my people.