Spaces of Electronic Music Production in Berlin and Cairo

Publication and Exhibition Project

From darkened basements and abandoned factories to converted lofts and teenage bedrooms across Berlin and Cairo, co-creators of the photo series and connected publication, Prof. Dr. Matthias Pasdzierny and internationally acclaimed photographer Gero Cacciatore, take visitors on a journey through electronic dance music spaces in two of the world's most vibrant electronic music capitals. This project explores the creative places where electronic music is made and the social environments that emerge around them. 

The project presents an intimate photographic inventory of electronic music production spaces that have remained hidden from academic and public scrutiny. 

After the inclusion of its techno culture on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage, Berlin has now officially been elevated to one of the world’s most famous centres of electronic dance music of our time.

Matthias Pasdziernsy from his essay MIXING IN ZONE, p. 15

The Publication – Inside the Studio

The publication Inside the Studio features a curated selection of studio portraits alongside interviews with the inhabitants of these creative spaces. Through Cacciatore's lens, readers encounter the workspaces of electronic music artists including Ricardo Villalobos, Cinthie, Frank Wiedemann, Modeselektor, Marcel Dettmann, Gudrun Gut, Westbam, Dr. Motte, Sarah Farina, Perera Elsewhere, Robert Henke, Roman Flügel, 3Phaz, Postdrone, and Alva Noto/Carsten Nicolai, among others.

Inside the Studio represents the culmination of this project series, with the research findings further elaborated through the accompanying exhibitions. By interweaving photographic documentation with scholarly inquiry, this project transcends mere documentation to become a compelling portrait of one of our era's most vital creative sectors. The work reveals how these hidden spaces serve as laboratories where the soundtrack of contemporary culture is crafted, offering unprecedented access to the private environments that shape electronic music's global influence.

[…] Halim El-Dabh’s 1944 composition “Ta’abir al-Zaar“ (Expressions of Zaar), made with a wire recorder at Middle East Radio in Cairo, is considered to be one of the very early pieces of electronic music, if not the first.

Matthias Pasdziernsy from his essay MIXING IN ZONE, p. 15

The Exhibitions – Berlin/Cairo

Complementing the visual documentation, two exhibitions planned for Berlin and Cairo showcase a selection of the studio portraits alongside additional materials. The Berlin exhibition opening features a public conversation between Matthias Pasdzierny, Modeselektor's Gernot Bronsert, AGYA alumnus Dr. Rami Chahin and photographer Gero Cacciatore, exploring the role of EDM in their respective countries and its relevance to the audiences it draws. In Cairo, featured artists take to the stage to discuss their creative processes and what their workspaces mean to them.

Berlin: The exhibition is open to the public in the foyer of the concert hall of the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) from 24 June to 20 July 2025

Cairo: You can visit the exhibition in Cairo at the Goethe Institute Building in Downtown Cairo from 1 October to 31 October 2025