Easter awaits... Stockholm, I'm coming!

Warble-ly-dooh! The first concert trip of 2006 is booked. Stockholm, I'm coming! During the Easter holidays Close Up Magazine is holding it's indoor festival in the Swedish capital. Even though I'm a big fan of f.e. Opeth, Katatonia, Amon Amarth or Bolt Thrower I didn't think of going there. Until... until Dörte, Sabine & Kerstin convinced me to, because Ryanair is offering 10 EUR-trips and on our way back we can get the ferry... and numerous different reasons! I always wanted to visit Stockholm but it never fit, either money-wise or the occasions were not given. This time it seems like we are gonna have a blast of a trip, with four entertaining girlish great ladies. And besides doing a bit of journalism for German underground metal mag Legacy and a bit of business on my behalf we will have enough time to take a walk through the Gamla Stan or visit the Vasa museum or Skansen. At least we think so...

Where there's so much pro there is a con, so Bianca or Kiki - Kleinvieh ist auch Mist, and I doubt there'll be enough money at the end of the year to visit you. But unfortunately that wasn't really likely anyway because it's hell of a lot more expensive...

Something serious: German forum host fights back the admonishing locusts

Well there is something that might be unknown outside of the German blogosphere and web 2.0.g.v (German version): Shady companies with even more tacky lawyers are suing the (hobby) operaters of several (non-professional) forums for entries they don't even know about and who are a bit too current to get to know about this quick. Heise.de (known beyond the German speaking world for C't was sued several month ago, and since then the admonishers spring up like mushrooms. Well, heise are professionals. These current leeches try to suck on the non-professionals.

But now one is fighting it back: Martin Geuß of Supernature-Forum is charging the company back which is suing all those non-professional forum hosts. He needs 8000 EUR for his lawyer to go into first instance - almost 4000 EUR already got together in the first couple of days. I don't know him, but I recognized cases like his during the last month as well - so I'm gonna support him and say: Go, Martin, go.

International Women's Day

Hey, celebrate today's World Women's Day. Is it a sign of the general cultural backlash or more simple an expression of the general unimportance of this day that it's not even advertised on the Google startpage? At least the UN are celebrating. And what I'm gonna do? Have one feministic thought and get back to work. Nah, sarcasm away. 'till I moved to Hamburg I didn't even know this day is existing even though I was a subscriber to German Emma back then.

Typically Hamburg. Making music, making records, being the harbour

So, here finally it is, the big update on my non-private activities:

Since August 2005 I'm working at the new-found record label Dockyard 1. We applied early for an office in the new Karostar building which was - more or less - ready for occupancy since early January. Karostar started as a project after Hamburg lost against Berlin in the battle for the central German office of Universal Music which was based in Hamburg for yearsandyearsandyears before. After Universal moved, Warner was close to follow and many small agencies who were affiliated to the major left town, Hamburg finally moved politically and put up this project, where upcoming music companies get a shelter.

The official opening with the usual suspects aka politicians and officials from economy, music organisations and no public allowed, was on February 20th. The non-official took part the two past days when the record store Hanseplatte opened. As non of you will know: This area of Hamburg with the postcode 20537 and is usually known as "Karoviertel" or Schanzenviertel" is the area whith the most records shops per sqare meter in Europe (wonder who makes statistics like those).

Walk and watch where you're not allowed online

After this had been on the German and Swiss news the last week, finally the art project *** ZONE*INTERDITE *** is accessible again.

ZONE*INTERDITE is an art project and has been set up as an experiment. Its purpose is to enable you to discover and explore your own perception.
Our personal perception is limited by external influences which direct us. They define our concept of reality. Our very own vision and joy of exploring is restricted by complex forms of censorship and self-censorship.
Individual self-censorship and a blindness of our very own impulses are undermined by our individual consideration and reflection and our very own horizon of imagination.

It's like invitation to walk through places of horror like Guantanamo Bay or an Islamic Trainingscamp in Kharthoum/Sudan alike. The horror lies in the information in the background - that you can "visit" places who are still inhabited by prisoners virtually, but in a rather sterile manner. Noteworthy project!

Hanseplatte-Eroeffnung ab morgen

I'm gonna blog a bit about my work and our new office tomorrow... promised. Vis-a-vis to that nice place tomorrow opens a new record store called "Hanseplatte" with a 2-day-long party and many guests. Hanseplatte will deal exclusively with records and artists from Hamburg. Look at LaRance for the program. See you there when Kajak or Pascal Fuhlbrügge make noise!