Words and Interview by Glenn Elliott
In this 10th episode of Kassette Weißensee, Berlin’s legendary DJ Boris joins Christoph Faust for a walk around the frozen lake and a deep, freewheeling conversation about the long arc of his life in music.
Though most people know Boris Dolinski as one of Berghain’s longest-standing Panorama Bar residents, the interview dives far deeper into his musical roots—starting in 1980s New York, where he lived before ever touching a pair of decks.
At the iconic Paradise Garage, Boris was a regular on the dancefloor, not in the booth. He shares vivid memories of Larry Levan’s epic Saturday sets, the wild diversity of the crowd, the towering sound system, and the ramp into the club lit like an airport runway.
“It was exhilarating, you knew it was going to be an amazing night.”
After shipping home 1,500 records from New York, Boris fell into DJing in Berlin in the ’90s almost by accident—persuaded by a friend to play records at bars for drinks. From there came gigs at SO36 and a job at Hard Wax, one of Berlin’s most famous record stores, which only deepened his obsession. Still, it wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that he felt truly at home in Berlin nightlife. That moment came with a call from Ostgut.
He describes the original Ostgut as dark, industrial, and a little dangerous—“like a lost space of the city that nobody cared about.” It reminded him of New York. After playing the Snax party in September 2000, Boris became a regular, and helped inaugurate the newly opened Panorama Bar floor in 2001. He paints a detailed picture of the original space: no blinds on the windows, sunlight pouring in, a crowd dancing into the day. “It felt honest,” he says. “That was the beginning of Berlin’s real hedonism.”
Boris reflects on the evolution of Berlin nightlife, the city’s relationship to house music, and the ways electronic music consumption has changed with technology. But through all the shifts—from squats to Spotify—his passion remains undimmed.
There’s nothing more exciting than sharing music with people and taking them on a trip. That’s the best thing ever.
This episode is more than a history lesson—it’s a love letter to music’s power to connect, liberate, and endure. Boris’s story reminds us that some of the most influential DJs didn’t set out to be DJs at all—they just loved music too much to keep it to themselves.
Read on for the full transcript—or listen to the episode on SoundCloud to hear their voices bring it all to life. You can also follow Kassette Weißensee on Spotify Podcasts.
Read Christoph Faust’s interview with Boris on Kassette Weißensee
Christoph:
Hello, it’s a new year—2025! My name is still Christoph Faust, and you’re listening to the 10th episode of Kassette Weißensee, my podcast about electronic music, especially house and uplifting stuff. We’re here talking about life and good things, and today I’m walking around the lake with none other than Boris. Hello Boris!
Boris:
Hello, hello!
Christoph:
How are you doing today?
Boris:
I’m good, happy to be here. I love the Berlin winter.
Christoph:
Yeah, we had to reschedule a few times—classic Berlin grey. If we’d met last week, it probably would’ve been a really depressive conversation about when the sun is coming back. But today, the sun is shining, the lake is slightly frozen, there are birds swimming… it’s a beautiful day.
Let’s dive in. People know you as a Panorama Bar resident, but you actually started DJing before Berlin, right?
Boris:
Well, yes and no. I started collecting records before I ever thought about DJing. I lived in New York in the 1980s, but I wasn’t DJing yet—just collecting tons of records. It was the early days of house and Detroit techno, and I was buying everything I could get my hands on. That collection eventually came with me to Berlin. I got a job at Hard Wax and that’s when things started shifting.
Christoph:
How did you end up in New York in the first place?
Boris:
I grew up in Berlin, surrounded by the Wall. Eventually it just got too boring. I wanted to see what else was out there. I felt like if I wanted to go somewhere bigger than Berlin, it had to be New York—not London, not Amsterdam, not Paris. New York was the heart of dance music—disco, funk, electro, R&B—and it had some of the best clubs in the world at the time.
Christoph:
Which clubs were you going to?
Boris:
The Loft, Paradise Garage, Area…
Christoph:
Paradise Garage! What was the vibe there like?
Boris:
It was huge and super diverse—mainly Black and Latino people, not many white folks. It had a Phazon sound system that would just blow you away. Since they didn’t have a liquor license, they could stay open until noon. It was wild—you could party there all weekend. I wasn’t DJing yet, just listening, soaking it all in.
Christoph:
Larry Levan was the resident, right?
Boris:
Every Saturday night, for 10 hours. He curated the music, the vibe, everything. And yeah, people expected to hear the same tracks—they wanted those moments. His sets were super eclectic though: Kraftwerk, Duran Duran, Brazilian stuff, weird European things. He had this amazing musical vocabulary.
Christoph:
And people danced differently back then?
Boris:
Definitely. It was groovier—disco influenced. There were even professional dancers doing choreographed routines. It wasn’t just about stomping around; it was a show sometimes.
Christoph:
Did the club change its look or theme every week?
Boris:
No, it stayed pretty consistent. It was a members-only club. You needed to either be a member or be invited by one. They had two open days per year to apply for membership. You’d pay $20 to get in and everything else was free: coffee, tea, fruit, cookies. It had a little movie theater, a terrace, you could watch the sunrise. The building was a converted parking garage down on Wall Street. You walked up a ramp with blue lights and through a metal detector—just like an airport. You’d hear the bass thumping through the walls. It was exhilarating.
Christoph:
That must’ve been a massive influence on you.
Boris:
Absolutely. Even though I wasn’t DJing, I was learning. And when I came back to Berlin with those records—about 1,500 of them—a friend convinced me to DJ with him at bars. We played for free, just for drinks, but it was so much fun.
Christoph:
And that was the 90s already?
Boris:
Yeah. Then I started working at Hard Wax and buying even more records. We played our first real club gig at SO36 in 1995.
Christoph:
SO36! That’s a legendary space in Berlin’s music history. Still open today.
Boris:
Same location, too. It’s amazing that it survived.
Christoph:
How did your connection to Ostgut start?
Boris:
In 2000, I got a call from them. A friend had recommended me as a house DJ, and they asked if I wanted to play their Snacks party at Laboratory in September. I already knew Ostgut—it felt like the dirty little sister of the Berlin scene. Everything else was happening in Mitte, but Ostgut was way out on Holzmarktstrasse. Dark, industrial, hard to get to. But it reminded me of New York. They booked house DJs like George Morel for their gay nights. I felt at home.
Christoph:
So you found your own New York in Berlin?
Boris:
Exactly. That place spoke to me.
Christoph:
And then they asked you to be a regular?
Boris:
Yeah, they were opening a new floor and asked if I wanted to be part of it. From January 2001, I started playing regularly. And when Panorama Bar opened, suddenly everyone from Mitte came to Ostgut.
Christoph:
It’s funny how house came to Berlin after techno, even though it’s older.
Boris:
Totally. In the U.S., house came first. It’s rooted in disco and hip-hop, and that’s why it’s still bigger than techno there.
Christoph:
Was that the start of Berlin’s hedonism?
Boris:
I think so. At Ostgut, you could dance, have sex, relax, or just hang out. There was no pressure to act a certain way. And it wasn’t glamorous—it was rough. People queued up, hoping to get in. Sven was working the door. Same layout as the current Panorama Bar, actually.
Christoph:
Even back then?
Boris:
Yep. Same U-shape, same windows, DJ booth on the left. In the beginning there were no blinds, so the sun would pour in. People were dancing in daylight—it was a new vibe in Berlin. It felt really honest, really free.
Christoph:
And the building that became Berghain?
Boris:
It was a heating and electricity plant for Karl-Marx-Allee. Abandoned since 1986. The city offered the Ostgut crew other locations, but they didn’t like them. Then they found that building and the rest is history.
Christoph:
Fast-forwarding a bit—how do you feel about electronic music now, after all these years?
Boris:
I still love it. There’s nothing better than sharing music with people and seeing them respond. It’s all about creating a moment, taking people on a trip.
Christoph:
I totally agree. That electricity on the dancefloor when everyone is present—it’s magic. I think house music really helps that. It’s more musical, more emotional. I’ve been moving away from techno lately because I feel like it’s stuck.
Boris:
Yeah, I think techno needs to be stripped back again. It’s like food—you eat too much fast food and eventually you crave something simpler.
Christoph:
Exactly. But music always evolves. And even if it’s fragmented into smaller communities, it still connects people. It’s about sharing memories and feelings.
Boris:
That’s the beauty of it. It makes bonds, it builds communities—big or small.
Christoph:
Well, I think that’s a perfect note to end on. Boris, thank you so much for this special 10th episode. I’ll never forget the time you told me, “Your music was the highlight of the year for me.” That meant the world.
Boris:
You’re very welcome. I always try to support local talent. That’s what it’s all about—people making music for people, not hype or careers.
Christoph:
Exactly. Thank you, Boris.
Boris:
Thanks, everyone. Enjoy the music.
Boris Dolinski is on Instagram and SoundCloud.
