B 4ME Brings Punchy House from Munich to Berlin

By Alexander Cheves

If your club nights are only in Berlin, you might not have heard artist B 4ME at the decks yet, but he has brought his signature punchy house and tech-house to lineups across Europe in recent years. And he’s not slowing down.

Based mainly in Munich, B 4ME plays most often at Munich clubs Blitz and Rote Sonne. He has played recent sets at Dalston Superstore and Electrowerkz in London, Climax Institute in Stuttgart, objekt klein a in Dresden, Kauz in Zurich, Hartstocht in the Netherlands, and Berlin’s own club Else.

He prioritises queer and queer-friendly parties and venues and has played at Munich Pride, the Munich Queer Film Festival, and other queer events. And now he has his sights set on the techno capital. A devoted Berlin raver, he’s optimistic Berlin will welcome him to the scene.

But DJing is just the most recent evolution of his artist life. B 4ME is also a professionally trained dancer and has appeared in high-profile productions across the world. 

In person, B 4ME is tall and cautious, with an athletic build and warm smile. He measures his words: he pauses, reflects, speaks.

Born in London, B 4ME now divides his life between there and Munich. He is also “pronoun flexible,” in his words, and explained that:

After high school in London, he attended the prestigious Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, then studied theatre at London Studio Centre.

Let’s talk about your dance career.

After training, his stage career took off: he landed his first West End role in Disney’s The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. He later moved to Paris to join the world-famous Moulin Rouge cabaret, dancing in the revue Féerie, then served as dance captain and choreographer on a world cruise tour aboard the MS Artania.

He then moved to Germany for work: he was cast in productions by Disney and Stage Entertainment. The roles were intense and physically demanding—eight shows a week, including aerial performances, in which he was suspended on cables and cords from the ceiling. 

Later, he worked on operas Samson et Dalila, Carmen, Ariadne, and Aida at The Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden, the Bayerisches Staatsoper in Munich, and in Hong Kong. 

How did dance lead to DJing?

Recently, B 4ME felt ready to start his next creative journey as a DJ—and, soon, producer. Last year, he contributed a mix to Berlin’s BCCO mix series. We sat with him to discuss life, queerness, and growing up.

This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

What was childhood like? 

I was born and raised in London and grew up in the northeast. At some point, I knew I had a little extra energy, a part of myself I couldn’t describe at the time, which I would say now is my queerness and my creativity.

When I explained that to my family, they didn’t know what it meant. During my school years, I realised I wanted to get into dance. 

How did you discover that? 

I had a friend who danced. She studied at a cool little dance school. Her school taught all the current dance moves from MTV. Really hot stuff. She learned the moves and taught me, and from then on, I knew I wanted to do this. 

What did your parents say? 

At the time, I was good at computers, so my family thought I should do that. But I didn’t feel that. I felt creative.

When I told my family I wanted to dance, they decided to have a vote to see if this was the right path for me. I remember sitting there in the family meeting while they voted on my future and thinking I don’t care what they say. I’m still going to dance.

What happened next? 

I went into dance training, focusing mostly on contemporary dance, at a school in Leeds called the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, or NSCD.

That was my first major audition for anything. It was nerve-wracking because it was my first time on a stage, having to perform alone. I did a solo piece in front of everyone, including the others auditioning. One person at a time was watched and judged by the school board and judges.

Thankfully, I got in! In my training, I focused on a major dance style called the Graham Technique, which was developed by Martha Graham in the 1920s in the United States, mostly in New York. 

What is it like? 

Very intense. A lot of floor work, very physically demanding. I would describe it as a movement of emotion, breathy, and many contractions—a deep, grounded, power-core technique.

I felt so alive surrounded by dancers expressing themselves and moving to live percussion, all on a sweaty studio floor.   

How much is dance a part of your life now? 

Once a dancer, always a dancer. I have been moving away from dance, but the training and everything I went through as a dancer, I take with me. It’s my journey. It’s part of my core, my history.

But not on a club night!

I have a friend who sings professional opera. He joins a production in a specific city, performs there for a few weeks, then gets a new job in a new city, and goes there. Is professional dance like that? 

Exactly like that. There’s the option to train in one city, audition in that city, work there, and so on, depending on how many shows happen there. But if you’re talented enough and have the freedom to travel, you can travel a lot. And that’s what I did.

Do you still perform?

Yes, but I’m selective with the projects I do now.

You were born in London, and your home is now split between there and Munich. Why Munich? 

I moved to Germany for dance. Then I met my partner, and Munich kind of unexpectedly happened. It turned out to be great because Munich is a great location.

The move was one of those things that changed my whole life rhythm. You can get anywhere from Munich. There’s a train to Berlin, a train to Paris, and a two-hour flight to London. It’s perfect. 

What would you say are the biggest differences between London and Munich?

Munich is freakishly clean. Much cleaner than London. You can see the sky because you don’t have the skyscrapers of London blocking out the light. You don’t have the hectic rush of London. Munich makes you slow down. It’s more laid back.

There are so many more people in London, so much more volume, more traffic. In London, you feel like you’re always running. London is louder and more colourful, and I thrive on that energy. It offers a huge and varied culture, so many options. London is still very much home to me.

I have the idea that professional dance is something you start training for when you are very young. How old were you? 

I was about 13. It was a time when I was trying many new things. I also did kung fu classes and karate classes—I liked things that were movement-based. I grew up watching martial arts films with my brother, starring Bruce Li and Jackie Chan.

For me, it was about the movement, music, and intensity of the drums all coming together. 

With many artists, their families need some time to understand what they do. Until they legitimise their work to their families, they’re parents don’t think it’s “real.” Was it like that for you?

That was it. And I think that’s pretty universal among artists. My parents were sceptical about how I would make money doing this, and I think that’s because they didn’t have any real contact with working artists, so they couldn’t see the long-term picture. 

Growing up, did anyone encourage you?  

Yeah, my uncle David. He can play guitar, draw, paint, build, and upholster. He was my “cling to” family member.

Another uncle, Zebe, is a musician. He plays roots, reggae, and culture music. He has a music collective called the 4th Generation Sound. The members include multiple generations of family who play together.

They’ve played at Leeds West Indian Carnival for the past 30 years. I think it is one of the longest-running carnivals in Europe, a celebration of Caribbean culture.

My dad is a car guy, and if you get in the car with him, you will hear house music from the moment you get in. And sometimes leaves the car running to play music until the end. 

Your dad sounds so cool!

He’s a very cool dad. Really modern. One of those young, hip dads. 

Did growing up with reggae and house influence the music you play now?  

Reggae, not so much. Even though reggae was always played at home, I never connected with it. It’s so laid back. The character of reggae is so relaxed. You know, chilling, puffing.

But my dad’s love of house music greatly influenced me. 

Tell us more about that!  

House music is a broad spectrum, but any direction of house you go in, the vibe is up. It’s always happy, and that is what I love.

That doesn’t mean my personality is always cheerful, but I like that house focuses on happiness and love. I like to blend it with something more pushy.

Lately, I find myself crossing into music that’s more like techno, or more tribal sounds. You get the punchiness of that underlying rhythm driving you forward, but you keep the joy. 

Do you feel like your music style is getting more fixed or still in a state of flux? 

As time passes, I think my style is becoming more fixed. Before, I was more experimental. Now I feel like I have found the sound that represents me. 

How would you describe it? 

Quite punchy and full of life and colour. I really love the mix I made for BCCO. I would say it’s the best representation of what I’m currently doing. 

When we first discussed this interview, you said you were looking forward to it because no one knows how the different parts of your life connect. What did you mean by that?

Well, from a social media point of view, for a long time, my Instagram feed was all about dance. Then came DJing and music.

Unless you followed my journey from the beginning, you won’t understand how these things evolved together and are deeply connected. 

It seems many artists struggle with that. Most are good at multiple things, but being a multidisciplinary artist is hard with social media and commercial pressure telling you to be one thing, sell one picture. But that’s how we see you—as a multidisciplinary artist. 

That is how I see myself. Yes, it’s tough. When I’m out and someone asks what I do, I don’t want to just list my CV. So I say I’m a dancer and DJ, or I’m a DJ and also dance. I try to slide over it.

When someone introduces me and says, hey, he’s a DJ, that sets an impression in someone’s mind that I can’t control. That’s fine, but I’d like people not to have to assign a label. I’m proud of everything I do. 

Let’s talk about your time in Berlin. You’ve been coming here for a while. 

I haven’t played many gigs here yet, but I’ve been coming here for years. I love Berlin, though I haven’t explored it enough. There’s so much to see and do, so much going on. 

Your other home is London. What is nightlife there like?

Everyone will give a different answer, but I think nightlife in London is amazing! 

If you were taking me out in London, where would we go? 

We’d definitely go to FOLD. They have an awesome night called UNFOLD, which is queer and colourful. They have a great sound system. And Colour Factory, which I haven’t been to for a while, but I’ve had some great nights there.

We would also go to Dalston Superstore, which I love. Upstairs is more disco diva, pop, house vibes, and downstairs is more techno bunker vibes. That place is a gem. I’ve been going there for years and played there a few times.  

Can I ask about queerness? How was your family? Were they supportive? 

They had a journey with it. For a while, I think they were in a state of denial. I think it was one thing to be told and another to actually see me with someone, another man. Like, holding hands and being affectionate. For them, I think it was a completely different realisation.

When I told them I might be gay—that’s how I phrased it at the time—they thought there was a chance I might not be. But then I had a partner, and they saw me with him. And that’s when they realised I actually am gay. 

Can I ask about your partner?

I don’t want to say much, but I am in a long-term relationship. We’ve been together for years. 

Any dating advice for us? We’re all searching for love.

Just talk. If someone expresses their feelings and communicates well, the other person will know where they’re at. I believe communication is key, and love is the message.

Follow B 4ME on Instagram and RA, and listen to his music on SoundCloud. 

Words: Alexander Cheves

Pictures: Mara Menzel, with additional images provided by B 4ME