Lockdown Listening: HHV Berlin, Germany.
One thing that unites us all and keeps us inspired and motivated, especially in a time of crisis, is the love for music. We asked a few of our stockists and fellow music lovers to share what tracks are keeping them sane during lock down.
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HHV was born in the 90s as a record store in Berlin, Friedrichshain and over the years they have developed one of the world’s largest selection on vinyl records online. The range is huge: hip hop, funk and soul, house, techno, rock, folk, and jazz.
HHV is no longer just a vinyl shop, they also offer a curated range of clothing and sneakers, including Universal Works for the first time this season.
Over the years, quite a few things have changed at HHV. But they have always retained their ethos. There is no ‘empire’ behind HHV, just normal, down-to-earth people. They stayed true to the Friedrichshain neighborhood from the start.
We met Thomas Ulrich, the owner and the store's buyer in Berlin, and we are thrilled to be working with him! He was also kind enough to share with us what he has been listening to during lockdown.
HHV is no longer just a vinyl shop, they also offer a curated range of clothing and sneakers, including Universal Works for the first time this season.
Over the years, quite a few things have changed at HHV. But they have always retained their ethos. There is no ‘empire’ behind HHV, just normal, down-to-earth people. They stayed true to the Friedrichshain neighborhood from the start.
We met Thomas Ulrich, the owner and the store's buyer in Berlin, and we are thrilled to be working with him! He was also kind enough to share with us what he has been listening to during lockdown.
What artist/album are you enjoying listening to lately?
During lockdown I find myself with more time to browse through my record collection, re-discovering treasures of the past like “The Nonce - World Ultimate”, which is one of my all-time favorite hip hop albums. It was released around the time I was first getting into hip hop, I think it was 1995, by a Sublabel of Rick Rick Rubin´s “American Recordings”. The record has not been a commercial success and was difficult to find on vinyl. Finally I was able to buy the record in the late 90ies and 2016 we reissued the record via our HHV label. Being able to do that was a real matter of heart to me.
What was your favourite artist or club you went to in the past?
I remember afternoons at the Knaack-Club in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg when we killed time playing pool until the party started later. That was around when I was 16, always broke but always ready to party. Since we got in the club super early, we didn’t have to have the age discussion with the bouncer, and more importantly, we didn’t have to pay the entrance fee.
Rammstein and Beatsteaks released their first albums at the Knaack in front of 300 people. Also, there was an underground floor called “Darmwäsche”, which can be roughly translated as “intestine flushing”, with all sorts of crazy punk, hardcore, and later underground hip hop. Knaack was shut down in the mid 00ies during the real estate boom – unfortunately, many clubs in Berlin are still facing the same fate.
Also, everybody is worried about how the clubs will do after the lockdown. https://unitedwestream.berlin/ is a great platform supporting Berlin’s club and culture venues with live streams by numerous artists and DJs.
What are your go-to garments to wear during lockdown?
Patagonia Fleece, Carhartt WIP Denim and Birkenstock – that’s basically my favorite outfit during lockdown. Although 5 weeks working from home has also made me appreciate the occasional sweatpant.
UW. David Keyte was recently interviewed by the HHV team, which you can read more on here.