Like most contemporary house and techno fans, we're tired of hearing about how Berlin is the coolest city ever, and about how it has the cheapest rents and the craziest nightclubs. Thankfully, sychophants of the German capital have finally latched onto a new talking point: the droves of tech startups that have cropped up there. The city has already proved to be a nurturing home for creative giants like Ableton, Native Instruments, and Soundcloud, as well as the many up-and-coming programmers, designers, and entrepreneurs who conduct meetings in cafes around town. And the world has taken notice: this year at SXSW, a panel of experts will gather at a seminar titled How to Take Berlin to discuss the "underlying structures" there, including public funding and venture capital firms. The panel is proof that the European techno city is fast becoming an international hotspot for young technology enterprises, so we put together a run-down of some of the most exciting establishments.Nagual Sounds
The team of programmers at Nagual Sounds have created an "entirely new interactive music experience" by translating body movement, captured by a 3D camera, into music. The software allows users to assign different musical elements to specific body parts, which reverses the usual discourse between dance and sound: in this case, the body conducts the music instead of vice versa. The company's main product, Nagual Dance, has yet to see a public release, but the team, led by freelance composer Mark Moebius and DJ/producer Artur Reimer, already has an impressive list of sponsors and supporters.Bitwig
Those familiar with the ubiquitous electronic DAW Ableton have no doubt heard the whisperings around Bitwig. After lots of speculation and rumormongering, the new software—which was founded by several of Ableton's former programmers—is finally nearing its alpha release. Building on the clip launch view that has made Ableton the go-to instrument for a plethora of electronic musicians, Bitwig offers users the ability to combine MIDI and audio tracks, edit the content of layered tracks as one, modulate global parameters quickly and efficiently, and even work with other users via LAN in one open session. Building a new DAW from scratch seems like a gargantuan task, but if anyone can do it, it's the Bitwig crew.De-Bug
Of course, Berlin already has plenty of places for creative minds to meet and collaborate, but one of it's most well known meeting sites is virtual. De-Bug.de started all the way back in 1997, and only in recent years has it grown into an award-winning publication—it proudly displays its Berlin roots whenever possible. Covering everything from electronic music micro-genres, digital living, and hardware for computer afficiandos of all types, De-Bug.de is proof that in Berlin's rapidly changing cultural millieu, there is still room for a monthly print magazine.MFB
While Berlin is rife with new startups working to integrate communities digitally, we'd be remiss to not mention local analog synthesizer and drum machine designer MFB, who has been handbuilding instruments for years. As the price of vintage gear rises, many producers rely on MFB for affordable analog sounds, and for good reason: the company's range of synths offers the kind of unique sound design and hands-on tweakability that have only recently found favor amongst larger manufacturers.Leo Maymind is obsessed with electronic music, gear, and ramen. He has too much free time. -@leomaymind
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