Curses: In a Berlin State of Mind

We chat with New York-raised, Berlin-based artist Curses before he returns to Le Bain with the Safer At Night crew on Saturday, October 22nd.
LE BAIN: Last Saturday, you played at “Berlin’s most insane party," Porn Dimension by Pornceptual. Is it really...porn?
CURSES: Besides being a 5-story sex party, it is definitely the most exciting party in Berlin right now. One person can be dancing in exciting attire next to a totally naked person. The party allows people to lose all inhibitions and be their true, honest selves. 
Cranks, Curses, and Lawrence Lee (Safer At Night)

"I will always be a New Yorker at heart."

After spending more than 2 years in Berlin, are you still amazed by the club scene there?
Definitely. I am constantly discovering and re-discovering new, old, and inspiring music. After two years in Berlin, I realized I will always be a New Yorker at heart. Sometimes the slow pace of Berlin can get frustrating... 

Judging by your stream of new releases and DJ sets, Berlin keeps being a great source of inspiration. How would you describe your Berlin state of mind? 
Healthy and curious like a child. Finally finding love and cooking a lot keeps me focused and creative.
Curses' "Death Of Fear" (2016)
You just released a new record on your label, Safer At Night, and you said you were "back to drinking too much tequila this past summer.” Is really summer behind us? 
Sadly I think summer is gone (and so is tequila). Bring on the winter junipers and gin!

One good thing about living in Berlin is that you can travel to the rest of Europe very easily. What has been your most recent Euro coup-de-foudre?
The move from the US to Europe was so attractive to me because of the state of mind I was in and the music I was making. When I first hit Budapest, I fell head over heels in love with the architecture and mystic romanticism of the city. From spa life to nightlife, that city is gorgeous.
Curses' "Vengeance" (Rotten City Files, 2016)

Another brand new track of yours is “Vengeance” on Rotten City, and you’re singing on that one. How good does it feel to sing again?
I started singing again during my DJ sets this past winter, so naturally songs were soon formed. I have been working all year on these new tracks, and they'll all be slowly coming out on various labels to get the love I feel they deserve.

It seems there are more and more NY artists moving to Berlin. Is there some kind of a NY secret society? 
[Laughs.] There are quite bit of New Yorkers here. We don't hang out with one another as much as we should, though. Recently our good friends Nadia and Khaled [aka DJ Abu Ashley] got married, and this brought everyone together, which was a nice reunion for the New York expats. 

featuring Curses, Lawrence Lee, and Cranks
The Standard, High Line | 10pm
Header photo by Max Dorsogna

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