BERLIN
Imagine London without Tower Records. Now, imagine any big german city without WOM. The shop's name comes form World Of Music. Generally located inside a big Hertie store, WOM has not only almost every latest release but a real mecca for music buyers: a nice listening place, where you can hear anything you want. I haven't got the right adress with me, but I'm sure you'll find it easily downtown.
I don't have the address of KaDeWe, but ask anyone in Berlin, cause it's the most famous department store in the country. Their CD department, as any department inside the store, is very complete. I bought good things there, and they let me hear anything I wanted. And a nice tip: beside the music department there's a computer dept, with very cheap access to the internet for you to send digital postcards to all your plugged friends.
2x2 - Wilmersdorfer strasse, 60/6 -
hidden on the interior courtyard of a buiding, in the pedestrian's zone. Phone: (030)323-4072
I had been here in 1992, and to my surprise it remains now (july, 1997) exactly as it was. In spite of being so hidden, this shop is wonderland for people looking for used stuff. I would consider it the best place in Berlin to buy cheap and nice stuff, be it vinyl or cds. You'll find here a wonderful assortment of cds and cd singles, divided by the initial letter of the artist (if you've been around to used cd chops, you should know how hard it is to find something like this). As in any wonderland, there is a crazy queen. In this case, it's the guy who owns (?) the place, who isn't the kindest guy in town. But don't let him spoil your pleasure of finding exactly what you've been after for years.
LOGO - Bergmannstrasse, 10 - Phone
030-693-1998
Logo has one of the most terrible logos I've ever seen: imagine a manuscript font with two LP's in the place of the "o"s. Nevertheless, I bought some nice stuff there. It's in the Kreuzberg, in a street (Bergmanstrasse) where you can find a lot of used stuff, like clothes and books. There are other Cd shops in the area, and some are in this guide. Logo is one of the best of them, specially if you're looking for vinyl (which seems to be very appreciated in Berlin, by the way). This is another shop who resisted the 5 years I've been out of Berlin. To get there, use the U-Banh and get off at Mehringdamm or Gneisenaustrasse.
MOT-SCHALLPLATTEN -
Bergmannstrasse, 94 - Phone 030-691-9455
SOUNDGARDEN -
Bergmannstrasse, 25 - Phone 030-693-3576 - Mo-Fr: 12-20, Sa: 10-16
Two other shops in Bergmanstrasse. I've been to both, but wasn't specially impressed by any. SoundGarden is remarkably expensive if compared to other shops around. They have another adress in town, which is listed at the end of the page, with other shops I haven't visited yet.
[rc:] -
zossenerstr., 20 - phone: 694-7815
Still in the Kreuzberg, when you reach the end of Bergmanstrasse, you'll find this shop between the Marheinekeplatz market and Gneisenaustrasse U-Bahn Station. You'll only find its name strange until I tell you it's an eletronic dance music shop. Hey, don't forget you're in Berlin, birth place of the Techno.
SPACE HALL -
zossenerstr., 33 - phone: 894-7664
Space Hall is near [rc:]. A good shop, with good prices. What else can you want ?
ROCK STEADY REC. -
Maasenstrasse, 5 - Phone 217-2720 - Mo-Fr: 11-18:30, Sa:10-15, Su:11-20
This shop is in the Schonenberg area, near the U-Bahn(metro) station Nollendorf Platz (a very fashionable area. It's very complete, offering new and 2nd hand vinyl and CDs at wonderful prices. You can browse their boxes of used Cd singles for 1 DM or buy the new ones for only 5 DM (3 U$, by the exchange rates of july 1997). Don't forget: the word in German for Rarities is "Raritaten". And if you go there, don't forget to visit the nearby Goldztrasse, with a lot of really fantastic fashion shops.
KWERBEAT - Ohlauerstr. 42 -
Phone: (0177)783 72 32 (mobile phone)- Mo-Fr: 13-20, Sa: 11-15
If you're visiting the Kreuzberg area, and walk Orianenstrasse (which is the most interesting street of Kreuzberg) till the end, you'll be near Ohlauerstrasse, in a very residencial part of town. Kwerbeat is a nice little shop, with second hand stuff. I particularly made my day there, buying some incredibly cheap cds I haven't found for a long time(like the 3-cd set RUBY TRAX for just 25 DM - 15 U$ !!!! - and this is just one example). If you go there, continue down Ohlauerstrasse, until you reach a very beautiful road by the channel called Paul-Lincke-Ufer, which is full of old houses, another one of the wonderful places in Berlin where you feel like you were anywhere but a huge city as Berlin. It's worth a stroll down this street. And beware: if you walk Paul-Lincke-Ufer heading west, there's a techno-only cd shop somewhere in the 3rd floor of a building.
MUSIC UNTER DEN
GLEISEN - Friedrichstrasse, by the Oranienburger Tor U-bahn Station - Phone: 204-4084
Let's turn our eyes now to former East Berlin. Although this is the coolest side of town, I really don't have that many addresses. M.U.D.G. is a nice shop, almost in front of the cultural center TACHELES's backyard. It's a good place to buy new and used CDs. Don't expect to catch them opened before 12:00. The hotel I stopped was very near this shop, and it was one of the best cheap hotels I've ever slept in a trip. If you want the tip, mail me. M.U.D.G. has another shop, listed below.
SATURN - AlexanderPlatz
Welcome to the heart of East Berlin. Saturn,as far as I can guess, is the music department of
KAUFHOF, one of the largest department stores in Berlin. It's a huge shop, with lots and lots of
promotional prices on new CDs. When I was there, you could buy any CD by U2 with 10 US$. I
payed 7 US$ for each one of the CDs of the TV Toon collection, with the music from old
cartoons. In the US, they will cost you 16 US$ each. In Brazil, it's 25 US$ each. Don't miss it.
About Saturn, Aaron "Bubba" Hemphil sent me an e-mail stating the following:"Saturn in Koln Germany is the largest record store in the world. It is located at 5000 Koln 1, Hansaring 97. Telephone 01149 221 16161.(...)It is truly a music lovers dream come true
to visit their store. They have since 1983 opened numerous stores in Germany."
OTHER SHOPS I HAVEN'T BEEN
If this long list of places I've been isn't enough, here are some places I haven't found the time to visit in Berlin. Good luck !
* CITY MUSIC - Kurfurstendamm, in TEMA shopping center. Also in the following adresses: Kudamm, 6; Alexanderplatz, 6; Alt-Tegel, 7; Breite Strasse, 37; Potsdamer Str, 124-126, Wilhelmsruher Damm, 138; Schloss-/Zimermannstrasse, 39.
* MUSICTRAIN (used) - Wielandstr, 45 - S-Bahn Savignyplatz (CHARLOTTENBURG) - Phone
312-7516 - Mo-Fr: 12-20, Sa: 10-16.
* MUSIC UNTER DEN GLEISEN - Dorotheenstrasse, almost in the corner with
FriedrichStrasse.(MITTE) - be sure to visit their other adress
* BUFFALO - Brunnenstrasse, 33 - U bahn Bernauer Str.(MITTE) - Phone 449-9797
* COVER - Turmstr. 52 - UBahn Turmstrasse (TIERGARTEN)- Phone 395-8762 - Mo-Fr: 10-20,
Sa: 10-16
* X-TONE (2nd hand) - Karl-Marx Str, 43 (NEU-KOLLN) - Phone 623-6604 - Mo-Fr: 10-19, Sa:
10-16.
* COMEBACK - Hasenheide, 9 - U-Bahn Hermannplatz (KREUZBERG) - Phone 694-01433
* SILVER DISC - Wrangelstrasse 84 (KREUZBERG) - Phone 618-9342
* ROCKERS (punk/metal/hip-hop/wave - 2nd hand) - Wienerstr. 20 (KREUZBERG) - Phone 618-
2712 - Near Gorlitzer Bahnhof. - Their catalogue is on the internet.
* GROOVE - Pucklerstr. 36 (KREUZBERG) - Phone 618-8639
* VOPO (punk/metal/darkwave) - Danziger Str, 31 - U Bahn Eberswalder Str. (PRENZLAUER
BERG) - Phone 442-8004
* PITCH (new cds and vynil) - Stargaderstr. 67 (PRENZLAUER BERG) - Phone 445-9992 - Mo-
Fr: 11-20, Sa:10-16.
* DER MISSION - Hohenstaufenstr. 4 (SCHONEBERG) - Mo-Fr: 12-20, Sa: 11-15:30
* ZEE DEE - Brusseler Str. 4 (WEDDING) - Phone 453-3400
* SOUNDGARDEN - Hauptstrasse, 9 - Phone 787-5891- Mo-Fr: 10-20, Sa: 10-16 - maybe this is cheaper than their other adress
* HURRICANE (new and used) - Hauptstrasse, 84 - U+S Bahn Innsbrucker Platz - Mo-Fr: 12-19,
Sa:10-14.
* FOLTER (heavy, dark ?) - Kollwitzstrasse, 39 - Phone 443-9270 - Mo-Fr: 11-19, Sa: 13-17
If you are planning to visit Berlin, don't forget to visit the Berlin-Info homepage.
You are number to visit this page since 11/Sept/1997
