Matthias Meyer picks 15 tracks to celebrate 15 years of Watergate

Matthias Meyer celebrates the 15th anniversary of Berlin clubbing institution, Watergate, with 15 tracks from the venue’s illustrious history.

As a resident at the club for five years, and a regular face in the booth there for over a decade, few DJs know the sound of Watergate as well as Meyer. 

D.Kay & Lee - 'One Nation' (hard:edged)

"One might wonder why this list of tracks starts with a drum & bass track, but when you know the owners of Watergate are coming from a drum & bass background and used to run their hard:edged parties at the legendary WMF club in Berlin in the ‘90s it again is obvious why drum & bass cannot be missed in this list. 

‘One Nation’ was featured on the very first compilation "Watergate Files Vol.1" the club did, way before they even thought of founding a Club-label. A pure drum & bass mix CD which featured the club’s sound on Fridays at the time. The parties were intense and by far the best Berlin’s drum & bass scene had to offer. Big labels like Metalheads, V Recordings or Hospital Records held residencies at the time and hard:edged was the brand of choice when it came to Germany’s shows for the protagonists of that sound. DJ Lee, good friend of the club, a member of Goldie’s Metalheadz camp and drum & bass artist is still closely connected with Watergate which made it a must to pick this particular tune. He actually returned to the Watergate Records label in 2016 with a project together with Marcus Intalex aka Trevino who sadly passed away this year. ‘Sideways’ was released as one 12“ on the label featuring two amazing techno tracks and Lee still appears at parties at Watergate, now playing techno from time to time."

Justice Vs. Simian - 'We Are Your Friends' (Ed Banger)

"This track’s been a huge track, marking the club’s transition to a more techno/house orientated space. At the time it wasn’t so much about genres and you could experience a big spectrum of music when going out. Somehow the Ed Banger label filled the gap between techno, electro and hip hop and it’s no wonder it became a huge hit at some point."

Alter Ego - 'Rocker' (Klang)

"I remember Alter Ego mentioning in an interview they played this track out at Watergate for the first time and the place went mad. ‘Rocker’ was a weekly ‘must’ in sets for a while, it was such a big tune. DJs didn’t limit themselves to just playing one style as much as they do today, so you heard ‘Rocker’ in sets of all kinds of different DJs. They were wild times at Watergate around 2004, when this monster came out, and parties easily went into the afternoon every weekend."

Metro Area - 'Miura' (Metro Area)

"Metro Area were always ahead of their time and it is hard to pick a tune from the first few releases of theirs that wasn’t great. Their sleazy and sexy robot disco sound just got everybody on the dance floor and it still does today. However ‘Miura’ was the one that got played the most at Watergate. It’s a track that just fits the Waterfloor perfectly, no matter whether you play it in the early morning hours or at peak time. I have it in my collection too and it is a nice coincidence that I also played that tune out even when I wasn’t at the club at this time."

Luciano & Quenum - 'Orange Mistake' (Cadenza)

"At some point in the clubs history it was all about the so called ‘minimal sound’, which ruled the scene for quite a few years. "Orange Mistake“ was the first release on Cadenza and I think Luciano was still living in Berlin at the time being a big influence to the city and its scene. I personally didn’t play that much minimal having my interest in the more housier side of the music, but it’s an absolute must to mention this track when speaking of Watergate and its history."

Matthias Meyer - 'Infinity' (Liebe Detail)

"‘Infinity’, the track that rotates around a Soul Of Mischief sample was probably the tune that put me on the map for a bigger audience and also got the attention of the people responsible for handling the bookings at Watergate at the time. Lots of DJs charted the track and it was played a lot at Watergate too. It’s a favorite of many DJs that play the club and therefore it belongs to this list."

Osunlade - 'Envision (Ame Remix)' [Innervisions]

"One of my all-time favourites and a track that Dixon mentioned in the 10 years Watergate Movie that got played at Watergate for the first time ever. Just like Dixon, I feel this track a lot; it created a huge energy on the dance floor and it’s strongly connected with Watergate for me."

La Fleur - 'Nightflow (Kenny Larkin Drama Mix)' (Watergate)

"Here we go with a tune that originated from the Watergate Records Label. Kenny Larkin turned La Fleur’s ‘Nightflow’ into a monster of a tune. It got played so much and drew a lot of attention to the label. It is one of Kenny’s masterworks in my opinion and such a blessing for the label. La Fleur still plays it out these days and it will never ever bore me. A truly great remix and Watergate classic."

Paul Kalkbrenner - 'Sky And Sand / Robag Wruhme Remix' (PKM)

"I guess this is one of the tracks I have played the most in the last few years and it fits perfectly to the sunrise on River Spree, the river that lies next to Watergate and that mirrors the sun so nicely in the early morning hours. It is a sure shot wherever I play, but the pure magic of the track for me is connected to these situations at the club, when time stands still and you could go on playing for hours. Which I actually enjoy a lot!"

Dennis Ferrer - 'Sinfonia De La Notte'

"Back to peak time selections with this one. Dennis Ferrer hardly ever disappoints and so this track is a genius house tool for me. It didn’t leave my bag in ages and I guess it will stay forever. I play a lot of Dennis Ferrer Tracks but this one sticks out and needs to be mentioned here. With its classic piano part and the amazing arrangement, the track never fails on the dance floor and gets the crowd going on the mainfloor of the club every time!"

Marcus Worgull feat Osunlade - 'Reno' (Innervisions)

"This is one of my favorite tracks from Marcus and I played it out a lot. Marcus is one of my favorite DJs and he once played for my birthday on my night at Watergate. I met my girlfriend that day so I always have good memories to him, the track and the club. I would love to play with him again sometime and with the history surroudnign it, ‘Reno’ is a must-mention on this list."

Butch -  'Sharzad / Matthias Meyer Remix' (Watergate Records)

"I had asked Butch to let me remix ‘Sharzad’ a few years ago because I loved the break of that track so much and I wanted to build a whole new tune around it. He had released it on Watergate Records earlier and the label was planning to do a few remixes of their older and classic tunes anyway. So I did the remix and tested it for almost two years. Quite a few people wanted it already way before it actually came out this summer and it got a lot of good feedback before it was even out. Well, good things take time to ripen and I’m really happy with the track. It totally did its job at this year’s residency at Labyrinth in Pacha where I played it out every single time :)"

Martyn - 'Elden St. / Sebo K Edit' (Watergate)

"I heard this one again a few nights ago in a restaurant before my ‘Thursdate’ at Waterfate with Stimming. A truly amazing track in Sebo K’s signature style. He turned Martyn’s original into a house track that stands the test of time. Originally released in 2009 it is still one of my favorite house gems and I after hearing it again last night I am considering putting it back into my playlist."

Matthias Meyer - 'Fallin’ (Watergate)

"My contribution to Watergate’s "10 years“ compilation also marks the moment they asked me to join the agency and therefore the track has some importance to me. It also laid the foundation to my actual sound. Soundwise I followed that pace until today."

Depeche Mode - 'Enjoy the silence (Timo Maas Remix)'

"The most important track for me ever. I heard it first when Wighnomy Brothers played it in the old Click Club in Hamburg back in 2004 or so. Everybody was smiling, holding hands and singing along. I had it in my box for ages and played it as my last tune. A very influential record for me and of course I played this at Watergate too sometimes..."