Carsten Klemann, a fixture of Berlin’s electronic music community, has passed away at the age of 41. His cause of death remains unknown.
Born in Berlin in 1980, Klemann got his start as part of the DJ collective 61 Rocker. While with this group he played hip-hop and curated a floor at ’90s drum & bass party Hard:Edged.
In 2002, the organizers of Hard:Edged opened an institution in Kreuzberg named Watergate Club. Klemann was signed on as a resident at the club, where he played an influential role in Berlin’s growing minimal house scene. He regularly played at Berlin clubs such as Cookies and Berghain.
Klemann also cofounded My My, a DJ and producer trio consisting of himself, Lee Jones, and Nick Hoeppner. Within the group, Klemann and Hoeppner mainly DJed while Hoeppner and Jones made the music. Through this collaboration, Klemann connected them to a label called Playhouse which eventually released their early EPs and only album. He also programmed their monthly residency at Watergate.
Taking to Instagram to share his condolences, Hoeppner wrote, “Getting to know you has been one of the most meaningful encounters of my life. You will be missed!”
Jones also expressed his sadness, writing on Facebook, “Goodbye friend, colleague, brother. I’ll never forget our time together. You were a giant of a man.”
