Guide: Lehult

What effect has the closure of the Golden Pudel had on Hamburg's nightlife?

LC: It's probably the worst thing that's happened to Hamburg in the last five years. It never materialised that we did a night there which is a big shame and something I really regret. We should have pushed it a little bit harder. Hamburg is a city that lives on a balance. It's a place that works because you have the contrast of very posh areas but also some very left-wing alternative areas. The Pudel was one of the last balancing points that gave contra to this flashier nightlife that's coming into Hamburg and isn't fun for anyone into music. The Pudel was a place you could go every day of the week and there would be something on which is crazy.

Assam: In Hamburg there's a scale of negative stuff going on with money flowing into the wrong cultural areas. There's a new building for a philharmonic place that cost millions and millions. Pudel made it bearable to live in the city. It's overflooded with these awful commercial things. Now it's gone, there's a big hole.

Do you guys feel you have a responsibility to fly the flag with your own parties at PAL?

Assam: It would be nice if people see it that way. We just wanted to get out there and do nice parties for our friends. If people feel that way then that's perfect.

LC: Hamburg definitely has the potential. Pudel has been a place where these things can be showcased, especially on the weirder spectrum. Maybe we have a little less ideology than the Pudel. We just want to do parties for our friends to come together and have a good time. It's not really to go against things that are going wrong in the city. There's kind of a bit of political activism connected to Pudel which we wouldn't really have at our parties.

What's so special about PAL?

LC: It's a very clean club in terms of design. Its programming usually goes towards the techno end of the spectrum. We're one of the few house nights there. It's been working out really great so far. The system's really good and it's a place where there's only really a dancefloor and you can't do much else but dance. It always stands and falls with the music. If there's bad music people will leave, if there's good music it works out!

Assam: The guys that do it definitely filled a hole in Hamburg. There wasn't really a place that showcased this kind of house and techno music for a few years. It was all in a bit of transitional phase.

LC: Hamburg's always going up and down a little bit. We've all DJ'd and been involved in different scenes. I wouldn't say we're veterans but we started going out when we were 13, 14 and 15. So it's been like a coming and going of clubs. PAL is a place that offers a space where they have aspirations musically. It's not a place where they go for stupid, blind programming just to get cash, they actually care about having good music played there. For us to do a few house-orientated nights there is a pleasure. We're standing next to Smallville and the guys from Session Victim. For us guys being new to this thing and a young label, it's been an amazing thing.

What do you look to achieve?

LC: I think it can really go hand-in-hand just to make people have a good time through music. We take quite a bit of pride to put in a good warm-up at our parties. A lot of parties start full-on nowadays and they don't really seem to care. We always try to have a good warm-up, a solid main set from a guest then a finishing set that keeps people there for as long as we can. Our aim is to really bring people together and give them a space where they can have a good time.