Not a bad week in Berlin just there, which is tipping along despite some of the NYC/LDN diseases becoming a lot more acute, especially around housing. Everything else though remains pretty affordable and the biggest benefit as far as I can see is barriers to starting new venues and keeping others open are still almost uniquely low for a city of this nature - the security/policing/licencing hoops people have to navigate in London, eg. are alien still.
CTM festival had a very strong line up around the city and use of Berghain during the week, putting on stuff usually not seen in there. Jay Mitta, Dj Diaki and Zoë Mc Pherson preforming live as 3Ok was immense: breakneck Nyege Nyege rhythms way way up in the BPMs with huge angular half step subs. Really really good stuff and refreshing, hopefully the project will see a release or two. Defo recommend if they are about summer festivals. DJ Hvad also on decks and singing bowls was a much much better than it sounds. Menacing but very understated too, real pro at work.
Funny though, first few times I was in that place from around 2007 on it was definitely part of a wider international constellation of self-consciousness but has definitely settled into just being self-consciously Berghain now. City is well placed in the queer boom currently going mainstream clubbing either way.
New York has sorted itself out a bit since this thread started? Has started to export music again at least after a very long lull. I was despairing for London for a while as musically it had become a bit of a techno tribute act - Rinse has been puzzling here - but the crew around co-op and all the bruk guys are doing cutting edge stuff very much of its homeplace.