Setting the Scene: Ale Hop

Where are you based, and how long have you been there?

I’ve been based in Berlin since 2015, so it’s been nearly a decade now.

Is it home? And if not, where is?

Yes, Berlin is home – it’s my creative hub and centre of operations. However, home used to be Lima, Peru, where I first started playing music in the 2000s. I relocated because touring internationally from Peru was incredibly difficult, and the South American electronic/experimental music scene remains fragmented due to long distances between countries, limited resources and political instability.

How would you describe the current atmosphere where you live? What’s the general feeling?

It’s not great! For immigrants, there’s a sense that our art is welcomed, but our opinions on political issues are not. There’s increasing censorship in the arts, particularly for those speaking out in solidarity with Palestine. A big divide exists between the perspectives of the white German left and the left of people with migratory backgrounds. Fear and uncertainty have grown in the last two years, with many seemingly unbothered by the authoritarian measures being imposed.

How supportive are the local government/authorities to music and musicians?

Over the past decade that I have been around, the city was quite supportive of the arts, but now we’re seeing drastic funding cuts and shutdowns. Berlin’s music and arts scene has long benefited the entire economy – boring cities don’t get gentrified. The very reason greedy real estate developers can sell fancy apartments here is because of the desire created by the arts. The government should care and protect its value from economic greediness, but instead, Mayor Kai Wegner is doing quite the opposite, while making classist remarks like, “Cashiers at the supermarket don’t go to the opera anyway.” He doesn’t have a clue as to what the city is all about. Cultural funding represents only about 2% of the overall budget, yet they’re cutting it by 10% to 50%. Which raises the question: ‘Is this purely austerity measures, or is it also a reaction to artists being among the most vocal critics of the German government’s support of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza?’ Meanwhile, they have increased the budget for the police.

What’s the music scene like there?

The music scene in Berlin is still effervescent and diverse. There are all these niche scenes and communities constantly evolving across the city, with artists from all over the world passing through. In Berlin you can’t get bored. The cultural scene is what gives the city its pulse—it’s why people come and stay, and it’s what has given the city value. Unfortunately, the current government doesn’t seem to understand this. Believe me, no one moved here for the tasty food, the friendly people or the sunny weather. There is very little of that. It’s the arts scene that has defined this city’s identity.

Who are the local music heroes? Who does everyone look up to?

I look up to those working to create and sustain music communities, who are making this city still an interesting place to live. Lately, I look up to initiatives like Black Communion, Soydivision, Heroines of Sound and Radical Sounds Latin America, which are fostering spaces for experimental music and discourse.

When you’re not making music what do you do there? Where do you go?

I like the big parks and green areas around the city, some feel like tiny forests, with hills to climb and bird communities to hear.

Is there anything else we should know about the place? What do you love and/or hate about it?

I love swimming on a lake; I hate currywurst.

Lastly, is there anywhere else you’d rather be?

I often think about being somewhere where there is an ocean to look up to.

Mapambazuko by Ale Hop & Titi Bakorta is out now​ on Nyege Nyege Tapes