Tucked away in Berlin’s Friedrichshain district, within earshot of Berghain/Panorama Bar’s steel-and-smoke mythology, Elevate feels especially alive as the city begins to thaw. March in Berlin carries that familiar in-between feeling – winter still clinging to the shadows while the first warm light spills across cracked pavements and café tables slowly reappear outside. In this moment of transition, the small vinyl sanctuary becomes a place of quiet rhythm, where crate-digging replaces hibernation and music stretches out into the longer days ahead.
Run by house mainstay Cinthie, her longtime partner-in-crime Meat, and a close-knit crew of trusted selectors, Elevate is more than a record store. It’s a carefully composed ecosystem of sound, memory, and intention – a space where every sleeve, every groove, carries a story. Each shelf gently reminds you why vinyl was never meant to disappear, only to be rediscovered again and again.
With decades spent behind decks, in studios, and deep among dusty crates, Cinthie and Meat have shaped Elevate into a place where records speak for themselves. No hype, no excess – just music chosen with patience, instinct, and love. Here, listening slows down and regains its sense of ritual, offering a calm counterpoint to the restless tempo of the city outside.
To welcome the first hints of spring, the Elevate family shares a selection of their current must-grabs with Torture the Artist – records for sunlit afternoons, open windows, and those first Späti beers after months of grey skies. A small guide for shaking off the winter dust and stepping into the season with fresh sound.
Music that doesn’t live in clouds or algorithms, but in hands, homes, and hearts. Music that never streams – only spins.
- Black Eyes – Hydrocity Reflex EP | 803 Crystal Grooves Collective Cuts
- Dope Dog – Keep House Unda Ground | Rawax
- NY Stomp – Can You Feel It | 4 Lux
- Gary’s Garage – Gaz For Life EP | Gary’s Garage
- St. David – The Freakshow EP | Chiwax
- Ballan – Different Shapes / Eurocup Mess | Sunny / Ba Dum Tish
- Oldboy – How’d Ya Feel | Reliance
- Luca Olivotto – Acquafun EP | At A Glance
- James Andrew – Savour The Flavour EP | Ghost Records
- Revivis – Chatsworth Days EP | Running Hot Records
Torture the Artist 