Stimulus package
Companion's Matt Charlton chat to DJ Stimulus about his creative and collaborative energy
Berlin has always been where the eternally wandering finally choose to put down their gnarly roots, where the misfits of the world finally find their place and their people. From the decadent days of the Weimar Republic, where, away from prejudiced eyes, queer and racially diverse artists would flock to ply their trade, via the years of the Cold War. West Berlin — a capitalist island in a sea of communism — was a place to escape conscription, and to cut yourself off from the western world; East Berlin was a clandestine cauldron of punk, dissidence, and protest.
And then the wall came down and techno-heads arrived. Drawn by empty warehouses, bargain flights, cheap accommodation, and mechanical beats which echoed the old industries, they came to define the night-time identity of the modern city through illegal raves, the Love Parade, and ultimately, some club called Berghain… never heard of it.
So where does DJ STIMULUS, Stimmy, or quite simply Ian Lawrence fit into this? Is he a misfit, a raver, a counter-culturist, or all of the above? "Honestly, I needed to leave America for health reasons. Buenos Aires and Berlin were at the top of the list. The final decision was made for love. Berlin was a better fit for my partner." Carried to Berlin on a kind of love parade then. An artist, DJ, event curator, and creative from New York, Brooklyn-born Stimmy was discovered by Mark Ronson, who recorded and produced his first demo. Before signing his first record deal with Universal Music, he worked as a product developer and marketer for Gap Inc., Ralph Lauren, and Puma. In short, he's been quite busy.

But then came his move to Berlin, where he co-founded Swim Good, a night and a movement, whose motto 'Community Over Clout', really sums up the mantra… which I guess is what mottos are supposed to do. "We curate talents with a story. Talents that share their story through music: talents that have a specific musical style and, perhaps as importantly, talents that are complementary, but different from the other talents in the line-up". All about the talent then, as it should be. And what of his own DJing style? "I always think of my DJ sets within the context of the entire event I am playing. I am usually hired to get or keep a dance floor going. To do this, I use different genres to tell different stories and evoke different emotions. I always try to play what I think is needed, but missing." Maybe that's why he's slotted into Berlin so well—it’s a place where the gaps in the market, or the demands of the ignored minorities, have been fulfilled.
Talking of minorities in the Berlin scene, I mention to him that, unlike a lot of northern European cities, I’ve noticed Berlin’s black community and black scene doesn’t seem as visible as, say, London or Barcelona. “I’m interested in knowing how and why it doesn’t seem visible to you”, he replies, with a genuine interest. “The answers to those questions can probably help the community overall. I can’t speak for the community as a whole, but from my vantage point, it has become more connected and visible than it was when I moved here. I do my best to contribute to the black community through my social impact project Black Future Week.” In what feels like a huge leap forward for the city, Black Future Week has been established, maybe not consciously because of the perceived lack of diversity, but certainly to promote and turn a spotlight on the underrepresented, a ‘mission to unite ecosystems of people of colour and allies, fostering connection and growth for Black excellence’, as the website says. Watch out for similar events all around Europe in 2025 and more to come in Berlin.
Going on to elaborate on my observation of racial diversity in Berlin, I explain that I always notice how predominantly white its crowds are, but come to think of it, maybe it just has some catching up to do—it’s only 35 years since the wall came down, and every country behind the Iron Curtain was predominantly Caucasian? “[That’s] right in line with the call out from lots of attendees at Black Future Week events requesting to be connected to communities outside of the city they live in”, he replies. “Maybe they feel that need for more international awareness?”
With all this community work, it’s surprising that he finds time for his day (or more specifically late night/ early morning) job, but find it he does, playing Prince Charles, Kater Blau and Berghain Kantine amongst others. Did he slot right in when he first moved here? “I underestimated my need to develop new social relationships. I used to think that having music and my partner was enough to face any challenge. Living an ocean away from my family and oldest friends makes them harder to access as a resource. Music usually saves the day, but good friends can make heroes unnecessary”—don’t tell that to David Bowie fans, but it seems community and collaboration saved the day in a city built on ties that bind.

However, events beyond our control can rock even the strongest of foundations. Has he noticed a change in the city since Covid? “It feels smaller and less diverse in terms of music offerings. Lots of venues closed, and many have become more expensive to work with. I worry that there are not enough new event concepts developing and that established event series are struggling to sustain or grow. That said, it’s still fun, interesting and unique.” Even though it’s not grammatically possible, it seems as if Stimmy’s mission is to make the city even more unique, but for that, you have to infiltrate the club scene… just how exactly does one go about getting into Berghain? “For Berghain or any other club - go to participate. If you go to be a spectator or voyeur, that energy will be all over you and you might not be invited in. If you truly intend to experience who and what you are curious to see, listen to, and be a part of, your energy will get you past most doors.”
Energy — noted. And just in case he has any energy left over after all those Black Future Weeks, a full-time DJ career, and a popular night to curate, what is he planning next? “I am releasing a dark comedy, sci-fi film.” Of course — it’s the logical next step in a town like this.