A good days in Potsdam

 I often hear people talk about support for Sidney SN from UK drum and bass artists, but there’s rarely any mention of C Recordings, for example. C Recordings is one of the best German drum and bass labels. I believe people should open their eyes to C Recordings just as they do to many UK drum and bass labels and UK artists. 

But the truth is, when Soulvent Records started liking my posts on Instagram, it was something I didn’t expect. Or take another example—interest from Shogun Audio. I think Soulvent Records and Shogun Audio are right at the top of the drum and bass scene. What really surprised me was what I began seeing in reality. One example is when the name Sidney SN was applauded in Prague clubs. During 2022 and 2023, I often found it hard to believe that people across Europe actually knew the name Sidney SN. And not just people in drum and bass—but also people from other scenes, like the Netherlands techno scene, the progressive scene, or just the general Western European public. And almost every time, the reaction to me was positive. 

When I realized that people all across Western Europe knew about me, it honestly blew my mind—I never expected that kind of popularity across the region. I often asked myself how it was even possible. I used to think drum and bass artists weren’t popular with the general public. But I found that I am popular with the public itself, like in Germany, for example. And even there, the reactions to me were mostly positive every time. The same happened at meetings in France or the Netherlands events. 

And what I see as really positive is that the situation around me—and the things happening in my life—are probably the reason why so many people across Western Europe know who I am. It’s something that told me a lot of good things about Western European society. 

I have a words to rare experience. And now is the experience also meaningful. It’s summer 2023. I chose not to go to Liquicity Festival—even though I knew many people were expecting Sidney SN to appear there. Or perhaps, precisely because of that. Instead, I decided to visit the Berlin area in Germany. 

There was a drum and bass event at Rechenzentrum in Potsdam, and I felt drawn to it. It seemed like the right choice. The area around Potsdam appears to be very green. When traveling by train from Berlin to Potsdam, the landscape along the way is mostly forest—it seems there’s a long stretch of forest between Berlin city and Potsdam. The weather felt as if it belonged to a place where rainclouds could be held back by a kind of a dam formed by the surrounding forests. Interestingly, the weather was similar to what you might experience during June in the Netherlands. Yet, the event itself wasn’t rainy. In fact, there was even sunshine. 

Kyrist is playing at the Burn Out Festival, and I am in the mood for German jungle or drum and bass. I also looked forward to experiencing Berlin’s vibrant and colorful ‘freedom’ community, including the queer people. And yes—everything I hoped for came true. The German DnB and Berlin’s colorful energy were real. But even more than that, the community was better than I imagined. Not only at the Burn Out Festival in Rechenzentrum, but in Potsdam in general. I came away with new insights about myself. I had experiences that I got a new informations about my person in Germany. The days I spent in Potsdam were deeply meaningful. 

When I say the community at Rechenzentrum was good, I mean it felt honest and fair. People seemed to be genuinely aware of who they were and what they believed—there was no hate, only presence. That atmosphere was more what I expected. A rare moment to visit Potsdam’s Rechenzentrum, which is part of Berlin’s vibrant and colorful community.