Hard Wax

Hard Wax: Where Berlin’s Techno History Begins

The record store was founded in 1989 by Mark Ernestus of Basic Channel – precisely in the year the Berlin Wall fell. Like the legendary club Tresor, Hard Wax was part of the Berlin-Detroit axis, which in the 90s ensured a regular exchange between musicians and the techno scenes of both cities. From the beginning, the store was far more than just a place to buy records. Ernestus shaped the Berlin music scene with his carefully curated selection of records and attracted DJs from all over the world. Hard Wax also established itself as a springboard for new talents and sounds.

Over the years, prominent DJs such as DJ Hell, Gernot Bronsert of Modeselektor, and Marcel Dettmann were among its employees. So, whoever worked behind the counter later played in the city’s biggest clubs. It’s no wonder then that Hard Wax is considered an institution today.

Vinyl, Dub, and a New Home in Kraftwerk

The store specializes in techno, reggae, dub, and dubstep. The range extends from current club releases to house classics from Chicago and Detroit. Hard Wax also acts as a distributor for several Berlin labels associated with Basic Channel, making it simultaneously a record store, a network, and an archive of electronic music.

In 2023, Hard Wax had to give up its original location on Paul-Lincke-Ufer. The store moved to Kraftwerk, which also houses the clubs Tresor and Ohm. The relocation was forced by the ubiquitous gentrification in Berlin. However, the new home fits perfectly: Hard Wax now being housed in the Tresor complex brings two of Berlin’s most important institutions under one roof. So, those looking for vinyl in Berlin will find not only records here but also a place where the history of electronic music continues to be written to this day.