The two brothers, Jona and Ferdi Bockelmann (photo credit: Tobias Friedauer)—better known as Glaskin—have become a staple in our club program as residents, delivering sleek, contemporary, and irresistibly grooving Techno. Sterling sounds, quite simply. While each of their sets is a treat, thanks to their consistently refined musical skills, their performance on Saturday, March 1, 2025, will be an especially significant one: it’s live.
Anyone who has delved into their craft and history will know that the two brothers are live musicians at heart and have been pursuing the idea of a live set for years. This is a perfect opportunity to learn more about Glaskin, their musical journey, their approach to live music and performance, and what lies ahead.
One thing is certain: their peaktime set on Saturday will be one to remember. Dress to sweat!
Catch Glaskin performing live alongside Blasha & Allatt, Matrixxman, and Quelza on Saturday, March 1, 2025. Find out more here.
They’ve just released a new EP on SHDW’s Mutual Rytm imprint: find our more right here: https://mutual-rytm.bandcamp.com/album/inertia-of-motion
To anyone new to Glaskin: What’s Glaskin about?
Forward-thinking Techno with analogue-driven rhythms and a distinctive sonic vision.
You’ve been making music together for eight years. Coming from a background in live music and traditional instruments like classical guitar and drums, how did Glaskin come to life in the first place? When did you first consider playing a live set as Glaskin?
We took our first steps as musicians in a band together but soon went separate ways to gain our own experiences. Ferdi became increasingly drawn to electronic music, started DJing while organizing the Kellerkind festivals, whereas Jona initially launched Glaskin as a more open and explorative project. We knew we wanted to make music together again and quickly realized we wanted to work within the realm of Techno. However, we weren’t sure whether we wanted to focus more on performing live or DJing. We started out as DJs but were eager to develop a live performance, which was around 2017 or 2018. We actually played a few early live sets back then, working with a laptop, but it never felt quite right—more on that later. During the big COVID break, we experimented with new production approaches, inspired by old-school Techno. Looking back, that period was the foundation of our current analog live set. That said, our very first live sets had nothing in common with what we’re doing now. It took time to mature, and the experiences we’ve gained in recent years were essential for its development.
Jonathan, you’re also active as a (classical) guitarist. You once mentioned that you don’t see much potential or space for merging Techno and dance music with classical guitar. Are there any other notable parallels or differences between performing an electronic dance music live set and playing in a classical setting?
One key parallel is the importance of sound and sound design. For me, the most defining quality of the classical guitar is quite simple: its sound. I’ve spent a lifetime working on creating a warm, rounded tone on the instrument. The same applies to electronic music—our focus on sound quality is just as meticulous, from fine-tuning each machine to ensuring every sound cuts through when played simultaneously. Another parallel is the goal of immersing the listener or dancer in the moment, making them feel alive.
However, the differences are just as striking. Due to the volume contrast, classical guitar performances can be incredibly intimate—you hear every tiny nuance and sound. This requires extreme concentration, which can be challenging but is always rewarding.
What was your approach to preparing the live set? And how do you perform it? Can you guide us through the process?
We want to be able to improvise during our live set, meaning everything is created in real time—there are no fixed track arrangements. We showcase our latest material, including unreleased tracks that may never be officially released. That said, we also include some of our released music, though often with a fresh twist or in a version no one has heard before. We perform using two Octatrack MKIIs, a NI Maschine+, and a Strymon Big Sky effects pedal. These are also the machines we often use in production, so if something new emerges during the process, it can seamlessly transition into the live set.
This isn’t your first live set as Glaskin. How did your previous live sets go, and how have those experiences shaped your approach to this one? How and why did you adapt it for Blitz?
Our first live set was years ago and had nothing in common with what we do now. Back then, we used a laptop alongside various instruments, but for our current live set, we wanted to go fully analog. We debuted this setup last November at the Spandau20 showcase at RSO in Berlin, and it was an unforgettable night for us. Everything we aimed for worked, and the energy was incredible. For Blitz, we’ve already prepared new material—tracks that no one has heard before—so this set will be a special one.
Tell us about your most memorable moments at Blitz: What was the funniest? And might have been the best thing that happened?
That’s a tough one, as we’ve had so many memorable moments at Blitz. One of the best was playing the closing slot of Unchained [festival in 2024], leading into the second day of the festival. It was a long set where we had the chance to showcase a wide range of records, transitioning from Techno to House. Being completely in sync with the dancers who stayed with us until the very end was an incredible and special experience—a long, unforgettable moment, so to speak.
The funniest moment was probably during a prime-time slot when we felt like we recognized someone dancing in front of us the entire time. It took us a while to realize it was German rapper Samy Deluxe, an artist we grew up listening to. Later that night, we ended up hanging out with him for hours.
Ten years of Glaskin is just around the corner. What’s next on your agenda? What are you most excited about?
Our mantra has always been to give our absolute best, whether in production or DJing, and we’ll continue doing so as long as we make music together. That said, we’re especially excited about our live sets, as they bring us immense joy and allow us to explore new dimensions of music production and dance music as a whole. This constant experimentation prevents stagnation—we’re always trying new things and improvising, which keeps the process fresh. Seeing how people resonate with our live set is truly rewarding.
Finally, our classic last question: What’s the last piece of music that left a mark on you—what’s keeping you pressing repeat?
Dream from Ryuichi Sakamoto!