Famous Berlin DJs Who Meditate – And What You Can Learn From Them
Famous Berlin DJs Who Meditate – And What You Can Learn From Them
Berlin’s club scene is famous for keeping people up all night. The bass doesn’t stop, the crowd doesn’t stop, and if you’re a DJ, your schedule almost certainly doesn’t stop either. That’s why it’s worth noting when some of the city’s most respected artists deliberately take time for the opposite, stillness.
Meditation, for them, is about increasing their energy. It’s about knowing how to return to it without burning out.
Over the years at Daily Meditation Berlin, we’ve had the privilege of working with artists across the spectrum – from underground performers to well-known acts like Pilocka Krach and members of Deichkind – supporting them in finding ways to integrate meditation into the demands of a creative life.
Here are four Berlin-based artists whose relationship with meditation has shaped not only their lives, but also their sound.
DJ Gigola – letting the set breathe
DJ Gigola, part of the Live From Earth collective, moves between techno, gabber, trance, and softer, slower textures without warning. In her 2022 release Fluid Meditations, she leaned all the way into this idea – crafting a record that feels like a guided meditation disguised as a club set.
She’s spoken about approaching DJing as a body practice: paying attention to the way energy moves through the room, not just the BPM. Some nights that means layering in ambient or ASMR-like moments to let dancers catch their breath.
Monika Kruse – pausing to reset
Monika Kruse has been a fixture in the techno world for decades, headlining major festivals and running her own label, Terminal M. Her work is intense, but she’s been open in interviews about using meditation as a way to process grief and recover from the mental exhaustion of constant touring.
For her, practice isn’t about length – sometimes it’s a short daily sit before the airport, other times it’s a longer period of stillness when she takes time off the road. Either way, she treats it as maintenance for her emotional health.
Pilocka Krach – presence through play
Pilocka Krach’s sets are unmistakable: bright colours, big energy, and a mix of electro, funk, and theatrical flair. In the ARD documentary Krach sucht Stille – Techno und Meditation, she talks about her own meditation teacher training and how periods of silence help her return to the stage with focus and joy.
When we worked with her, it was clear that meditation wasn’t about changing her personality or performance. We wanted to sharpen her connection to the moment so she could give even more on stage without running herself down.
Her performances may look wild, but she approaches them with the same attentiveness others might bring to a formal sitting practice
Why this matters
Meditation is often framed as something separate from “real life.” These artists – along with others we’ve taught, including members of Deichkind – prove it doesn’t have to be. It can happen in a DJ booth at 4 a.m., in a hotel room between shows, on a yoga mat, or in a moment of silence before stepping back into a crowd. We want people to be engaged in the world, and that’s what we teach for.
If you want to explore what that feels like in your own life,
we run intro sessions and retreats in Berlin for people who want real stillness without the clichés.
👉 See upcoming dates here