Cinthie is without doubt a firm fixture in Berlin’s underground house scene, known for her warm, groove-heavy house sets and unwavering dedication to the culture. Her musical journey spans more than 30 years, from working in record stores in Germany to international touring, running labels and eventually owning her own shop, Elevate in Berlin.
Growing up in Germany, she was first introduced to electronic sounds in the mid 90s. “It was an ongoing process from listening to chart music when I was a kid, to the first commercial dance tracks and then to proper electronic music. It must have been around 1994 when my cousin gave me a tape by a guy called Sven (Väth) and he told me it was called Tekkno (at the beginning, it was written like this). It was different from dance tracks I’d heard before. The sound was more cool, more groovy and somehow not so annoying in terms of vocals that made no sense. That was really the starting point for me.”
From there, she dived deeper into the sound, discovering record stores in 1995 and soon after working behind the counter herself. “It was the ultimate paradise for me because I started right in the heydays of house and techno, absorbing everything I could.” It wasn’t long before working at the store led her to her first gigs, culminating in a club residency where she would play from midnight until 5am. “This evolved into my first productions, my move to Berlin and then later starting my first label Beste Modus, followed by 803 Crystal Grooves. I believe I’m one of a few people left with an organic career, working at a record store and building everything from there.”
Before Berlin became her base, Cinthie was what she calls a “rave tourist.” Growing up near Saarbrücken, what started at house parties with DJ Karotte led to travelling to Frankfurt, Paris, Kassel, Stuttgart, Cologne and beyond to chase the buzz of new clubs and parties. “Back in the days everything was so exciting and new and we all felt so free. We always travelled to see new clubs and new parties, meeting new people along the way.”
Those trips exposed her to a wide spectrum of sounds. Though she enjoyed the harder techno events of the era, she quickly realised she was more drawn to house. “We went to Berlin for Love Parade of course, but after experiencing the parade two times, I realised I preferred the parties before and after much more.” Cinthie and her friends would visit iconic venues like Rex in Paris or Monza in Frankfurt, where she happily soaked up the energy of the culture.
The real turning point in her career was not far away. After starting Beste Modus around the beginning of the 00’s with Diego Krause, Steven.aint.leavn, Ed Herbst, and Albert Vogt, the label began attracting underground attention. The defining breakthrough came in 2004, when Cinthie was invited to play her first Boiler Room. “I could really feel that something changed. We got a lot of attention for our new Berlin house sound and soon after, I gained a slot at Boiler Room at Stattbad, where I played a set with our singer Albert Vogt. Back in the days Boiler Room only happened once a month and was more focused on showcasing talent rather than weird dance moves. My Boiler Room blew up and from there I had a really good following from the house heads, gaining more gigs, releases, etc.”
The exposure placed her firmly on the map, opening doors to international touring and new label projects, while reinforcing her reputation as one of Berlin’s most reliable purveyors of groove-heavy house.
Beyond DJing, Cinthie’s other projects didn’t come as a result of any specific planning, but more a natural growth through friendships and necessity. “I started all these projects more by mistake. For example, Beste Modus was started after I met the rest of the crew. The guys sent me fantastic tracks but they had no releases, so I said “let’s start our own label and be more independent.”” Despite the informal beginning, Beste Modus soon became a favourite in the underground scene alongside other likeminded labels like Rutilance, Slapfunk and ItaloJohnson.
Selling their own releases led to selling other labels’ records, which in turn required storage. “Luckily I found one next door but after two weeks, the lady asked me if I wanted to rent the whole place, with what we now know as Elevate.” Whilst this domino effect may have been unexpected, it gave Cinthie the confidence of knowing that she was on the right path. “I started at a time when it was still really, really rare for a woman to play records, run several successful labels and even run a record store – and all that while I was a single mom. I’m not sure how I did it, but I believe that everything is possible if you really work hard.”
Elevate is very much an extension of Cinthie, built on the foundation that she’ll only stock records that she would play herself. “There is no record in the store that would not make it into my record bag. Same goes for the label. I really have to feel the tracks and get excited to play them.” But for her, curation isn’t just about taste, it’s also about community and creating spaces where music lovers can connect. “Everything that has a groove can make it onto the label or in the store. If I sign something for the label, I also have to vibe with the artist, no matter how good the tracks are, because I really believe in community and supporting each other.”
Running a store, managing labels, touring internationally, producing music and raising a family might sound a lot to most people, but for Cinthie, it’s simply life. When we asked how she balances it all, she laughs “Honestly? I have no idea!” The secret, she says, is that not everything happens at once. “I think it’s kind of easy because not everything is happening every day. For example I have some weeks when I focus more on the shop and studio, then I have some weeks when I’m more into signing tracks. And since I’m responsible for my own working hours, I can always make time for my family.”
Her approach has naturally shifted over time, particularly as her daughter has grown older and her family life has evolved. With her husband, fellow DJ and producer Meat, she has a partner who fully understands the demands of the work. That support allows her to embrace her responsibilities and you’ll often find them mixing records together at events or in store.
Now, with decades of experience behind her, Cinthie describes her position in the scene as comfortably established. “I feel like I’m comfortably sitting in the middle. I’m not unknown but I’m also not the biggest candle on the cake, and that’s fine. I’m coming from a different mind set, I was socialised with electronic music in a different way than today’s artists. I feel very well respected from everyone that I hope would respect me. So in my world, I’ve reached all my goals and somehow ‘made it’ in my way.”
Still, she is clear-eyed about the shifts happening in electronic music. In her view, audiences turn over every 4 to 5 years, meaning artists must constantly work to stay relevant, putting out good music for new crowds as they go. Social media has also shifted how artists are recognised.
“People mostly know you now from good videos or streams rather than from making good records or making your connections through a label, residency, or record store.” For her, the choice is whether to treat music as only entertainment or to remain committed to its deeper, transformative potential. “It’s a normal process that as the music evolves, the scene evolves. You just need to choose your fighter – on one side, there are people that are seeing it more as entertainment (which is also absolutely OK), but on the other side you still have those people that truly believe in the power of music and how music and the community around it can change the world.”
For Cinthie, the road ahead isn’t about chasing fame, but about sustaining passion. Her goals remain rooted in community, curation and the joy of sharing music, whether from behind the decks, inside her store, or through the grooves of a record. Her story is one of longevity, built not on shortcuts but on an unshakable love for the culture and its people.
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