DJ Rupen: How the living room becomes a club - "For me, dancing is food"

Before Corona, his DJ parties in extraordinary locations fascinated dance enthusiasts from all over Bavaria.

Because his fans are currently unable to dance, Rupen Gehrke, alias DJ Rupen, has been streaming his music into the living room for a year.

For this "home dancing" anniversary next Saturday, April 10th, the Penzberger by choice invites to a very special party.

Penzberg - Usually the DJ, organizer and producer Rupen Gehrke plays in numerous cities across Germany - preferably in unusual places.

For example, he opened the Faust Festival with his DJ party in Munich's Gasteig in 2018.

In the Munich Ethnographic Museum he caused a sensation with the legendary "Jalla Club".

And again and again he set up his mixer in the Buchheim Museum in Bernried.

But then came the corona pandemic and forced DJ Rupen to rethink: For a year now, Gehrke, who has lived in Zist near Penzberg for around twelve years, has been inviting dance enthusiasts to "home dancing" - that is, to dance at home.

Rupen Gehrke - possibly the "longest-serving DJ" in Bavaria

“Music is an important part of my life.

It is my passion, ”emphasizes Gehrke, who does not want to reveal his age, but believes it is entirely possible to be“ the longest-serving DJ ”in Bavaria and perhaps even beyond.

Let the pandemic take your music away: That was out of the question for Gehrke.

“Don't hang up anymore, that won't work.

Dancing is a food for me. ”So Gehrke, who happened to become a disc jockey in Cologne in the 80s, before he invented the city's first over 30s party in Munich in the 1990s and before Corona with his“ Rupidoo Music Club “celebrated successes, looking for alternatives on how to dance and party even in pandemic times.

His idea of ​​streaming into the living room from different locations on Saturdays every week is well received, he says.

“The feedback is great.” He estimates that he has already reached several thousand people of all ages with this.

Among them are not only regulars, but music enthusiasts from all over Germany and even abroad;

for example from Australia, Mexico or England.

DJ in pandemic times: How the living room becomes a club

Moving your furniture to the side and dancing is not something everyone does.

They don't have to either.

“Some just iron,” says Gehrke with a laugh.

The main thing is that people are touched by his music, this special style in which sounds from all over the world flow into one another and music from often unknown bands from the Balkans, the Orient, Africa or South America can be heard.

And preferably all of this in a wild mix and yet always fitting.

Gehrke calls his style “world music”.

He has collected around 35,000 music titles in the course of his career.

All digital, because: “The music that I put on is rarely on records.” You will rarely hear popular hits and long-running hits in music history with him.

Of course, he says, streaming isn't a substitute for a live party.

“But it is important that I stay on the ball and that people don't forget me either.” What is nice about “home dancing” is that everyone can be there - at least virtually.

Percussionist Roland Peil from “Fantastischen Vier” was already a guest

The places he streams from are as diverse as his parties were once: Gehrke's living room in Zist, the Buchheim Museum in Bernried, the Bavarian National Museum in Munich or the KinoP in Penzberg - to name just a few.

These online events are always garnished by live acts and guest appearances by other DJs.

Among other things, Roland Peil, the percussionist of the "Fanta Vier" was a guest - always in compliance with the Corona hygiene regulations, of course.

Gehrke is usually only supported by the photographer Massimo Fiorito, who illustrates his appearances with film clips and pictures - so-called visuals "- and thus turns them into a kind of rousing live music video.

But a DJ without an audience?

Is that possible?

Gehrke definitely says.

He no longer needs to see his audience live to get in the mood.

"Now I feel as if I can feel the people."

For the one-year anniversary this coming Saturday, April 10th, he is now organizing a special party: from 8 p.m. DJ Rupen will stream live from the “Ampere Club” of the Munich Muffatwerk.

Florian Decker will be there as guest DJ and Manuel da Coll Aka Cpt.

Yossaria, the drummer from La Brass Banda.

Stream via Rupen Gehrke's YouTube channel

It is streamed on Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. on Rupen Gehrke's YouTube channel (www.youtube.de/rupengehrke).

On Saturday, April 30th, DJ Rupen will stream from the Buchheim Museum.

All information and dates at: www.rupidoo.de