Berlin pioneer marks four decades with UNESCO recognition and a new wave of activism.
Photo credit: Petrov Ahner
2025 marks four decades since Dr. Motte first stepped behind the decks. From underground clubs in 1980s West Berlin to the world stage, his influence has helped define techno as both a sound and a social movement.
Born Matthias Roeingh, Dr. Motte made his name through formative sets at venues like UFO before co-founding the first Love Parade in 1989. What began as 150 people dancing behind a sound system on Kurfürstendamm grew into a global phenomenon, with over a million participants by the late 1990s. More than a party, it became a cultural statement—reclaiming public space through sound and solidarity.
In 2019, he launched the non-profit Rave The Planet. This year, those efforts led to Berlin’s club culture being recognized as intangible cultural heritage by the German UNESCO Commission—a milestone in the global legitimization of electronic music.
Dr. Motte’s focus remains forward-facing. At this summer’s Rave The Planet Parade, he led hundreds of thousands under the slogan “Our Future Is Now.” Just weeks later, he closed his 40th year with a performance at Nature One, a set that looked ahead rather than back.
Watch Dr. Motte’s ARTE Concert Nature One set below.
