This is the DJ set I played on the Bei Birke stage at Nation of Gondwana 2021. At 8.30 am on Sunday morning, there were not many people there but it was good fun with good weather. I was very pleased to play there because Nation means a lot to me. It was one of my favourite festivals and I went every year for many years.

Nation Of Gondwana 2021 - Kranich - Robot Bennett

Sisyphos in Berlin on Sunday morning (17.10.2021) from 7 to 10am – recorded live in the HammaHalle. 

I would like to thank all the Sisy crew!

The opening German birthday song was sung by SJ Alice Bennett and Vera Riemeier when they were very young. Recorded by Rob Bennett and remixed many years later by Robot Bennett.

The crowd was amazing that morning and at the end of the set, the Robot can be heard thanking all the dancers profusely and repeatedly telling them something like that. There are also some other interesting comments which might raise a smile. 

The picture above is of Robot Bennett with his manager at Nation of Gondwana way back when.

Shakti's Birthday Party HammaHalle Sisyphos

Tobi Dei called me on Friday 10th June quite late in the evening and asked me to open the Tunnel floor in Sisyphos the next day at 12 noon. I asked if I could play some unusual, less commercial kind of techno and he said that would be a good idea. So I was happy to play spontaneously on my favourite floor. The sound is so good there, so is the air.

I began setting up in the Hamma Halle then Peter (artist care) and Julius came and moved the now motorised DJ booth on its rails from the Halle into the Tunnel with me on it. What a buzz!

A number of people complimented me on this set – most were discerning members of staff I think. In fact, I got the best compliment I ever had from a man backstage.

He said: “You are the DJ who shows people that techno music is an art form”.
I said: “Thank you! That is exactly what I am trying to do”.
I wish I had asked who he was…

Sisyphos Tunnel Opening At Noon On Saturday 11th June 2022

This set starts using my intro – the rousing speech by Bill Hicks – which I also used for my ‘SJ Command Performance’ set. I played this three hour set on Sunday morning the 19th March from 7am at Sisyphos Berlin on the main floor (the Hamma Halle which is a most appropriate name).

The place was really full when I started and the people seemed to enjoy my music. There was a very friendly atmosphere with many smiles and wild dancing. Quite a number of people came to compliment me whilst I was playing. One young man even went as far as to say, in broken German, that I was GOD! Just a little exaggerated perhaps… Another insisted on giving me a 15 Euro tip! I tried to refuse but he simply left the notes next to the mixer and went back to the dance. That never happened to me before in my DJ career. So if that guy is reading this – thanks so much for your kindness and appreciation!

I was feeling a little nervous about this gig because I haven’t played techno for a while – thought I might be out of practice and rusty. But it seemed to go well, the crowd obviously enjoyed it and so did I. Take a listen, see what you think and leave a comment perhaps.

Thanks to all the Sisy crew especially James, for your most attentive and appreciative artist-care. Whoever was doing the lighting for my set was truly stunning. I felt you were so with me. Wanted to thank you at the end but I had to run to pee and couldn't find you.

Thanks to my dear daughter SJ Bennett for the picture – I need more pics please.

AND very special thanks to all the beautiful people who were there and created those amazing moments with me. Love+dance=peace ☮️

Sisyphos Hammahalle – Sunday morning 7 - 10am 19.03.2023

This is a “restored” recording of my closing DJ set in the Hammahalle, Sisyphos on Sunday 30.07.2003. Unfortunately, for some reason, the line recording from the mixer did not work. So all I had was the audio recording from my Zoom recorder.

The quality of that is obviously not good enough to warrant posting it here. So I decided to try to restore what I could by rerecording the set at home and joining the files together. As I am constantly varying the tempo when I play, this proved to be quite a task. Here is the result – not at all perfect but better than nothing. There are parts where I mute the audio recording because it was just too difficult to sync it to the line recording. Other parts have some weird sort of “effects” because of not being quite in sync.

At the end, I muted the line recording because it was really impossible to recreate the actual ending of the set. Also, I left some of the talking on after the end of the music – I do hope the woman from Frankfurt found her belly bag. She was so complimentary.

Sisyphos Hammhalle 30.07.2023 – MixFix (please read the notes!)

Sunday morning 14th April 2024 from 7 until exactly 10am – 180 minutes of rollicking sound. In love with Sisyphos 🤖 🎧 🔊 🎶 🦆 ❤️‍🔥

I love this excerpt from a lecture by Alan Watts which I used to create this intro. Unfortunately the original sound quality is not good (at least what I can find). If anyone knows where I can find better quality, please let me know in the comments. I will more than happily pay for it.

Here is a transcript of what he is saying in the intro:

The continuum in which everything occurs is of course, basically what you are. There is what you might call a continuum, a something or other, in which all physical phenomena exist.

And you ignore it, unless in some way or other, you can make it hum. And so practices like performing yoga exercises, or Zen meditations or certain kinds of chemicals can cause your entire sensorium to hum. And this draws your attention to the ground – the background – of everything that you are perceiving which you ordinarily ignore. I think there is going around, an entirely new religion called ‘HUM’. And HUM has no organisation, no hierarchy, no doctrines – only music and ritual.

Just hum!

If anybody asks: “What is it all about?” They’ll say: “Well come and see! Come and hear! Come and hum!”

That would be kind of nice to have something like that. I don’t know wether it exists or not but it ought to.

I recorded my own voice replying to Alan – there is Alan, and it’s here.

Techno is my religion, dancing is my creed, inclusion is my faith.
It is humanity's oldest religion dating back to the stone age.

I also find it so cool to know that we are now recognised by UNESCO and inscribed on the German national Registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Alan Watts HUM 14.04.2024 Sisyphos Hammahalle

From underground to iconic – celebrating UNESCO awarding Berlin techno World Cultural Heritage status. Live in the Hammahalle at Sisyphos early Sunday morning 21st July 2024.

UNESCO Berlin Techno – Sisyphos 21.06.2024

The Robot played this set at Garbicz Festival in Poland from 5.30 until 8am on Saturday morning 3rd August on the Wald floor – an amazing floor with a stunning (literally) sound system and very pretty lights... It was fun.
Thanks to Marlon and Peter, stage manager and sound engineer for all your help and positive feedback. Thanks to all the lovely artist care people for making us so welcome and comfortable. Thanks to Arndt, Lidija, Renee, Julis and Martin for your support. Especial thanks to Julia for making it possible.
And naturally thanks to all the dancing ravers who seemed to enjoy it so much and create such a beautiful atmosphere. My love to you all.

Garbicz Wald 3rd August 2024 – very early morning

A psychedelic rock mix from the late 60s when popular music was great art. Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Love, The Kinks, The Who and many others.
There was a technical problem with the turntable they gave me which I tried to balance out in the mix. It finally packed up when I played The Moody Blues 'Dear Diary' so I had to cut that short. Stuck to digital after that.
Recorded at Neustockland floor on Saturday 17th August at the Bay of Dreamers 2024.
What has that photo above to do with this kind of music? You may well ask. It is an old photo of a beach in India where I spent a lot of time when I was young and listening to these tracks. So for me it is very connected and moves me deeply. Where is it? Here's a hint - right by Joe Banana.

Psychedelic Rock Mix Bucht Der Träumer 2024

Captain Robot Bennett of Sisyphos ENTlines on flight ENT05.10.2024 departing at 07:00 from Berlin Flairport (Hammahalle) bound for the Mad Hatter's tea party. Fasten your seat belts please.

Sisyphos Nichtgeburtstag 5.10.2024 Live

Trance Dance: Ritual and the Healing Power of Movement

A podcast created by Rob Bennett using Google NotebookLM – AI

Sources:

Mithen, S. and Boyer, P. “The origins of anthropomorphic thinking” Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 4(1) March 1988

Ojamaa, T., “Can hyperventilation be a trance mechanism in Nganasan ritual dance accompaniment?” Proceedings of the Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology (CIM05) 2005

Bennett, R. “Some thoughts on no-thought” 2007

Bennett, R. “Sonar Soireé lecture” 2021

Remixed with music and sound examples by Robot Bennett

Music used in this podcast:
ANNĒ - Turn Back Time
Ghost in the Machine - The Powder Of Love
Tibetan Chant
Tony Allen - Rhythm
Luca Tresque - Fracture (Original Mix)
Makosan - Robot Bennett
Rrose - Waterfall (Lucy Remix)

Trance Dance: Ritual and the Healing Power of Movement

Trance Dance: Ritual and the Healing Power of Movement 2

A second podcast created by Rob Bennett 
using Google NotebookLM – AI

Sources:

Mithen, S. and Boyer, P. “The origins of anthropomorphic thinking” Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 4(1) March 1988

Ojamaa, T., “Can hyperventilation be a trance mechanism in Nganasan ritual dance accompaniment?” Proceedings of the Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology (CIM05) 2005

Bennett, R. “Some thoughts on no-thought” 2007

Bennett, R. “Sonar Soireé lecture” 2021

Remixed by Robot Bennett

Music used in this podcast:
Roman Poncet - Focal
Female - Surrounded By Enemies (Original Mix)

Trance Dance: Ritual and the Healing Power of Movement 2

This is an approximate recreation of the set I played at the New Years 6 day party at Sisyphos in the Hammahalle on Thursday 2nd January 2025. I messed up the recording unfortunately.

Here is the track list for anyone who is interested.

1. Arcangelo Corelli - Concerto Grosso G-Moll op. VI Nr. 8 (»Weihnachtskonzert«) 
2. Dajusch - Average Channel
3. Rødhåd Fadi Mohem - 210409.1
4. Regent - Satin
5. Concrete Husband - Sweat On My Back 
6. Paul Ritch - Discotek
7. Öspiel - Bygone
8. Under Black Helmet - LUCA
9. Obscure Shape - Genzo
10. Flug - Hypenorance (Original Mix)
11. Falling Echoes - Same Idea Different Result
12. Ned Bennett - Big Band Accelerator
13. Under Black Helmet - Vision
14. Uun - Double Aspect
15. Specific Objects - Nightnoise (Introversion Remix) 
16. ANNĒ - Turn Back Time
17. Regis - Model Friendship
18. Gunjack - Memory Man
19. Space 92 - Robot (Original Mix)
20. Phara - High Lows
21. Toru Ikemoto - DONT PLAY 231
22. Setaoc Mass - The Eyes Don't Lie
23. USAW - Contagio
24. Elad Magdasi - Inner Power
25. Arthur Robert - Kaleidoscope
26. Adoo - After Six Years (Original Mix)
27. Rrose - In Place of Matter (Mixed Matter)
28. Paleman - The Fell
29. Obstructor - Taboo
30. Rosa Anschutz - Rigid (Kobosil 44 Rush Mix)
31. Dustin Zahn - Temporary Vandalism
32. Planetary Assault Systems - Bang Wap
33. Flug, Sebastian Lopez - Unstoppable (Original Mix) 
34. Rene Wise - Swamp Dancer (Original Mix)
35. Amotik - Sau
36. Hurdslenk - Jugular
37. Mr Coalman - Plastic Elements
38. Chontane - Septario
39. ANNĒ - Serene
40. Ollie Lishman – SCARYMODE
41. Ned Bennett - Carnival Revival (Original Mix)
42. Slam + Hector Oaks - Pathfinder
43. Mike Inzinger - Force Exposure
44. Paul Baule - Abyssal (Original Mix)

Mice Daze Dec. 2024

There was a very welcoming large crowd in the hammahalle at Sisyphos on Easter Monday morning. Setting up was easy – my friend Martin was artist care. He’s one of the best and very helpful. But when he gave me the nod to start playing, nothing happened. A situation I dread had occurred – equipment failure.

It took a while to sort it out, seemed like a connection problem to my audio interface. After some fiddling, it came back on and I was able to start playing. But I forgot all about setting the levels on the recorder! Luckily they were way too low rather than too high so I was able to create a reasonably acceptable sound out of what was on the disc. So please excuse the quality here.

I was really unnerved and worried that the problem would recur. It did. I lost power to the audio interface about 38 minutes into the set and the music died. I managed somehow to get going again quite quickly and by some miracle it kept going for the rest of the set! Martin immediately found the problem when I finished. It was a very worn cable causing a loose connection on the power supply of the audio interface. How I managed to finish the set is a mystery.

I thought of leaving the break in the recording but when I heard it, I decided not to. So see if you can hear the repaired break at 38:30 on the file above. That there was any set at all is incredibly lucky and that I was able to save the recording is also pretty unreal. Still can’t really believe it.

Thanks so much to everyone who supported me. What a lovely, noisy crowd. The hall was packed all the time it seemed and I was paid some amazing compliments afterwards.

I have just ordered a new power supply for my audio interface from Thomann. Hope that never happens again.

Spring Delight – Sisyphos Easter Monday morning 2025

Two ROBOTS celebrating a Techno ritual on Sunday 1st June from 4am until 7:30am. Robot Bennett and the Afrobot (a.k.a. Kai Eikermann) in the Hammahalle, Sisyphos, Berlin with a multitude of aficionados. The DJ Robot Bennett, also an Afrobot, played this music for the Kai Afrobot to express b-boying dance moves in the very early hours of the first day of June 2025.

The large crowd seemed to enjoy the robotics mightily and showed their appreciation stridently. This generated a feedback loop causing the elevation of the Robotics which in turn caused the spread of rapturous elation.

Because this effect showed no sign of abating, the esteemed club representative requested a spontaneous schedule change; a 30 minute extension of the ceremony – a fitting tribute to the sincerity of the ceremonial participants.

Afrobotics in the Hammahalle Sisyphos 1st June 2025

Robot Bennett in the HAMMAHALLE, Sisyphos, Berlin on Thursday 3rd January 2019. This three hour set was a small part of the amazing New Year's five day non-stop event – Völlig Verstrahlt (consummately contaminated).

Völlig Verstrahlt – NYE Sisyphos Hamma Halle 03.01.2019

The full three hour set by the Robot in Hamburg at Moloch on Saturday 16th February from 3 - 6am.

Moloch, Closing des Monats – Hamburg 16.02.2019

DJ Crawford and Robot Bennett back to back on Sunday afternoon 2nd June 2019 playing some tunes, inspiring each other and, hopefully the listener. Taking a break from the electronic music which we love dearly to play music from all over the world including many great female musicians.

"Something Wonderful"– DJ Crawford & Robot Bennett

A deep and dark mix for the early morning hours – slow and murky, obscure and opaque tracks leading into somewhat lighter stuff. Then pushing up the speed into some classics – waves and troughs – dark and light. This is techno at its best!

Spaß Ohne Campen – Hamma Halle, Sisyphos – Sunday 14th July 2019

This mix is very similar to the set I played in Sisyphos in the Hamma Halle on Sunday afternoon on 17th November. The Halle was converted into a chill space and I played four and a half hours. Didn't record the set but these are some of the tracks I played. It was an interesting experience for me as I had never played ambient/chill music in public before. The Robot is versatile!  Photo by Ériver Hijano with thanks!

Ambient and Downbeat Electronic Mix

This is a compilation of songs, some written by me and some cover versions. My DJ career started only in 2016 but I have been playing guitar and singing since I was a teenager (long time!). These are six of the songs I sing in public with prepared backing tracks.
"Face to Space" – written by me, a song about who I really am. The lyrics are influenced by teachers I have known - Douglas Harding and Mahendranath. Andreas Ludwig plays the bamboo flutes, all the rest is played and sung by me.
"Refugee Song" – melody based on "When the Ship Comes In" by Bob Dylan. Lyrics and all instruments by me.
"5th Dimension" – my cover of the Byrds song written by Jim McGuinn.
"Boil Until Golden" – Written and performed by me with a little help from my friends. Thanks to Runa Isene for the violins, Asim Al-Chalabi for the oud and Rahmi Oruç Güvenç for the ney. Special thanks to Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī and Shams-i-Tabrīzī for their inspiration. I wrote this song after attending the Mewlānā festival in Konya, Turkey in December 2011.
"Freedom Fighter" – cover version of "Do You Hear Me Now?" by Bert Jansch.
"Moving Game" – the story of my life written and performed by me.

06. Moving Game

05. Freedom Fighter

04. Boil Until Golden

02. Refugee Song

01. Face To Space

Some people live in the future,
And somehow survive on their dreams of what may be.
Some people cling to their memories,
And have no part to play in the scenes that they see.

Some have long since left us,
And drifted off to worlds of their lonely imaginings,
Some try so hard to enjoy life,
While some search for meaning in their own hard beginnings.

I say Hear! Be here now!
Hear! Be here now!

My hopes and my fears all bind me,
Into a web of the finest spun silk.
When I leave what’s happened behind me,
I can open the way to the warmth of the moment....

...And live, and be here now!
Hear! Be here now!

That moment was now, that moment is gone.
That moment is fleet as it wings its way on.
This moment is happening now short,
Now oh.... so......... long.  
 
Life shows its heartbeat in music,
It can lift me quite free of the cobwebs of time.
Music is the stroking of the instant.
It’s here and it’s been and can never be seen. 

So Hear! Here right now!
I say hear! Be here now!

I wait for that old one to come round again,
It’s like standing on a platform and waiting on a train,
Time goes so slowly when you’re stranded in the rain,
So hear!  Be here now!
I say hear! Be here now!

Be here now!
Be here now!
Be here now! 
Hear! Here right now!

Be Here Now!

BE HERE NOW!

Here is a new offering from the Robot – showing distinct disturbances in his brain functioning through the after-effects of COVID-19 with which he was afflicted in March 2020. Losing his touch now as well as his senses of smell and taste, he displays how atrophy has set in. Time to bid the Robot farewell?

DeepDark July 2020

إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ‎, Inshallah 
(it will be possible to play again one day…)

And now for something completely divergent! 

Unusually melodic and slow, this is the newest mix by the Robot posted on November 30th 2020. Thanks to Jean Yann Records for the beautiful album ‘Eternal Rays Of Light’ by Alex Daniell from which four tracks appear in this mix. Like the album, this mix lies somewhere between Organic House, Downtempo and Ambient with a sprinkling of electro pop. 

However, typically Robot, some surprises lurk in the mix – it sporadically morphs into  rough and dark passages even pushing the BPM to 128 for a while.

As a demonstration of the Robot’s increasing versatility, it is just such a shame that there is nowhere for him to play at present in Berlin. He will probably be dead before the lock-down is over – at least you could like or follow him (or all three) before he dies. You might also add a comment. Thank you for reading this. It seems no-one ever does.‎

Inshallah

إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ‎ – Inshallah

It's just a ride – one of Bill Hick's most memorable speeches. A plea for us to try to take life less seriously and see that it’s just a ride. He also eloquently admonishes us to be more caring, empathetic and loving. A very cool message which needs listening to in these difficult times.

I tried my best to limit this mix to 3 hours but it still ended up 3:13:30 – perhaps that number is auspicious. It’s dark and hard in the usual style of the Robot, including some standard techno tracks as well as some more spacey and playful sounds.

Listen loud and listen hard!

Oh and by the way, if you find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, you might try it out to get your neighbours and yourself up. A recent comment on my FB Robot Bennett page suggests that this kind of music not only helps to kick your ass out of bed, but can also lighten your mood.

“Hey, just wanted to thank you for getting me out of bed this morning! I started listening to your Hammafahrt set and got out of my low mood instantly! Only sad thing is that I am now stuck in front of the boxes and don’t wanna leave to go to work haha.”

Thanks to Paula Forscheln for that comment! The set she is referring to is on my Mixcloud page.

Stay well everyone, thank you for your support and keep dancing even if you are alone. I am. Love your Robot.

Track List ‘It’s Just a Ride’

1. Intro: Bill Hicks - It’s Just a Ride (Robot Bennett & special friend)  00:00
2. Enrico Sangiuliano - Hidden T (Original Mix)  01:50 https://soundcloud.com/enrico-sangiuliano
3. Leiras - Remote Vision  07:54
4. Wehbba - Eclipse  12:24
5. Jeff Mills - The Bells (Robot rework) 18:15
6. Dino Sabatini & Luigi Tozzi - Manticora  22:55
7. Gene Karz, Dandi, Ugo - Proton (Ronny Vergara remix) 25:41
8. Jon Hopkins - Singularity (ANNA Remix)  33:58
9. ANNA - Portable Paradise (Original Mix) 41:50
10. Deepbass - Futer  47:00
11. Victor Ruiz - Clutch (Original Mix)  52:05
12. Steve Shaden - Bring It Back (Gene Karz Remix)  59:20
13. Jssst - Kracht  1:04:56
14. Jay Lumen - Stella Luce (Original Mix)  1:10:20
15. Thomas Schumacher - The Unseen (Original Mix)  1:16:17
16. Simon Haydo - Contortions (Jonas Kopp Remix) 1:22:23
17. Sciahri - Evaporation  1:27:30
18. Truncate - Mira Mar (V2)  1:31:56
19. Inland - Swerv (Original Mix)  1:36:30
20. Cari Lekebusch - Cygnus (Original Mix)  1:42:52
21. Leiras - 33 Degree  1:48:10
22. Farrago - Sinner (Original Mix)  1:52:17
23. Can - Spoon (Robot Bennett Remix)  1:57:34
24. Uun- Call of the Void  2:04:18
25. Notzing feat. Oscar Mulero - To Induce To Dance (Oscar Mulero Deconstruction Version)  2:08:00
26. Lewis Fautzi - State of Pressure (Original Mix)  2:12:54
27. Amotik - Sau  2:17:40
28. Inland - Time Leak (Original Mix)  2:22:05
29. Fabrizio Lapiana - Antimatter  2:29:24
30. Ø [Phase] - Dirtro II (Robert Hoods New Device Mix)  2:33:53
31. Oscar Mulero - The Beauty of Leaving a Legacy  2:39:43
32. Paula Temple - Raging Earth 2:43:24
33. Under Black Helmet - Impulsive Behavior (Original Mix)  2:50:20
34. Rommek - Psychic Landscape  2:55:40
35. Roman Poncet - Focal  3:00:52
36. Function - Incubation (Ritual)  3:06:50

It's Just A Ride!

Robot Bennett – “Book me before I die”

How many people do you know who take up DJing in their late 60s?  And how many are actually really good? The answer is one – Robot Bennett.

The Robot is a wonderful, incredible anomaly. His love of electronic music stretches back to the early 90’s, when he tasted first hand the fabled golden era of techno clubs in Berlin where he has lived since 1982. He was at the Loveparade. He danced in the warehouses and basements, revelled at the festivals, and absorbed all of this influence from one side of the equation.

A lifelong musician, he balanced his passion alongside a career as a body therapist and yoga teacher. During a group breath work session he was playing one of his own techno mixes and a club booker just happened to be part of the group. The booker was so impressed by Robot's mix that he suggested he try his hand at DJ'ing. It was the spark that lit the bonfire.

Robot Bennett uses Ableton Live with an APC 40 Mk II controller for DJ'ing.

He plays hard techno – a dark and sometimes ominous sound interspersed with some lighter tunes and the occasional vintage track.

Robot Bennett also plays 60’s and early 70’s classic psychedelic rock. He has enjoyed playing the music of his youth at Nation of Gondwana, Hans & Gloria, Mensch Meier, Rummelsbucht, Bucht der Träumer and at New Years parties in Sisyphos.

https://robotbennett.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RobotBennett/
instagram.com/robotbennett/
robbennett2.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-oneness
robot.bennett@gmail.com

We Present – article in English:
https://wepresent.wetransfer.com/story/robot-bennett

Nachtschatten Podcast Folge 9: Tanz und Rausch körpereigene Drogen
https://safer-nightlife.berlin/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Nachtschatten_Tanz_und_Rausch_mixdown.mp3

Robot Bennett

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