Meet Birgit Faßbender, better known behind the decks as DJ Suzy Creamcheese and as the force behind Berlin Beat Invasion, an annual underground music festival celebrating garage punk, beat, psych and soul from the ’60s.
A fixture of Berlin’s independent music scene since the ‘90s, Birgit’s life revolves around vinyl – collecting it, spinning it and sharing its magic with others. Through Berlin Beat Invasion and her Pleasure Seekers Club nights, she brings together fellow music lovers to discover underground sounds, dance and bask in the joy of live music, while championing greater visibility for women behind the decks.
Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Suzy Creamcheese @BERLINBEATINVASION. I collect and play vinyl records and organise events with live bands and DJs in my hometown Berlin. Once a year I curate and run the Berlin Beat Invasion festival, dedicated to ’60s beat, punk and psych and beyond. I also invite DJs to share gems from their collections in Berlin, always making sure female DJs are represented. In addition, I run a regular night called Pleasure Seekers Club (named after Suzi Quatro’s first band), featuring live bands and vinyl DJs.
What sparked your interest in collecting records?
A friend of mine was a ’60s DJ at a club in Cologne in the early ’90s, where I used to go dancing. I loved the music and admired what he did — I wanted to do the same. At first I didn’t even have a collection, so I started buying 45s whenever I could find them in record shops. As a student my budget was limited, but later, once I had a job, I could buy more records.
I started DJing in Berlin a few years after the wall came down, in the eastern part of the city, playing 45s and LPs in small basement venues. I loved the classic garage punk compilations and eventually wanted to own the original 45s myself. I’m a collector, but with the ears of a DJ — most records I buy are meant to be played and shared with a hopefully dancing audience.
What is it about vinyl that you love most?
When I was a teenager it was still common to buy vinyl, and I never lost the habit. I love the physical feeling of records, the artwork, funny inner sleeves and printed lyrics — especially with LPs.
What I love most about DJing with vinyl, especially 45s, is the limitation. You work with what you brought along instead of instantly adding songs to a playlist. I enjoy the challenge of building a good groove from the records in my case. I never fully prepare my sets — maybe just a genre direction or a couple of opening tracks. The rest depends on the vibe of the night and the audience’s energy.
When did you start DJ’ing and what got you behind the decks?
I started in the mid-’90s, when Berlin still had countless independent bars and small clubs where you could simply try things out. My first set was in a tiny basement squat with an open fireplace and a curtain instead of a bathroom door.
I also played in a small basement live club that looked like Liverpool’s Cavern Club, and at a place called “Buchhandlung” (“Bookstore”), where people cooked food and everyone sat on the floor sharing cheap and delicious Indian meals. It was a very special time in Berlin.
What can we expect from one of your sets?
My favourite music for getting people dancing is wild and weird ’60s US garage punk. For bar gigs I tend to play more soul, R&B and beat. I enjoy many genres and like adapting my sets to the atmosphere.
What advice would you give someone wanting to try vinyl DJ’ing?
I’m not sure I’m in a position to give advice, but I’d tell my younger self: “Don’t be shy to ask.” If you collect vinyl and want to share the music you love in public, just start — maybe in your favourite bar or club — and build from there. In my experience, many people in the scene are friendly, welcoming and open-minded.
What’s the most prized record in your collection, and is there a story behind it?
I have records that are more valuable, but “Boy Is Gone” by Lyn and the Invaders is a very precious record to me. It was released twice in different versions on different labels. The first came out in 1966 on the famous Fenton label, while a more uptempo version appeared in 1967 on Prophonics under the slightly different name ‘The Invaders’.
Both versions are fantastic and a great reminder that women were also part of the US ’60s punk scene.
What’s your go-to crate-digging spot?
Berlin has many great record stores that I regularly visit, but I also love digging while travelling — in recent years in Spain, the UK, Germany, Greece and the USA. I actually prefer shops to record fairs. When I’m faced with a million records at once, my brain stops working and I get overwhelmed.
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