Club Night: Dj Hell, Playlove

Club Night: DJ Hell | Playlove at Palais Mascotte in Zurich on Friday 27.11.2026 from 22h.

A pioneer of electronic music returns to Zurich. This Friday, Palais Mascotte welcomes DJ Hell, an influential figure in the history of house, techno and electroclash. With decades behind the decks and 30 years of his International Deejay Gigolo Records, DJ Hell represents an important chapter of club culture. Joining him is Zurich's own Playlove, a selector and driving force in the Swiss electronic music scene.

DJ Hell

Helmut Josef Geier, better known as DJ Hell, is a pioneer of electronic dance music. Since beginning his DJ career in 1978, the German producer and label founder has helped shape the evolution of house, techno and electroclash, influencing generations of DJs, producers and clubbers around the world.

Growing up in Bavaria and emerging from Munich's underground music scene, Hell was among the first German DJs to introduce house music to European dancefloors during the 1980s. His early sets combined new wave, punk, EBM, disco, electro and hip-hop, long before these musical worlds became closely connected. In 1987, he organised one of Munich's first acid house parties, helping establish the foundations of a movement that would transform European nightlife.

During the 1990s, Hell became a central figure in Germany's emerging techno culture, holding residencies at clubs including Tresor and E-Werk in Berlin, Ultraschall in Munich and New York's Limelight, where he shared the decks with Detroit techno DJ Jeff Mills.

His production My Definition of House Music, released on R&S Records in 1992, became an underground classic and established him as one of the artists of early European house and techno.

In 1996, DJ Hell founded International Deejay Gigolo Records, an influential electronic music label. More than a record label, Gigolo became a cultural movement, bringing together electronic music, fashion, visual art and provocative aesthetics. Through releases by artists such as Miss Kittin & The Hacker, Fischerspooner, Jeff Mills, Vitalic, Tiga and Dopplereffekt, the label helped define the sound and attitude of the electroclash era.

His albums Munich Machine (1998), NY Muscle (2003), Teufelswerk (2009) and Zukunftsmusik (2017) demonstrate his ability to move between musical styles while continuously reinventing his artistic identity. Throughout his career, he has also collaborated with figures from music and art, including Bryan Ferry, Alan Vega, James Murphy and Jonathan Meese.

In 2026, International Deejay Gigolo Records celebrates its 30th anniversary, marking three decades of musical innovation, underground culture and artistic freedom.

Known for his fearless approach to DJing, DJ Hell's sets are journeys through electronic music history and its future. From hypnotic techno and raw electro to acid house, dark disco and club rhythms, his musical selections combine decades of experience with an instinctive understanding of the dancefloor.

Playlove

Born in Vienna and based in Zurich, Nathalie Brunner, better known as Playlove, has been a presence in European electronic music and club culture since 1999. With more than 25 years of experience behind the decks, she has established herself as a DJ, cultural activist and advocate for independent nightlife.

Her musical journey began in Vienna's underground techno scene before taking her through Munich and Berlin to Zurich. During her years in Munich, she became a resident at Rote Sonne, one of the city's underground electronic music venues.

Playlove's sound is characterised by a blend of trippy techno, raw house, deep Detroit influences and hypnotic acid grooves. Her sets are energetic and full of character, combining driving rhythms with psychedelic textures, powerful basslines and unexpected musical discoveries.

Playlove has developed a personal approach to DJing, shaped by decades of collecting music, exploring underground scenes and experiencing dancefloors across Europe. Her selections move between deep, atmospheric moments and groove-driven club energy.

Beyond the DJ booth, Playlove has played a role in shaping Switzerland's independent cultural landscape. In 2013, she co-founded Les Belles de Nuit, a Zurich-based association dedicated to increasing the visibility, representation and opportunities of women, queer people and other underrepresented communities in electronic music.

Her commitment to club culture also extends into cultural management and advocacy. Having worked with institutions including Zurich's Kosmos and Lucerne's Neubad, she has helped create spaces for independent music, artistic experimentation and inclusive nightlife.

For Playlove, electronic music is more than entertainment. It is about community, freedom, cultural exchange and the connections that happen on a dancefloor.

With her sound and years of experience, she is a strong addition to a night celebrating the history, spirit and future of underground club culture.

Two artists, two musical journeys and one shared passion for the dancefloor. From the sounds of European techno to the energy of underground house and electro, this club night brings together decades of musical history and club culture at Palais Mascotte in Zurich.