Ghaith Mefteh: Five Years of Demolate and Building a Space Where Music Comes First

From arriving in Berlin alone at 19 to creating a collective and label built around trust, artistic integrity and community, Ghaith Mefteh’s journey reflects a deeper story about finding belonging through music.

Berlin has always existed somewhere between reality and imagination. For those arriving from outside the city, it often represents possibility: a place where identity can be reshaped, where creative communities form naturally, and where music is not simply something experienced, but something lived.

For Ghaith Mefteh, that relationship with Berlin began long before he arrived.

Growing up in Tunisia, he became fascinated by the city through the culture surrounding its electronic music scene. Through online videos, recordings and stories from afar, Berlin represented a place where individuality and creativity seemed to exist without restriction. At 19, after finishing high school, he decided to leave Tunisia and move to Germany alone, searching for the world he had imagined for years.

“I was telling myself: I want to move to Berlin.I thought this city can give me what I want.”

The reality of arriving in a new country was more complex. Without an existing network and still adapting to a different language and culture, Berlin initially felt overwhelming. The city offered endless possibilities, but finding a sense of belonging inside it required time.

Like many people who arrive in Berlin drawn by its nightlife, Mefteh initially experienced the scene from the outside. But over time, his relationship with music began to change. What first appeared as a culture to discover became something much deeper: a way of connecting with people, building friendships and understanding a new environment.

“I realised that music is not about consuming or showing off,” he says. “It is about connection and depth. When I started meeting people through music, I understood that this was something much more meaningful. Some of the closest friendships I have today came from those experiences.”

Through parties, conversations and shared experiences, he began forming the relationships that would eventually shape the next chapter of his life. The friendships he developed through music became the foundation for something much larger than simply attending events.That foundation became Demolate.

The story of Demolate begins during one of the most unusual periods in Berlin nightlife. In 2021, as the pandemic disrupted traditional club culture, informal gatherings and illegal raves became important spaces for connection. With official dancefloors temporarily unavailable, a different kind of community began forming outside the usual structures. It was within this environment that Mefteh met Alex Friday,L-AUXL-AUX, Maximus, and Ricksen..

At first, there was no ambition to create a recognised platform or build a long-term project. It began naturally, through a shared passion for music and a friendship between people who enjoyed spending time together.

The idea that eventually became Demolate emerged during an afternoon in Mauerpark. Sitting together, the group started discussing the possibility of organising their own events, not as a business plan, but as a way of creating the kind of nights they wanted to experience themselves.

“We were just a group of friends who loved music and enjoyed spending time together,” Mefteh recalls. “Back then, we didn’t really know what Demolate would become. We were not thinking about building a brand or creating something big. It was simply about creating a space where we could share the music we loved with people around us.”

Even the name carried that informal beginning. Mefteh originally chose “Demolate” because it felt right, only later discovering that the word itself was not technically correct English. By then, however, the name had already become connected to the project and the people behind it. Over the following years, Demolate grew through consistency rather than rapid expansion. Events at Kili Kulturhaus, Re:mise, OST Club, Lokschuppen Berlin, Kreuzwerk and ELSE helped establish the collective’s presence within the city, while maintaining the same focus that shaped its earliest nights.

The project’s musical direction became increasingly defined around deep, raw, hypnotic and driving techno. Rather than following short-lived movements or programming based purely on

visibility, Demolate developed through careful curation and a belief that the relationship between artist, sound and audience mattered most.

For Mefteh, the identity of Demolate has always been about creating a complete experience rather than simply presenting a line-up.

“We curate line-ups based not only on musical depth and coherence, but also on the artistic positions and values artists represent,” he explains. “We prioritise integrity and intention over trends or visibility.”

That philosophy has guided the collective’s programming over five years. Artists including Matrixxman, Temudo, Phil Berg, TWR72, Justine Perry, Uväll, Toobris, LYZA, Franco Rossi, Benza, Orbe, Cryptofauna, Lobster, WINDFUHR, Lea Ochi, and many more have joined the platform, but the focus has never been solely on individual names.

Instead, Demolate has built its reputation through musical dialogue, bringing together artists who share a similar approach to the dancefloor and creating environments where the audience becomes part of the experience.

The moment Mefteh realised the project had become something meaningful was not defined by numbers or recognition. It was seeing people return, hearing conversations around the events and noticing that the collective had developed a reputation built through trust.

After years of independent work, the five-year anniversary represented a moment of reflection. Celebrated at ELSE Berlin in collaboration with Laster Madrid, the event brought together more than 1,200 guests and marked a milestone for a project that had grown without losing its original character.

For Mefteh, the significance was less about celebrating longevity and more about recognising the people who made it possible.

“For me, the five-year anniversary was not only about celebrating a party,” Mefteh explains. “It was about looking back at everything we built together. Five years of hard unpaid work, sacrifices and passion finally became something people recognised. It is the name and recognition of everyone involved, the artists, the team and everyone who supported us.”

The anniversary also marked the beginning of a new chapter: the launch of Demolate Records.. Created alongside longtime collaborators SUNGDI and Leon, the label represents a natural extension of the philosophy that has shaped the collective since its beginning. After years of

working closely with artists, Mefteh wanted to create a platform that reflected the values he believed were missing within parts of the industry.

As a producer himself, he understood the personal connection artists have with their music and the importance of having their work represented properly.

“I have experienced situations with labels where things were not always transparent, and I heard many similar stories from other artists, as a producer, I know how much someone can be connected to a track. The right promotion, communication and a fair split should be the minimum a label can offer.”

Demolate Records was built around transparency and long-term relationships. The label operates with a 50/50 profit-sharing structure, a strong focus on promotion and an approach centred around communication between artists and the people releasing their music. The goal is not simply to release tracks, but to create an environment where artists feel their work is genuinely understood.

The first release, the‘Demolate 5 Years Compilation’ reflects that vision. Bringing together established artists alongside emerging producers, the compilation explores a shared space of raw, deep and timeless techno. Featuring artists including Iman Janes, Aidan Rudd, Sicion, Alberto Tolo, GLIA, DJ Dextro, Uväll, Vinicius Honorio, Pierce, A. Morgan, Franco Rossi and Ana Rs, the release introduces the label’s identity while celebrating the collective’s five-year journey.

Early support from artists including DVS1, Richie Hawtin, Dax J, Ben Sims, Blasha & Allatt and Alarico has helped bring attention to the project, but for Mefteh, the most important achievement remains creating a place where artists feel their music is in safe hands.

The long-term vision is built around discovery, fairness and sustainability. Future releases, vinyl projects and collaborations are already planned, with the aim of continuing to grow without compromising the principles that shaped the collective.

Mefteh’s approach to Demolate is closely connected to his own artistic identity. As a DJ and producer, he describes his sound as emotional, raw and soulful, focused less on following formulas and more on creating moments that feel genuine.

Influenced by artists including Radio Slave, Anthony Rother and Ben Klock, as well as melodic and dub techno, his approach is centred around atmosphere and selection. For him, music does not need to rely on excess to create impact.

“Sometimes simplicity is the key,” he says. “Music doesn’t need to be hard or loud or full of things happening. Sometimes a simple groove, an emotional melody or the right atmosphere can create the strongest connection.”

That same belief runs through everything he has built. From the first conversation in Mauerpark to five years of events and the launch of a new label, Demolate has remained focused on the same idea: creating spaces where music can connect people.

Looking ahead, Mefteh’s ambition is not simply to expand into more cities, but to continue building something meaningful while protecting the values that shaped Demolate from the beginning.

“Don’t ever take no for an answer. Believe in yourself. Everybody starts at the bottom. After the longest dark night, the sun will shine tomorrow. Stay true to yourself, trends will fade, but an authentic, dedicated path will always shine. And most importantly, always give credit to the right people. Never take what isn’t yours.”

For Ghaith Mefteh, the future of Demolate is not about chasing recognition.

It is about continuing to create a space where artists, audiences and communities can feel connected through music.