A showroom for our labels (Miasmah - Sonic Pieces) and a small record store was something we had been talking about for years. But it wasn't until spring/summer 2019, when the circumstances at our previous place changed, that we actively began looking for new premises. One morning, after weeks of online research, an interesting listing popped up on my screen more or less coincidentally. The place met many of the criteria that were important to us and was located in one of our favourite neighbourhoods, so we went for a viewing. In fact, it was the only viewing we had during this search. When we saw the place, it had been empty for many years and was quite run-down. What is now our kitchen was then the bike storage for the building. We certainly needed some imagination to envision how to transform this place into a living and working space, including a shop, but we decided to take on the task.
About a year later, in August 2020, after the world had undergone quite some changes, we were finally ready to open our new space to the public. We celebrated the opening on a hot summer weekend with our first exhibition by F.S.Blumm, in connection with his album “In Sight” which had been released earlier that year on Sonic Pieces. We felt enthusiastic, had all these visions of what we wanted to do in this space, ideas for exhibitions, listening sessions for small groups of people. Of the latter we managed to have exactly one in October 2020, before we had to close our doors again due to new restrictions. Somehow, it all seemed like bad timing, but then we took it as a challenge. During our first winter, we offered private listening sessions for two guests at the time - the maximum number of people we were officially allowed to meet. It was one of the few cultural experiences you could have in this city at that time. We had a diverse range of guests, but everyone who came really appreciated this special experience.
mi - so with newly painted floors
mi - so at our 5 year anniversary
The first two years passed with a lot of uncertainty. It was difficult to plan ahead, especially for exhibitions. It was a mixture of frustration and hope. But we were lucky that the shop was only part of our working and living space, and we didn't have to rely on local business to cover costs. I started using it as my workspace as well, setting up a table in the window to craft record covers when we weren't officially open. It was also a way to feel more connected to the neighbourhood.
When our friend Otto A Totland planned a visit in September 2022, we thought about bringing Erik's piano into the store and having Otto perform an intimate concert there. It was very well received, and it wasn't long before we had events planned at the store for the rest of the year. This new series of super-intimate concerts felt like a real turning point in our vision of creating a place where people could come together. It was almost like a new beginning.
We’ve now organised 29 in-store sessions and set up 14 exhibitions. And it’s wonderful to see our space continually evolving with new details and additions. Our current exhibition is once again by F.S.Blumm. I wanted to invite him back after five years to bring things full circle. But this isn’t the end, and we’re incredibly excited about our programme for this autumn.
Even though I've often thought about leaving Berlin over the past five years, and those thoughts haven't completely vanished, I feel that we still have a mission here for now. In a world that is becoming increasingly digitalised and where societies are disintegrating, we see it as a unique opportunity to have created a space where people can meet in the real world, where real exchange can take place, and where a community can emerge.
- Monique, August 2025
Outside scene from our 5 year anniversary
“In a world that is becoming increasingly digitalised and where societies are disintegrating, we see it as a unique opportunity to have created a space where people can meet in the real world, where real exchange can take place, and where a community can emerge.”
Our shelf in progress of being filled for the first time
Franziska Lutze work, 2024
The path to mi - so has, in many ways, taken decades, through many ups and downs - running a record label, making music, meeting different people and artists, playing gigs around the world and taking on commissions - similarly on Monique´s side. Through our shared experiences, we somehow ended up here in Schöneberg with our own little store. It’s kind of baffling to think about. Our store here is little like most places, as we don’t regularly take in lots of new items like most record shops; rather curate on an extreme minimal level outside of our own productions. We also have only open once a week for 4 hours, and do basically no promotion for ourselves on the commercial side. It feels (and is) more like a part of our home (and ourselves) that we open up to the public for brief parts of our time. We have no staff. Here you either meet Monique or myself or us both - direct from follower to the source. There’s something beautiful about this intimacy as the total opposite from ordering online or listening to random music from an AI curated playlist. Though it’s also a bit scary, and can sometimes feel almost too personal. But that’s part of what makes it special.
I find it interesting that during our opening times, we don’t know who is gonna stop by - if anyone. Sometimes we’ve been surprised by a visit from long-time follower or old friend who just pops in without notice - someone living on the other side of the world, who just happens to be traveling through Berlin and shows up (unlike most Berliners. ehem…). I find that quite amazing. We would never have this close relationship with our followers if we did not have this public space.
Erik & Monique, summer 2020
Since we started the ultra-minimal concert series here, this closeness has been taken to a new level. Artists, audience and ourselves all meet to share a moment on a maximum intimate level. It’s probably not for everyone - but after having experienced all of these moments (evenings/concerts) in person during the last three years - it’s extremely fulfilling and great to see both audience and artist embrace this small level with such enthusiasm. Lastly, and perhaps the best thing about our venture, is all the warm and beautiful people we have met in our short period here, and who together with us, make up this place. Who knows what the future brings. It’s definitively not getting easier to do what we do, but I’m glad to be here at this moment, and to see our space come into its own.
- Erik, August 2025
Erik & Monique, summer 2025