Atemporal Projects

Experiences:

Atemporal Projects

14 August 2026

Experiences:

Atemporal Projects

14 August 2026

Q: Atemporal is not a club, not a gallery, not a bar—it keeps refusing to be just one thing. What's the intention behind it?

A: We actually struggled quite a bit at the beginning with how to define Atemporal. We kept asking ourselves whether we needed to focus on one thing or fit into a certain category because our concept isn't particularly conventional. You have listening bars, galleries, cafés and cultural spaces, and only recently have we started seeing more hybrid concepts emerge.

But for us, it was actually very simple we couldn't separate one from the other because that's simply how we live. Atemporal is really just a reflection of ourselves. Music, art, design and architecture have always naturally existed together in our lives, so it never made sense to isolate one discipline from another. Rather than trying to fit into an existing category, we decided to build a space that reflects that way of living. Looking back now, we sometimes laugh because Atemporal has simply become our dream living room a place where people can relax, discover something new, have conversations and feel at home.

Q: What is the difference between hearing music and listening to it, and can a space teach someone that difference?

A: In our opinion, there's a big difference. Today, music accompanies almost everything we do whether we're in a café, a waiting room, a restaurant or a bar. Hearing music has become part of the background of everyday life. The more we've thought about this question, the more we've realised that we've always been the kind of people who truly listen to music rather than simply hear it. Music has always shaped the way we experience a space. The very same room can feel completely different depending on what's being played. That's the feeling we wanted to create at Atemporal.

Our listening sessions are designed to feel intimate and personal. Rather than simply playing records, we invite artists to share the stories behind the music, the albums that shaped them, and the memories connected to them. We find that people connect much more deeply when there's a human story attached to what they're hearing. We never ask people to be silent or force them to listen. It happens naturally. We believe a space can create the conditions for listening, but it's the people who complete the experience. Once someone has experienced that feeling, they often find themselves listening differently everywhere else.

Q: Before Atemporal, what were you two doing separately, and how did your paths cross?

A: Marika: I come from an interior and spatial design background, working across interiors, exhibitions and furniture. In recent years, my practice has focused on collectible design through @p.oc.k.e.t.space, where I curate vintage and contemporary furniture and objects.

Toro: I used to co-own a speaker brand in Mexico, where we designed and built custom sound systems. Because of my work, I travelled almost every week between London and Berlin, and it was during that time that I met Marika.

We met at Jago in Dalston during a Beirut Groove Collective night. It was a very special evening for both of us, and looking back, it's quite fitting that music was what brought us together. It's a reminder that music doesn't just connect people through sound it can genuinely change the course of your life.

Q: Tell us about a listening session that was special to you, who was playing, and what the atmosphere was like.

A: One listening session that will always stay with us was Ghostpoet's. It was the very first guided listening session we hosted at Atemporal, and also the first time Ghostpoet had ever hosted one himself. In many ways, it shaped how we envisioned our listening sessions going forward. For almost three hours, he guided us through the music that had influenced him from his childhood inspirations to the records that continue to inspire him today, alongside his own work. Every album came with a story, a memory, or a personal reflection, making the experience feel incredibly intimate.

"What stayed with us most was the atmosphere in the room. Everyone gave the music their full, undivided attention."

Q: Which record would you play for someone who has never had a real listening experience, and why that one?

A: It's difficult to choose just one, so we've picked one essential record and one contemporary one. Power of Soul - Idris Muhammad. It might feel quite intense for someone experiencing a proper listening session for the first time, but that's exactly why we'd choose it. It's a record that asks for your attention. Every instrument has its own place within the mix, and the more you focus, the more details begin to reveal themselves. Every time we come back to it, we notice something new.

MYT - Moses Yoofee Trio This was one of the very first albums we played through our custom sound system, built by Toro under S.P.L. Speakers, when we were tuning and testing it. It's an incredibly complete record beautifully recorded, dynamic and full of subtle details.

Q: What does this city give people that other cities don't, and what is it still missing?

A: Berlin gives people the space to experiment and be themselves. It embraces different ideas, cultures and ways of thinking, and that's something we try to reflect at Atemporal by staying open to collaborating with as many people and concepts as possible.

Berlin also gave us the opportunity to open Atemporal. There are many possibilities here for people wanting to start something new, and there's a genuine openness towards experimentation. At the same time, that's also one of Berlin's biggest challenges. The city is full of incredible designers, musicians and creatives, but the market for collectors and serious buyers is relatively small compared to the amount of creative talent here. As a result, many creative businesses have to work much harder to become financially sustainable.

Berlin is still missing stronger support for culture. There is funding available, but it is spread across so many creatives and cultural initiatives that it often isn't enough to make a lasting impact. In a way, what Berlin is missing isn't creativity it's stronger long-term support for the people producing it.

Q: Where do you go in Berlin when you want to switch off?

A: We actually feel like Atemporal has become our own escape. It might sound strange, but we genuinely love what we've created here. It's become a place where we can switch off from the outside world while connecting with other people through music, art and conversation.

When we do find time to explore the city, we love visiting museums and galleries such as Maj van der Linden and Galerie Neu. We also both love being near the water, so spending a day by one of Berlin's lakes is one of our favourite ways to slow down.

One of our favourite places is 90mil. You can always count on finding inspiring events there, whether organised by Suush, Africanacidisthefuture or JAW. It has never let us down.