BED Interview: Queer Shoegaze from Berlin’s Underground

Last Updated on 2025-05-25 by a-indie

BED is a multinational band formed in Berlin in 2022. Its members are Argentine bassist Sol Astolfi, Chilean vocalist Nicolás Astorga, and German guitarist Ema Schiller.

BED’s music creates a peaceful euphoria by challenging creative expression that reflects musical elements from bands like My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Grouper, and Hole, and influences from Berlin’s rave scene.

While consistently maintaining an aesthetic and mysterious quality, their music unfolds dramatically – making your heart feel calm while your body wants to move restlessly. This is the kind of music BED creates. I was drawn to BED precisely because of this contradiction.

In this interview with BED, I want to explore the source of their music by talking with them about who they are. The core of the band spans many areas – from their recently released album ‘everything hurts’ to their musical roots, the rave scene, and queer identity.

A Multinational Duo Born from Illegal Raves

Artist: Sol, Nico　Interviewer: Yuuki Takita　Translation: BELONG Media / A-indie Editorial Team

A Destined Encounter in Berlin

-Yuuki Takita: We are a media that values artists’ roots, the background of how their music was created, and the music, culture, and art that influenced them. Since this is our first interview, I’d like to ask about the band’s formation. BED is a band formed in Berlin by Argentinian bassist Sol Astolfi and Chilean vocalist Nicolás Astorga. How did you, as multinational members, meet and come to form the band?
Sol: We met in Berlin. Nico was singing in his techno project at an illegal rave during the pandemic, and I saw him screaming his lungs out while the police were coming to stop the party. It was love at first sight. The next weekend we met at our friend Camila’s rooftop and bonded over Miss Kitten’s song ‘Leather Forever’. Then we decided to start a band at a karaoke party at my place, when we were improvising rhymes and melodies together. On our first meeting, we wrote our first song and it was ‘everything hurts’ which ended up being the first single release and title of the album.

Childhood in South America and Musical Awakening

-Yuuki Takita: What kind of childhood did each member have, and how did you encounter music?
Sol: We were raised in South America, in neighbouring countries. Both of our childhoods were internet free, playing in nature, but also being the youngest and weird kid.. Dancing, gymnastics, performative arts. We both went to schools where it was either catholic or conservative and queerness was not celebrated. I think music was always a safe place where one could express taboo topics, to escape that oppressive reality.
Nico: And also we come from the same generation, so we grew up listening to the same bands and musicians even though we grew up in different countries. We were very influenced by alternative and queer driven projects that ended up shaping our music taste.

Berlin’s Music Scene and BED’s Musical Identity

The Current Berlin Music Scene

-Yuuki Takita: Many Japanese people, including myself, have strong impressions of Berlin music as classical, metal bands, and techno-pop represented by Kraftwerk. Could you tell us about the current Berlin music scene and trends?
Sol: The Berlin music scene is mainly DJs, electronic music, but there is also a very cool underground rock band scene. We go to see the other Berlin bands concerts at local bars like 8mm, and friend bands like Telemat. A lot of ambient lately and listening bars.
Nico: But also from time to time we enjoy going to a good rave. A lot of the music we do is also influenced by that, like some of the synths that we use or the electronic drums. We don’t do exclusively acoustic music and both electronic tools and old school songwriting merge together in our sound and way of composing, trying to also always collaborate with new producers with fresh sounds. Somehow I feel we do comedown music, when the party is over or when you’re going through a tough drug hangover.

The Meaning Behind the Band Name “BED”

-Yuuki Takita: Please tell us about your band name. Why did you choose the name “BED”? Could you also explain the meaning behind the band name “BED”?
Sol: We spent a lot of time in our beds during the pandemic, and when I was going through a horrible break up, we removed my bed and took it to Nico’s house for safety reasons. Bed is a sexual and sad inspired project, things you do in bed. Bed is where we explore our identities and go deep in our unconscious minds.
Nico: And the bed is also where you rest, dream, love, get sick and die.

What Kind of Band is BED?

-Yuuki Takita: I have the impression that you’re a band influenced by ambient and Berlin’s rave scene. Could you explain BED as a band in your own words?
Sol: We love dancing and raving together. Dark rooms and long nights with friends inspire us.
Nico: We can go from euphoric manic states of mind to highly emotional depressive rabbit holes, and that is also the range of sonic experiences we like to work with.