Letter from Berlin

摘要

Compact disc is alive and well in Germany. Witness Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus (just call it 'Dussmann'), a huge book and music store near the old Checkpoint Charlie border crossing in Berlin's Friedrichstrasse. Best described as a more modern-feeling Waterstones or Foyles, with a much larger music disc section, Dussmann is a must for anyone visiting Berlin for IFA in September and needing a temporary escape back to sanity. During a recent flying visit to Dussmann I felt like a child in a candy store, with too much music to browse in too little time. But one point-of-sale display stood out; a new series of budget CD sets from The Intense Media, a German company based in Hamburg. Ten themed discs are bundled in a simple box for around £10.