When David Strempel first encountered Berlin’s Core Tex Records in the late '80s, he was a young customer in search of a Suicidal Tendencies record and the companionship of likeminded kids in the skate and punk scene. By 1996, Strempel had accrued enough time at the shop to become a partner in the business. Located in formerly squat-festooned Kreuzberg, Core Tex continues to serve as the de facto hangout spot for the city’s punk and hardcore-minded youth. But where standoffishness may have characterized the store back in the day, under Strempel’s watch it’s a more welcoming environment, a meeting place where music and beer grease the social gears, and punk isn’t defined by a look but rather by what’s in one’s heart.
