Dreaming of the techno viking

Peaking through the slideshow of photos of people partying at the Grasshopper Underground on NYE the other day, I was a bit distracted by the DJ in the pictures. Like, where did I know that guy from? Then I realized, I don't actually know this guy, but he looks a bit like... Techno Viking!

Who? The first line of Techno Viking's wikipedia page informs that "Techno Viking is an internet phenomenon or meme based on a video from the 2000 Fuckparade in Berlin." I was reminded also of an article on Wired about a dispute between the original creator of the video, who uploaded it in pre-YouTube days, and the actual subject of the video himself, who we'll call Mr. Viking, but who wants his entire Internet celebrity-hood to be erased from the Internet. 


It's a shame Mr. Viking has such an idea about his fame, but he was never asked to be filmed in the first place. The guy who shot and uploaded the original video does sound like a bit of an artsnob, and he tried to raise a bunch of money to make a film about the ordeal, but he didn't raise the full amount. Matthias Fritsch, the filmmaker, told Wired that "In my artistic practice I don't focus too much on commercially marketing my content. I'm interested in free culture and I'm always financially on the edge. €15,000 is what I need for two years of living. It puts me in a very difficult position." Fritsch did get about one third of that via his online fundraising campaign, but his film remains unfinished.