Record collection in the Packster
15.11.2025 | Lifestyle & Arts
Marcel Puntheller is a DJ, producer and label founder. He travels to all his gigs within a 100-kilometre radius on his Riese & Müller cargo bike. If the event was further away, he’d even take a few days off work to enjoy the journey there by bike.
A pedestrian through and through
Marcel Puntheller says he was dead set against cycling in the past. “Originally, I am a pedestrian through and through. I once walked from Heidelberg to Barcelona, and once across Italy.” The fact that the cargo bike now plays such an important role in his life is down to chance – and his job as a DJ.
“Riese & Müller approached me two years ago and asked if I wanted to DJ at their stand at Eurobike,” says Marcel. He did, and he also had an idea of what his fee might be: “Perhaps it would be possible to be paid in a bike instead of money.” In fact it was possible, and according to Marcel: “It was a very good trade. One that redefined my world as a DJ and traveller.“
Festival equipment in the transport box
Since then, the 41-year-old has been riding a Riese & Müller Packster 70. So what’s the best thing about this cargo bike? “There isn’t one specific feature that I like above all the others,” says Marcel. “This cargo bike just makes me happy all round – the suspension, its incredible range. And, of course, that you can fit a lot in it and on it.”
The bike has become his rolling event companion. When doing a gig, he fills the Packster’s transport box with his rucksack, a handful of records, a USB stick, fairy lights and headphones. “At festivals I also bring a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat,” says Marcel, who was already intensely involved with music as a child and teenager. “I just kept at it. What’s more, my first girlfriend’s brother was a DJ, and I wanted to be as cool as him. That settled it for me.”
Music you can dance to between electronica, new jazz and techno
He has now been DJing in various countries and on different continents for years. He travelled to a few places this summer, including Mexico. His musical style ranges somewhere between slow electronic, techno, downtempo, new jazz and hip hop. “But always something you can dance to, always deep,” says Marcel, who plays music not only at festivals, but also at ambient events. “This is where up to 40 people come to a club with their yoga mats,” he explains. “However, it’s all a bit under the radar and not commercial.”
Born in Bad Kreuznach, his main job is in the cultural department at Darmstadt University, where he is responsible for bookings and the cultural programme. “My job and my work as a DJ and producer complement each other perfectly,” he says.
A cargo bike as a DJ booth
For him, every trip on the Packster is a little adventure – ‘a vibe’ is how he puts it as a DJ. Sometimes he pushes the battery to its limits, riding more than 140 kilometres to his destination; one time at a rave in Frankfurt the bike itself became a DJ booth. He rides to all his gigs within a radius of 100 kilometres with his cargo bike. “I don’t own a car and I also travel by train,” says Marcel.
“But if I had a gig in Berlin, I would take two weeks’ holiday and ride there on my bike.” That’s what he likes so much about cycling – finding beautiful routes for both short and long rides. “I am happy to take detours to get there. I like discovering new routes. This also reflects my DJ style: intuitive, adventurous and always on the lookout for the next delightful surprise.”