Puppetmastaz

Puppetmastaz is a unique Berlin-based hip-hop collective founded in 1996, distinguished by their use of hand puppets as the primary public face of the group. Musically, they occupy a space between the satirical and the avant-garde, blending traditional rap structures with funk, electronica, and glitch.

The group was founded by Paul Affeld (Mister Maloke) and has featured a rotating cast of high-profile collaborators including Chilly Gonzales and Mocky. Their sound identity is defined by 'Puppetstyle', a term they use to describe their frameless approach to genre, often incorporating distorted toy sounds and pitched vocal processing. Historically, they emerged from the same fertile Berlin scene that birthed digital hardcore, and their production often reflects that lineage through the work of Patric Catani and Bomb 20. Critically, they are viewed as a bridge between the visual arts and underground music, maintaining a cult following for their elaborate live shows and surrealist world-building. They represent a rare successful intersection of performance art and legitimate hip-hop craftsmanship.