Meet Peter Ziegelmeier Of Ceiba

Meet Peter Ziegelmeier Of CeibaPhotos: Jennie Butler/Hoodline
Jennie Butler
Published on February 28, 2015

Peter Ziegelmeier is truly a Haight Street vet.

The musician-turned-business-owner has been a power player in San Francisco’s electronic music scene for decades, and has transformed from an underground Lower Haight recording studio, Ceiba Records, into the Upper Haight clothing boutique, Ceiba SF

Ceiba is a treasure chest of festival garb: leather corsets, fringed jackets, knee-high lace up boots and tasseled trench coats that’ll have you thinking, “how perfectly Haight-Ashbury.” But peek around the shop and you might spot the boutique’s small recording studio and, perhaps, Ziegelmeier mixing psytrance tracks.

The tall, friendly 63-year-old speaks with a thick German accent and wears mostly leather. Strike up a conversation about music or fashion with him and you’ll likely be impressed—Ziegelmeier produced music for decades, both solo and in groups like Kode IV and The Real Camouflage. Check out Ziegelmeier in this 1980’s music video (he’s the guy on the right):

We recently sat down with Ziegelmeier in his shop to talk about Ceiba, his music, and the neighborhood. 

Hoodline: Tell us about the history of Ceiba Records.

Peter Ziegelmeier: In 1996 we started in Lower Haight. At that time the store was a combination of an art gallery, a CD store and a little bit of fashion. We mostly sold psytrance and down tempo ambient music. In 2005 we moved to Upper Haight and at that time, music was beginning to show up for free online and small labels were dying. So we transitioned from music to fashion.

H: What kind of store is Ceiba?

PZ: People know this place as “The Burner Shop.” I used to produce albums on my label for Burning Man, but those days are long gone. We’ve been catering to the Burning Man vibe with the clothes. But I didn’t want to have just a Burning Man store, I wanted a modern, avant garde, futuristic collection of designers. A few of them are local, like Galareigh Designs and Sefirah Fierce, but most are international.

H: People say you’re a DJ. Is that true?

PZ: Yes I do make music, but I haven’t released anything since 2003. There’s a recording studio in the back of my store, and I still use it. Music is mostly a part of my younger life. I produced industrial music in the '80s. I released my first album in 1990 as a member of the goth band Kode IV. 

H: Do you live in the neighborhood?

PZ: I lived in the back of my store for many years, but now I live on Page. 

H: What do you think of the neighborhood?

PZ: Upper Haight is milking the memory of the '60s. Everyone associates that era with drugs and hippies, but there were positive things that came from it too — yoga, vegetarian diets, and general consciousness about the world. But in general, I think people come here to live in the past.

Ceiba (1364 Haight, between Central and Masonic) is open Monday - Saturday from noon to 8pm, and Sunday from noon to 7pm.