After touching down in Techno capital Berlin for his ‘Beyond Borders – Berlin’ mix compilation, none other than Dave Seaman selected five of the best music scenes in the world. The legend himself has been responsible for countless acclaimed mix CDs, including Renaissance, Global Underground, and the Toolroom Records Selector series, which makes him the go-to person to curate the Music Scenes Top 5.
Berlin
“For my money, the German capital is currently the very epicenter of the electronic music world. As far back as the ‘70s when Bowie made his classic trilogy of albums there, it’s had a rich history of creativity which only exploded further once the Wall came down. It’s become somewhat of a mecca for musicians and artists alike with so many relocating there over the last decade. Its nightlife is the stuff legends are made of, known worldwide for its quality, consistency, and many quirks.
“For my money, the German capital is currently the very epicenter of the electronic music world. As far back as the ‘70s when Bowie made his classic trilogy of albums there, it’s had a rich history of creativity which only exploded further once the Wall came down. It’s become somewhat of a mecca for musicians and artists alike with so many relocating there over the last decade. Its nightlife is the stuff legends are made of, known worldwide for its quality, consistency, and many quirks.
When I started to think about which city to base my album on, it was the first that sprung to mind. I’d just had a couple of really cool gigs at Watergate and Suicide Circus, and have always had incredible times there over the years. This includes some memorable days and nights playing at Love Parade and E-Werk many moons ago. I wanted to make sure the album really reflected the music coming out of the city I chose. So with the amount of amazing music that consistently comes out of Berlin, it was an obvious choice.”
Watergate – Berlin
Ibiza
“Whilst Berlin may well be the capital of club land for most of the year, the legendary white isle of Ibiza takes over that mantle for a couple of months every summer. It is still the most influential place on the planet when it comes to clubbing. My first visit was back in 1990 and I even lived there for a couple of years just after the millennium.
“Whilst Berlin may well be the capital of club land for most of the year, the legendary white isle of Ibiza takes over that mantle for a couple of months every summer. It is still the most influential place on the planet when it comes to clubbing. My first visit was back in 1990 and I even lived there for a couple of years just after the millennium.
I can’t even begin to list the many amazing memories I have from Ibiza, but it’s safe to say that it’s another place that has played a major part in my life – I’ve been lucky enough to DJ at all the big clubs there. There’s been many other holiday destinations touted as “The New Ibiza” over the years, but nothing ever compares. And, in my opinion, nothing ever will. Arguably, it’s where this electronic music scene we know and love originally started. The first and still the best.”
Space – Ibiza
London
“I moved to London from the north of England as a 19-year old in 1987 and was instantly smitten by the excitement and buzz of the city’s club scene. At the time, London was still in the throes of the Rare Groove movement. But at the same time, it was on the cusp of the DJ revolution, as M/A/R/R/S, S Express, and Coldcut & Bomb The Bass led the way at the beginning of sampling culture.
“I moved to London from the north of England as a 19-year old in 1987 and was instantly smitten by the excitement and buzz of the city’s club scene. At the time, London was still in the throes of the Rare Groove movement. But at the same time, it was on the cusp of the DJ revolution, as M/A/R/R/S, S Express, and Coldcut & Bomb The Bass led the way at the beginning of sampling culture.
By the following summer, the electronic music scene was the most exciting youth movement; certainly since punk and more probably since the swinging sixties. It was an intoxicating time to be a part of and formed my entire future life path, which shows the kind of influence it had over me. And despite losing several of its most iconic underground venues at the beginning of the ‘noughties’ – they became prime targets for real estate developers -, the city remains one of the major players on the world clubbing map.”
Ministry Of Sound – London
Buenos Aires
“Argentina’s capital has been consistently my favorite place to DJ for the best part of two decades. I did my very first Global Underground compilation from there in the late 90s and have been back every year since. What’s remarkable about Buenos Aires and Argentina in general is that it’s never really succumbed to the commercial side of electronic music. Especially over the last few years – where most places around the world were taken over by the EDM sound – Argentina stayed true to its underground roots with massive parties all across the country, even in spite of its tough economic situation.
“Argentina’s capital has been consistently my favorite place to DJ for the best part of two decades. I did my very first Global Underground compilation from there in the late 90s and have been back every year since. What’s remarkable about Buenos Aires and Argentina in general is that it’s never really succumbed to the commercial side of electronic music. Especially over the last few years – where most places around the world were taken over by the EDM sound – Argentina stayed true to its underground roots with massive parties all across the country, even in spite of its tough economic situation.
I think a lot of this has to do with local hero Hernan Cattaneo, who’s early work in laying down the foundations of the scene there gave the country a really solid education in electronic music. They certainly know their stuff and everyone always stays to the very end of the party. They don’t know when to stop!”
Pacha – Buenos Aires
New York
“New York was really the first place I ever went clubbing. Well, proper underground clubbing anyway! I was lucky enough to win a competition in 1987 as a 19-year-old and won a week there during the New Music Seminar, which was the equivalent of what the Winter Music Conference in Miami is today. Club culture in New York at the time was the best in the world, so it was something of a baptism of fire for a young lad from Northern England. I visited the likes of The Roxy, The Palladium, Zanzibar, and Sound Factory & Save The Robots, which started a love affair with the city’s music scene that still continues to this day.
“New York was really the first place I ever went clubbing. Well, proper underground clubbing anyway! I was lucky enough to win a competition in 1987 as a 19-year-old and won a week there during the New Music Seminar, which was the equivalent of what the Winter Music Conference in Miami is today. Club culture in New York at the time was the best in the world, so it was something of a baptism of fire for a young lad from Northern England. I visited the likes of The Roxy, The Palladium, Zanzibar, and Sound Factory & Save The Robots, which started a love affair with the city’s music scene that still continues to this day.
From The Limelight to Vinyl, Twilo to The Tunnel, Centrofly to Cielo, New York has had more than its fair share of iconic clubs, which continues today with the likes of Verboten and Output in Brooklyn. So of course, no list of influential clubbing destinations would be complete without NYC.”
Output Club – Brooklyn, New York City
0 comments:
Post a Comment