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com / David King / Phrank / Jamie Simonds / Dan Reid / Dafydd Owen

Top100clubs2008
The DJs have spoken! We directly approached the world’s biggest DJs to
vote for their Top 3 venues in the world, the clubs that have left a lasting
impression on them over the last 12 months.
The result is our Top 100 Clubs in the World 2008. Delve in and start
planning new clubbing adventures now!

words Allan McGrath, Ben Murphy, Carl Loben & Dan Kinasz additional research Braden King

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 Top100clubs2008
100. Paris, Paris ne
Paris, France Capacity: 250
leparisparis.com
A club so nice they named it twice, Paris,
Paris is the current toast of the French
capital. Always free, Paris Paris’s hip
music policy and fresh no-bullshit attitude
has ensured it’s become a favourite with
the French electro and house crowds
alike.
With DJs and acts like I:Cube, Joakim and
Prince Language appearing here, it looks
like The Rex has a rival on its hands.
Ed Banger DJ/producer Mehdi summed up
its charms, claiming: “The people, the
walls, the music, the host. And most of
all, because it’s twice my love: Paris,
Paris!”
99. The Caves ne
Edinburgh, Scotland Capacity: 500
thecaves.eu
Blessed with a main room that once
housed French cavaliers and later whisky
distillers, The Caves is a cosy multi-
storeyed labyrinth of arches lying below
Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Laden with charm and rustic elegance,
this underground jewel delves into more
alternative and leftfield musical burrows
with select signature events placing
quality over quantity. Scratch Perverts,
James Ruskin, Jimmy Van M and Spektrum
have recently played here.
“The Caves oozes character and history at
every turn,” says Hexadecimal’s Scott
Reeder.
98. Barutana ne
Belgrade, Serbia Capacity: 2000
Galvanised by dance allies like Exile and
Bassment, the medieval castle of
Belgrade’s Barutana surely commands
Serbia’s clubbing crown. Hosting a raft of
cross-genre international DJs, Barutana’s
centerpiece is undoubtedly its open-air
dancefloor — set beautifully within the
castle walls.
“Barutana’s clubbers are refreshingly
open-minded when it comes to their
dance music,” claims Craig Morrison of
Silicone Soul. “The party doesn’t really
get started until 4am and there’s nothing
quite like 2000 smiling faces greeting you
come sunrise.”

100 “There’s nothing like 2000

smiling faces greeting
you come sunrise.”
CRAIG MORRISON on Barutana
95

97
97. GT Banana ne
BEIJING, CHINA Capacity: 2000
Undergoing something of a boom,
investment continues to pour into
Beijing’s club scene and GT Banana is
perfect proof. An Amnesia-styled LED
screen, Funktion One sound and a
hydraulic dancefloor make this one of
Beijing’s most hi-tech emporiums and the
roll call befits it — Carl Cox, Oakenfold,
PvD and Armin Van Buuren sit amongst it.
If you’re sufficiently enticed to make the
pilgrimage then hold on for Friday 27th
June when the club plays host to the
launch of DJmag China.
96. SeOne down 52
LONDON, ENGLAND Capacity: 3000
seonelondon.com
Cavernous railway arches that scream rave
and suck out all concept of time, London
Bridge’s SeOne Club is the capital’s most
extensive underground venue that can
hold 3000 mental ravers.
Home to our Top 100 DJs party last year,
it’s at its most incendiary when hosting
intense rave affairs like Raindance, but
has recently become the home of the fun
lovin’ Hat Club, as well as tech/psy
crossover session Party Proactive. Just
don’t turn expect your trainers to stay
clean whatever night you go there!
95. The Mass ne
LONDON, ENGLAND Capacity: 600
mass-club.com
A converted Brixton church with an
altar-esque DJ booth and a seductively
sunken dancefloor, Mass’s most twisted
pleasure is raving as dawn breaks through
its stained-glass windows.
Always an underground domain, the
venue’s winding multi-layered labyrinth
has housed everything from psy-trance,
d&b and old skool, but these days it’s the
monthly bass worship of dubstep
dancehall DMZ and the deviant circus of
fetish den The Torture Garden that reign
supreme here.

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 94. Villa Oslo ne
Oslo, Norway Capacity: 300
myspace.com/villaclub
Dark, edgy and unpretentiously cool,
Oslo’s Villa is a basement club with
burlesque flourishes nodding to its gay
club past. These days, its musical diversity
ranges from The Bug’s ragga-tinged
digi-dub apocalypse to Mathew Jonson’s
melodic intricacy with dubstep, jazz,
breakcore and acid rock appearing.
Ewan Pearson, Altern 8 and Dinky have
also played with Norwegian residents like
DJ Strangefruit and Tore Jazztobakk.
“Dark corners to hide in and consistently
quality DJs makes Villa a winner,” believe
Djuma Soundsystem.
93. Cabaret Voltaire ne 92. Volar ne
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND Capacity: 600
thecabaretvoltaire.com
Named after the Dadaist art movement’s
Swiss hangout during World War I that
gave rise to the moniker of the early-’80s
Sheffield new-wave band, Cabaret
Voltaire is located in some of Edinburgh’s
subterranean tunnels. Home to nights
such as Optimo and the Utah Saints’
SugarBeat club, it really is a fine
underground club.
“It’s like walking into a cave,” says Tim
Garbutt from Utah Saints. “The crowd
really know their music, and the owners
Tim and Sarah live the life of clubbers and
keep re-investing money back into the
club to improve it.”
HONG KONG Capacity: 300
volar.com.hk
Not wanting to be left trailing by Asian
counterparts Korea and China, Hong
Kong’s club scene has developed vastly in
recent years — thanks in no small part to
surreal underground gem Volar.
A chic yet psychedelic venue, Volar is part
kids’ playground with its gem-studded
carousel horses and foliage lined ceilings,
but there is no lack of maturity in their
music policy — Justice, Laurent Garnier,
M.A.N.D.Y. and DJ Hell have all played
here of late.

92

93
“It’s a perfectly
formed acoustic
environment.”
DARREN ROACH on La Cova

91. Coco ne 90. The Sullivan 89. La Cova ne

BEIJING, CHINA Capacity: 800
He might not be everyone’s bottle of
water but when a venue recruits the
all-conquering trance titan Tiësto for
their grand launch you know they mean
business.
Since April 2006, this Beijing club has
welcomed John Digweed, Deep Dish and
Timo Maas to its ornately designed and
style- dripped confines.
“Every time I play Beijing it just gets
better and better and Coco is as good as it
gets,” says DJ Dan.
Room ne
NEW YORK, USA Capacity: 600
sullivanroom.com
The recent additions of new 100 square
feet space and a kick-ass soundsystem
have all helped boost this mainstay of NYC
clubbing into the Top 100.
Located near ultra-posh Greenwich
Village, the Sullivan Room still attracts
enough top underground talent to keep
local beatniks and B-boys alike coming
back, and with guests like Jesse Rose,
Speedy J, Derrick Cater and Goldie, who
can blame them?
BARCELONA, SPAIN Capacity: 1200
lacova.es
Maybe not one of Barcelona’s instantly
recognisable clubs, La Cova is certainly
one of its most picturesque having been
carved into a cave in the Barcelona
mountains. Once used to store arms in the
Second World War, these days this
1200-capacity club goes off to techno
from the likes of Ben Sims and Steve
Rachmad with lush minimal grooves also
featuring.
“Not only does it look like nothing else
but it’s a perfectly formed acoustic
environment,” explains Darren Roach.

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 Top100clubs2008
88. Il Muretto ne
VENICE, ITALY Capacity: 4000
ilmuretto.net
A favourite of Martin Buttrich, Venice’s Il
Muretto is every bit as effortlessly elegant
as its home city, but its in the summer
months when its truly sparkles — largely
thanks to a retractable roof that is pulled
back for long Sunday mornings of al fresco
hedonism.
In the past year, programming has been
near faultless with Paul Woolford, Ellen
Allien, Magda, Loco Dice, Tiefschwarz,
John Digweed and James Zabiela all
playing.
“You can pretty much play what you like
and they come with you,” says Bobby
Peru’s Paul Woolford.
87. Monza ne
FRANKFURT, GERMANY Capacity: 600
monza-club.de
Berlin might be the hippest place on the
planet right now but Frankfurt’s Monza is
equally avant-garde when it comes to chic
electronic grooves.
Originally directed by Get Physical’s DJ T,
Monza’s seven-day dedication to
cutting-edge sounds means one week
alone can boast guests like Poker Flat’s
D’Julz, Kompakt’s Aril Brikha and
Cadenza’s Andomat 3000, not forgetting
residents like Phonique, Heidi, Matthias
Tanzmann and Martin Eyerer.
“Monza is one of those clubs were you can
lose four of five hours behind the decks,”
says Eyerer.
86. The Loft ne
MAIDSTONE, ENGLAND Capacity: 800
myspace.com/theloftmaidstone
There’s a damn good reason why Nic
Fanciulli hosts his birthday bash here.
Quite simply, The Loft is electric. With
more excitement and energy than most
clubs put together, Fanciulli’s fabled
residency Club Class, young upstarts Fling
and Hed Kandi are just some of the nights
that have kept the venue jumping over the
past year.
“Forget about the state of the toilets, it’s
one of the best main rooms in the world
— sick atmosphere and some of the best
nights of my life!” grins DJ Nick Liousias.

86

88

“M2 and its

crowd is a
really humbling
experience.”
GRANT NELSON on M2

85. Stiff Kitten ne 84. Chinese Laundry 83. M2 ne

Belfast, Northern Island
Capacity: 900
thestiffkitten.com
From the moshing, crowd-surfing riots of
local lads Alloy Mental’s electronic punk
gigs to the bedlam of 2ManyDJs’ recent
84 set, Belfast’s Stiff Kitten has borne
witness to some seriously intense
atmospheres over the past year.
Guests like Troy Pierce, Sébastian Léger
and The Scratch Perverts have made it the
most natural Belfast home for the biggest
names across dance’s many genres.
“It’s always nice to go home and Stiff
Kitten is by far the best club there,”
enthuses Belfast boy Fergie.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Capacity: 800
merivale.com/slipinn/chinese
According to dirty house dons King
Unique, Sydney’s Chinese Laundry is “the
most fun you can have in a small black
room with 120 Australians without risking
your marriage”, and we’re not about to
argue.
Entirely debauched and intensely
intimate, Friday nights at this bricked out,
Orient flourished rave den have long been
a key touchstone on Sydney’s enduring
breaks scene, with Break Inn playing host
to DJs like Alex Metric, Lee Coombs and
London Elektricity. Saturdays have had
everyone from Border Community’s
Nathan Fake to Ewan Pearson.
SEOUL, KOREA Capacity: 1000
ohoo.net
Seoul’s rapidly growing club scene was
injected with a massive boost when the
futuristic, purpose-built M2 opened last
winter. It’s a neo-industrial warehouse
hangar that combines a crystal-clear
thumping soundsystem with a lighting rig
fit for stadium gigs. Lil’ Louie Vega,
Basement Jaxx and French house/electro
pusher Alex Gopher have all played there.
“At a time when house music is being
taken for granted by seen-it-and-done-it-
all punters, M2 and its crowd is a really
humbling experience,” says Grant Nelson.

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 Top100clubs2008
82. Avalon ne
LOS ANGELES, USA Capacity: 800
avalonhollywood.com
Many claim LA has eclipsed New York as
America’s party capital and Avalon’s
presence certainly boosts their case.
Prince and The Stones have partied in this
space in eras bygone, but now the
rejuvenated 800-capacity auditorium is
packed weekly with LA’s most lost-it
clubbers and DJs like Switch, Josh Wink
and Felix Da Housecat.
“Avalon is a club that likes to do things
properly,” asserts Dom from the Stanton
Warriors. “Not only that — you come on
stage ‘theatre’ style with curtains
opening out, as you’re flanked by
hot-as-you-like dancers.”
81. Babyface down 39
SHANGHAI, CHINA Capacity: 2000
babyface.com.cn
As China’s club scene continues its
meteoric rise, Shanghai’s Babyface is
starting to make some real waves on the
international circuit.
Everyone from The Stantons to Oakey
have played here but its broken breaks
that seem to go down best with Elite
Force, Adam Freeland, James Lavelle and
Dub Pistols’ Barry Ashworth amongst
recent favourites.
“It’s simply the best club in China,” says
Chew The Fat!’s Jem Haynes. “It’s packed
out every night with party people from all
over the world, each and every one
clutching a pair of glowsticks — special.”
80. Angels of Love ne
NAPLES, ITALY Capacity: 1500
angelsoflove.it
This Italian clubbing institution is revered
for good reason. Hosting the hottest
names from across the spectrum of house
and techno — everyone from Erick Morillo
to Jeff Mills — Angels of Love has been a
beacon of quality dance music since 1990.
Today, Angels is a globally recognized
brand, hosting events all around the
world.
“Angels of Love in Naples has one of the
most intensive atmospheres I have ever
played in. They love underground music
— long live Angels!” shouts Cr2 main man
Mark Brown.

80

78

“One of the most intensive

atmospheres I have ever played in.”
MARK BROWN on Angels of Love

79. Mad Club ne 78. Club V4 ne 77. Paradiso ne

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND
Capacity: 900
mad.ch
Army knifes and cheese aside, the Swiss
aren’t famed for much, but when it comes
to clubbing their plush Mad Club in
Lausanne is certainly worthy of global
adulation.
A house emporium of the highest order,
its flamboyantly styled open-minded
crowd are treated to sounds from the likes
of Erick Morillo and David Guetta, whilst
trance titan Armin and Freak ‘N’ Chic’s
Dan Ghenacia have also rocked it.
“It’s a simply awesome party crowd with
77 trendy interior on three levels, top-notch
equipment and a beast of a
soundsystem,” says resident Mad Mark.
AALBORG, DENMARK Capacity: 300
cafevesteraa.dk
This hip Danish venue may be small, but
what it lacks in size it makes up for with a
serious sense of style. It’s no surprise that
the club won an award for Best Club in
Denmark last year.
V4’s intimate environs attract some of the
world’s biggest and best upcoming DJs. A
favourite amongst such main room
luminaries as Deadmau5, Sebastian Leger
and Chris Lake, and attracting the deep
house dudes too — Jimpster is scheduled
to play soon — it’s putting Denmark on
the dance music map.
AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND Capacity: 1500
paradiso.nl
Amsterdam’s compact canal-side streets
might be laden with clubs but none
inspire the same sense of theatre and
magic as the ancient church Paradiso.
Over the years its dramatic encircling
balconies and illuminating church
windows have witnessed concerts from
The Rolling Stones and Nirvana, but now
habitually welcome acts as diverse as
Skream, Richie Hawtin and Cut Copy.
“Paradiso is one of those places that has
had such a history in pop music that you
almost feel humble being there,” says
Mason. “When it goes off, there isn’t a
better Dutch club than Amsterdam’s No.1
music temple.” 

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 Top100clubs2008
76. Cocorico re
RIMINI, ITALY Capacity: 2000
cocorico.it
It’s not often you get to rave to the finest
techno whilst locked in a glass pyramid
with 2000 impassioned Italian beauties,
but that’s what happens at Rimini’s
Cocorico.
Located in Rimini’s elegant Misano Monte
district, Cocorico regularly gets down to
the chic sounds of Italians Franz & Shape,
Alex Neri and DJ Ralf, with techno imports
coming courtesy of Luke Slater, Carl Craig,
Herr Väth and Adam Beyer.
“After 18 years Cocorico is still offering an
experience that surprises and impresses
the public,” explains Meganite’s Mauro
Picotto.
75. El Divino ne
IBIZA , SPAIN Capacity: 1500
eldivino-ibiza.com
Elegantly located on Ibiza Town’s marina,
El Divino is the high-class home of glam
leaning nights like Miss Moneypennys,
Kissdafunk and MN2S. Stunning views,
classy clientele, refined décor and a
sumptuous VIP restaurant make it one of
the most elevated experiences on the isle.
“What makes El Divino unique is its
location,” believes Miss Moneypennys’
resident of 10 years Jim Ryan. “It’s the
only nightclub in Ibiza with a seated
outside terrace and it is literally the
perfect spot to admire the breathtaking
views of Ibiza Town’s marina.”
74. The End Up ne
SAN FRANCISCO, USA Capacity: 475
theendup.com
For 35 years now, The End Up has been
San Fran’s den of after-hours inequity
with a mixed bag of clubbers and sounds
that range from dancehall to house and
techno. Perfect for end-of-weekend
wrongness, there’s even an outdoor
waterfall and fireplace to chill against. A
quirked-out gem.
“This is one of the most aptly named clubs
in the world and will never disappoint,”
relays End Up fan Lee Burridge. “It
attracts a wonderfully diverse crowd —
gay, straight, black, white, small, tall,
odd, more odd and the last time I was
there, Papa Smurf! Surely the last of its
kind in the US.”

76

74

“Unquestionably a
superclub — five
star all the way.”
JUSTIN RUSHMORE on Trilogy

72
73. La Péniche 72. Anzu NE
Concorde Atlantique SAO PAOLO, BRAZIL Capacity: 2500
anzuclub.com.br
PARIS, FRANCE Capacity: 900
concorde-atlantique.com
A lesser-known Parisian haunt, La Péniche
Concorde Atlantique is all the more
special for it. Exclusive without being
elitist, those that uncover it are treated to
a boat moored on the Seine, with the
deepest house grooves mixing with
spectacular riverside views and the
sexiest Parisian clubbers around. It’s the
summer season’s elegantly debauched
Sunday sessions ‘La Terrassa’ that are the
best-kept secret though.
“That venue has hosted my best memories
of Paris,” attests Soma’s Funk D’Void on
those Sunday sessions.
65
The carnival nation of Brazil has long
been the dance capital of South America
and the city-skirting Anzu has been
charging the Sao Paolo beat for over 10
years now. A vast main room with plasma
screens and hi-tech lighting makes Anzu a
haven for those big room moments, and
the likes of Armin van Buuren, Eddie
Halliwell and Deep Dish have rightfully
become favourites here.
“It’s more like a warehouse rather than a
club and I’ve had some incredible times
there,” remembers John ‘00’ Fleming.
71. Trilogy down 34
DUBAI, UAE Capacity: 1000
trilogy.ae
“Perched on the edge of a man-made
lagoon, Trilogy is luxurious, glamorous
and decadent in design with a massive
soundsystem to boot.” So says Finger
Lickin’s Soul of Man, Justin Rushmore.
The club harbours two main floors and a
lush Ibizan style rooftop with panoramas
of the vicinity.
“There are even suspended cages for VIPs,
where they can look down onto the main
dancefloor,” adds Justin. “It is
unquestionably a superclub — five star all
the way!”

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 70. Alter Ego down 25 69. Koko ne
VERONA, ITALY Capacity: 1500
alteregoclub.it
It shouldn’t take too much
encouragement to visit a city as jeweled in
ancient beauty as Verona, but for clubbers
Alter Ego is sure to seal the deal.
A bonafide favourite of Bobby Peru’s Paul
Woolford, this decadently debauched club
counts Scarlett Etienne, James Zabiela
and Nic Fanciulli amongst its high-class
guests.
“You can really play outside of your
comfort zone as a DJ and take some real
risks,” explains Woolford. “There are
these magic moments when the crowd do
this crazy chant that circulates around the
entire club.”
CAMDEN, LONDON Capacity: 1500
koko.uk.com
Balconies so elevated they induce instant
vertigo and corridors you could lose all
night in, the epic amphitheatre of the
former Camden Palace (for most it will
always be so) might not be the weekly
religious clubbing pilgrimage it was in the
days of Graham Gold’s Friday night Peach,
but still flames into 360º hysteria thanks
to sporadic specials like Armand Van
Helden’s pyrotechnic-fuelled spectacular
and Justice’s religious concert fervour.
When it all goes off, there aren’t many
main rooms that can match it. A London
legend.
68. Culture Club ne
GHENT, BELGIUM Capacity: 850
cultureclub.be
Not to be confused with Boy George’s
cod-reggae outfit of the same name,
Belgium’s ultra-chic disco boogies to a
different beat. With a refreshing,
pan-genre approach, Culture Club has
welcomed such party-starters as The
Glimmers and Soulwax, with Troubleman
filling the residency slot and regularly
tearing the roof off with his killer blends
of all things funky.
“Culture Club was a storm back in 2002,
when we were doing every Saturday
together with Stephen and David
Dewaele. Now the storm is caused by
Troubleman, one of the best DJs ever,”
reckons Dave Glimmer.

“You can really play out

of your comfort zone
as a DJ and take some
real risks.”
PAUL WOOLFORD on Alter Ego

68

70

67. Digital NE 66. Factory Club ne 65. Audio re

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND Capacity: 550
yourfutureisdigital.com/brighton
Inhabiting the legendary arches of the
former Zap Club, Brighton’s Digital has
not only hoisted a lost acid-house legend
out of a dilapidating wilderness but thrust
it right into the cutting-edge of the 21st
Century through an overhaul in interior,
identity and direction.
Bands, beats, breaks — everything goes
proper off here, whilst Skint’s monthly
residency brings DJs like Timo Maas and
2ManyDJs to town.
“Digital is all about simple things done
well,” reckons Skint’s Andy Mac.
“State-of-the-art sound, subtle lighting,
friendly staff, an unpretentious crowd
67 and a forward-looking booking policy.”
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND Capacity: 1200
factoryclub.co.uk
Factory Club is Birmingham’s most
reliably varied club largely thanks to a
family of resident promotions that stands
unrivalled in the Midlands. Techno goliath
Atomic Jam, breaks sessions Spectrum
and house party Ultra+ are just some of
the nights that have given it such a good
name over the past year.
“Part shopping centre, part arts centre, it
has to be one of the strangest spaces I
have seen for a club,” reckons
underground techno veteran Aaron
Liberator. “But it’s one of those places
that has you scratching your head on the
way in but smiling as you leave.”
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND Capacity: 1000
audiobrighton.com
Mid-week breaks sessions with
Supercharged, underground tech and
house dirt with Friday legends
StompaPhunk and disco-punk stars with
Saturday’s Above & Beyond, no matter
what night it is, you can guarantee
Brighton’s Audio will inject cutting-edge
talent to the coastal party town.
“Audio has been booking DJs that you’d
never normally see in Brighton,” believes
We Love... resident Serge Santiago. “It
gives the kids a chance to see acts they
would only read about in magazines.”

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 Top100clubs2008
64. Club Crystal ne
ISTANBUL, TURKEY Capacity: 600
clubcrystal.org
Focusing on top quality techno and
house, and booking DJs of the calibre of
Lee Burridge, Doc Martin, Terry Francis,
Silicone Soul and Derrick Carter, Crystal is
a real Turkish delight.
But the impeccable booking policy isn’t
the only reason to get excited about this
world-beating venue. With their superior
all-digital apogee soundsystem and
futuristic interior, Crystal is unique on its
home turf, and a benchmark for other
clubs to follow on the world stage.
63. Nitsa ne
BARCELONA, SPAIN Capacity: 1000
nitsa.com
One of Barcelona’s oldest electronic clubs,
Nitsa has persistently upheld its position
at the cutting-edge of modern dance
music in the Catalan capital. In the past
year alone, French noiseniks Ed Banger,
acid pioneers Phuture 303, German
masters Kompakt, Mathew Jonson,
Tieschwarz and Soma’s techno visionaries
The Black Dog have all headlined nights in
the engulfing former theatre.
“It’s got a great sound set-up, a fantastic
crowd and a really buzzing atmosphere,”
says Detroit’s DJ3000.
62. Mission re 62
LEEDS, ENGLAND Capacity: 1500
clubmission.com
The North’s answer to The Cross (RIP),
Kissdafunk home Mission continues to
push forward with a freshly unveiled
900-capacity main room, a new secret
chillout area and Ibiza-esque nitrogen
cannons. A cute tunneled labyrinth of
multiple interconnecting arches, Mission
ultimately combines a spacious reclining
feel with a cosy intimacy, as well as
keeping things glam but edged with
underground naughtiness.
“You won’t find a better looking crowd
that is as fun and up-for-it than at
Mission,” claims Rob Tissera.
Trust us — he’s not wrong.

64

63
“Heaven is
a truly
legendary
club. It
ticks a lot
of boxes.”
JOHN DIGWEED on Heaven

60 61. Heaven ne 60. Club 11 ne 59. Club 205 NE

London, ENGLAND Capacity: 1800
heaven-london.com
Nearly 30-years-old and located under
London’s Charing Cross station, Heaven
made its name as a gay club in the ’80s
and ’90s but exploded onto the clubbing
consciousness with nights like Paul
Oakenfold’s debauched Monday night
acid-house haven Spectrum in 1988 and
proto-d&b legend Rage. More recently
Digweed’s Bedrock and d&b mash-up
Hospitality have rocked its infamous
arches.
“Heaven is a truly legendary club,” says
John Digweed. “The layout is great, and
the smaller rooms can have their own
identities too. It ticks a lot of boxes.”
AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND Capacity: 800
ilove11.nl
Club 11 is so called because of its
11th-storey former office block location
with a graffiti splattered elevator
delivering you to an engulfing view of
Amsterdam’s cityscape.
Its musical offerings have hosted
Cobblestone Jazz, Carl Craig, Steve Bug,
Jazzanova, Radio Slave and Boys Noize of
late. Sample while you still can — Club 11
closes this summer.
“Club 11 has everything a high-class club
needs,” reckons Motorcitysoul’s Matthias
Vogt. “Top DJs, an outstanding and
educated crowd, a brilliant soundsystem
— everything’s classy in a really
unpretentious way.”
NEW YORK, USA Capacity: 300
An arty, intimate and in-the-know
hang-out for NYC’s skaters, hipsters and
fashionistas, Club 205 is so achingly hip
that it can host DJ sets from Moby in its
100-capacity basement and even knock
back Matrix star Keanu Reeves at the
door.
Upstairs, Club 205 recreates Warhol’s
Factory through tin-foil on brick and faux
water damage on the walls, whilst the
basement is a candle-lit, low-ceiling affair
where the DFA crew regularly drop in on
Tuesdays nights, with Shit Robot, James
Murphy, Juan Maclean and Hercules &
Love Affair among recent guests.

038 www.djmag.com

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58. Air re
BIRMIGHAM, ENGLAND Capacity: 1650
airbirmingham.com
Air was custom-built as the futuristic
home for clubbing goliaths GodsKitchen
and whilst not still commanding an
underground buzz, it remains the second
city’s most impressive and epic main
room.
Against the main room’s laser shot hi-tech
warehouse chasm, the Nitrogen Room and
Carbon Lounge are two of the best side
arenas in the country.
Eric Prydz, 2ManyDJs and James Zabiela
have all appeared, as well as the usual
trance behemoths.
“Definitely my favourite club in the UK,”
claims Armin van Buuren.
57. Home down 18
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Capacity: 2100
homesydney.com
A self-proclaimed superclub, Home is
Sydney’s premier venue for getting your
freak on. Nights like Famous regularly
attract diverse and wicked DJs like Sander
Kleinenberg, Serge Santiago, Steve
Porter, Paolo Mojo and Tocadisco.
It’s become the stuff of legend, and the
state-of-the-art-soundsystem and range
of dancefloors are the icing on the cake.
“Home Sydney is a great club located on
Darling Harbour. I’ve had memorable
nights and mornings in that club, and it’s
always been a mainstay for trance music
in Australia,” notes Ferry Corsten.
There’s no place like Home!
56. Kelly’s re
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND
Capacity: 1500
kellysportrush.com
Each weekend sleepy coastal town
Portrush awakes with intense energy —
56
mainly thanks to Kellys and its flagship
night, Lush!
Col Hamilton’s legendary Saturday night
Lush! goes ape to everyone from Dave
Seaman and Nic Fanciulli to Paul van Dyk
and Armin.
“The atmosphere in Lush is the most
intense I have experienced as a DJ,”
relays electro-house don Micky Slim. “The
energy of the crowd is amazing, they are
all absolute nutters but everyone is so
friendly. I’ve even clocked the security
busting some moves on the dancefloor.”

www.paulunderhill.com
“Definitely my favourite club in the UK.”
ARMIN VAN BUUREN on Air

55. Fuse down 25 54. Pacha Egypt ne 53. Propaganda NE

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM Capacity: 1000
fuse.be
Techno is the lifeblood of Fuse. In a
country normally associated with
chocolates, beer and bureaucracy, Fuse is
a beacon of hedonistic release with an
electric atmosphere and a famously
up-for-it-crowd.
Since its inception in 1994, Fuse has
welcomed such techno royalty as Jeff
Mills, Steve Bug, Derrick May, Ricardo
Villalobos and tons more.
“Fuse is undoubtedly the most important
long-running techno club historically in
Europe. It’s an institution that continues
to have relevance where other clubs go
trendy and subsequently fall to the
54 wayside,” offers Dave Clarke.
SHARM-EL-SHEIK, EGYPT Capacity: 3000
pachasharm.com
Pacha might be an eternal byword for
elegance and style but few of its venues
posses the same architectural mystique
and charm as their Egyptian abode.
Carved into the foot of the Sinai
Mountains, its open-air ‘Echo Temple’
amphitheatre allows its chosen ones to
enjoy all the classic Pacha VIP flourishes
whilst wrapped under a bewitching carpet
of stars.
“Sharm El Sheik feels like a proper indoor
Pacha with all the different levels and VIP
areas, but when you look up — you see the
sky,” beams Axwell. “Can you imagine?”
MOSCOW, RUSSIA Capacity: 800
propagandamoscow.com
Moscow’s longest running nightclub, the
understated elegance of Propaganda is
now one of Eastern Europe’s most regular
stop-offs for the globe’s coolest DJs.
Freerange honcho Jimpster,
secretsundaze’s James Priestley and Get
Physical’s Heidi have all played, with d&b
acts like ex-Bad Company bod D-Bridge
and hotshot Lynx also on the roll call.
“Propaganda’s crowd are up for it and
come with you all the way,” lends
Freerange’s Shur-I-Khan. “Combine that
with an excellent soundsystem and the
most beautiful women you can find and
you can’t go far wrong.”

040 www.djmag.com

DJ460.top100clubs_p36-42 40 17/3/08 23:58:05

 52. Ruby Skye ne
SAN FRANCISCO, USA Capacity: 3000
rubyskye.com
Originally a playhouse built in the 1890s,
like many San Fran buildings Ruby Skye
combines the classic elegance of its
original Art Nouveau architecture with a
decidedly futuristic flourish. Located in
the heart of downtown, its two levels
house four rooms, several VIP areas and
has played host to acts likes Sneak, Steve
Lawler and BT live.
“With a high ceiling and a perfect set-up,
Ruby Syke is perfectly designed with an
elegant style of architecture that you
rarely find in clubs,” says Ilan from The
Flash Brothers.
47
48
DJ460.top100clubs_p36-42 41
51. ageHa down 1
TOKYO, JAPAN Capacity: 2500
ageha.com
If ever a club exudes Japan’s twin
obsessions with perfection and beauty it
is ageHa. Situated on the waterfront of
Eastern Toyko’s reclaimed industrial
district, it boasts four dancefloors, three
VIP rooms, an open pool terrace, DJs like
Dave Clarke and Dubfire and a space-age
custom-built system.
“Simply one of the world’s greatest
clubs,” says Superchumbo’s Tom Stephan.
“AgeHa recalls NYC at the height of its
mid-’90s madness with drag queens
performing on the bar, DJs spinning in
the toilets and house music pumping the
dancefloor.”
49. Kristal down 21
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA Capacity: 1000
clubkristal.ro
When it comes to dance music, Romania
without doubt tops the Eastern Bloc
ladder, and the capital’s Kristal Glam is
the jewel in its crown. The likes of Sander
Kleinenberg and Sasha have both played
here, whilst Global Underground’s Nick
Warren is amongst its biggest fans.
“It has a rocking soundsystem, great
décor and a crowd that are both clued-up
musically and always up-for-it,” says
Warren.
It may be glitzy on the surface, but
scratch beneath the swish veneer and
you’ll find one of the most future-proof
set-ups in Europe.
www.djmag.com
50. Mansion re
MIAMI, USA Capacity: 2500
theopiumgroup.com
As you’d expect from its name, Miami’s
Mansion is a venue of unraveling opulence
with five rooms, split levels and
sumptuous décor that includes Venetian
glass mirrors, dramatic crystal
chandeliers and sweeping staircases.
Musically, its main room is one of Miami’s
most diverse, having hosted everything
from Sasha & Digweed’s reunited prog
epics, Steve Aoki’s raw punk-funk riots,
Tiësto’s trance synths and Axwell’s
electro-house sparkles.
“The DJ booth and audio are amazing,”
says Italian house hero Alex Gaudino.
“It’s a DJ’s dream.”
48. Mix Club ne
PARIS, FRANCE Capacity: 1500
mixclub.fr
The legendary Rex might be the
underground techno institution in Paris,
but when it comes to big room house and
electro clubbing then the city’s Mix Club
commands the crown. Over the past year,
current hotshot Micky Slim, Cr2’s Swiss
sensation Danny Freakazoid, Nic Fancuilli,
Pete Tong and Lottie have all visited Mix,
which sits in the shadow of the 56-storey
Montparnasse Tower.
“Mix has a loyal, music-hungry following
that come back week after week,” believes
weekly resident DJ Paulette.
“AgeHa
recalls NYC
at the
height of its
mid-90s
madness.”
TOM STEPHAN on ageHa
49
47. Cavo Paradiso nm
MYKONOS, GREECE Capacity: 3000
cavoparadiso.gr
There aren’t many clubs with a location
quite as breathtaking as Cavo Paradiso,
on Greek island Mykonos.
“It’s carved into a 150-foot cliff
overlooking the Aegean Sea with half the
club inside the cave and the other half
open-air around a swimming pool,”
informs Audio Therapy’s Dave Seaman, a
returning Cavo Paradiso regular.
During the summer season the line-ups
raise their game to the highest level with
the likes of Derrick May, Frankie Knuckles,
Ricardo Villalobos, Steve Lawler, Loco Dice
and Dubfire all appearing.
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17/3/08 23:58:11
 Top100clubs2008
46. Weekend down 11
BERLIN, GERMANY  Capacity: 300
week-end-berlin.de
“Set on the 10th floor of an ex-Eastern
European office block, the 360 degree
window wraparound is the most dramatic
way to see Berlin by night and by
daybreak. The crowds are sizzling too.”
So enthuses Buzzin’ Fly’s Ben Watt.
But it’s not just the external view that
titillates; inside is similarly impressive
with Weekend’s striking bar making the
perfect centrepiece for the Berlin
skyscraper. It’s little wonder that many of
the capital’s best labels hold residency
here.
43
“Space Miami
is a club
made for DJs
and the
appreciation
of their skills.”
ROBBIE RIVERA on Space Miami
042
DJ460.top100clubs_p36-42 42
45. Tresor ne
BERLIN, GERMANY Capacity: 2000
tresorberlin.de
A true techno institution, Tresor was
pushing Europe’s techno frontiers way
before Berlin was über-coolisch, when DJs
like Jeff Mills, Joey Beltram and Robert
Hood descended on a former department
store’s vaults in the mid-’90s.
Now relocated to an old power plant,
enduring Tresor icons like Dave Clarke and
Christian Vogel uphold the relentless
industrial rhythm in a dark red-light
flickered tunnel with steel bars encasing
the booth, whilst warmer grooves furnish
the upstairs club.
“The atmosphere is electric,” relays
Bedrock DJ Jonathan Lisle.
43. Privilege down 7
IBIZA, SPAIN Capacity: 10,000
privilegeibiza.com
“When I walked into Privilege in 1987
— or the Ku club, as it was then — I
wanted to play football. It changed my
life, and it still smashes it for me every
time,” says Dub Pistol Barry Ashworth on
the world’s biggest club (according to
Guinness).
So sprawling you need a map, the huge
palatial venue in the middle of the White
Isle has played host to everybody from
Manumission to Freddie Mercury.
Now gearing up for another summer with
Picotto’s Meganite and other top nights,
it’s an unmissable experience at least
once in your life.
www.djmag.com
44. Space down 30
MIAMI, USA Capacity: 2500
clubspace.com
Until this year, Miami’s Space was famed
for hosting Danny Tenaglia’s legendary
WMC week marathons, but during the rest
of the year it’s equally known for long
devotion to weekly clubbing epics. Names
like Armin, PvD and Deep Dish are in this
futuristic venue on a regular basis.
“Space Miami is a club made for DJs and
the appreciation of their skills,” reckons
Robbie Rivera. “The clubbers at Space are
mostly Latin and they can party non-stop
’til 5pm the next day.”
41
46
41
42. Spy Bar ne
CHICAGO, USA Capacity: 600
41. La Terrrazza ne
BARCELONA, SPAIN Capacity: 2000
spybarchicago.com laterrrazza.com
Currently being renovated, Spy Bar is A fantastic open-air club set in the middle
situated on North Franklin Street, near St
Vincent’s Hospital, in Chicago. An
of a replica castle in downtown Barcelona,
La Terrrazza has become one of Europe’s
intimate basement vibe, all manner of top most celebrated clubs since its mid-’90s
flight DJs have appeared there from opening. Everyone from Cocoon to Soma
varying genres — from Deep Dish to Paulo do regular parties there, and few places
Mojo, James Zabiela to Chicago boy
Derrick Carter and beyond.
can match its atmosphere when the sun
comes up on the beautiful party people.
“It feels like a club of friends,” observes
Rising Music’s Chris Lake. “When I played
“It’s quite simply one of the best venues
in the world, with a great energy and a
there I felt like I connected with every really cool crowd,” says Murray
single person in the club.” Richardson, who hosts his bi-monthly
Rebel Waltz parties there with Stuart
Patterson.
17/3/08 23:58:25
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 Top100clubs2008
40. Rex down 10
PARIS, FRANCE Capacity: 700
rexclub.com
Crowning 20 years this year, it’s fair to say
that The Rex’s legendary status can be
traced back to 1991 when Laurent
Garnier’s infamous Thursday nighter Wake
Up! did just that to the basement venue
— he later wrote both ‘Wake Up!’ and ‘Rex
Attitude’ in homage to the space.
The venue is a paragon of musical
diversity with Gilles Peterson, Justice,
Andy C, Radioslave, Dubfire and Autechre
a fraction of those who have appeared
over the past 12 months.
“I’m dying to get back there,” beams Rex
fan Claude VonStroke. “It’s a nice
personal-sized room with an amazing
crowd.”
40
044
DJ460.top100clubs_p44-52 44
39. Pacha BA down 13 38. Circa re
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Capacity: 2100
pachabuenosaires.com
In the sprawling mega city of Buenos
Aires, there’s one club that reigns head
and shoulders above the rest. Occupying a
stylish adobe-style hacienda building,
Pacha’s South American branch is
suffused with the same distinctive Pacha
vibe that’s made the club a world-beating
enterprise.
Bringing a mix of the biggest names and
underground dons to their funky enclave,
including Lee Burridge, Sander
Kleinenberg, Booka Shade, Ivan Smagghe
and tons more, Pacha BA is bad-ass!
37. Cielo down 6
NEW YORK, USA capacity: 350
cieloclub.com
Deceptively small by US standards, the
intimate and laidback Cielo is arguably the
city’s finest treasure but if you visit only
once then it can be on no other night but
Monday’s legendary Deep Space sessions
with François Kervorkian.
“Cielo is one of the only clubs where I
have ever truly felt at home,” explains
Kervorkian. “Unique, strikingly futuristic
but soothing, its décor is like something
straight out of a sci-fi movie. It provides
the perfect setting for the trippy, laidback
atmosphere we need to create.”
www.djmag.com
TORONTO, CANADA Capacity: 2800
circatoronto.com
The brainchild of NYC club impresario
Peter Gatien, Circa is a four-storey
complex of 55,000 square feet of pure
funk power. Within its labyrinthine
confines, the club brings the world’s
finest DJs from across the genre divide,
with nights like Reconnected blending
house, breaks and drum & bass together
across four rooms.
“One of the world’s most vibrant cities has
just become that much more so with Circa.
This club is one to not just follow, but be
at,” opines John Acquaviva.
37
36. Vanguard ne
LOS ANGELES, USA Capacity: 1600
vanguardla.com
Stature, stars and the spectacular are
exactly what you’d expect from a venue
lying on Hollywood Boulevard and the
vast Vanguard doesn’t leave you wanting.
A state-of-the-art rave warehouse with all
the requisite special effects, it regularly
rolls out the red carpet for talent like
Sasha, Dubfire, M.A.N.D.Y. and
Grooverider.
“Vanguard’s management are heavily
involved in some massive productions and
festivals so it is no wonder the club is all
about professional standards and high
productions value,” says Infected
Mushroom’s Amit Duvdevani.
“Cielo is
one of the
only clubs
where I
have ever
felt truly
at home.”
FRANÇOIS K on Cielo
36
35. Fabrik ne
MADRID, SPAIN capacity: 5000
grupo-kapital.com/fabrik
Madrid’s finest clubbing experience,
Fabrik’s colossal main room is regularly
rocked by techno dons like Surgeon,
Claude Younge and Ben Sims, but the
venue’s true calling card is its legendary
Sunday monthly, Goa.
Like a cross between Manumission and a
Catalan Panorama Bar, each month the
likes of Dan Ghenacia, Marc Antona, Josh
Wink and Daniel Stefanik strip out their
sleazed-out tech funk sounds amidst
Goa’s dancers and themed décor.
“The crowd are so ready to party,” says
Anja Schneider. “They’re all such music
heads, which gives you such an amazing
energy as a DJ.”
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 Top100clubs2008
34. Ministry of
Sound ne
SINGAPORE Capacity: 4000
rubyskye.com
The largest Ministry on the planet, in
terms of sheer girth and diversity few
clubs can match Singapore’s Ministry of
Sound. From the warehouse styled main
room, to the escalator leading up to a
Saturday Night Fever ’70s dancefloor and
a more Ibiza-styled side room, there’s
surely something for clubbers of all
persuasions, with everyone from Adam
Freeland to Dubfire appearing in the past
year. We’re not too sure about the
revolving raised platform though.
“No expense has been spared on this
club,” attests John ‘00’ Fleming.
“Subby was the
first club I went
to in Glasgow
and it remains
the only
Glasgow club I
check out.”
MILTON JACKSON on Sub Club
33
DJ460.top100clubs_p44-52 47
33. D-Edge down 12
SAO PAOLO, BRAZIL Capacity: 400
d-edge.com.br
Dark and long haven D-Edge always seems
to host the unofficial Skolbeats
after-party, with anyone from Sven Väth
to Miss Kittin rocking it well and truly into
the next day.
“I love the way the graphic equalizer is
displayed on the walls,” says Luke
Dzierzek of artistic director Renato
Ratier’s discerning electronic vision.
“The club has this wicked, intimate,
underground, dark yet trippy feel and the
soundsystem is really amazing,” adds
Luke.
34
31. Tribehouse ne
DUSSELDORF, GERMANY Capacity: 2000
tribehouse.com
Germany has a wealth of amazing clubs
but Tribehouse is arguably one of its best.
Regularly name-checked as a DJ
favourite, this stylish and cavernous
space is famed for nights like Hell’s
Kitchen, which has hosted such techno
gods as Carl Cox and Ricardo Villalobos.
Loco Dice is vocal about the club’s special
appeal.
“What I like most about Tribehouse is that
it feels like a family: whether you’re a
resident or a guest DJ, you feel at home.
The club, the design, the music, the DJs
— it’s all ace,” he reckons.
www.djmag.com
32. My House down 5
LEEDS, ENGLAND Capacity: 800
backtobasics.co.uk
My House might represent a relatively new
fixture on the Leeds clubbing map but its
prided joy is as old as acid-house itself
— Dave Beer’s Back To Basics.
Such is the charmed chaos that Beer
brings, any venue that Basics inhabits is
reliably a DJ’s dream, with recent guest
including bump house master Claude
VonStroke and Dutch techno purveyor
Joris Voorn.
“My House is an intimate venue with an
electric atmosphere but at the same time
has four different spaces that open up like
a Tardis,” says Basics resident Ralph
Lawson. “It’s a special place for a really
special club.”
30
30. Sub Club ne
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND Capacity: 500
29. La Mania ne
Mamaia, ROMANIA Capacity: 1500
subclub.com lamania.ro
From DJ Q’s ’90s Thursday night Blood to Romania is so hot right now! DJs and
current Sunday cult Optimo, Glasgow’s punters are heading further afield these
intimate underground gem has enjoyed
20 years of classic memories and
days, and without doubt La Mania is one
of the top new clubbing destinations.
continues to sparkle.
Always digging that bit deeper, ‘Sub’ has
A cursory look at their line-ups reveals a
careful, handpicked selection of the
recently rocked down to Larry Heard, world’s best DJs, from the underground
Duke Dumont, Robert Babicz and Martin heads to the biggest names — M.A.N.D.Y.
Buttrich. to Digweed, Audiofly to Steve Lawler.
“Subby was the first club I went to in
Glasgow,” reveals Freerange’s Milton
“La Mania has it all, a superb huge main
room, great sound and a wicked up-for-it
Jackson. “And it remains the only Glasgow crowd — not to mention the women!” says
club I check out. From Saturdays with Mania lover Stu Hirst.
Harri and Domenic to Optimo, it never
fails.”
047
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28. The Barfly re
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND Capacity: 1400
circusclub.co.uk
A 200-year-old theatre, Liverpool’s Barfly
might have been given a lot of renovation
love since is started hosting two of the
UK’s best nights out in Yousef’s Circus and
the faultlessly eclectic Chibuku, but it
remains still full of ramshackle charm
— which is precisely what makes it one of
the UK’s most unique rave dens. Full of
nooks and hooks, character pours out of
every one of them.
“Whether it’s Carl Cox, John Digweed or
myself, when that main room goes off —
you know about it. It’s hard to beat,” says
Yousef. We don’t dispute it — long live The
Barfly.
27. Pawn Shop
Lounge down 18
MIAMI, USA Capacity: 2000
pawnshoplounge.com
As close to Alice in Wonderland on acid as
any venue can get, Miami’s Pawn Shop
Lounge is a kaleidoscopic jumble of
bric-a-brac, with a chillout room in an old
American school bus, an old aeroplane
fuselage and a DJ booth inside a HGV
truck cabin.
Adultnapper’s infamous Sunday School
For Degenerates session is the highlight
for many during WMC with its warped
break of dawn terrace moments.
“You’re stepping into a time warp and a
kiddies’ playground all at once,” says
SOS’s Demi. “It’s outrageous and
stupendous.”
26. Cocoon down 7
FRANKFURT, GERMANY Capacity: 1500
cocoonclub.net 27
There’s nothing else like Cocoon on this
planet. Sven Väth’s exquisitely designed
venue seems beamed in from a space-age
future, such is its otherworldly interior.
And like its name implies, Cocoon wraps
you in totally unparalleled dimensions of
sonic groove.
“I always love to come back to this club.
One of the best things is the
soundsystem. The first time I played there
was for a New Year’s Eve party with Sven
and it was an amazing night for me,”
reveals Israeli tech don Guy Gerber.
24 26

“You’re stepping into a

time warp and a kiddies’
playground all at once.”
DEMI on Pawn Shop Lounge

23
25. Plastic People ne
LONDON, ENGLAND Capacity: 450
plasticpeople.co.uk
Amongst the more underground
rave-dwellers, there’s a general
understanding that the lower the ceilings,
the better the venue and it’s something
that is blatantly evident at Plastic People.
Until recently a home of Ben Watt’s
Buzzin’ Fly parties, Plastic’s cult basement
hosts everything from techno to jazz, but
is at its most intense when the sunken
ceilings are reverberating to the wobbled
dubstep basslines of its flagship Friday
night, FWD.
“The best soundsystem to play in the UK
— Plastic is my home,” say dubstep’s
all-conquering Afro-Warrior Benga.
24. Pacha NY down 4
NEW YORK CITY, USA Capacity: 2665
pachanyc.com
A four-storey mansion flanked by both the
scenic Hudson River and the thriving
Hell’s Kitchen district, Pacha NYC
combines all the size, stature and
grandeur you’d expect from the American
capital with the sleek sheen embodied by
Ibiza’s Pacha.
Not to mention some of the highest tech
around and guests like Richie Hawtin and
Danny Tenaglia — who played a historic
back-to-back set there last summer.
“The soundsystem was made for the DJ by
a DJ and really is second to none,”
explains Subliminal’s Erick Morillo, who
has invested financially and creatively in
the venue.
23. The Ministry
of Sound down 7
LONDON, ENGLAND Capacity: 1200
ministryofsound.com
A superclub brand like few others, there
aren’t many people — let alone clubbers
— that don’t know about Ministry of
Sound. Once again, the club is renowned
for a genuinely progressive, cutting-edge
music policy. Everything from the
highest-grade house and electro to the
darkest and duttiest dubstep appears.
A main room like no other, The Box is also
the only space worldwide to boast two
Martin RGB 1.6 lasers.
“It doesn’t get any better than playing in
‘The Box,’” champions Toolroom’s Mark
Knight.

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 Top100clubs2008
22
22. Razzmatazz re
BARCELONA, SPAIN Capacity: 4000
salarazzmatazz.com
A beast of a club, Razzmatazz is
essentially five sprawling standalone
venues united under one room. Up in the
Loft, a crowd that techno don Christian
Smith describes as “totally open-minded
and not shy to completely let go” get
down to names like Luciano, Villalobos
and Carl Craig, whilst Sala Lo.Li.Ta
recently hosted Riton, Spektrum and DJ T,
with Boy 8-Bit in the Rex.
“Take the nicest bit of Shoreditch
[London], remove the twats, replace them
with beautiful Spaniards, add 10 degrees
centigrade and plonk it on the
Mediterranean Sea,” says Eddy Temple-
Morris.
050
DJ460.top100clubs_p44-52 50
“It is by far the biggest and
best sounding system for a
club of its size I’ve ever
experienced.”
DUB KULT on Robert Johnson
21. Sirena down 2
Maresias, Brazil Capacity: 4000
sirena.com.br
Situated at the edge of the rainforest, a
couple of hours outside Sao Paulo, Sirena
is one of the longest running clubs in
Brazil. Modified several times over the
years, the gorgeous setting is matched by
the beautiful party people who find their
way there via winding mountain roads.
“I love the feeling I get when I go down
the seaside mountain ridge to Maresias
and imagine how much fun people down
there are having,” says Sirena regular
Anderson Noise.
www.djmag.com
20. Berghain ne
BERLIN, GERMANY Capacity: 1500
berghain.de
Downstairs from the legendary Panorama
Bar sits the mighty Berghain, a dark
industrial space where innovative, heads
-own beats rule supreme. Bpitch Control
signing and club resident Ben Klock feels
right at home there.
“It’s an amazing venue,” he says. “ I just
love the architecture and the Funktion
One soundsystem — it’s as techno should
sound. To play there is letting it go,
letting it flow and the people there really
appreciate the music. It’s my second
living room.”
A club for serious techno heads, the likes
of Adam Beyer, Renato Cohen and Len
Faki have all rocked it of late.
21
19. Robert Johnson
up 23
FRANKFURT, GERMANY Capacity: 250
robert-johnson.de
The Robert Johnson club is now top dog in
a hood that has housed such German
techno institutions as the Dorian Gray,
The Omen and U60.
An intimate alternative to Cocoon’s
futurist vision, Robert Johnson’s
marriage of no-nonsense design and
gargantuan soundsystem have long
proved a resounding hit with the serious
heads looking to hear the likes of Magda,
Hawtin and Pearson in a venue that feels
as cosy as their front room.
“It has by far the biggest and best
sounding system for a club of its size I’ve
ever experienced,” reckons Dub Kult.
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Untitled-1 1 14/03/2008 13:58:19
 Top100clubs2008
17
18. Stereo re
MONTREAL, CANADA Capacity: 790
stereo-nightclub.com
Founded by sonically obsessed Brooklyn
jock Angel Moraes and now owned by Def
Mix’s David Morales, it’s hardly surprising
that Stereo is basically a DJ’s wet dream
— thanks almost entirely to its immense
custom-built soundsystem.
A consuming detail-perfect analogue
system, Stereo’s innumerable speaker
stacks have been reverberating
emphatically to the sounds of John
Digweed, Danny Howells and Lee Burridge
over the year past, with an eclectic mix of
drag queens, club kids, students, hippies
and fashionistas getting down.
“No great décor, no big VIP area, not even
amazing lights,” lends Hernan Cattaneo.
“But the biggest and best sound you can
humanly imagine.”
052
DJ460.top100clubs_p44-52 52
16
“The biggest and
HERNAN CATTANEO on Stereo
17. Sankeys up 21
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND Capacity: 850
sankeys.info
We defy anyone to not have a good time at
Sankeys. Not only is it packed with
beautiful hedonistic girls as standard, but
the line-ups are increasingly on-point
with the likes of Funk D’Void, Danny
Tenaglia, Justice and Carl Craig — calibre
DJs that turn out at the former mill
week-in, week-out.
Care, attention and investment also make
it one of the UK’s most kitted clubs, with
an outdoor cinema and the main room’s
bewitching LED light display just two of
the club’s charming features.
“Up until my debut a couple of years ago,
I’d still make a special effort to go to
Sankeys purely as a clubber, as I always
knew I was in for a treat there,” lends
D.Ramirez.
www.djmag.com
best sound you
can humanly
imagine.”
16. Digital down 1
NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND Capacity: 1200
yourfutureisdigital.com
Digital was immediately christened “The
Fabric of the North” by DJmag on opening
in 2005 and it’s more than lived up to that
reputation. Packed with quality nights like
Wax:On, Shindig and Stone Love, it’s seen
just about every quality international DJ
and live electronic act role into
Newcastle’s Times Square at some point
since.
“Digital really brings quality back to the
scene,” reckons Timo Maas. “It’s a
brilliant venue with an outstanding
soundsystem, and a brilliant international
and advanced crowd. What else can you
ask for?”
15
15. Yellow up 18
TOKYO, JAPAN Capacity: 800
club-yellow.com
Located just a few streets away from
Tokyo’s notorious red-light district,
there’s a charmed seediness to Tokyo’s
basement rave den Yellow, which is
neither as technologically obsessed nor as
expansive as many of Japan’s more high
profile venues.
Effortlessly cool rather than mindlessly
cutting-edge, Yellow boasts the same
soundsystem that was used in New York’s
Paradise Garage with a crowd that favours
the intimate, engulfing textures of quality
deep house.
Appropriately, the likes of Kerri Chandler,
Maurice Fulton and François K are
favourites here but you’ll equally find DJs
like Crosstown’s Damian Lazarus warping
it out.
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Untitled-1 1 17/03/2008 14:39:43
 Top100clubs2008

“It is the
best club in
the world.”
TIM SHERIDAN on DC10

14

10

14. DC10 up 7
IBIZA, SPAIN Capacity: 1500
An Ibizan institution, DC10 may have lost
a touch of charm since the roof was
lowered onto the infamous terrace, but as
far as debauchery dripped, sun scorched
marathons go, it’s still the daddy. Sets
from Richie Hawtin, Villalobos and Timo
Maas capped a 2007 season that
continued to push the Balearic musical
and hedonistic boundaries to the limits.
“I use DC10 as a model for all clubs,”
announces Tim Sheridan. “The system
was built by Andy Kayle, who is widely
acknowledged as the best soundman in
the world — Danny Tenaglia won’t play in
Europe without him — and compared to
other Ibiza clubs, DC10 is not overpriced.
“I hate to sound up their arse, but it is the
best club in the world.”
13. The Arches down 1 12. Turnmills up 1
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND Capacity: 2000
thearches.co.uk
An institution like few others, The Arches
has been Scotland’s bedrock of
edge-cutting big room clubbing for as
long as we can remember, with cavernous
arches that drip with debauchery and a
crowd hungry to shower themselves in it.
Whilst Colours Boxing Day sessions here
are stuff of legend, it’s Slam’s Pressure
that has created the most lasting legacy,
with Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier, Jeff
Mills and Adam Beyer amongst the many
international regulars.
“Ten years ago the idea was to bring the
vibe of clubs we were playing in Europe
back to Glasgow,” explains Slam’s Stuart
McMillan. “Pressure at The Arches is our
spiritual home and it’s what we measure
all our other gigs against.”
LONDON, ENGLAND Capacity: 1100
turnmills.co.uk
Described by Together’s Justin Robertson
as “the perfect underground club”, the
recently departed Turnmills was a
subterranean den with a music policy
reared on integrity and diversity. From
Dave Clarke to Paul van Dyk, literally every
DJ worth his salt has played Turnmills — a
testament to the club’s reputation.
The first UK club with a 24-hour license,
it’s hard to imagine any other London
club hosting a weekly residency from The
Chemical Brothers.
“Turnmills has never gone for the obvious
commercial route and I think that is to be
really cherished,” remembers enduring
Gallery resident Sister Bliss.
11. Zouk down 1
SINGAPORE Capacity: 1500
zoukclub.com
In Asia’s clubbing consciousness, one
name looms larger than most — Zouk.
They don’t come much slicker or fresher
than this hugely popular haunt, with its
beautifully designed décor and second-to-
none line-ups. A clubbing complex that
also houses sister establishments Phuture
and Velvet Underground, catering to
electronica/techno and funky house
crowds respectively, each has its own
distinct visual identity.
“The jewel in Asia’s clubbing crown for
nearly 20 years due to the TLC it
constantly gets from owner Lincoln, Zouk
is a stunningly beautiful venue with an
educated and enthusiastic crowd. What
more could you want?” asks Zouk fave
Dave Seaman.

054 www.djmag.com

DJ460.top100clubs_p54-57 (proofed Olly to check) 54 18/3/08 00:38:14


10. Watergate ne
BERLIN, GERMANY Capacity: 500
water-gate.de
As its name suggests, Watergate does
indeed straddle the blue, wavy stuff, with
its domineering floor-to-ceiling windows
offering magnificent views of the River
Spree. The sounds aren’t far off
mind-blowing either — the Get Physical
crew are all regular guests with Ellen
Allien, Damian Lazarus, Sascha Funke and
Pier Bucci amongst the calibre of names
coaxing your senses with sonic sublimity.
Yet another Berlin clubbing marvel.
“The club has this very real, pure and
intimate atmosphere,” says M.A.N.D.Y’s
Patrick Bodner. “Everyone working for
this club is your friend and there is no end
of the party until the promoter and the
people decide to leave. It’s maybe the
most democratic club around.”
DJ460.top100clubs_p54-57 (proofed Olly to check) 55
“Everyone
working for
this club is
your friend.”
PATRICK BODNER on Watergate
9. Warung down 4
SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL Capacity: 3000
warungclub.com.br
One side of the club backs into the
rainforest, the other onto the beach.
Really, what’s not to like?
Warung has become many a DJ’s favourite
venue on the planet, and now that Brazil’s
house and techno scene is in finer fettle
than ever, it’s at the peak of its powers.
With the famous Brazilian party spirit
suffusing every atom of the carved wood
interior, and a next-level soundsystem to
fend off all comers, it so impressed DJ
goliath John Digweed that he named a
tune after the place.   arena — Carl Cox, Sasha and Derrick
“Warung has a magical aura, a beautiful
fusion of elements which captivate all
those who enter,” rhapsodizes Rowan
Blades.
www.djmag.com
7
8. Guvernment up 10
TORONTO, CANADA Capacity: 4000
theguvernment.com
“If there’s one city that loves trance, it’s
Toronto,” believes Armin van Buuren.
“And if there’s one club that knows how to
rock, it’s the Guvernment.”
Recommendations don’t come too much
weightier than from the world’s No.1 DJ.
Consuming a labyrinth of eight futuristic
rooms, with an über-chic roof terrace
offering panoramic vistas of downtown
Toronto, Guvernment is an emporium of
almost unparalleled girth, but it’s not just
trance inhabiting its cavernous main
Carter have all appeared.
“I don’t know any other club that pulls
those amounts of people all year long,”
concludes Armin.
9
7. Pacha down 4
IBIZA, SPAIN Capacity: 3000
theguvernment.com
Ibiza’s oldest club, Pacha has evolved into
a byword for style and when you find
yourself consumed by the white washed
finca walls, the parading VIP enclave and
unfolding outdoor terrace, it’s not hard to
see why.
Sander Kleinenberg, the Def Mix crew and
Erick Morillo’s Subliminal comprise the
leads on Pacha’s all-star cast, but last
summer also saw a Circo Loco session
early in the season and a rare house set
from Detroit legend Jeff Mills.
“Pacha is the church of house music,” says
Sebastian Ingrosso. “The first time I
played there was a dream come true. The
crowd, the venue, the dancers, the music
— there’s just something magic about the
place.”
055
18/3/08 00:38:24
 Top100clubs2008
6. Panorama Bar nm
BERLIN, GERMANY Capacity: 2500
berghain.de
The coolest venue in pretty much the coolest city on
Earth right now, there’s no venue that can match the
sheer unhinged calamity and electronic wrongness that
unfolds every Sunday afternoon at the Panorama Bar.
“The venue is just sick,” says Smokin’ Jo. “It’s so
industrial and daunting from the outside and then inside
it’s like some sleazy New York warehouse. I love its
anything-goes vibe — you could literally have sex in the
corner and no-one would bat an eyelid.”
As well as boasting weekly guests like Radio Slave, Cassy
and Jesse Rose, it’s atmosphere is so viciously flagrant
that it’s not unusual to find yourself still here 12 hours
after you arrived.
Wagon Repair head honcho Mathew Jonson is also
hooked, claiming: “It’s a club that never seems to stop. I
wish I was around Berlin more on weekends.”
056
DJ460.top100clubs_p54-57 (proofed Olly to check) 56
“It’s somewhere you can
go and truly forget
there’s a world that exists
outside of those walls.”
JAMES ZABIELA on Womb
5. Womb up 12
TOKYO, JAPAN Capacity: 1000
womb.co.jp
More like a space station than a club, the all-enveloping
sensory stimulus of Womb has to be felt, heard and
experienced to be believed.
As futuristic as the Japanese megatropolis gets, Womb
has second-to-none lasers, a huge discoball and attracts
the coolest clubbing cognoscenti and baddest DJs known
to man. Miss Kittin, Jesse Rose, Dubfire and Nic Fanciulli
have all played recently, and James Zabiela is a big fan.
“Womb is actually quite a magical club. It’s somewhere
you can go and truly forget there’s a world that exists
outside of those walls. The name Womb is very fitting in
this respect because you do feel encapsulated in there.
I’ve played there a number of times and every time I can’t
believe how good it is,” Zabiela grins.
www.djmag.com
4
4. The End nm
LONDON, ENGLAND Capacity: 1000
endclub.com
Owned by Layo and Mr C, there are few clubs that receive
as much impassioned care and informed attention as The
End, and its burrowed subterranean cavern remains one
of the globe’s finest forums of electronic music as a
result.
From Buzzin Fly’s fourth birthday to FWD vs Rinse FM’s
dubstep roadblocks, The End has continued to shine over
the past year and remains the only place in England you
can catch Laurent Garnier go at it all night. A killer venue.
End of.
“The End is run by people that love this scene and are as
passionate about their venue as we are about the music,”
explains Harlem Nights’ Steve Lawler. “Every aspect is
looked after and it combines with one of the best
atmospheres in the world.”
18/3/08 00:38:27
 “Ibiza has several great
dance venues to
choose from but Space
always stands high
above the rest...”
DANNY TENAGLIA on Space
3

3. Amnesia up 5 2. Space down 1

IBIZA, SPAIN Capacity: 4000
amnesia.es
Whether it be Sven Väth’s dramatic techno voyages,
Cream’s euphoria propelled roller-coasters or Made In
Italy’s flamboyant carnivals, a trip to Amnesia is always
burnt deeply into the memory.
A club grained in history, it is here where Rampling,
Oakenfold, et al, got lost in Alfredo’s Balearic bliss, and
whilst the covered terrace doesn’t offer the same outdoor
freedom it once did, its verdant plumage still transports
you to a uniquely Ibizan wonderland.
For most though, it’s all about the epic energy of the
main room.
“Being the focal points for so many clubbers, the DJ
booth is just perfectly situated for interactive DJs,” relays
Cream resident Eddie Halliwell. “Combine that with its
infamous LED display and ice cannon and you’ve got one
of the atmospheres that can’t be matched.”
A must-visit venue.
IBIZA, SPAIN capacity: 5000
space-ibiza.com
A Balearic legend. Whether it’s the arm-raising vibes of
the new terrace, the intense warehouse vortex of the
massive Discoteca or up in the intimate Redbox, you can’t
fail to get lost in Space, with Carl Cox’s King of Clubs and
the massive We Love... Sundays at Space attracting
ridiculous numbers over the summer.
“Ibiza has several great dance venues to choose from but
Space always stands high above the rest when it comes to
being the main attraction,” claims Danny Tenaglia, who
played marathon sets at both last year’s opening and
closing parties.

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Untitled-1 1 17/03/2008 14:26:17
 Top100clubs2008
1. Fabric up 1
LONDON, UK Capacity: 1000
fabriclondon.com
T “The formula for
here can be little surprise that London’s
Fabric has reclaimed the crown this year.
Consistently back-turning the cash-grabbing
traditions of the superclub, Fabric’s name
might reverberate round the globe as one of club
culture’s standard bearers but the management
themselves have never once taken their eye off the ball in
their own back yard.
For Fabric, there’s never been any inclination to cash in
on global tours or endless merchandise runs. The single
focus has been on the music itself and a steadfast refusal
to entertain any sort of stagnating complacency with it.
So whilst it remains the only London venue where you
can regularly see names like Hawtin, Villalobos and
Mathew Jonson, the team behind it also remain 200%
dedicated to consistently breaking the next generation of
electronic pioneers rather than simply relying on the
established order each week.
“The formula for Fabric’s success is that there is no
formula,” believes Fabric music director and resident
Craig Richards. “Everything is based on simplicity of
approach. For a large venture, our success has been
realised in a really understated and modest manner. We
consistently present quality underground dance music
with pride and confidence. That’s all we have ever done.”
DJ460.top100clubs_p59 (proofed Olly to check quote) 59
It’s an endeavour that has been so faultlessly rigorous
that clubbers have come to take the Fabric stamp of
approval as a watertight quality seal. At Fabric, there’s
never once been so much as a dud DJ, commercial
crowd-puller or any dead wood there on name rather
than merit. Just honest innovative talent stuffed into
every single room. The place oozes integrity.
“Fabric has pushed the whole thing to a much wider
audience and broken a lot of acts and DJs that wouldn’t
have had the stage to do so otherwise,” continues fellow
resident Terry Francis. “For me, it’s the best club in the
world from top to bottom.”
From Villalobos to names like Ivan Smagghe, dubstep
pioneer Skream and even Kompakt’s Michael Mayer, the
number of artists that Fabric has elevated to the grandest
stage in the UK runs on and on. It’s no understatement
to say that Fabric is responsible for breaking more
cutting-edge talent than any other venue in the UK — if
not the globe.
But for all its avant-garde vision and pioneering line-ups,
Fabric’s crowning position is most vindicated by the
atmosphere that is routinely generated in both the
cavernous neo-industrial main room and its marginally
www.djmag.com
Fabric’s success
is that there is
no formula.”
CRAIG RICHARDS on Fabric
smaller second room. Not a stroked chin in sight, we’ve
seen crowd-surfing mayhem erupt at Pendulum’s Fabric
Live gig, epic Richie Hawtin marathons unpeel into the
deep, debauched hours of midday Sunday and nights like
Breakspoll and Adventures in the Beetroot Field cause
sell-out mayhem on school nights.
And that, surely, is the reason why Fabric is No.1. Because
all its world-beating soundsystem, epic labyrinth layout
and cutting-edge talent would mean nothing if it weren’t
for the plethora of enduring memories and classic
moments that the venue has stitched into club culture’s
rich tapestry.
*
059
18/3/08 00:12:33
 DJMAG.COM

DJMAG.COM
EXCLUSIV
E

All that Glimmers

THE NEW AL
FROM THBUM
GLIMMERSE
!

IS GOLD
AretheGlimmerssmashingthesystemwiththeirnew
album—thesecondsliceofwhichisavailableexclusively
withthisissueofDJmag? FREE with DJ MAGAZINE
460 ISSUE
NOT FOR RESALE

B

elgian beat masters The Glimmers have the But you’ve been doing re-edits and remixes for a lot
LIVE460_CDwallet.indd
eternal groove running through their veins. DJs
1 longer?
famed for their eclectic excursions into acid, Mo: “Yeah, we’ve been doing remixes and re-edits for our own
funk, punk, electro, Balearica and beyond, they use for a long time, but they were solely to use at parties 6/3/08
to 16:13:49
were ranked amongst our Top 50 Remixers of start with.”
All-Time, and have ten amazing compilations under their belt.
There’s been one aspect missing from their formidable You’re known for mixing up a lot of styles, being very
arsenal, though: original productions. Despite the odd diverse in what you play out and produce. How would you
glimmer of brilliance, like their ‘Cassette’ cut on !K7, they describe it?
largely stay in the shadows when it comes to studio work. Mo: “There’s always a funky backbone. It’s very bass driven,
Until now, that is! either in a disco way or in punk-funk way. We never lose the
funk out of the groove. Over all these years, if you listen to a
With new album ‘The Glimmers are Gee Gee Fazzii’, Mo Becha compilation we did years ago and the one we did this year, I
and Dave Fouquaert have concocted a hedonistic party- think that’s still the common thing about all of them.”
fuelled set that nabs touches of cosmic disco, upbeat acid
house, insane cover versions, Latino punk percussion — it’s
the whole kit ‘n’ kaboodle.
And if that isn’t enough, they’re giving it away in two parts.
For free. ‘Part Two’ is available exclusively with this issue of
DJmag. We linked with the enigmatic duo to get the
details…

For the uninitiated, how did the Glimmers

first start out DJing and producing?
Mo: “The DJing started when I was 16 or
17-years-old, and Dave at a similar time.
The producing and remixing side, it
took us a long time to do. But we’ve
been releasing mix compilations for
maybe five or six years now.”

060 www.djmag.com

DJ460.glimmers 60 17/3/08 23:52:37


You’re known to many people as DJs/remixers. Why was
the time right for a Glimmers album?
Mo: “Because for the last two and a half years we’ve been
travelling all around meeting lots of people and making tracks
with them. So we thought we should bring them together.
Many of the tracks are collaborations between us and several
artists. We had a big share in every track and we thought the
tracks were ready for an album.”
What’s the significance of the title ‘The Glimmers are Gee
Gee Fazzii’?
“The album
Mo: “This name is from a track by Carlos Peron, a former
member of the band Yello. It’s a record that we’ve known for a
long time, and that we like. It’s very strange and it’s influenced
us a lot! We were always very fascinated with the mystique of
how it was set up, it was supposed to be the theme to an
imaginary movie. It’s very weird, very arty. Peron’s track was in
a way very influential on the artwork of the album too, we
derived a lot from it. ‘Gee Gee Fazzii’, I don’t really know who
he is!”
You covered the Olivia Newton John song ‘Physical’ on ‘…
Gee Gee Fazzi Part One’. A personal favourite?
Mo: “I still kind of like the original but we’ve become so used to
our own version, the way people react to it. I used to love that
song so much before we started to work on it, but now I kind of
favour ours, it’s nice to have a fresh take.”
Mo Becha
words BEN MURPHY
DJ460.glimmers 61
The Glimmers
The track ‘I’d Much Rather Go Out (With The Boys)’ is
pretty wild, with insane whoops and yells all over the
place. Where did this come from?
Mo: “There’s a strange story behind that one, it was originally
a remix we had to do of a Belgian artist called Admiral Freebee,
he’s like our local Neil Young (chuckles), maybe a bit younger.
Very serious! So we were asked to remix his song and that’s
what we came up with, but they refused the mix. We were
travelling around, playing the track out, and it worked
instantly, so we were like, okay if you don’t like the mix we’ll
give it another take. I’m very happy that it happened in that
way because we can play it to a lot of people.”
There are several collaborations on the album — with
title is Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas, Princess Superstar, Ray
Mang, CJ Bolland. How did you come to hook up?
from a
Mo: “Just by travelling around. With Ray, he was the one who
pushed us into producing music. He said, ‘I can help you’, so he
was really a big influence on getting us started. All the others
track by
we met while travelling, having a good time, being on the same
kind of level. The conditions all happened organically.”
Carlos You’ve been giving away ‘…Gee Gee Fazzi Part One’ at
your live shows? Why did you decide to do that?
Peron, a
Mo: “It’s the most direct way to get your music to your
audience. They’re there because you’re playing, and also the
music gets heard by more people than we could have imagined
former
if we did it the traditional way — with a label, distributor, and
having it in the record store, having to compete with all the
other big releases. Now there’s nothing else to bother about.
member “For us, it’s a nice way to get our music around. Now, people
who would never have bought our CD before have it, why not
bother listening to it? Maybe they’ll like it. You can create a lot
of Yello.” of new fans.”
What has the reaction been like so far?
Mo: “We’ve had some nice feedback from the places we’ve been
but it’s still at the early stages. It’ll be at full speed in a month,
going through the whole summer. Everywhere we go, we’ve
www.djmag.com 061
17/3/08 23:52:38
 TheGlimmers
been autographing the CDs, and the reaction
is already really different, it’s way more
enthusiastic than it would be otherwise. A few
days after the gigs we’ve had emails, people
like it. I’m looking forward to seeing what
more of the reactions are gonna be like.”
What was your aim in deciding to give ‘…
Gee Gee Fazzii Part Two’ away with
DJmag?
Mo: “Because we liked the idea of DJmag
being an internationally known magazine. It’s
known all over the world. It’s nice sometimes
to try another way to get your music around,
spread it globally. And also, it’s going to
enthusiastic people, those who read the
magazine. They’re people who are into music,
and it’s bringing it to them in a few steps, to
the fans and also maybe some new fans.”
How does ‘…Gee Gee Fazzii Part Two’
differ from ‘Part One’, then?
Dave: “It’s more like a continuation. Both CDs
contain tracks, mixes and remixes we’ve made
during the last two years. We had a lot of
tracks and we searched for the ones that
worked together. If you listen to ‘Part One’
and then ‘Part Two’ directly after, it will make
a lot of sense, it’s a double feature.”
What kind of musical flavours will
listeners find on ‘Part Two?’
Dave: “We’ve done a last-minute cover version
because we wanted to have a full vocal track
on there. So we’ve done something that’s
never been done before. We’re big Prince fans
and he has a lot of material that’s been
unreleased, but you can get hold of bootlegs.
We found a track from the ‘Dirty Mind’ period,
recorded around 1980, called ‘Lisa’, which we
have on a tape. We’ve covered that one. It’s
sounding nice.
“Overall, there’s a bigger disco feeling than on
the first part. It’s in the same direction as the
first one, with so many of the tracks fitting
together. My idea was, why should we have to
make a CD with 16 tracks and then have to
drop three or four of them? To listen to 70
minutes together, that’s a bit too much. So
062
DJ460.glimmers 62
now fans have two parts, which they can listen
to separately. It’s really old skool in a way, like
an old double album.
“If you listen to our DJ sets, we try to go
straighter and more uptempo after an hour, so
this one has a bit more of a dancefloor feel.”
What do you think the future is for record
labels now, with free music, downloads
and so forth?
Dave: “I think it’s a mixture. A lot of people
still buy music if they want it. For us, first of
all, we needed to do something with the music
because we started Diskimo Recordings and
then the last two years we didn’t really get so
involved. We wanted to do something a bit
more challenging. We didn’t believe any more
in the record company, especially for artists
like Mo and I who are underground DJs who
have existed for a long time. We don’t have
the hype factor like Justice or Digitalism, who
are fresh on the scene. We’ve been doing it for
years now.
“We had to find something that would fit how
we are and the way that we work. And for us
this was a great idea because we own all the
rights to the music that we give away, we own
the masters, we don’t have a record company
who are going to say, ‘We don’t want this track
on here, that track on there’. If you’re signed
to a record label you can’t do anything with
that music. We’ve built up a reputation now
where we can draw an audience in Berlin, in
France, in Spain, in Japan, and at those gigs
we can distribute our music and go in a
different direction.
“I don’t know what will happen but we really
feel it’s working. People like it, nobody’s
complained!”
What’s next for The Glimmers after ‘…Gee
Gee Fazzii’?
Dave: “We plan to keep making music and
releasing it like this. We have a project for
next year called Disco Drunkards. We’re going
to do a whole album with the band, which will
be all original material. There’s gonna be a
live thing, with three people on stage, which
we’ll be directing and producing.”
* one to end our ‘Gee Gee Fazzi’ adventure. Love and happiness!”
www.djmag.com
Trackby
track
DJMAG.COM
DJMAG.COM
EXCLUSIV
THE NEW ALBU E
FROM THE M
GLIMMERS!
Mo and Dave guide us through
the tracks on this issue’s
covermount — ‘The Glimmers
are Gee Gee Fazii’ — part two
of their long-awaited artist
album. FREE with DJ MAGAZINE
460
NOT FOR RESALE
ISSUE
1. ‘Galactic Prism’
LIVE460_CDwallet.indd
1
Dave: “This is a track made with Prins Thomas. We asked him to 6/3/08 16:13:49
do a remix for one of our tracks and it took more than a year to
get it from him! And now we’ve re-edited it and made a total
new track out of it — and he doesn’t know it yet! We love those
situations!”
2. ‘Ever Been II Venus?’
Mo: “One of our tracks produced with Ray Mang, a long-time
partner in crime.”
3. ‘Lisa’
Dave: “A cover of an unreleased Prince song from the ‘Dirty
Mind’ era. It has never been released officially. On a bootleg and
thanks to the internet this song came into our hands. About four
months ago we didn’t even know it existed. Now we’ve made our
own version.”
4. ‘Not Donna’
Dave: “Another collaboration with Ray Mang. A cross between
Moroder and DJ Pierre from Strictly Rhythm fame — hi-energy!”
5. ‘Codek Funk’
Dave: “Another example of a typical Glimmers track. Some
sounds and parts sent via internet to Sasa from In Flagranti, a
track came back, some re-edits from our side and here you go!”
6. ‘Tape’
Mo: “A remake of our 2005 track ‘Cassette’, which we made
exclusively for our contribution to ‘DJ Kicks’. This version is more
stripped down, dropping all the acidic elements, and we added
disco synths and percussion to give it a totally different twist.”
7. ‘Theme From Atlantis’
Dave: “Our collaboration with Prins Thomas and Hans Peter
Lindstrom in its original version. An eight-minute crazy up-north
kinda vibe. Made in Oslo.”
8. ‘Space Woman’
Mo: “Made with Ray Mang in our studio in Ghent, during our
Shirley Bassey sessions, whilst we were making our remix of her
adaptation of ‘Slave To The Rhythm.’”
9. ‘Esta Si, Esta No (Asi Me Gusta A Mi) pt. II’
Dave: “The second half of our cover of Spanish hero Chimo
Bayo’s classic early-’90s rave tune. Some crazy organ and
percussion madness.”
10. ‘Love & Happiness’
Dave: “A cover version of ‘Love Trax’, one of our favourite DJ
Pierre tracks of all time, which came out on Strictly Rhythm.
There have been a lot of 12”s on that label, but none of them
came even close to this monster. Wild pitching with repetitive
live drums, crazy synths and a hypnotizing vocal… it’s a nice
17/3/08 23:52:44
Untitled-1 1 14/03/2008 14:02:57
 Time for
change

French DJ and producer

Shonky is the latest in a long
line of music types to move
to Berlin. With his new album
‘Time Zero’ about to drop,
we catch up with the
Frenchman in his adopted
home.

064 www.djmag.com

DJ460.shonky 64 18/3/08 01:48:47

 Shonky

T “The great
he proud natives of East Berlin dripping with style and oozing extremity. A far cry from the
weren’t always the contented haunts he was used to.
bunch they are today. In the days “There was always this crazy mix of people, wearing weird

of ‘the wall’ many had an
impoverished existence, with
much time spent green-eyed, longing for life
on the other side — or of escaping Germany
altogether. The lifestyle there today, however,
is a different kettle of fish.
The regions of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg,
Friedrichshein and Kreuzberg, which lie just
to the East of the capital’s centre, are now
bona fide hotspots — twenty and thirty-
thing about
clothes and costumes. I fell in love with the club straight away,
with the atmosphere, everything. The first night I went there I
was like, ‘What the fuck!?’” recalls Shonky.
Each week Shonky invited his friends and newly-made Les
Bains acquaintances back to his pad for pre and after-parties,
fully embroiling himself in the scene.
“It was like a ritual, every Friday and every Saturday night,” he
Berlin is that
it’s so free.
grins.
A shrill ring brings Shonky back to the present. It’s Freak ‘N’

somethings the world over scrambling to get
their slice. And if you happen to be into
electronic music then you’re laughing, with
ludicrously cheap accommodation, more than
reasonable living costs and a close-knit music
community slap-bang on your doorstep.
When Ewan Pearson bought his one-way
EasyJet flight never to return, many thought
it a big old flash in the pan, but several years
on and it seems every fucker’s making the
You don’t
Chic head honcho Dan Ghenacia on the phone and Shonky
ambles over to his swish looking home studio to take the call.
He opens a file to reveal sleeve designs for his forthcoming
single, ‘Time Zero’ — also the title track from his forthcoming
album, out 5th April on Freak ‘N’ Chic. During the phone call
the sleeve design is given the thumbs up — and Shonky is
pretty chuffed.
need a lot of
money to live
City Charms
Business aside, we venture out onto the streets to discover why

jump, as Berlin’s magnetism pulls more
like-minded people towards it.
“So, this is me,” says 25-year-old French DJ
and producer Shonky, opening the door to his
new Berlin apartment, the latest music
producer to move to the city.
His 70 square metre Kreuzberg pad features
slick wooden floors, plush, cool-as-fuck décor
and a stunning sound set-up, instantly
so you can
Berlin has captured Shonky’s heart. Just five minutes stroll
from his flat and we stumble across legendary German record
shop Hardwax after meandering through a series of archways
into a graffiti smothered stairwell. With its deep cavernous
character and hidden position, it has a truly underground feel.
“For ages I didn’t know how close this place was,” says Shonky.
“I really like coming here, it’s just a shame that I don’t actually
be more
comfortable
buy that much vinyl these days!”
A plastic obsessive for some time, Shonky’s now made the
switch to Serato. “It’s great,” he enthuses. “As everything’s on

in your art.”
ramming home the cheaper cost of living in the computer, you have music for any kind of gig, which is
this part of Europe. really important for me. So if I’m playing warm-up I can go
Shonky — or Olivier Ducreux to his mum — deep; peak-time, I can go peak-time, and if I play the
moved to the German capital back in October, after-party then I can go psychedelic.”
after getting that ‘gotta get out of this place’ Downstairs from the racks of records sits the mastering plant
itch back home in Paris. where Shonky’s debut longplayer ‘Time Zero’ was put to bed,
“It just felt like it was the right time. I needed along with a recording studio that local residents can take
a change and it’s definitely been the right advantage of.
move, I love it here,” he grins, a rampant
advocate of the city’s charms already. So much
so that he’s campaigning to get his Parisian
cohorts to follow his lead.
“I’ve been speaking to Dan [Ghenacia] and
Dyed [Soundorom] and they’re thinking about
it!” he reveals. “Actually, they were here just
the other week; we had a great little
after-party in my flat. Until the neighbour
interfered, that is.”

Delinquent Liberty
Playing party host comes naturally to Shonky.
Growing up in Paris with his folks, he was
granted the dream teenage scenario of
separate quarters in their house, a space
totally devoid of parental control, affording
Words: DAN KINASZ Pics: LARS BORGES

him a rather generous amount of delinquent

liberty.
“Yeah, it was great, I could do anything I
liked,” he remembers.
At 15 or 16-years-old Shonky was into a mixed
bag musically, mostly going out to hip-hop
and trip-hop clubs. He remembers that one
day in 1997, “I just decided to go to the right
club.”
Les Bains Douches was a firm favourite
amongst the city’s faces and local glitterati —

www.djmag.com 065

DJ460.shonky 65 18/3/08 01:48:55

 Shonky

“There are many buildings here where

producers share studio space,” Shonky
explains. “So as well as being able to indulge
their craft individually, being neighbours
means ideas can easily be shared, tunes
swapped and collaborations forged.”

After a good bout of vinyl reminiscing, we

leave Hardwax and navigate back towards
civilisation proper. As we approach the River
Spree, Shonky tells DJmag how he hooked up
with Dan and the Freak ‘N’ Chic crew in the
first place.
“My friend was working for Les Bains Douches
as a PR, he was doing parties, and all the time
was telling me, ‘We’ve got to go to this club
called Batofar,’” he remembers.
When he did, Les Bains Douches quickly
became a distant memory.
“It was like a… (motions a slap in the face),
you know? I really, really enjoyed it. It was a
totally different atmosphere from Les Bains.
At Batofar everything was orientated around
the music. People who came to Batofar knew
about music.”
The club was a fertile hub for DJs and
producers to hang out on both a social and
professional level, with many of the
relationships ignited there standing the test
of time.
“I met Dan Ghenacia there, Ivan [Smagghe],
even Sebastien Bouchet who is younger than
us. Oh, and David K. I know so many people
who, since going to Batofar, have made their “The idea was to do what I know, do
what I do the best and try to take that
life in music.”
A fledgling producer at the time, Shonky
asked Dan round to his place to lend an ear to
some works in progress.
“He’d listen to my tracks and say, ‘Well, I think
as far as I can.”
you need to do this or you need to do that.’
Then one time he had nothing to say other
than, ‘I really like it, I want to sign it.’”

No-nonsense Rules
Stomachs rumbling, we start searching for
somewhere to eat. “They’re really not bad, you
know,” he says, motioning towards a typical
Kreuzberg Turkish take-away. “Only €1.50 for
a whole pizza! I mean, seriously, how can they
make any money?”
This kind of observation is quite typical of the
Ducreaux make up. Everything is calculated
and deconstructed so Shonky can make both
head and tail of it. His mind operates with a
no-nonsense set of rules. And debut album
‘Time Zero’ follows a similar code of conduct.
No messing about, it’s 10 tracks of straight-up
dancefloor business. There are no forays into
the realms of downtempo or shorter
three-minute numbers — just pure club
ammunition.
But this is by no means an emission to his lack
of breadth or interest in experimenting, it’s
just that Shonky is keen to perfect his current
sound before moving on.
Shonky’s hunger rampant, we cave in and
settle for the nearest eatery. After a brief
struggle communicating our orders with the
066
waiter — with DJmag’s German non-existent
and Shonky’s still in the novice stages — we
get the full beef on ‘Time Zero’.
“I wanted to do something that was quite
simple,” says Shonky. “The idea was to do
what I know, do what I do the best and try to
take that as far as I can.”
Indeed, the album stays on the deep,
hypnotic path he’s trodden before. Many of
the tracks share similar instruments,
atmospherics and rhythms, with Shonky
tweaking, re-jigging and re-shaping along the
way. But this is exactly how he intended the
album to emerge.
“Of course, I want to take my sound in
different directions, but step by step. I don’t
want to do something just to be able to say
I’ve done it. If can’t do it with your own
personality, your own style, I don’t see the
interest in it.”
And this is where the album’s title resonates.
‘Time Zero’ is intended as a snapshot, a sonic
statement illustrating exactly what Shonky is
about right now. Musically, while the album
harbours its own unique sound, Shonky
www.djmag.com
admits to being influenced greatly by two distinct scenes.
Firstly, there are the Detroit overtones with steely kinetic
percussion dominating and robotic flickers simmering
throughout. Then, on standout tracks ‘Eclipse’ and ‘Odyssey’,
the Motor City flavours can further be felt, each tune cradled by
warm expansive keys.
There is also a defiant nod to the psychedelic end of US house,
especially the dark entrancing funk of the San Franciscan
scene, with oscillating synths, swirling sirens and other
mind-bending tricks driving many of the album’s tracks.
“I like the rhythm of the album, the way it moves,” reflects
Shonky. “And for my first one, I’m pretty happy because I
didn’t lie to myself. It marks the end of a chapter.”
As we continue our trek towards Alexanderplatz, the tall TV
tower now beckoning, Shonky points out the city’s many
clubbing haunts — a side of Berlin he’s already got pegged.
Impassioned about his new hometown, it’s pretty obvious that
Shonky will be here for some time to come.
“The great thing about Berlin is that it’s so free,” he imparts.
“The arts and nightlife are kept big because they know it’s
important for the city. You don’t need a lot of money to live so
you can be more comfortable in your art. I feel relaxed here,
which has made me more confident with myself and with the
computer!”
*

DJ460.shonky 66 18/3/08 01:49:00

Untitled-1 1 17/03/2008 12:52:13
DJ460.foals 68
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17/3/08 23:41:15
half_2_quarter.indd 1 17/03/2008 16:06:40
 072

DJ460.boy8bit 72
Computer
Love
THREE TOP VIDEO
GAME BEATS
Cocoa Brovaz
‘Super Brooklyn’
Mid-’90s hip-hop cut
that sampled the Super
Mario Brothers’
underground theme,
slapping it over some
serious boom-bap beats.

Bomb the Bass

‘Megablast’
Primitive bassline, fat
breakbeat, hardcore

www.djmag.com
attitude — this computer
game soundtrack has
bags of old skool cool.

Bjørn Torske
‘Spelunker’
Imagine King Tubby
rewiring a dusty old
arcade machine,
wreathed in ganja
smoke. Like a blunted
Donkey Kong.

Computer SAYS YES!

18/3/08 00:58:04
 es I er
e tim ard
Wearing the geek
m t’s h he
But that’s not the full story.
chic tag loud and With a boundless enthusiasm
 o
“ nk i
S t
o
for dance music across the
proud, South board, during an 8-Bit DJ set
i
th tick t
do sh
London you’re just as likely to hear him
s d
to s an g fre t
computer beats smash the latest dubstep killer into a
alchemist Boy deep minimal techno cut, before busting

e
rul ethin to jus e
some bassline house for good measure.
8-Bit is pressing all DJing at Touché’s Body Clap night, in London’s T
the right buttons.

som n it is som
Bar and Fabric, Morris was able to cultivate his
DJmag finds out more… own unique style: a morass of grooves

D
solidified into one writhing funk

tha off on king

avid Morris is a self-confessed nerd. machine.
With the DJ/production alias Boy 8-Bit “I really cut my teeth DJing at
a
go -bre
he’s setting himself up for accusations the night. There were a lot of
of being a computer boffin, but Morris happy memories and big

e .”
rul gent
is wearing the geek chic tag loud and proud. He’s tunes,” he smiles.
flipping the idea on its head, and making the “I think there are plans to
coolest, freakiest dancefloor beats we’ve heard in hold another night in the

a long while.
“I was using the Boy 8-Bit name before retro nerds
were cool,” chuckles Morris. “I mean, you even get hot
girls into computers nowadays. What’s that all about!
Crazy!”
Building a groundswell of underground cred due to his
genre-trashing remixes and original productions, the Boy
8-Bit beat is a soundclash of dusty old funk breaks,
ghetto house attitude and electro energy created from
hours of painstaking production prowess — tracks that
bang with precision crunch and electrifying club heat.
“I suppose I have a sound, but I can’t sum it up,” he
observes. “I’d like to call it melodic dance music or
something. To make it easier I just call it electro, even
though most electro now is really dry, but it’s a term
people seem to recognize.”
The genesis of the 8-Bit story began when Morris was
14-years-old and started making his own tracks —
anything from drum & bass to big beat and gabba — on a
basic 8-Bit production package on his Amiga (hence the
name).
Fast-forward to 2004 and his beats had come a long way.
DJ Touché picked up on his track ‘The Colonel’,
earmarking it a place on his Radio 1
Essential Mix, and the two began to work
together, Morris submitting tracks to the
DJ’s Body Clap label, playing at his club
night, and most recently remixing
Touché’s new project, The
Black Ghosts’ ‘Anyway
You Choose To Give It’.
With a line in lo-fi
Commodore bleeps
and razor-sharp
rhythm tracks, his
remixes of Lethal
Bizzle, Midfield
words BEN MURPHY
future, they’re a lot of fun and
we get to pick artists we really
admire to play with us. Hey, maybe
we should do a Body Clap
compilation!”
Mad Scientist
Whether behind the decks or the computer, Boy 8-Bit
takes the best from all genres and creates his own mad
scientist concoctions, alchemical blends that distill the
very essence of rave. Like contemporaries Hervé and
Switch, he’s messing with the house DNA structure, but
Morris’s influences are considerably more way out.
“I’m into heavy and death metal, jungle, big beat, early
’80s electro, guitar virtuosity, Commodore 64 music, film
scores, car boot sale finds, happy hardcore and the
record collections and musical knowledge tastes of my
family and friends,” he reveals.
Perhaps this goes some way to explaining the patchwork
of styles that makes up the Boy 8-Bit groove. But as
much as he’s willing to play with templates, fuck with the
status quo, he concedes that there are certain rules in
place for good reason.
“The rules that are in place in most forms of dance
are there because they work. People want to
dance at the end of the day so it all needs to be
reasonably straightforward. I’m just someone
who enjoys a variety of music and likes trying to
mix up the elements in my own productions, but
I still stick quite strongly to the
rules myself. Sometimes I
think it’s harder to stick to
the rules and do something
fresh than it is to just go off
on some rule-breaking
tangent,” reckons Morris.
Understandably, he’s unable
tan
Bruce, Pramface, Flytip Johnson, Full Mental Slackers, DJ
Brapscallion, DJ Slurp and Wyngspann.”
With each pseudonym, Morris is able to explore different
areas of his tastes, with Claudio Montefiori his most
radical departure into the realm of minimal techno.
“I have these melodic minimal tunes I want to finish and
get out, I might put them out as a digital album under
the Claudio Montefiori alias,” Morris reveals.
Fixations
As such a tireless musical obsessive, it stands to reason
that Morris would have other fixations too, and it turns
out that movies are almost as much of a passion, with
cinematic atmospheres and soundtrack samples feeding
into his productions in unexpected ways.
“Sometimes I take samples from a film score or if a film
has put me in a certain mood, it can help my production.
I try to copy the mood of the film in something I’m
working on. I recently downloaded the soundtrack to this
obscure ’80s horror movie, the film had one scene that
really creeped me out. Downloading the soundtrack
brought back memories and I took this half-second
sample and messed it about. The tune is really quite dark
for me, which I think reflects the scene in the movie
well,” Morris explains.
Boy 8-Bit’s year is already looking insane, with several
hot new releases on the cards.
“I’ve got an EP coming on Diplo’s Mad Decent label, which
is three original tracks, including ‘The Suspense Is Killing
Me’, which people may have heard. Then there’s a track
called ‘Fog Bank’ for a New York label called Trouble and
Bass. And I’ve also got the Full Mental Slackers project
with Acid Jacks.”

General, Burial and South
Rakkas Crew are all making mad noise. Add
to that the fresh EP ‘Suspense Is Killing
Me’, due to drop soon on Diplo’s Mad
Decent stable, and the Boy 8-Bit name is
about to go stratospheric.
to channel all of his tastes into
Boy 8-Bit; instead he utilizes a whole host of
other names for different projects.
“I’ve given out tunes to people under the
following aliases in the past, either on my own
or with others — Claudio Montefiori, Carlton L.
With all this fresh material, where can he possibly go
from here?
“I’m getting the hunger to do something completely
different,” he says. “Maybe I’ll do an album of power-
ballads with loads of plate reverb, pianos and songs
about unrequited love,” he grins.
*

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DJ460.boy8bit 73 18/3/08 00:58:05

Untitled-1 1 17/03/2008 12:39:29