Underground club, Liquid Sky Berlin bans CDJs & turntables
A German underground nightclub called Liquid Sky Berlin has taken a rather novel approach to DJing – one that is both applaudable and bemusing all at the same time.
You see, Liquid Sky Berlin has banned the use of CDJs and turntables at their club for DJing. That sounds a bit like banning an electric guitar at a rock concert. Vinyl is the holy grail of DJing and well, with the plethora of DJs these days who can ONLY use laptop software, even CDJ DJs tend to be regarded as oldskool in some circles.
What’s a DJ without his records or USB sticks?
In June last year a news report that a club in Los Angeles had banned laptops went viral and even faced some heavy criticism from some big-name DJs including Richie Hawtin.
READ: READ: Why all laptop DJs should learn to mix of on CDJ
This novel rule by Liquid Sky Berlin, however, has nothing to do with issues with DJs per se and more to do with creating something unique and different. The Kreuzberg-based nightclub has declared itself a place that does not wish to “represent ordinary DJ culture”.
Instead the club wants to “support other formats / unique styles / different thinking / alternative tastes and emerging uses of both newer and older technology.”
Don’t expect to just find a bunch a regular laptop DJs with an X1 & Traktor either. The club spokesperson says they want to expand people’s minds as to what can be regarded as DJ technology beyond the norm.
They’ve suggested wonky replacements such as busted Sony tape players, shortwave radios, Nintendo Gameboys, modular synths and even “hacked home-fitness-trainers.”
To quote them;
“you dj with “my-first-sony” tapeplayers?
you are welcome!
you dj with short wave radios?
you are welcome!
you dj with Nintendo game boys & playstation trackers?
you are welcome!
you dj with computers, ipads, mobile phones and raspberry pi or even hacked home-fitness-trainers?
you are welcome!
you are an experimental modular synth artist and/ or use circuit bent noisetoys?”
The bottom line is Liquid Sky Berlin wants to offer something different in a city known for electronic music, club life and having top quality electronic musicians pass through there all the time.
This novel way of doing it could really work, as there are a lot of amazing electronic musicians who ONLY work with computers and electronic music instruments to perform as opposed to playback on turntables and CDJs.
Sample kings and iconic 90’s beatmakers, Coldcut are headlining a Ninja Tune after-party there which gives one a good idea of where Liquid Sky berlin want to place themselves in the nightclub marketplace.
Well done to them.
Liquid Sky Berlin announcement here
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