DON’T be put off by the name. Buried deep under the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town, you’ll find more than a literary-themed 1920’s knees-up down in the hidden vaults of Cabaret Voltaire. Not to say it lacks sassiness; it’s just more prone to sick beats than a high-octane Can-Can. Saying that, Edinburgh’s No.1 venue for electronic music is by no means devoid of culture, still consistently inviting the edgiest names in dance music to its smoke-ridden bowels seven years down the line. Doubling as a live venue, Miguel Campbell, Inner City and Jacques Lu Cont have all coaxed the city’s more beat-savvy youngsters down for a sweaty jig already this year — and no doubt there’s plenty more to come.
53 51 RE-ENTRY 50
VILLA MERCEDES ATHENS, GREECE
CAPACITY: 2500
villamercedes-athens.com
CABARET VOLTAIRE EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
CAPACITY: 600
thecabaretvoltaire.com
29
A rare feature of a South American nation more famous for flora and fauna than pumping dancefloors, Vertigo is the flag-bearing sweatbox for a country responsible for one of the world’s most stunning stretches of rainforest. Not that it’s taken musical inspiration from its junglist surroundings. The tunes, strictly house and techno, have been delivered by the likes of Lee Burridge, Steve Lawler, Marco Carola, Danny Tenaglia and Hernan Cattaneo during its near-decade-long lifetime, and are always of the highest order. Two rooms built around a top-of-the-range Gary Stewart Audio soundsystem, Vertigo’s 300-capacity Moroccan back room allows the sweat-mopped ravers of San Jose to jive cosily, while others go apeshit in the decadent rouge haze of the main dancefloor.
52
THE Greek capital Athens has its share of top clubs, but Villa Mercedes bestrides the dance scene there like a veritable Colossus of Rhodes. Designed with the international jet-set in mind, this is high-class stuff with aspirations to match the best clubs in Ibiza. White chandeliers and silk drapes set the scene. Those with scabby, scuffed old trainers need not apply. Accordingly, the soundtrack is big, glossy commercial electro-house and trance, purveyed by the biggest players in dance. There’s a restaurant too for when the champagne cocktails get too much. Set in a glorious, elegant garden, the food is fusion (Asian and Mediterranean). The perfect spot for those with a yacht, then. David Guetta says that “Villa Mercedes is amazing”, which should tell you all you need to know.
ASYLUM AFTERHOURS HONOLULU, HAWAII, USA
CAPACITY: 175
asylumafterhours.com
10 49
HAWAII: an idyllic, paradisiacal destination beyond the reach of most of us. But a club culture hub, bang in the middle of the Pacific ocean? You having a laugh? No, we’re deadly serious, and Asylum, the ultra-cool, word-of-mouth, underground venue in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is leading the charge. Its myth precedes it, but the reality? A bizarro world labyrinth of rooms with cool, freaky artistic touches, run by an impassioned group of DJs and promoters, Asylum books heavyweights like Claude VonStroke, DJ T, Juan Atkins, Tanner Ross and Heartthrob and is responsible for the growing popularity of real dance music (ie. not the cheesy chart-friendly bollocks) across the state. With a dedicated, friendly and knowledgeable crowd, it’s become a must-visit spot for the most intrepid night owls around the globe. Check the four-page feature in our March issue just gone for a full write-up.
048
KLUB OMFG CALGARY/EDMONTON, CANADA
CAPACITY: 300
iloveomfg.com
VERTIGO SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
CAPACITY: 1500
vertigocr.com
NEW ENTRY
50
DISPLAYING a healthy competitiveness to out-do their US cousins alongside a similarly bombastic take on dance music, Klub OMFG only launched in late 2010 yet has already firmly established its brand. Grown from a grassroots base of local DJs and a close-knit crowd of regulars, the raucous atmosphere often witnesses mass stage-diving and crowd- surfing to electro, dubstep, drum & bass and hip-hop, activities more usually confined to rock gigs and festivals, while a special one-off warehouse party at the end of March featured bouncy castles and super soakers to ensure maximum carnage. With a second, even larger venue opened in Edmonton since last year’s poll, its raised ceiling allowing the installation of state-of-the-art lasers, Klub OMFG has big ambitions. And so far it’s had the muscle — and the love of its fanatical fans — to back this up.
www.djmag.com
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