THEsecond largest city in Romania, Cluj is also one of the country’s most important in terms of culture, business, industry and academia. The amount of talent to have passed through the doors of Club Midi, whose main room sports crisp Funktion One sound, is amazing. With Booka Shade, Sasha, Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin and Luciano often playing marathon sets of up to seven hours, alongside domestic techno talent like Raresh and Rhadoo whose continuing rise in stature matches the growth of dance music in Romania, the club’s booking policy is second-to-none. In the words of Steve Lawler: “this is the perfect club. Amazing room, amazing sound, amazing light and run by people that live it and breathe it, and with undoubtedly the best crowd in the world. The Romanians know how to party!”
26
CLUB MIDI CLUJ NAPOCA, ROMANIA
CAPACITY: 800
clubmidi.ro
01
25
D EDGE SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
CAPACITY: 400
d-edge.com
11
THISforward-thinking Sao Paulo club has played a crucial part in the development of underground dance culture in Brazil. Opening nearly a decade ago, it was set up by scene stalwart and DJ Renato Ratier, who has booked every international DJ who’s anyone, as well as helping to bring on Brazilian talent, especially in the techno and tech house fields. Notable for its futuristic LED interior, put together by designer Muti Randolph, D Edge is a great underground club, and the place where Sven Väth played for what seemed like days at a Skolbeats after-party that DJ Mag attended one time.
23 03 24 15
BETA DENVER, CO, USA
CAPACITY: 950
betanightclub.com
09
NOT only does this hi-tech club take pride importing the finest names in bass music to a city more connected with math rock than rave mash-ups, Beta is also one of the only clubs in the world with a 100% green policy. Indeed, its ‘club culture evolving’ ethos is one enveloping more than just a pioneering music policy, which has introduced the likes of Jack Beats, Andy C and Breakage to the States in recent times. Built using sustainable products, Beta pledges to reduce, reuse and reclaim, while the dancefloor truly rinses it out.
22
SANKEYS MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
CAPACITY: 1150
sankeys.info
THERE’S no questioning the importance the post-industrial landscape of Manchester played in spreading the gospel of dance, acts like 808 State and A Guy Called Gerald giving acid house a distinctly Northern swagger while retaining all the futuristic funk of their Transatlantic inspirations. This mad-for-it buzz has been passed down through successive generations in the city, and where better to satiate that thirst than at Sankeys? A previous No.1 in this very poll, the technical wonders of the venue — its Phazon soundsystem, Disco Panel LED lights and fast-track barcode entry — have all been sung before. But it’s the completist music policy that keeps the city happy. From the deep house of the Innervisions crew, Heidi’s housed-up Jackathon to the long-running Tribal Sessions, there’s little that slips Sankeys’ net, making it a one-stop-shop whatever your tastes.
PACHA SHARM EL SHEIK, EGYPT
CAPACITY: 3000
pachasharm.com
WITH Pacha, you know what you are getting, right? White silk décor, skimpily-clad dancers and a pumping soundtrack. Clubbers lucky enough to take a magic carpet ride in Egypt (so to speak) get all that at Pacha Sharm — and then some. Doing away with a roof completely, this open-air club is no underground tomb, adorned with a shimmering array of visual treats and scattered from head-to-toe with magical features. With a pool, waterfall and a foam cannon, plus dining and VIP rooms to boot, Pacha Sharm really is the Arabian jewel of the North African club scene.
WHENDigital Newcastle opened seven years ago, it was a much-needed shot in the arm for clubbing in the Tyne & Wear city in the North of England. In attendance on the first night when 2ManyDJs rocked da house, DJ Mag dubbed it “the Fabric of the North”, although in truth, it’s broadened out its booking policy over the years since. Now you’re as likely to catch a quality international dubstep, drum & bass or house act as encounter one of their lovingly curated in-house nights — all brought to clubbers by the far-sighted booking policy of charismatic promoter Dave Stone.
21
www.djmag.com 055
DIGITAL NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND
CAPACITY: 1200
yourfutureisdigital.com
09
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