ON THE FLOOR
Hustle. Rinse. Repeat. W
ith the world’s most famous skyline in the distance, nightlife in Brooklyn might seem like
the B-side to Manhattan’s superclubs. But it’s behind the unmarked doors of Williamsburg and Bushwick that the groundswell of the city’s music scene is really taking place. Rinsed was formed in 2010 by three young promoters/artists: A.Pop, a fine arts graduate whose knowledge of the party scene is unrivaled; Blacky II, a DJ/ producer with an eye for something different and an ear for the new; and Dan Wender, music ace, DJ and former club booker. “We started this thing out of love for music and the experience of a well curated dance party,” says Wender. “It cost two bucks: we wanted it to be accessible to a wide range of people with different social and economic backgrounds.” The first Rinsed went down — with help from Brooklyn party stalwarts MeanRed, with whom the Rinsed conspirators had been interning — in a technically illegal space above a club on North 6th Street. While big-ticket parties thundered in the rooms below, Rinsed offered the zero-BS retreat the trio desired. “Me and Blacky DJed for six hours b2b and the place went off,” Wender says, “and after A.Pop saw the potential from that first party, she had some ideas to make each Rinsed unique.” Says A.Pop: “Rinsed was my chance to throw away all formalities of art school. Concepts centralized around the slogans we’d use for our poster campaigns. We (mainly the sick minds of Dan and Blacky II) would come up with the most deranged phrases, type them out in Word, and run to the pharmacy with $2
076
djmag.com
in our pocket for black and white photocopies. Walking down Bedford Avenue, or all the way down on Myrtle and Willoughby, you’d suddenly see a sign that read, ‘make it rain blood’ or ‘don’t sleep, there are snakes’!” Blacky II explains further, “The signs were meant to be absurd and catch your attention, and in the beginning the aesthetics would be visual interpretations of these ‘Rinsisms’. A. Pop has outfitted rooms with blow up sex dolls, and people love that kind of shit. It adds an entirely new dimension to the party.” For the first 18 months, Rinsed’s two- dollar cover, cheap drinks and good music gained it the reputation it deserved, boosted by guerilla tactics. Artists such as Sibian & Faun, Braille, Mike Q and Koreless all played during this time, and the party hosted takeovers at NY’s upmarket Le Bain club, which helped generate hype on the local scene from the likes of Percussion Lab, Sentimentalist and Time Out NY. Soon, Rinsed had to expand further. They hosted the official BEMF (Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival) afterparty in a venue that would become known as The Umbrella Factory. It’s since been home to several parties, including what Blacky II calls the high point of Rinsed. “It went on for eight hours during the height of a blizzard in February. Druid Cloak flew out from Ohio, and Figgy came in from Boston. Our sound guy drove from Jersey in a foot of snow, and Jules from the venue held us down. The vibes that night were unparalleled.” “They were calling it a life-threatening storm,” Wender adds, “but 350 people trekked out in insane snow and wind to come to Rinsed. They all stayed until the
How New York’s Rinsed party went from two-dollar cover to all-night underground blizzard parties...
blizzard stopped, dancing like it was their last night on earth. That was pretty amazing for me.” The stature of Rinsed’s recent headliners Morgan Geist and Azari & III shows just how far they’ve come in just two years: now they’re competing with NY’s most established party brands. A.Pop explains what has made the journey so successful, “we all have our strong points but what’s best is our ability to wear different hats. Also, we maintain a distinct attitude towards this industry, which is not always so sweet.” Blacky II also acknowledges the loyalty of the extended Rinsed family. “Our wonderful friends pitch in by donating time, art, and musical talents. It’s amazing!” Artist Imp Kerr, who created a range of line drawings that have epitomized the party, was a huge boost in the early days, as Blacky explains. “This gave rinsed a simple visual identity that people could see, and immediately associate with us. They’re provocative, offensive, and above all silly.” So what’s next? “We have some exciting party collaborations with some of our favorite labels in the works,” says Wender. “And we’re looking into finding an outdoor venue for some daytime parties.” A.Pop hints further, “Rinsed on the road? Actually making the skies bleed some sort of whiskey blood? Rinsed puppy salon? We’ll see…” Rinsed is friendly faces, choice music and a unique experience — something that’s very New York, something that lends itself to crew loyalty, something that you need to feel for yourself. Book yourself in for a good Rinsing at
rinsed.it. CHRIS MAYES-WRIGHT
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110