“There are no rules” – inside Prague’s hard techno scene
In your standard guidebook it may be referred to as the “city of a hundred spires”. Its municipal administration is certainly interested in making Prague a destination for high culture and congress events. But, if you know the right people and the right places, you will discover that the Czech capital is also a budding techno hotspot.
To find out more about this raw side of Prague, I caught up with two members of the local up-and-coming VOID collective, Greg and Thibault. They are set to hold an event at one of the capital’s most popular techno venues – Altenburg 1964 – this Saturday, July 1.
Greg is an IT specialist during the day and a techno DJ when the sun goes down. He says he first got into the music genre around eight years ago. Back when he was still living in his native Poland.
“I guess I was just lost and searching for new experiences. I am very much into heavy music in general. It doesn’t matter what genre it is. I was simply looking for music that catches you in dark places. And then, at some point, I came across techno and it really got my attention because there is a whole other depth to it.”
Thibault, meanwhile, is from Reims in France and acts as the collective’s chief event organizer. He ran a club in his hometown before eventually moving to Prague.
“I have quite a background in promoting events. I have been into techno for more than 10 years, but I originally come from the free party scene because members of my family have been into that since I was very small.”
Free parties Czech style
Free parties, for those who don’t know, are parties that do not involve many of the restrictions common on the legal club scene and are often organised ad hoc. Greg says that those which take place in Czechia can often be quite special.
“For example, I remember at one event, some guy came up to me and said: ‘Man, can you believe what’s happening here? Is this even legal in your country?’
“The society in Czechia seems very open. If you don’t bother other people, you can do what you want.”
“That says a lot because some events, even completely legal warehouse parties, are among some of the wildest I’ve seen. It is hard to throw these kinds of events in other countries, I think, because of regulations. The society in Czechia seems very open. If you don’t bother other people, you can do what you want. It’s amazing.”
In Czechia, these free parties can take place across a wide range of locations, from decrepit bunkers located around Prague, to forests and old factories. Even under random highway bridges. Indeed, finding them can sometimes be quite the challenge for any Uber driver.
They are attended by what Greg refers to as the “punks of the techno scene”. In short, these are not your usual Friday night clubbers, but real devotees of hard bass who will gladly dance for hours in front of a huge amplifier. In fact, it is a custom at such parties to have people dancing facing these boxes rather than the DJ. Greg admits that drugs can also a common feature at these venues.
“It's not a secret that the whole subculture is very much exposed to drugs.”
“It's not a secret that the whole subculture is very much exposed to drugs. During my life I've come across many people who struggle with some kind of addiction.
“Very often it can be friends who got into some crazy habits that went on to destroy their life. The reason behind this was that they basically felt empty inside. Like there was something missing in their life that they were trying to fill with cheap thrills.”
That said, the majority of those who attend these parties are more of the party drug type. People from various walks of life who juggle their careers or studies with regular wild weekends. Thibault stresses that safety is always a priority at VOID events, but also says that it is the free lifestyle that especially draws him to techno.
T: “There are no rules. Nothing is mandatory. You don't have to wear this or that. Your gender, your sexual orientation, or the type of clothes you are wearing don’t matter. You can come naked. Nobody gives a damn.
“Your gender, your sexual orientation, or the type of clothes you are wearing don’t matter. You can come naked. Nobody gives a damn.”
“What these people want to do is basically use the power of techno and come to the event. To forget about their life and be in whatever dimension they want.
‘This is personally how I get rewarded through my events - by seeing the closed eyes of people after 10 hours of dancing. By giving them the opportunity to forget about their problems. And, when they get out, they are relaxed.”
G: That’s the beauty of it, that no matter where you come from, or whoever you are, as long as you have respect for others you are welcome.”
Prague’s techno clubs
While both members of the VOID collective speak wistfully about these so-called free techno squat events, it should also be stressed that Prague has several standing techno clubs that offer a wide range of artists and dancefloors. Aside from Altenburg 1964 – a club within a boat floating on the Vltava River – there are also venues such as Ankali in Prague 10, Cross Club in the capital’s Holešovice district, or Fuchs 2 on the nearby Štvanice island.
The latter is perhaps the most popular club, at least for hard techno lovers. Its three floors host a variety of DJs pretty much every night. The bottom floor is home to a section of the club known as Bike Jesus, which opens on to a dirt bike track right outside where techno dancers are often seen taking a break or chatting with friends and strangers alike. It is Bike Jesus that Thibault would especially recommend to techno friendly newcomers in Prague.
“Bike Jesus is a cool place to meet people and there's also Fuchs right above it. Yeah, I would recommend going there first because it's a cool place for outdoor and indoor events. And yeah, it's kind of a mix of all kinds of people that you can meet in Prague.”
Three of the four mentioned clubs are located around the capital’s Holešovice neighborhood, which could perhaps be described as the unofficial center of Prague’s techno scene. Here, it is quite common during the day to pass by young people wearing the kinds of outfits that feature at a Friday night techno party.
For those who need help identifying this kind of music species a good hint is that girls often wear large Dr Martens-style shoes, fishnets and sometimes unnatural hair colors. Boys on the other hand will generally be dressed completely in black. The area also sports many other clubs aside from the big three, where various genres of techno music are on show every week.
Greg and Thibault agree that Prague is still far behind Europe’s techno meccas such as Berlin or Paris. However, they also insist that the local scene certainly offers much talent and wild parties. It is quite common to come across foreign techno connoisseurs, as well as DJs, at any one of these events.
Filling the Void
The VOID collective specifically focuses on the hard techno genre. Aside from Thibault and Greg, whose DJ name is Flakka, there is are also DJs Carlos Young and OM. All three have their own accounts on the music website SoundCloud, where they profile some of their tracks. Aside from this, the collective also hosts its own podcast series, where they profile up-and-coming techno DJs in Prague. Greg says that they are always on the lookout for new talent.
“We really want to promote talent from the local scene.”
“We really want to promote talent from the local scene. So yeah, if you by any chance are a hard techno DJ and you live in Prague, give us a call.”
For its Saturday gig at Altenburg 1964, the collective has decided to take advantage of the generally phenomenal summer weather and will kick-off their set already during the afternoon, around 4pm local time.
Aside from Greg and Carlos, the line-up also includes the Dutch-born DJ Dan Woezik. Based in Sweden, Woezik has become an internationally recognised artist, featuring on several well-respected global electronic imprints. Psychologist-turned-techno-DJ Claire Nøir is also set to perform on the boat’s main stage, in what will be her first ever gig. Dedicated to giving newcomers a chance, VOID has organised a competition for newcomer DJs with the winners being able to get a spot-on stage too.
Thibault, a devotee of high-quality sound, says he is aiming to ensure that only the best possible quality of the music will be coming out of the boats many amplifiers. The surrounding shore, where attendees can take a break, chat and engage in sunbathing, is also set to feature stands with accompanying DJs performing music.
Last but not least, a mobile tattoo studio will be set up at the gig. VOID DJ OM, who is also a tattoo artist, will be the man behind the needle. For those who are interested, he promises to “seamlessly blend his passion for tattooing with the pulsating energy of the event.”
In case you are wondering what to expect before you wake up with a timeless memory, some of his work is on show as part of the collective’s event announcement post.
