Eric Berfela reviews Boris Brejcha- techno gig
Excited, my friends and I start making towards London. However, the venue has changed, from The Egg in north London to a place called Bankside Vaults in Blackfriars. That doesn’t matter though, what matters is that we’re going to see the king of techno music: Boris Brejcha. The German DJ spearheads a type of techno that he calls “high-tech minimal techno”. Fancy words for a few beats that repeat themselves, no? Not quite.
We enter the elusive venue and are greeted by arched pillars, tall ceilings, two stages separated by two lounge areas, carefully placed spots of light and the smell of excitement in the air. The place already looks magical. We are informed by an imposing looking member of staff that Boris doesn’t play until 03:00, that’s quite the wait, but we join the crowd that is dancing to the tunes of a resident DJ; nothing too special, just your usual, run-of-the-mill techno. However, there is an anxiousness in the air, a palpable sense of anticipation. People trying to make their way through the crowd, restless dancers of the night, shouts of “When does Boris come on stage?!”. My friends and I decide that the best thing to do is lay back in the lounge area and sip on a drink or two until Boris starts playing.
Before we know it, everything around us falls silent. We know what’s happening; the king has come. We quickly join the crowd, trying to get in front as much as we can. The lights dim, the crowd cheers, and out of darkness a figure manifests, wearing his trademark Joker mask. The crowd goes wild at the sight of him, and out of those shouts drops a beat sicker than the worst case of fresher’s flu’ anyone could imagine. Our ears feast on a spectacle of dark, groovy and perfect beats. People stop trying to make their way through the crowd, time ceases to exist, problems are no longer important. All that matters is the now, and the magical sound that Boris has carved out of the intersection of obscene talent and a natural understanding of the crowd. You can’t stay put even if you want to. There is no choice, but to let yourself float in the myriad of drops, beats and vibes that this man has crafted. No cheap gimmicks, no calls to the crowd to sing; just pure, unadulterated groove – the essence of techno.
All of a sudden, the lights come on and the music stops. What?! Is this some kind of error? I check my watch; it is now 06:30. How is that possible? This guy only started playing a few minutes ago. Slightly surprised by the passage of time, we start making our way to the train that will take us home. However, as we get out, the world seems strange; like the entirety of London has lost out on something… completely different. We need some time to process what we experienced. One thing is for sure; the sky is the limit for Boris.
On our way back to Colchester, a funny thought pops in mind, by comparison, nights in Subzero now look like a McDonalds kids birthday party. I flash a content smile to my friends, and they smile back – we all think the same.
PS: Youtube Boris Brejcha’s 2018 Tomorrowland set. Ah, and make sure you have your best pair of headphones plugged in. You owe it to yourself.