Wednesday, 8pm, we arrived at Fabrik‘s parking lot and something seemed already quite clear: this new edition of CODE promises a lot. One of the quintessential techno events of the Spanish capital, this festival brings together thousands of clubbers from Madrid and from all around the country, eager for the best electronic music of the scene. Under the motto ‘+ than Techno music‘, Fabrik‘s industrial space became just that: more than simple techno music. Praiseworthy the work that Nuke and Cesar Almena have been carrying out for more than 13 years and 124 editions behind them.
We entered the huge club to catch the three Desolat’s promises Yaya, Caleb Calloway and Francisco Allendes. The three young artists enjoyed and laughed behind the booth, and this vibe inevitably spread throughout the dance floor. Tech house and groovy House, instruments and voices with lots of ‘flow’. We did not even want to lose a piece of the session of the beloved resident Nuke in the Satelite Room, where we were heading in order to experience the DJ’s French touch. As it is usual in the Spanish culture, the dance floors were not crowded before 1am, so we were able to enjoy the young Roman Poncet’s set, something really unique.
After the subtle set of Poncet, the unstoppable dynamic duo composed by Antigone and François X took control of the situation. The Parisians perfectly know Fabrik’s audience, and of course they did not disappoint it. After half an hour the Satellite began to be filled with the rhythm of hypnotic and dark techno that the two artists were playing without any error. We were stuck within a musical journey but we decided to head to the Main to see the curious b2b between Waff and Davide Squillace. A combination between a veteran of the scene and a relative ‘novice’ one, who deployed a strong arsenal of energy, connecting perfectly with an abundant public of the club.
Nevertheless, the Satellite was calling us. After a more than deserved applause to dismiss the pair of French artists, David Flores, better known as Truncate landed at the booth. The most raw, instrumental and unadulterated techno flooded the room. It is easy to understand why he has achieved so much recognition among the most respected artists of the world. A set full of energy, not recommended for faint in heart, that we appreciated in a comfortable way.
One of the most awaited artist of the night was waiting behind Truncate. We really wanted to see what the acclaimed Ø [Phase], a regular producer in record labels such as Token (Belgium) or Dystopian (Rødhad‘s label), was going to offer us. The British took control of the ship and did not disappoint anyone, transporting us to another dimension through a beautiful journey maiden of melodies and pristine mixes. A special thanks to the Fabrik’s team for bringing not so common artists to the Spain capital and for delighting our ears.
While, in the Main, Guti was ending his Live set and leaving space to the star of the night. Loco Dice appeared in the booth to prepare his set up for the big closing, and people began to chant his name, wrapped in flags with slogans, logos, shirts and hats from Düsseldorf. The boss of Desolat plays at home when he comes to Fabrik, and this time proved to be in perfect form. An energetic set that made anyone dancing to the beat of the house bombs with touches of techno and hip-hop that the veteran DJ was throwing.
Returning to the Satelite, 2 artists of the PoleGroup were responsible for handing out drums and closing the room.
We are happy to know that the purest techno has a bright future ahead, and the Spanish Reeko along with the Portuguese Lewis Fautzi are 2 of those responsible. A perfect close that started with a haunting and dark melody, anticipating what we would expect during the last hour and a half: a back2back of vertigo full of ‘Iberian’ techno and industrial music not suitable for all the people.
A few minutes from closing, the lights went on and we did not want the night to run out, but we had to get back to reality. Nevertheless, in the Main, Loco continued dropping tracks, extending its set a few minutes more than the expected time. The magic moment came after the music stopped, giving rise to applause, whistles and screams from the audience. People begged for another song, and Loco did not disappoint them, punching a last song to close the night and giving us one of those moments that will be not forgotten.
CODE brings back muscle and demonstrates its strength, offering a quality event with different types of electronics and an ideal environment. CODE is precisely that, much more than techno. See you in the next edition!
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