How far those years of the “movida madrileña” are! How far and, somehow, also how close. The fact is that Madrid, year after year, sees how its music scene improves, grows and compares with those that, until 5 years ago, were references for the Spanish capital. Just as Madrid was 2 decades ago. Will we ever see Madrid again at the epicentre of the European electronic scene? At the moment, we are on our way. As an example, this is what October 2019 looks like in the centre of Spain.
10. DJ Misbehaviour and more @ Blue Lights in the Basement (berlinClub)
DJ Misbehaviour was born in London, where she started collecting vinyl records when she was only 9 years old. Later, she moved to New York, where she became a distinguished DJ. She has performed in Output, Brooklyn Bowl, The Boiler Room, The Roxy and Cielo, she’s a resident of Mobile Mondays and The Skate Circle at Central Park, and has worked alongside eminent artists such as Biz Markie and Danny Krivit. She’s a great example of what berlinClub wants to become: the new refuge for the most restless and curious eardrums and the most authentic clubbers of Madrid. Don’t lose sight of its programme, as real stars arrive also in November.
When: Saturday, October 26thWhere: berlinClubLineup: DJ Misbehaviour, S-brid and Nacho Larache
9. Kessell and more @ Upper Club Madrid
If someone’s looking for techno, stop doing it, you already found it. Upper Club Madrid always bets on underground electronic music and there is no better way to prove it than with line-ups like this. Surely, many of you already know Kessell, even without realizing it. He is half of the Pole Group duo Exium, and, in his solo sessions, he investigates much more liquid and deep tones, letting himself be influenced by dub and techno ‘made in Detroit’.
When: Thursday, October 24thWhere: Upper Club MadridLineup: Kessell and J. Gonzalbo
8. Apparat and more @ After Brunch (Florida Retiro)
The German Apparat comes from living one of the most intense summers in recent seasons. Whether with his band in concert format -offering performances of contemplative music of extreme beauty- or alone in DJ format -approaching closer to experimental deep house and melodic downtempo-, Apparat has been reaping great recognitions wherever he’s performed. He is half of Moderat, the group that he forms together with Modeselektor, so it wouldn’t be surprising to end up dancing to one of the hits of the band. Any better plan for a Sunday afternoon in the centre of Madrid or, better said, in the heart of Parque del Retiro?
When: Sunday, October 6thWhere: Florida RetiroLineup: Apparat, Torrione, Luchino and Maik Miroux
7. Umek (4h techno classics set) and more @ Ekho (La Riviera)
Because a night of classics doesn’t hurt anyone and, even less if it’s in charge of the Slovenian Umek, a guy who revolutionized the techno of the late ’90s and early ’00s, that overloaded techno, similar to the Neapolitan of other classics like Markantonio or Marco Carola in their early years. Remember those Behind The Iron Curtain sessions in charge of Umek? He was a pioneer in that sound as repetitive and linear as demanding. Thanks to Ekho, we’ll have him in the booth for 4 hours, recalling those songs that worked best for him in his early years.
When: Friday, October 11thWhere: La RivieraLineup: Umek, Cesar Almena and Nuke
6. Wally Lopez and more @ La Riviera
Surrender the hype is the new album by the national house legend Wally Lopez, so it’s time to go on tour and present it in the best venues in Spain. And, yes, everything will start in Madrid, specifically in La Riviera. It’ll be an ideal night to get to know the new trends of one of the pioneers of the Spanish scene.
When: Saturday, October 5thWhere: La RivieraLineup: Wally Lopez, YAMIL, Ivan Pica, MNL, luke Garcia, Th3 Oth3r and Alex Andre
5. Silent Servant and more @ Stardust (Sala Cool)
A ‘reinterpreter’ of the genre. That’s how we’d like to define Silent Servant. He’s one of the giants of the genre, one of those guys who never gets tired of trying, researching, testing and trying out new textures, concepts and nuances. Its futuristic techno sound ideally fits Stardust, one of the darkest and most forceful proposals of the Madrid underground scene.
When: Friday, October 11thWhere: Sala CoolLineup: Silent Servant and Nöle
4. Erick Morillo, Tiga, Dennis Cruz, Oxia and more @ elrow Halloween (Fabrik Madrid)
The craziest party in the national territory already converted into a model followed by organizers from all over the world, lands again in the best macro club in the country: Fabrik. Of course, we’re talking about elrow, which for its traditional Halloween date (or, as they say, Horroween) features the mythical Oxia (creator of the anthem “Domino”), the tech-house symbol Dennis Cruz, the Canadian Tiga and Ibiza legend Erick Morillo. A huge party is more than guaranteed.
When: Saturday, October 26thWhere: Fabrik MadridLineup: Erick Morillo, Dennis Cruz, Tiga, Oxia, Franky Rizardo, Christian Münch, Flug, Jay Lumen, Jonas Kopp, Leon, Piero Pirupa, [Wex 10], Marc Maya, Bastian Bux, Dave Sinner, Nuke, Cesar Almena, Overman, Clusterhead and Darkolo
3. &ME and more @ After Brunch (Florida Retiro)
In the alias of this young producer and DJ from Berlin, one already perceives his enormous modesty. It’s exactly the same modesty with which he burst onto the scene a few years ago. &ME is part of the Berlin collective keinemusik, which he shares with other artists from the German capital such as Adam Port, Rampa or David Mayer. His productions, always between downtempo, melodic house and experimental electronica, are usually heard in sets of people like Dixon or even Damian Lazarus. With &ME on the DJ booth, elegance and subtlety are always present. It’s an ideal proposal for a Sunday afternoon at After Brunch.
When: Sunday, October 20thWhere: Florida RetiroLineup: &ME, Torrione and Maik Miroux
2. Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins and more @ Ekho (La Riviera)
No, we’re not in Detroit. Although, somehow, we’ll get very, very close that night. Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins form the Holy Trinity, The Belleville Three, the triangle that gave birth to this timeless genre so revered throughout the world. Yes, they are the fathers of techno music. They’re the ones who started all this madness. Imagine seeing them together in one night. It will happen at La Riviera. And Ekho are the ones who made it possible.
When: Friday, October 25thWhere: La RivieraLineup: Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, Cesar Almena and Nuke
1. Carl Cox, Joseph Capriati and more @ Carl Cox Invites (Fabrik Madrid)
13 hours of music in multiple spaces, at the macro club Fabrik in Humanes de Madrid and, all, by explicit and personal invitation of Carl Cox. The quality filter is more than surpassed. The most acclaimed DJ of the modern techno scene will bring the techno sound of Joseph Capriati and Deborah de Luca, the tech-house of Davide Squillace, Richy Ahmed and Chelina Manuhutu, the rave sound of Keith Carnal and SHDW & Obscure Shape, and the melodic techno of Fur Coat. It’ll be a more than complete evening. It’s -by far- the best electronic party of October in Madrid.
When: Saturday, October 5thWhere: Fabrik MadridLineup: Carl Cox, Anna Tur, Brina Knauss, Cassy, Cesar Almena, Chelina Manuhutu, Christopher Coe, Davide Squillace, Deborah De Luca, Fatima Hajji, Fur Coat, Gabriel D’or, Gonçalo, Hannes Bieger, Joseph Capriati, Karretero, Keith Carnal, Marcel Fengler, Mat Playford, Matthias Tanzmann, Nic Fanciulli, Nuke, ONYVAA, Overman, Richy Ahmed, Satoshi Tomiie, Saytek, SHDW & Obscure Shape, Sidney Charles and Skream
(Cover Image: © Diego Muñoz Suárez from Pexels)