Techno in Bangkok?

[BT444]

are there any good techno or minimal DJs in Bangkok? do they play out often? if so, where? desperate to find some good techno!

[moradave]

What are techno and minimal?

[GooEng]

Sorry can't help, IMHO most of the bkk dj's are hopeless/boring. If you do find any decent techno dj's out there post here to advise.

[Marcel1]

Agreed nightlife in Bkk is total crap.. great for getting wasted and have a laugh but quality music?... nope. sometimes there are some good lifebands but no techno, electronic, hardstyle it is a real rehab for me here without good nights out

[BT444]

Sorry can't help, IMHO most of the bkk dj's are hopeless/boring. If you do find any decent techno dj's out there post here to advise.

thats a bummer. coming from Tokyo - the Asian mecca for electronic music - its a huge step down, musically-speaking

[buffalobob]

Glow has some decent DJs recently.

I'm quite old now so got quite excited when Sven Vath was here a while back.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

[brzy]

Demo @ Thonglor 10 - 16th April i am running a Techno night, Its a Wednesday night but its real techno free entry btw

[HeavyDrinker]

Fill a biscuit tin full of stones and roll it down stairs....same effect....

[ivan96822]

^^^^

Marcel, BKK has bad nightlife?

Where do you feel the nightlife is better?

I rather enjoy my nights in LOS...

[redshiftertechno]

Hey there - I know that this thread is a few years old but it's quite a prominent post in google if you're looking for techno and doesn't post an accurate picture of today so I thought I'd respond and update a few things.

There are three proper techno nights run by a small crew (52hz). (disclosure - as you'll see I'm playing at these but I don't run them so this post is really to counter the negative views that have ended up on google)

Firstly... Tech-Noir - This is based at Glow and the first Thursday of every month. Recently rebooted it's focussed on pure techno (i.e. non of the EDM or tech-house crap that gets sadly rebranded as techno) ---Tech-Noir is the monthly event in Bangkok that focuses purely on real underground techno. No tech-house, no cheesy hands-in-the-air poptronica masquerading as techno, just pure machine funk of the highest order!---

You can see the first event recently here which I played at along with The Outsider who runs it and is the main resident. http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?790724 Glow is a quality venue with an absolutely top notch soundsystem (Funktion-One no less). The recent event had about 70 people there from 1am onwards on a Thursday and all going for it. Anders (The Outsider) warmed up and finished off and I played a hybrid DJ/live set in the middle...a good night I thought.

The next Tech-Noir (4th Feb) has two DJs from Europe, who play around 125-130bpm techno towards a minimal tip, Metshka and Ben Kaczor. https://www.facebook.com/events/1678502669058463/

Then you've got, A Dark Symphony, which is at the Dark Bar on Ekamai 10 (tell your taxi driver Ekamai Sip and when you get there it's up the stairs). This is run by Tristan Kino who favours a deeper techno sound so maybe a tad slower but very similar music to Tech-Noir. Again a quality venue but different to Glow. More locals I think but a few techno heads turned up straight off planes from various places. It's monthly but different days depending on other events. Anyway it's quality techno, aimed at a deeper sound but still pretty minimal, maybe some more room for experimentation here. I DJed at the last night a few days ago on a Friday and it was busy until it closed at 3am. (There was also a Dub Techno night on here recently during the week and loads of other nights on too such as A Dark Room and a Feeling which is an underground house night)

And last but not least are the Unt8ld events that are put on at White Line on Silom 8. Again, these are techno nights and this venue is awesome. It's full of art installations and it just feels like a warehouse with minimal lighting and decor and a booming bass heavy soundsystem. The third event is coming up which you can see here. - http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?794485 Both Tristan and Outside are playing at this and I'm playing live (as Redshifter)

I have only lived over here a few months and only recently met the above crew who are starting to put focus on proper techno and I think 2016 will be a breakthrough year. So if you're over here on holiday, or travelling, or a local who is into techno then please get involved and support the scene. Do what the guys from Berlin that I met at Tech-Noir did and turn up early, stay to the end and stagger into taxis for an afterparty. Or the Italian's that I met at Dark Symphony did which is jump straight off the plane from Chiang Mai and taxi it straight to the club suitcases and all. We look forward to meeting you all.

And if there are any other real techno nights going on then please let me know. I'm only posting the above because these are the three I know about and my main aim is to ensure a healthy scene focussing on good music rather than promoting one over another. Hopefully some more DJs and producers will come out of the woodwork too.

All the best,

Stu (Redshifter)

https://soundcloud.com/redshiftertechno

https://www.facebook.com/redshiftertechno

https://twitter.com/redshifter909

[CharlieH]

Better to ask in the local Bangkok forum...

MOVED

[Thainess]

Plenty of minimal DJs in Bangkok! They have a laptop with some illegally downloaded MP3s on it, and they call themselves DJs.

[rwdrwdrwd]

I for one am glad to hear there are techno events going on, being heavily into sound systems and DJing back in the UK in the 90s I miss it massively.

Moving to BKK in a couple of months, in fact very close to Dark Bar (which I was looking forward to checking out), so perhaps see some of you there or on a Thursday at Glow!

In terms of preferred techno flavour, for me as a few examples Neil Landstrumm, Green Velvet, Woody Mcbride, Paul Birken, DJ Hyperactive are right up my alley.

Wish I'd bought my 1210s out - might do so one day.

PS Redshifter, I remember Embryo very well any chance you know of Ugly Funk?

Edited January 26, 2016 by rwdrwdrwd

[PomRakBKK]

I for one am glad to hear there are techno events going on, being heavily into sound systems and DJing back in the UK in the 90s I miss it massively.

Moving to BKK in a couple of months, in fact very close to Dark Bar (which I was looking forward to checking out), so perhaps see some of you there or on a Thursday at Glow!

In terms of preferred techno flavour, for me as a few examples Neil Landstrumm, Green Velvet, Woody Mcbride, Paul Birken, DJ Hyperactive are right up my alley.

Wish I'd bought my 1210s out - might do so one day.

Technics 1210's are about to hit the market again in a revamped version.

[PomRakBKK]

While we are at it, is there any place to buy recent vinyls (house, techno) somewhere in Bangkok?

Kinda miss the old vinyl shops we had back in europe where you'd spent half a day listening to new releases and buying a few on your way out.

Does anything like this exist here, or is everyone with a Macbook and an automixer a DJ now and the real DJ culture is non existant in bangkok?

[Lumbini]

Buying one of these on Amazon and plug your headphones in may be better than clubs here [emoji445][emoji445]

Ten Of The Best Hardware Drum Machines

https://www.attackmagazine.com/reviews/the-best/ten-of-the-best-hardware-drum-machines/11/

[GabrielB]

Glow!!

[redshiftertechno]

I for one am glad to hear there are techno events going on, being heavily into sound systems and DJing back in the UK in the 90s I miss it massively.

Moving to BKK in a couple of months, in fact very close to Dark Bar (which I was looking forward to checking out), so perhaps see some of you there or on a Thursday at Glow!

In terms of preferred techno flavour, for me as a few examples Neil Landstrumm, Green Velvet, Woody Mcbride, Paul Birken, DJ Hyperactive are right up my alley.

Wish I'd bought my 1210s out - might do so one day.

PS Redshifter, I remember Embryo very well any chance you know of Ugly Funk?

Apologies for not replying sooner, I subscribed to updates I think but didn't get any. I guess you are over now then?

I do know Ugly Funk very well and played for them live a couple of times. In fact they did the Embryo 8 launch party and possibly it was the first night they had called Ugly Funk (although that may be a hazy memory).. Known Grant for a very long time and still keep in touch with Scott Robinson, in fact he's just done a remix for me.

[redshiftertechno]

While we are at it, is there any place to buy recent vinyls (house, techno) somewhere in Bangkok?

Kinda miss the old vinyl shops we had back in europe where you'd spent half a day listening to new releases and buying a few on your way out.

Does anything like this exist here, or is everyone with a Macbook and an automixer a DJ now and the real DJ culture is non existant in bangkok?

I had to ask around and Studio Lam has some vinyl for sale, limited amount but some techno. Also Marco Lenzi was over here recently to play at Tech-Noir and he sourced some choice vinyl but refuses to tell anyone where it was from!!

From what I can tell most DJs are using CDJs with sticks, some are using CDJs with CDs (I'm just moving back to this now) and others are using traktor, serato, ableton etc. I don't think it really matters as long as the tunes are good and the crowd is moving. I personally will use vinyl (when I get my decks over here in the summer), CDJs, USB sticks and ableton along with drum machines and other stuff as the mood takes me.

So there may be a vinyl shop hidden somewhere but I think we would have found it by now. Hoping for someone to prove me wrong!

[redshiftertechno]

While we are at it, is there any place to buy recent vinyls (house, techno) somewhere in Bangkok?

Kinda miss the old vinyl shops we had back in europe where you'd spent half a day listening to new releases and buying a few on your way out.

Does anything like this exist here, or is everyone with a Macbook and an automixer a DJ now and the real DJ culture is non existant in bangkok?

I had to ask around and Studio Lam has some vinyl for sale, limited amount but some techno. Also Marco Lenzi was over here recently to play at Tech-Noir and he sourced some choice vinyl but refuses to tell anyone where it was from!!

From what I can tell most DJs are using CDJs with sticks, some are using CDJs with CDs (I'm just moving back to this now) and others are using traktor, serato, ableton etc. I don't think it really matters as long as the tunes are good and the crowd is moving. I personally will use vinyl (when I get my decks over here in the summer), CDJs, USB sticks and ableton along with drum machines and other stuff as the mood takes me. There are some vinyl spinners and I think they either buy when they go abroad or order from discogs, juno etc.

So there may be a vinyl shop hidden somewhere but I think we would have found it by now. Hoping for someone to prove me wrong!

[redshiftertechno]

Plenty of minimal DJs in Bangkok! They have a laptop with some illegally downloaded MP3s on it, and they call themselves DJs.

I can't really comment on that but there are quite a few proper pros out here too.

[redshiftertechno]

So just an update since I last posted about the scene since it's been about 3 months... Ben Kaczor came over and rocked it. I doubt that there have been many nights in Bangkok that sounded like Berghain at peak hours. This was one.

Dark Symphony was relaunched as Obsidian (run by Tristan Kino) and the deep techno sounds good at the Dark Bar. Also at the dark bar Anders (The Outsider) packed it out with Germany's LY-RA (she works for Richie Hawtin apparently and plays haaaard)

Kirk Degiorgio was over recently and last night the swedish dude Rivet played (both for COSM nights) so there are good international artists flying through as well as us residents keeping it going. There was also the Kolour festival. I didn't go but had good reports.

Next week we have Tech-Noir 004 with Felix Moreno and myself playing. Schools are out, end of the tourist season, might just go off. https://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?822771. Maybe we will see you there.

If you're into that sort of thing then we have a new FB group - https://web.facebook.com/groups/1548386528814521/

(disclaimer - I don't know everything so if you feel under represented here just get in touch on facebook)

[redshiftertechno]

Been a year since I last posted but the scene is truly excellent over here at the moment. A few smaller groups are putting on regular nights, Glow continues to have a busy monthly Tech-Noir slot and we've had Sven Vath over, Stefan Vincent, Loco Dice, Ben Long and have the Giegling crew over shortly. When you add these to all of the local stuff you can see it's a decent place. Safe Room has turned into an excellent venue and Dark Bar continues to put on many nights and Glow is attracting bigger names now. 

 

Marco Lenzi is in town this week for Tech-Noir and I'm playing a full live techno set which you don't really get much of over here. It's getting towards the end of the tourist season so hoping for decent numbers as usual before it quietens down in the summer heat. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/211826002623028/