BARAC
Dogruff @ The Lemon Factory, Swansea
Fri 11 Mar
We’ve written before about the ongoing mission of the promoters at Dogruff in Swansea to foster a kind of unofficial exchange program in Swansea for the cream of Romania’s massive minimal tech movement. In a city that hasn’t got the strongest club culture, Dogruff is without doubt one of the most successful nights, and that they manage this while bringing these niche DJs over on a regular basis is one of those oddities that’s just too peculiar and brilliant to ignore.
I say niche, but Romania, and the capital Bucharest in particular, has made waves through the dance music world for over a decade with its minimal techno scene, and the leading DJs – Raresh, Rhadoo, Petre Inspirescu (collectively known as RPR Soundsystem) and now Barac himself – are favourites clubs like Fabric in London and Dommune in Tokyo. Their music is inspired by the pioneers of minimal techno (sometimes cleverly spelt “mnml”): Detroit’s Richie Hawtin, Argentina’s Ricardo Villalobos, and Zip, whose label, Perlon, is still the definitive source of the sound. Bucharest is known for long, long parties soundtracked by this species of stripped-down techno, rumbling languidly with an understated, trippy energy and consisting almost entirely of rhythm – it’s kind of monochrome, if not sepia in tone, which might sound dull to you. For enthusiasts, in the correct groove zone, its power is undeniable.
Tickets: £8-£12. Info: [email protected]
words GWYN THOMAS DE CHROUSTCHOFF