Get the calendar and a thick black pen ready...
This autumn/winter sees London based promoters Broken & Uneven roll out their second collection of serialised parties under a new banner title: The Hydra. The twelve events will invite some of Europe’s most revered promoters, record labels and DJs to secret East London warehouse and studio spaces, hoping to recreate the success of last Spring's Beta series.
The list of those involved in The Hydra so far reads like a clubber’s wet dream: a Deviation party featuring Moodyman; an Innervisions and Permanent Vacation Halloween special with Tensnake, Ame and Prins Thomas; Boddika’s Non Plus label takeover featuring the man himself along with current collaborator Joy Orbison; Dial Records over from Hamburg with Pantha Du Prince and Efdemin; an R&S label showcase; and drum and bass mainstays A Bunch of Cuts hosting a DRS album launch along with Marcus Intalex, Justyce and more.
Things kick off on Bank Holiday weekend with the muscular Berlin techno of Ostgut Ton, the label owned by the city’s infamous Berghain/Panorama bar. But before all that, we had a chat with Dolan from the Broken & Uneven camp to get his view on what’s to come over the next few months.
Who controls the many heads of the Hydra? What are your backgrounds?
The Hydra was set up by Ajay Jayaram (formerly of The End & We Fear Silence/Cable) and Dolan Bergin (Electric Minds).
Why ‘The Hydra’?
In Greek mythology, The Hydra was a 'beast with many heads', a concept which we thought was a good way of describing our vision of being able to program a series of events that covered many different areas of the electronic music scene.
What made you choose Ostgut Ton to kick the series off again?
When Ajay and I met we had our own individual projects and it wasn’t until February of this year that we decided to bring everything together to form a series of events. We look after Ostgut Ton in London and the relationship we have with them is a core part of what we do so with the second of this year's dates scheduled for the August Bank Holiday Friday it just felt like the natural place to start.
And what was behind the decision to use warehouse and studio spaces rather than take it to clubs?
I think between the two of us we pretty much have both areas covered, Ajay was integral in the running of The End for 10 years and I've spent the last 7 years organising events in temporary spaces. Using the warehouse / studio spaces felt like the best option as we have complete creative control over what we do. It does however, have its disadvantages as with the changes in licensing and the stringent conditions put in place around the Olympics, it's meant many a headache securing venues. Trying to put together a series of events using temporary spaces in London has not been an easy task!
Why is London so special in terms of clubbing?
I think London offers a diversity of electronic music that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. We may not have the relaxed opening hours that Berlin enjoys but the level of choice that is on offer each weekend is astonishing. Outside of the clubs there is also a healthy live circuit: jazz, classical etc. I really think London leads the way when it comes to choice and its been that way for decades.
You’re allowed three DJs dead or alive for the greatest party on earth. Who’s behind the decks?
Larry Levan, Theo Parrish & Moritz von Oswald.
The Hydra feat Ostgut Ton is on Bank Holiday Friday
The Hydra feat A Bunch of Cuts is on Bank Holiday Saturday
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