Continuing our London promoters series, Spoonfed catches up with the man behind the Electric Minds parties, Dolan Bergin.
One thing London undoubtedly knows how to do is throw a good underground party. Our capital city spoils us with a seemingly unending amount of warehouses, lofts, and car parks ready to stick a soundsystem in and go. One name intrinsically linked with the scene is Electric Minds, the brainchild of London based promoter and record label boss Dolan Bergin. His parties have become a fixture in the diary of those in-the-know, with the likes of Mark E, Move D and Session Victim all appearing over the past few years. June 18th sees the next instalment - a loft party in collaboration with We Play House record label featuring San Soda and Red D, so before that we caught up with Dolan to pick his brains about his life promoting and partying.
What did you want to be when you were young? Was making people dance anywhere on the list?
I think I wanted to be a trader when I was younger, most likely after seeing Wall Street. But in some form I had started organising parties when I was in secondary school although it took a few more years after that to realise its something Id consider getting into properly.
How did you get started in the promoting world?
Id been organising parties for a few years by this point but I started to promote things properly when I stopped throwing free parties in a warehouse I lived in and instead started to do things properly in an empty snooker club down the road in Dalston.
Have you been confronted by any outstanding obstacles at any point?
I recently lost my record bag in a drunken moment after a gig. I pulled my hair out trying to find them in the days afterwards and after all hope had been given up, to get a phone call from the taxi driver out of the blue to say he had been trying to find me to return them was certainly outstanding !
What is the key to pulling people back through the door each time?
I think you just need to be with honest with people, tell them what they are getting and be reasonable in what you ask for in return. Other than that the making sure the sound is nothing short of excellent at each party is also a good place to start.
What’s been your favourite venue in London so far?
It would be the loft I use regularly for our parties. Ive been to most venues in London and thrown parties at quite a few too but something about the shape of the room or maybe the natural light from the street lights or the sun as it starts to come up makes for a really nice space.
What's the best rave moment of your life?
I think it would have to be the closing night at a club called Sterns. It shut in ‘93 and at the time was a seminal club outside of London with residents such as Colin Dale, Terry Francis, Grooverider, Top Buzz so to catch the last coupe of nights was an experience as I was only 15 at the time. Weirdly though the club doesn’t really get much of a mention in the history books but it certainly deserves to !
What’s your take on the party scene at the moment?
I think its really healthy in London at the moment. It doesn’t make my job any easier as there is so much competition but in terms of choice, alongside Berlin I don’t think it can be beaten anywhere in the world.
What younger promoters are you most impressed by and why?
Hard to say really, I cant pick one but anyone that doesn’t rant about their party being the next best thing is a breath of fresh air.
Track of the day?
Rhythm & Sound “No Partial”
Electric Minds: We Play House loft party takes place at a secret location on 18th June
Click here to see all London DJ music.
Click here for things to do in London.
Return to Spoonfed's London Clubbing homepage.
.jpg)
Add an event
Review: Byzantium
20 years after Interview with a Vampire, director Neil Jordan cooks up the theme on a ...