There are not many places where you expect to hear melodic techno echoing off wooden walls, still carrying the smell of melted cheese. But that is exactly what happened inside Hafechäs, Basel’s cult fondue bar, where El Tony Mate recently transformed an everyday local institution into the setting for its latest Selected Sessions rave.
A few weeks ago, only seventy-five guests made it inside the room for an intimate night led by Sofia Kourtesis and Basel-based selector Sebastian Konrad. Weeks later, the atmosphere has travelled far beyond Switzerland, with both performances now streaming online as part of the growing Selected Sessions archive.
Kourtesis’ set unfolds with the emotional intensity and warmth that have gradually made her one of the most distinctive voices orbiting contemporary electronic music. Across one hour, the Peruvian artist drifts through house, electro-pop, and melodic techno with a sense of closeness that feels almost disarming. Even through video, the room never loses its intimacy. The crowd surrounds the booth from every angle, reacting to every transition in real time as the space slowly dissolves into something between a party and a gathering of friends.
Earlier in the evening, Sebastian Konrad laid the foundations with a deep, groove-led warm-up built around hypnotic rhythms and leftfield textures. His approach feels patient and understated, allowing the energy inside the room to build naturally little by little. Together, both sets capture the kind of pacing that often disappears in larger-scale club environments.
That balance between internationally recognised artists and local communities sits at the centre of Selected Sessions, the ongoing El Tony Mate series dedicated to intimate parties in unconventional venues across Europe. Previous editions have unfolded inside a thrift store in Marseille, inside Amsterdam’s famous Condomerie, and across locations like barbershops and taquerias in Zurich. “Selected Sessions is El Tony Mate’s way of connecting music, culture and community through curated, intimate events,” says El Tony Mate’s Culture Specialist, Ellen Fölmli. “Basel reflected this perfectly, and we’re looking forward to expanding the format across Europe this year.”
Earier this week, the next Selected Sessions lands in Marseille, with future editions already planned for cities including Amsterdam, Lyon, and Vienna throughout 2026. The wider Culture Collective platform also includes DJ academies across Europe and producer academies in Ibiza designed to support emerging talent. Still, Selected Sessions perhaps says the most about where electronic music currently feels most exciting: smaller rooms, unusual spaces, and nights where the connection between artist, audience, and city feels immediate and completely alive.
