It all started back in 2010 – or so the story goes – with a webcam taped to a wall somewhere in London. And Boiler Room has come a long way since. Last week, it came to Amsterdam – for a three-day event that was part of the broadcaster’s 2023 World Tour, played everything from afrobeats to post-punk and drew thousands of excited dancers.
If the timing seems odd (it really isn’t festival season anymore), rest assured this tour really wasn’t a festival. For starters, each day housed a different line-up and genre. Thursday (a collab with local fashion label Daily Paper) was all about amapiano and afrobeats, featuring artists like Cheyanne Hudson, Jarreau Vandal and Spinall. Friday served melodic house and disco (featuring icons like Mr. Scruff, Jayda G, Fafi Abdel Nour and Peach). Sunday, meanwhile, was tailored to the weathered ravers, featuring industrial, post-punk, trance and techno acts by Lazergazer, Lolsnake, Mary Lake and more.
What also made the tour distinctly un-festival-like, was its variety of locations (which, to be fair, was due to a licensing issue with BR’s original location. But it did add to the event’s charm). The World Tour’s Sunday, for example, took place in a large, industrial hall next to the North Sea canal, a short ferry ride away from Amsterdam West’s equally industrial harbour area. This suited the line-up just fine. There’s nothing like a brisk bike ride past a metal recycling plant to get you in the mood for the loud, fast-paced unsh-unsh-unsh of Brutalismus3000 or the Herrensauna crew.
Speaking of saunas, it was HOT inside the venue’s main hall, where Spielraum residents Mary Lake and Afra dropped a deep, brooding beat. Their booth stood on a scaffold-like installation, which pulsated due to the base and the bodies heaving atop. Holding on to the scaffold’s metal rails, you could pretend you were a prima ballerina instead of a party monster. Meanwhile, in the booth, Mary Lake and Afra were joined by Shamiro van der Geld, Amsterdam’s former night mayor (not to be confused with nightmare) and a familiar face in the local club scene. Clad in a sweat-soaked BR towel, Shamiro was set to be the MC for the evening: an excellent choice.
For the uninitiated, Boiler Room’s recipe is simple. You pick a room, fill it with a bunch of club kids, place a DJ booth in the middle and invite several DJs to work that booth… and then you catch the whole thing on camera. Sure, it can make people a bit self-conscious (or even camera horny). But BR’s lack of hierarchy (meaning the DJ isn’t elevated or caged-in like in most venues) and constant broadcasting have resulted in many viral moments. Does anyone remember the towel guy? Or Carista’s 2018 Boiler Room set at Dekmantel? Because, more importantly, a good set here can catapult a DJ towards global fame. For BR’s World Tour, this meant striking a balance between international, ticket-selling headlines and familiar local talent – or ideally artists that combine both.
Zohar (also known by her other DJ name, Rachel Green) fell into this third category. The co-founder and programmer of online radio station Echobox (as well as the programmer of Garage Noord) had played Boiler Room previously, too. “But I didn’t think this one would be so big and crowded,” she laughed after her show. Her music is hard to describe because it doesn’t really adhere to genres or stick to a specific rhythm – which is exactly what makes it so great. Zohar can raise a BPM from 100 to 150 (or vice versa) in a matter of seconds, seducing even the visitors who are usually glued to their iPhones to put their device down and dance in the moment (however precariously).
Unlike most Boiler Rooms – which, as the name suggests, consist of one room – Sunday’s event had two. In the vast, main room, you could find Zohar, Afra and Mary Lake, Lolsnake (who played a mind-blowingly energetic, euphoric and clubby set all while wearing a killer outfit) and duo Brutalismus 3000 (who whipped the Ed Hardy-clad audience into a frenzy when announced by Shamiro).
With the notable and every memorable exception of local LazerGazer, the second (slightly smaller) room was dedicated almost exclusively to Herrensauna. The queer collective from Berlin includes DJ Saliva, Salome, MCMLXXXV, Cem, Jasss and SPFDJ. Although each artist has his, her or their own distinct sound, they all seem to share a common goal to play at the fastest pace imaginable – and this event was no exception. Considering the collective’s love for hard techno, the many drops and peaks in their sets and the strobing red lights of the venue; the whole thing felt like the opening scene of Blade. All in all, it was an evening to remember. But thanks to Boiler Room’s soon-to-be-uploaded broadcasts, you won’t have to.
