This is How New York City Does Circoloco

As nss magazine’s Los Angeles correspondent, I must say simply, the New York warehouse/club scene goes much harder. Sure, the LA house parties are fun (and what happens in Calabasas stays in Calabasas, or whatever that quote is), but people in LA are too aware of themselves, causing parties to often fall short of that dance element of, let’s say, Ibiza’s villa parties. But not New York, the people here always want to dance, and that’s exactly who Circoloco’s line-up catered to, the dancers. Teksupport, the US producers and partners of Circoloco’s overseas tour (tickets are still available for Miami and LA), is providing the ultimate House and Techno experience of 2021. There was absolutely no opportunity to be a wall-flower this weekend. Held in Brooklyn’s Navy Warehouse from 10pm to 6am Chloé Caillet set a brilliant tone for the costume garbed attendees arriving at Circoloco on this spooky Friday night. Those arriving were immediately taken over by her international sound, as she charged up the night with a uniquely transcontinental musical blend.  Bartenders were conveniently organized along the entire perimeter of the massive space and danced it out with the rest of us for a wild night of the most highly curated tunes one can dance to in a night.

Virgil Abloh, clad in a Circoloco x Off-White tee, sent the sea of dancing costumes into full swing. With Kid Cudi by his side giving a mean 2-step and head bob to the floor shaking beats pouring out of the speaker system, the vibes were completely aligned. Kid Cudi even stepped in front of the DJ booth to get the crowd more hyped up as Virgil spinned a witty remix of Cudi’s music, which, the crowd of course, enthusiastically went wild for. Triggering that burst of nostalgia that we all experience when hearing Cudi’s music. Virgil’s sound, which can alternate from Hip-Hop/Rap Dj to Deep House is always an enjoyable, unconventionally cheeky fusion. Black Coffee’s pulsating 2-hour set was perfectly mixed with that superb South African flair which has made him one of the most sought after DJ’s in the world. That special South African element is a cultural sound, true to Black Coffee’s heritage, which has always elevated his sets from great to phenomenal. His trademark mix, carried by the cadence of beautiful vocals permeated by a ferocious Afro-House beat, provided those who might be new to Black Coffee on this night, with a version his ultimate sound. Those who follow Black Coffee’s sound were enthralled by the mixes of some of his most classic work, such as “Superman” featuring Bucie. Ending his set with a grand mash-up of Daft Punk’s “One More Time” and deep, pounding sounds, the crowd beamed with a glow that only a night in New York City can give. Closing out the night was DJ Tennis, with an unapologetically slamming set that even had the security guards slightly two stepping at 5 in the morning. At the end of the night, the massive audience happily walked through the torrential downpour to their Ubers and trains, smiles on their faces, as they had successfully conquered a night of Circoloco NYC.

On Day 2, Circoloco announced that there would be no more tickets sold at the door signing off with an excitingly ominous “Be Safe”. Saturday night was completely insane, in the most Brooklyn warehouse, rager on Halloween-eve, Ibiza-esque way possible. A completely different lineup was arranged to transport the crowd to Ibiza’s DC-10 starting off with Mink, welcoming in New York’s ghouls and goblins of Deep House. New York’s very own Martinez Brothers, hailing from The Bronx, took this lux crowd all the way uptown for a nastyyy 2-hour ride. If you’ve ever been uptown, you can imagine the blaring Dembow/reggaeton music coming from the boosted speaker system of a, more than likely, older car, with a perfectly shaped up haircut sitting behind the wheel (visualization of friends smoking hookah in the backseat  is optional). That same exact raw, bass-boosted reggaeton is what transitioned the party from the typical deep house 2-stepping shimmy, to a back popping, seductive wasit moving, arm thrusting all out dance party. The Martinez Brothers are a testament to the difference between being a “House DJ” and House music being ingrained in one’s being and essence, and successfully translating that to how the crowd positively receives and reacts to the sound is their specialty. Damian Lazarus ended the night with an incredible cascade of high energy tunes, that dispelled all notions that I’d be leaving any time before 6am (l left at 6:12).

Circoloco NYC, in its 6th year, was truly one for the books. In an exciting move this year, Circoloco announced the launch of their record label, CircoLoco Records, which was also followed up by a major partnership with video game creator Rockstar Games. The first release, Monday Dreamin’, is a compilation of iconic contributions from the likes of Carl Craig, Seth Troxler, Kerri Chandler, and more! The goal of this merger aims to fuse “the physical and digital worlds of entertainment to support and elevate dance music culture worldwide.” Having represented the House and Techno genres for over 20 as an intersection of music, fashion, and culture, Circoloco is furthering their legacy by having a direct hand in the representation of House and Techno talent.  House music, though only comprehensively understood by few, is thoroughly enjoyed by millions. It transcends any particular “type of person” or culture, and aids as a catalyst for uniting rather than separating. Social status, economic status, and all the “differences” modern society is built upon doesn’t really matter here, (unless you’re buying a table of course), and the unifying power of House continues to positively augment one’s relationship to music, and life.