Pre-gig nerves from Gilb’r and Bufiman.
Berlin’s much-anticipated summer season has, so far, taken its time in 2019. However, the clouds broke appropriately in time for the Possible Futures party at ELSE last month. The outdoor venture of nearby Salon Zur Widen Renate, ELSE sits on a thin strip of land, sandwiched between a busy road bridge and the city’s circular S-Bahn. Despite the industrial trappings of the landscape, Renate have applied their usual, light-hearted sensibility to the venue, replete with a fresh pizzeria, fire pits, pinball machines and plenty of room to lounge around until night falls over the Spree.
This unpretentious attitude perfectly matched the musical programming of Possible Futures, which leaned heavily on jubilant house, disco and soul. The young and refreshingly mixed crowd were already well-settled into the performance from Dr. Dunks, AKA, Eric Duncan. A disco edit veteran, one half of Rub N’ Tug rolled out a generous, breezy set. This baton was picked up by Chicago’s finest Sadar Bahar, who maintained the mood with a fine mix of vocal-led cuts and obscurities from his vast, thirty-year collection. Already present and dancing behind the decks for the tail-end of Bahar’s set, Jayda G radiated her trademark positivity and got typically stuck-in to a two hour set that stretched from Masters at Work to Mariah Carey.
With Jayda’s set having drawn to a close, those not lining up to thank her for the music were drawn into ELSE’s riverside terrace area, which had been subtly transformed into a more traditional, dark club space for Bufiman & Gilb’r, playing before Alison Swing, who immediately took the music in a trippier, more offbeat direction, drawing on obscurities and weird funk from their storied collection of proto-house, weirdo disco and generally charismatic party cuts.
Here’s 10 standout tracks from the party.
ELSE continues its four month, 20 date programme until September. Find out more about the June dates.
