- Although New York now has one of the biggest dance music scenes in the world, for many years it was not a city that hosted big parties. Following the city-sponsored dismantling of various key clubs in the '90s, the scene shrunk and went underground, where it stayed until only recently. Even today, with the possible exception of several EDM-oriented events and the recently-booming SHADE parties, the larger warehouse gatherings are relatively modest in scale.
Cityfox has been floating around New York for several years. Originally started in Switzerland, it now has a presence across the US, and Brooklyn was one of its entry points into the market. This summer the team introduced a new venue, Brooklyn Mirage, a seasonal space reserved for weekly parties fronted by international guests. The venue is a vast expansion of an already-large warehouse, previously used only for nighttime parties. Now, though, it's expanded to include a heavily-decorated, open-air dance floor, the scale of which hasn’t been seen in New York for a decade or more. Add in 3D visual mapping, real palm trees, professional sound and ancient temple-like structures, and you've got the kind of atmosphere you'd normally only see in Ibiza.
It might be the scale of production that sets Cityfox apart, but their bookings are crucial. When they get it right, as they did last weekend with Dixon, Âme and perfect New York weather, it's a powerful synergy. Âme in particular was in fine form, playing modern, Detroit-influenced house that appealed as much to the trainspotters as the more casual partygoers.
Given the size of the venue, there was plenty to explore. It took a while to wander around the place, across the rooftop landings, through the crowd and over to the small open-air chill-out rooms. I eventually ended up in the King's Hall side room, where Taimur was closing in unusually hard fashion. Those on their feet were lit up by the ceiling's color-changing LED lights, while others relaxed on nearby couches.
As well-paced as the night was, it wasn’t without its speed bumps: the crowd showed stamina for nearly all of Dixon and Âme but the floor cleared quickly when Camea changed the tone, and she never really won them back. Taimur visibly struggled with technical issues on the turntables before switching to digital, though he still managed to turn out one of the best sets of the night.
Much is being made of how much Cityfox charges for its events, but in reality the rates aren't much higher than those of its immediate rivals. Plus, they put a lot more effort into wowing their audience, who in many cases will have never experienced anything like it. Even for the more travelled and well-versed clubber, the Brooklyn Mirage offers spectacle on an unusual, impressive scale.