- There were many curiosities to be explored in February's installment of the Bunker. The NYC techno party—one of the most well-known in the country for its genre—has been going strong for six years, and last month's event marked the special anniversary with Marcel Dettmann and John Roberts. On that night, the event went to a monthly format. But despite continued top-notch bookings, you couldn't help but wonder as to what might happen in non-anniversary night parties crowd-wise after such a successful evening.
Photo credit: Seze Devres
But first, let's look at February's guest of honor. John Tejada doesn't tour a great amount, but, considering his history, holds a high demand. He's had a relationship with music his entire life; his parents were classical musicians, he got his first set of turntables at age 12 and even shared a college radio show spot with DJ Rob One when he was still in high school. Always faithful to his Los Angeles home, Tejada's sound is a distant cousin of Detroit techno, existing in the gap between Underground Resistance and the modern sounds of Berlin—something you can hear on his recent Fabric mix.
As for the crowd, despite the New York winter, Public Assembly had a great turnout. The front room featured four DJs, including local Anthony Parasole (whose set from January's House-n-Home event is available at the Bunker's website and well worth seeking out) and recent RA podcaster DJ Jus-Ed. With house in the front room and techno in the back, there is now an indoor atmosphere at the party that is more akin to an amusement park of sound. The environment is very relaxed, and yet for those that wanted to dance, there was more than enough of that to go around as well.
Photo credit: Seze Devres
Listening to Tejada's Fabric 44 mix, rhythms stand out from Friday's event, but lack the fierce energy he brought with him for his set. Seasoned as a respected label owner in addition to being sought after by multiple labels in the last 20 years, Tejada knows how to work a room. With more time each month for Bunker to book high-end acts, it's clear that this only the beginning of what should be a memorable 2009.