- Situated in the heart of the gentrified district of Mitte, Acud Macht Neu is a holdout from times past. A cultural space since the early '90s, when the neighbourhood was full of squats and street parties, it's resisted the changes that have happened around it. Dynamo Dreesen, founder of Acido Records, describes holding parties at Acud as "like inviting your friends over to your apartment." It's smaller and friendlier than a typical club, with no security presence and an uninhibited, relaxed atmosphere.
Last Friday, Dreesen gathered some of his mates together and threw a party at Acud. As the club filled up, a few dedicated dancers took their cue to totally lose themselves in the music. The crowd was mixed, with both young and old smiling and dancing enthusiastically. SVN brought the party towards its peak with an uncompromising, genre-defying set, moving from cosmic, delay-soaked ambient into heavy dub techno. He also played some psychedelia-tinged cuts from his own label, SUED, perfectly encompassing classic chicago sounds and what he describes as "rainforest techno."
The massive '70s hi-fi speakers, provided by SUED and Acido artist PG, filled the room with a satisfying, analogue bass pressure, enhancing the trippy, dubby vibe that ran through everyone's selections. Dreesen played last, bringing heavy but melodic acid with pitch-shifted vocals. His set was hard and euphoric, and his body language revealed just how much fun he was having. The atmosphere on the floor was infectious.
The rest of the night was an informal back-to-back affair. It was liberating to see a group of artists so unafraid to veer across genres, even if it did make for a few abrupt mixes. There were 15-minute beatless interludes, and transitions that cut from classic funk into minimal techno. This loose approach captured the freeform vibe of Acido Records, while making for a wicked party. One raver described it as "like 20 years ago. No stress." I'm inclined to agree with him.