- Brazilian nightlife has reached a stage of maturity recently. More and more promoters are breaking free of the traditional club circuit, putting on parties in imaginative locations and building strong, loyal fan bases as they go. Gop Tun is one of them. Their two year anniversary party took place in an unusual location: a Syrian-Lebanese members club in the heart of São Paulo's financial district known as Club Homs.
As soon as it was announced, though, the choice of venue felt odd. Club Homs is a large space, and I wasn't convinced it would suit the slower, more contemplative sound of Floating Points and Four Tet, neither of whom have a very large following in Brazil. But if the club was only ever half full on the night, it didn't seem to affect the vibe.
Sam Shepherd, AKA Floating Points, started his set early, at around 12:30 AM. From the crowd's initial reaction, it was clear some were expecting the more synthetic sound of his own productions. His jazz-infused, slow-paced selections fell on deaf ears at first, though as the night progressed the audience came round to his uplifting wares, with cuts of classic house going down particularly well. His mixing was inaccurate at times, but the energy in the room was such that no one seemed to care. Standing behind him on-stage, Kieran Hebden, AKA Four Tet, watched with a smile.
By the time Hebden took up position for his live set, it was clear the crowd were craving more conventional electronic music. He started by turning down the volume, letting the vocals on "128 Harps" cleanse the room. The more hectic "Parallel Jalebi" followed, then "She Moves She." Hebden moved rapidly through his back-catalogue, letting each track play for only a couple of minutes before cutting away.
The peak of the night came during "Pyramid," with the dance floor coming together to celebrate their favourite of Four Tet's songs. As his set drew to a close, Club Homs was a sea of smiles. From there, the Gop Tun residents took over, blending uplifting house and disco while a wave of shiny silver balloons engulfed the stage. Sparkling beneath the club's blue lights, they reminded everyone inside what a memorable birthday it had been.
Photo credit: Marcelo Paixão