- La Java has always held a special place in the hearts of its faithful attendees, thanks to its tasteful artistic direction, cozy dance floor and well-tuned soundsystem. But probably the club's main asset is its open-minded booking style. It's been home to Balkan-beat, disco and minimal raves, and remains one of Paris's queer headquarters thanks to the infamous Trou Aux Biches parties. Last Friday, the lineup was particularly promising: Hamburg institution Smallville Records were teaming up with Tim Sweeney and Japanese veteran Gonno.
Jacques Bon and NTN, two mainstays of Smallville's Parisian faction, joined forces for the warm-up. In typical Smallville style, they displayed a thorough knowledge of the deeper side of house, and got the party rolling on a subtle yet percussive tone. They only played for an hour, though, and by 1AM Tim Sweeney took to the decks. His three-hour set was surprisingly heavy, packed with hard-hitting bangers and Chicago-style acid. I had assumed the long slot would lead him to showcase a more ambitious and diverse collection of tracks. Indeed, if the mixing was flawless, the selection could have used more depth and color. To be fair, the vibe inside La Java was at a raving peak: the club was full almost to capacity, the crowd cheering Sweeney on as he joined Gonno for a final back-to-back. Gonno's selection was the night's highlight, delivering a more patient and immersive style of house that nicely suited the late-night slot. His obscure and rolling grooves pushed dancers into a final trance as the party came to its end.
As I left La Java, I ran into a cheerful Tim Sweeney, seemingly very satisfied with the night's events. He had kind words to spare about every DJ on the bill, as well as the club and Paris itself. This made me forget that I'd been underwhelmed by his set—what I will remember is that, 15 years into the business, the man is still there to have "a hell of a good time." For that, La Java will always be a safe place to look.