- The door to Club 7 is inconspicuously located next to a movie theater and surrounded by midtown high rise offices. Only the cheerful bouncers outside gave a clue that it is in fact the right address for a party. After entering we immediately descended down a winding staircase and into the lower basement of the enormous central city building. We were welcomed by a surprisingly large and decadently (yet not excessively) decorated discotheque. There were no fancy hidden rooms, just one main dance floor enclosed by an impressive sound system, rows of comfortable, velvet sofas lining the walls and three different bars in each corner, manned by upbeat and playful staff who were quickly getting through the drink orders.
Despite its potential capacity for several hundred and it being a Thursday night, the club was already full. The dance floor was shoulder-to-shoulder, everyone moving in unison, appreciating the quality sound system and solid beats, with enough room to breathe and sit down if needed. A group of liberated models, seemingly straight from a Prada fashion show were unintentionally entertaining the mostly male crowd with their antics. Shirts were being torn open, breasts were exposed and wild laughter was the norm. The party definitely had a naughty, yet sweet underground techno vibe.
Riaño was doing a splendid job creating the ambience. He was playing basic minimal techno, but only tracks that had just enough heartwarming solid bass and kicks to keep the anticipation building. He never let it get too energetic, constantly teasing the rapidly growing audience for what was to come. As the clock neared 3 AM, though, he relented and unleashed headspinning bass, getting the party into full swing.
Daniel Steinberg, AKA Harry Axt, followed. His productions are defined by a meticulous and intriguing use of sound bites coupled with pedantic precision and attention to detail. In person, he was friendly, polite and had a down-to-earth aura. If you didn't recognize him from his face flashing on the many video screens dangling from the ceiling every few seconds, he could easily have been mistaken for just another partygoer. By the time he took control of the night, the crowd was salivating for something more, and he lived up to the high expectations set by Riaño. For three hours, he spun track after track of minimal techno laced with groovy melodies and always with a hint of funk. He kept the momentum rolling the entire night, his breakdowns short and sweet, making it impossible to leave before he finally played the final track of his excellent set.