- Hangar 11, the host venue for the recent Electric Festival debut in Tel Aviv, is, overall quite comfortable, but is located in one of Tel Aviv's most touristy and upscale club districts. Its pricey reputation was already a deterrent for many on the electronic party circuit, and as I entered the party close to 11:15 PM I was greeted by an empty dance floor. Bartenders were the sole dancers, impatiently awaiting patrons as the opening DJ, Israel's Roy Brizman, spun house. It was still early for Israeli partiers, though, so I talked to people as they trickled in, and it quickly became apparent that there were only a handful of people that knew anyone on the bill.
This was surprising considering the lineup, which included well-known names like Chris Liebing and Israel's own Shlomi Aber. About an hour and a larger audience later, Hex Hector, a New York-based DJ, finally got the party going with high energy tech house that had people whistling and taking full advantage of the ample dance space. The good vibes were uncouthly interrupted, however, when the next act, pop vocal duo Epiphony, took to the stage. Although the event was promoted as a "festival" which could included various music styles, they hardly seemed to fit sandwiched in between Hex Hector and the techno of Shlomi Aber, and left the dance floor a little emptier than it was when they started.
Some much-needed momentum was provided by Aber's set as he moved between eclectic tracks. Despite his energy, though, the place had begun to empty by the time Chris Liebing took the stage around 4 AM. Liebing later wrote on his Facebook fan page confiding his disappointment with the party, but conceded that "the few fans made it worthwhile, though…." By 6 AM, the party was closed down because not enough people remained, meaning that DJ Boris, who I did see arrive with his DJ bag did not have a chance to spin.
For all the buzz surrounding the event, it was unfortunate that so few people came out. Perhaps those throwing the party misread and miscalculated the scene they were admirably trying to amplify in Tel Aviv. The sound was big and clean, the music was gold and the crowd was willing to vibe and flow (even if many didn't know exactly who was playing), but a smaller venue and a less-posh atmosphere could have done wonders for a first-go at establishing a new party brand in the White City.