The end of the underground
THE DAYS WHEN THE CLUBS PULSATED TO THE HYPNOTIC BEAT OF UNDERGROUND DANCE MUSIC ARE DISAPPEARING. BUT IT SHOULDN’T REALLY BE THAT WAY
The night was as sticky and humid as only a summer night in Larnaca can be. Worse – or better, depending on your view point – were the press of hundreds of sweaty bodies. Oblivious to the slippery discomfort, people raised their hands to the skies while pumping rhythms took control of their every thought and bodily movement. Inhibitions were long forgotten, and the young crowds knew no limits as they experienced the pleasure of deep underground sounds.
No, it’s not the opening pages of some cult novel but a memory of a Ballistic beach party here in Cyprus seven years ago.
In music there are always the good old days. Name the category – punk, reggae, Ska, house – the moment it reaches the masses, it rapidly transmutes into something else and for the original fans those good old days have gone. Likewise in Cyprus. For many electronic dance music lovers, those were the very best days of partying on the island and incomparable to anything available now.
Quite simply, when it comes to clubbing, things are not what they used to be. Although younger clubbers may know no different, those who remember those amazing events can only feel nostalgia. Many venues that used to buzz with dizzying beats have closed down over the past decade, ever-fewer DJs visit from abroad, and there is a general move away from underground parties and events.
For a whole generation of youngsters, partying to progressive beats until the early morning was a way of releasing angst and truly letting go.
But there is another problem. Music is also about inspiration and change, and there’s no reason why Cyprus should be lagging behind. The dance music scene has stagnated here. Elsewhere it has moved on: the various transmutations have taken place.
“The scene is controlled by a few narrow-minded people that are still basking in the glory of 90s house and trance. With the amount of resources now available, it’s quite inexplicable as to why people refuse to move on from past trends,” complains 26-year-old student Marios Efthimiou.
A big lover of electronic music, Marios loves to listen to drum and bass on a night out, as well as breakbeats, electro, progressive house and dubstep, which he calls the “new flavour around”. Now studying for a master’s degree in the UK, he has finally found what he is looking for when it comes to clubbing.
“In London various genres are being fused together creating a new crowd of ‘maniacs’ waiting for that different sound. It’s a part of the culture, everyone is into music and that’s what drives the industry forward. In Cyprus this wouldn’t really be feasible because of the small market which doesn’t easily absorb change,” says Marios.
Of course, it’s not all bleak, and we shouldn’t immediately jump to the conclusion that the future is dire. New promoters are continuing to bring some good events, and last year, crowds enjoyed Paul Oakenfold, Skazi Live, Solarstone and many more international DJs. This year, dance music fans can look forward to Armin Van Buuren who’s rumoured to be arriving on the island for either Easter or summer. Then there’s another big list of “probables” including Above&Beyond, Fedde Le Grand, Benny Benassi and Andy Moor.
Not all of these events are guaranteed successes though, simply because fewer crowds are attending than ever before. And there’s something else. Sometimes the big names just don’t show up. Are the promoters not doing their job properly? Or, do they just not have the necessary funds to give crowds what they need?
Last December, thousands of hungry fans eagerly awaited the arrival of John Digweed for a performance at the Pavilion in Nicosia. At the last minute, the mega star cancelled. It was not the first time; he had cancelled a previous date.
Rumours circulating at the time said that the organisers simply failed to pay up the fee that Digweed’s agent had requested. Just before the event, Digweed posted the following comment on his website: “Due to unforeseen circumstances the promoter has just cancelled the show at Pavilion. After missing last year’s show because of illness, I was really looking forward to making up for this. I know a lot of people in Cyprus will be disappointed by this news so please check with the promoter for more info about this event cancellation.” Check with the promoters we tried to do, but unfortunately received no answer. They’re likely to be shying away from media attention for some time.
The New Year then brought more disappointment for dance music fans in Nicosia as Club Treno (former Volume) closed down. A favourite among the younger clubbers in the capital, Treno brought in regular DJs from abroad, but this just didn’t seem to be enough to draw in the crowds. With a closing party on New Year’s Eve, fans said goodbye to the place that has tried to keep the electronic music scene alive and kicking for years now.
Dance music lovers in the capital now have just one choice – Club Versus. When it first opened back in 1993, it became an instant haven for those who wanted to create their own world far away from all the other venues playing commercial hits and Greek music. In fact, it was the very first club that introduced house and trance music to the island, and the crowds absolutely loved it.
When it closed down in 2004, it marked the end of an era for many avid clubbers. It even tried to reopen again soon after for a couple of months but didn’t succeed. A few years later, two young entrepreneurs decided it was about time that partygoers in the capital had somewhere decent to spend their nights and reopened the famous doors last January.
Today the crowds are still pouring in and having a good time, but things have certainly changed. The music is more mainstream than it ever used to be, again proving that the local taste is away from progressive underground beats.
“Nothing can be underground in a small scene like this,” says AJ, one of the owners of Versus. “We’ve chosen a more mainstream way regarding dance music because competition is so stiff that you’ve got to make the sounds appealing to as many people as possible.”
And AJ is right. The original Versus closed down because it couldn’t break even. Eight years ago there were Club D, Cilo, Versus, Treno, Ballistic and plenty of parties to cater for the electronic music crowd in Nicosia. Now Versus stands alone, and it has to play the game right.
“Don’t forget that Versus is a club situated bang in the centre of town and we’ve got to pay for that,” AJ tells me. “The fact that we play non-Greek music makes it hard enough to keep a venue open. Playing foreign dance music means that we’re a world apart from the mainstream scene, and we have to find a way to keep up and survive.”
Basically times have changed. “Youngsters today listen to Greek music primarily, and then come the other genres like rock,” he says.
Radio ratings reflect the changes. Seven years ago, Kiss FM was at the top of the list playing only English music and 20 hours of dance music a weekend. Now it’s stations like Klik FM and Super FM playing Greek hits that are top of the list.
It seems Versus is trying to satisfy a niche market as much as it can. The crowds that fill the club each weekend seem happy enough, as the club organises various theme nights and also boasts two of the island’s top DJs, Manic Mike and Memnon S, behind the decks. The owners also try to bring in DJs from abroad at times, but again, it’s the same old problem – it’s a matter of having a market big enough to support them.
So what does AJ think about the future of electronic music in Cyprus? “Numbers will continue to go down. I really don’t know if we have enough young people to support the scene. There’s probably worse to come.”
Moving away from the capital, it’s hard to find many places that play good quality electronic music. Times Bar in Larnaca is probably the best of the lot, with some great tunes also played at the one and only Bar Fly in Limassol. In the summer months, Limassol comes to life as Guaba Beach bar gives clubbers a treat in the outdoors with a host of international DJs behind the decks.
There’s always the choice of heading down to Ayia Napa for a weekend out, but it’s like a ghost town compared to the 1990s and no longer attracts big names.
As for those who remember those good old Ballistic Beach Parties, the electronic music scene in Cyprus is but a mere shadow of its former self. ?
