The ‘boom’ of electronic music in Kosovo
Beyond the turbofolk , the **nightlife in the Balkans** is characterized by the electronic music parties that intertwine clubs and discotheques that shake you, if you hold your body, until noon . It may all go further: the schedules are indicative here.
Belgrade is the main regional center, known as “the Berlin of the Balkans” , although every day Kosovo sounds louder, experiencing a Widespread cultural boom which also sounds a lot like electronics. However, here the trend is not set by the venues: it comes from independent groups.
The groups that lead this electronic boom are Vakuum , Services and **Hapêsira**. There's more, but just follow these three groups on social media to find out the largest festivals in Kosovo.
Rule number 1: forget about the camera and let yourself go
They are usually in Pristina, the capital , although sometimes they reach other natural environments in Kosovo. That's when they can last several days , rather becoming festivals or raves . Tickets are around 10 euros; 15 in the big dates.
Vakuum parties are usually of industrial techno or EBM , a fusion of electronic and postpunk music in which artists such as Nitzer-Ebb . They are monothematic, without those mixtures of styles characteristic of commercial clubs. In their opening to the public as a collective, last year, they had two world-class DJs. The Serbian duet ** Ontal ** and the British some , headlining in theaters such as the Berliner Berghain , showed that scraped sounds that hammer non-stop in their treble do have space in Kosovo.
Servis shares a taste for EBM, but bets on styles more electro, garage and techno. Hapesira , created in 2015, fluctuates between german techno and other hypnotic styles like that of the artist ** Abdulla Rashim .**
Rule number 2: you and the music, there is nothing else
Generally, the special events of each group do not coincide with other parties. Among them they are friends, electronic music promoters that differ only, and not always, in style. Vakuum events usually take place in the Theater Oda , a theater hall that graces some of the wildest nights in Pristina. It is accessed by going down some stairs: the first thing the visitor finds is an elongated bar, then the wardrobes, and finally the bathrooms. In between, to the right, is the main room. It is spacious with high ceilings , which is appreciated to calm the heat, and has a good acoustics . Definitely, the perfect place to listen to industrial techno.
Servis throws its parties in the red room of the mythical Center for Youth and Sport . And Hapësira has its habitual seat in a old printing house, Rilindja Warehouse , an ideal place to create the clubbing atmosphere.
**Last spring, the first Boiler Room session in the history of Kosovo was held here**. And when there is no techno, as in the other rooms, they program other cultural activities that, in addition, allow the promotion of young local talents.
Rule number 3: boom boom boom boom boom...
ROUTE IN PRISTINA
Kosovo can be reached in various ways, although from Spain the best option is to land in ** Skopje , the capital of North Macedonia **. From there, for 5.5 euros a ticket on the buses that leave every hour from the central station, it is only two hours to Pristina. then you can know the youngest country in Europe , Kosovo got its independence in 2008, and interact with the youngest population in Europe.
The party in Pristina can start in different ways. places like Dit' and nat' they always have movement: they eat, drink and discuss in this bookstore that is more of a cafe . It is one of the favorite places for young people up to 25 years old. A relaxed atmosphere with pretentious touches.
Another option is in street 2 Korriku , where there are several bustling chat bars . For those who want electronics, **Klubi M** is the place to head. Although after midnight these places begin to close. And Kosovars, in general, tend to go to the bars that dot the fehmi agani street . There, drinks and beers are more expensive, and at the close, nearby, there are mixed music clubs that allow the party to continue.
As for electronics, Zone Club It is the reference with more weight. A club that mixes styles that go beyond electronics and, therefore, moves away from the spirit of clubbing.
Rule number 4: electronic music is possibly the most intimate
In Kosovo, especially when talking about electronic music, it is important to take into account the seasons of the year. There are clubs that mainly open between spring and fall . During the rest of the year, the electronic bet comes from the festivities of these three groups.
In an attempt to normalize their situation, that is, to have a fixed meeting space , Hapësira is trying to obtain the license to manage Rilindja Warehouse throughout the year. A longer lease to create a cultural center in Kosovo that would sound a lot like electronica and that would allow to recover that habitual place of clubbers lost after the **closing of nightclubs like Spray Club** and Bahnhof . A different version of the **Termokiss social center**, Pristina's reference horizontal decision space and that no tourist should miss visiting.
In 1999, after the war in Kosovo, the festivities began in abandoned spaces of Pristina . A perfect natural atmosphere for electronics.
Later, for a decade, it was the Spray Club's turn. And then to the Bahnhof, the last underground nightclub of reference in Kosovo. The space was a train station that, during the weekends, brought together railway users and techno lovers. It closed over a year ago, leaving Pristina an orphan. Now, in 2020, supported by a young population full of hope, these collectives lead the revival or 'boom' of electronics in Kosovo.
Rule number 5: always until dawn