easterndaze:

When I moved here from Brno in May 2012, I was shocked when I saw my new hood. In contrast with nice, though little abandoned, but still cozy and almost 150-year-old flat I lived in before, here I was facing the grim reality of my post-communist borough, packed with cars, Nazis and other disliked aspects of my life. Bratislava’s underground electronic scene, though, is surprisingly strong and vital. Last year brought some really good changes, new venues and people.

FUGA enters the game

In 2011, it all seemed nice and rosy when a new cultural centre called KC Dunaj opened, starting with couple of interesting gigs (Boris, Appleblim to name few) and the promising location offered hope for some of the artists and promoters to make organize alternative events there. Unfortunately, the venue’s development steered towards mass and commercial appeal, adding high rentals, it made impossible to organize events for smaller promoters who were willing to experiment with lineups not relying on already established names. This sudden turn and gradual degradation of the cultural centre into another average disco club made me personally really disappointed, as the place itself is beautiful, located on the 5^th floor of an old shopping mall, with a beautiful terrace and a huge room for the gigs. However, it didn’t take long, and in the beginning of 2012, the offshoot of Batelier club called Fuga, started to organize events. Guys behind the club are a well established group of freetek/breakcore veterans from the Lazy Bastards Soundsystem.

Fuga is opened to almost every genre of electronic music ranging from free jazz improvisations to more typical yet still alternative clubbing nights, with a venue that oozoes a good old warehouse rave feeling, practically still located in the city center. Hargi, the mastermind behind Fuga doesn’t care about profit, he is one of the few promoters who are not in this game because of money, but for a pure pleasure of bringing good music to wider audience.

Showcases of the Exitab label, free jazz nights in command of the renowned experimental sax player and composer Miro Tóth, noise and techno events organized by cult Urbsounds collective, you name it. Last year’s international guests like Ceephax Acid Crew or Dam Mantle will be joined by the likes of Andy Stott this year. Fuga is the place to be in Bratislava right now.

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