Digging through April with Weltraum

It’s Friday, 5:46 pm, when the four of us put our bags in the trunk of the car and embark on our southwest-bound drive to the Czech-German border. Facing a hectic Spring season and struggling to coordinate all our activities online (where we constantly procrastinate by obsessively sharing videos of kittens, parrots, snakes, and pandas), our Weltraum techno collective has decided to leave Prague for a weekend retreat.

There are quite a few points on the agenda that we set ourselves to discuss over those three days: our future events’ headliners, running orders, poster designs, podcasts, promotion, and ideas for the new Weltraum raves concept. At the center of it all, however, is the one event we have been very excited about for quite some time: our second Weltraum night in Ankali in April.

It was not an easy task to decide how to proceed with this event. Our 2023 premiere in Ankali with Finnish sweetheart Paula Koski was by far our favorite night of the past year, and we were not quite sure how to top that. After digging through SoundCloud for some time, we set our eyes (and ears) on the Vault Sessions closing set by the Dutch prodigy Lobster – and we just knew that this energy would work like a charm on Ankali dancefloor late in the night. With such a headliner, our amazing designer Tereza Bartůňková had no trouble coming up with an idea for the flyer, and the concept of our second Ankali night, scheduled for April 13, was born.

When we saw the Ankali’s April program, however, it became clear that our Weltraum rendezvous with the fancy oversized shrimp would not be the only interesting night taking place that month. For this short blog post, each one of us picked and discussed one of the events that resonated with us personally the most. Whether old friends, acquaintances, or complete strangers, we hope to see you dancing and bouncing at one or more of them in April.

ka.za digs: Pinkies 2023–04–05

I hold a special place in my heart for the Pinkies. Last summer, I got married. The event of the year. No, the event of a lifetime. But shortly before the wedding, Yalin invited Eva and me, both still rookies, to play a b2b at the Pinkies with Matrixxman. At Ankali. For the first time. Although it may sound terrible, at that moment, I wasn’t entirely sure the wedding was the most crucial event on the horizon (sure it was in the end, I’m not that bad of a person). So Pinkies always refreshes my memory of the unforgettable time I had last summer.

However, for dancers and listeners, it will be more beneficial to know that Pinkies is exactly the rave you can count on to tick all the boxes. Thoughtfully selected, highly tempting line-ups and quality music topped with a considerate and empathetic crowd. Personally, I believe this balanced “whole package” works mainly thanks to the man who stands behind it. Yalin, aka Pink Concrete, is a persona you can’t dislike. A guy who, even though you may not be such close friends, always greets you with genuine enthusiasm and interest. Besides all the pure joy he lures, he also has an undeniable amount of talent, which is, among other things, also evident in the way he curates his events.

April Pinkies’ line-up is proof of that. The Letná legend PSJ, the charming, serene force Nina Farrina, and the Berlin rave queen herself, Steffi. I was lucky enough to hear her magic being played at the Big House once. Only a few can read the audience as well as she does.

Unfortunately, I will not be in town when April Pinkies takes place. But personally, I would be most excited to listen to Yalin and Nina’s b2b, no doubt something that will be exceptionally entertaining to both watch and listen to. In the meantime, you can tune in by listening to one of Nina’s freshest podcasts, which recently debuted on Berlin’s BCCO label.

Or get a small taste of an extraordinary piece of Yalin’s own production.

Axis Alpha digs: Maldades 2024–04–06

I’m not exactly the most diligent person when it comes to attending events hosted by other promoters. But it always warms my heart when I see something new happening. Twice as much if it’s a club night for queer people. And three times as much when I see it organized by someone with whom I have a closer relationship than is usual among promoters.

Miss Carriage and I have known each other since we started exploring Prague techno events some years ago. We even used to be flatmates briefly, and it is precisely from this short episode of our cohabitation that my enthusiasm for the upcoming event stems. Because if it’s going to be as crazy and fun as the numerous afterparties at our old apartment, then the night is really something to look forward to. I think just the name itself, Maldades, which means wicked acts or mischief in Spanish, speaks for itself.

Maldades’ headliner, Dj Babatr, comes all the way from distant Venezuela, where he was one of the founders of the music genre raptor house in the 1990s. Raptor house, also known as changa tuki, originated in local Venezuelan street parties as a mix of techno, tribal house, and reggaeton with sampled vocals. While studying his music and style on SoundCloud, I recalled one recent expression of ka.za that I think perfectly captures this style: “it’s such an uplifting la la la.” This sound will drive even me out of the comfort of my cozy home and make me join in these sexy festivities.

DJ Slater digs: Spiritual x YOGA 2024–04–12

Being an old man who is yelling at clouds and eagerly awaiting retirement, I was excited to see another bunch of old-timers on Planeta Za’s (little Ankali’s sister) April program.

Spiritual Sound System established itself as one of the prominent acid techno collectives on the early 1990s–2000s Czech rave scene, constantly pushing the genre boundaries and organizing incredible underground events with so much humor and heart (the famous Acidelika rave being just one of many). If you are unsure what these guys are all about, just go ahead and pay a visit to the SoundCloud page of Ghándí or his alter ego Mystic Sky.

And since we talk spiritual here, who better to join them behind the decks than Dash, Prague queen of kombucha and Kambó frog rituals, but most importantly, a fantastic DJ and an incredibly intelligent and kind woman. Frankly, I am not sure whether I will have the strength to go out before our own big Ankali night on April 13, but if I will, I am pretty sure I will be raving at Planeta Za with all these amazing people.

In any case, I went through some of their sets and selected two that you should listen to right now to get a taste of what to expect at Spiritual x YOGA.

Eva Falt digs: Archiv Teknologi x Amphibian 2024–04–26

It probably won’t come as a surprise that my night of choice in April is Archiv Teknologi coop with Amphibian. As a bit of an archive raver myself, I prefer to keep the beats straight, and it’s the line-ups of Archiv Teknologi that I’m eagerly looking forward to each month. Their headliners rarely disappoint me. This time, however, I’m mostly drawn to local artists on the line-up.

Madeleine is one of my favorites on the scene at the moment; her musical taste has hypnotic roots (just like mine), and there is a level of sophistication in her mixing, suggesting that the gal is going for it seriously. Big up! I’m equally excited about the Inger Illel and INTT’s b2b. Although I haven’t seen the guys playing together, I’m expecting nothing short of fire; their sound is dark and trippy, and the energy of their sets is high – just as we like it in Weltraum. To warm yourself up, do not miss the April edition of the Weltraum podcast by Igor himself that will be released shortly before the archiv_teknologi event.

Lastly, I cannot miss the opportunity to recommend checking out Mr. fleika at Planeta Za. He is still our hero in Weltraum (anyone who claims never to have a crush on him is lying, Michale), and we just love to follow his musical evolution. Seeing him at Planeta Za will be a fresh experience for me, and I have no doubt he’ll deliver.

Check the full programme for April here.