Stock up on some sleep in September as we break down seven of the best techno parties we’re most looking forward to next month at ADE.
ADE is nearly upon us. It’s an event that will bring some 2,500 artists and 400,000 fans to party across Amsterdam in almost 200 locations. In other words, it’s the can’t-miss event for any dance music fan worth their salt.
With that much choice, deciding where to go and who to see can become an all-consuming dilema. So we’ve narrowed it down to the seven best techno events happening across the week. You can even hit each one if you have the stamina..
Wednesday
Richie Hawtin Close & Modeselektor Live
Things get warmed up early at ADE with a party featuring one of techno’s most historic names. Richie will be presenting his CLOSE show, an audio-visual experience that blends DJing and live performance, while exploring the ever-expanding relationship between human creativity and technology. Joining are Germany’s Modeselector, playing live, and SOPHIE, an artist who has established herself as one of the most creative and versatile in the electronic sphere. This one only runs from 19:30 till midnight, so you’ll still be able to get some rest for the week ahead.
Thursday
Thuishaven ADE Thursday with Electric Deluxe
On Thursday, the day-party beckons at Thuishaven, a large, winter carnival-like venue with a DIY spirit — and heated tents. Things begin at 16:00, with a lineup featuring Clouds, Daniel Avery, Lucy, Multiples (Speedy J & Surgeon), Sophia Saze, Versalife and more. At 23:00, the night party begins, with Electric Deluxe founder Speedy J playing a three-hour set. The full nighttime lineup is still TBA, but with a day lineup that good, it’s an afternoon no techno fan could miss.
DGTL – Ben Klock b2b Marcel Dettmann, Jeff Mills and More
If you’re still feeling spry after your day at Thuishaven, there’s no place in Amsterdam more enticing for a techno fan than DGTL at NDSM Scheepsbouwloods. Kicking off at 22:00, the lineup features a Berghain b2b with Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann trading cuts, along with Jeff Mills, DJ Nobu, Helena Hauff, Identified Patient, Deniro, and last but certainly not least, Jane Fitz. The party runs till 07:00, so don’t forget your ear protection, get hydrated, and lose yourself in some of the best techno on earth.
Friday
Dave Clarke presents: DVS1 / Luke Slater / Paula Temple / Marcel Fengler / Anetha E.A
Make sure you get plenty of rest on Friday, because two parties demand your attention on Friday night. First up, Dave Clarke at Melkweg. The Baron of Techno has resided in Amsterdam for years now, and his ADE parties are the stuff of legend. He’s invited masters of the harder edge of the genre, like Luke Slater and Paula Temple (who released her incredible debut album earlier this year), as well as France’s unstoppable Anetha (who’s 2018 Boiler Room has racked up 500,000 plays), with Black Asteroid, Terence Fixmer (playing live), Marcel Fengler, and even Mute founder Daniel Miller.
Marcel Dettmann presents Bad Manners (20 Hours)
While Marcel Dettmann’s Bad Manners party technically coincides with Dave Clarke’s, it’s also a 20 hour bash running in two parts. The first begins on Friday night at 23:00, and the second kicks off at 08:00, which means you could make your way from Melkweg to Shelter to catch part two of this massive, 20 hour event. The lineup certainly demands it, with DJ Stingray, Exterminador, JP Enfant, Kittin, Lennart Wiehe, Planetary Assault Systems (playing live), Somewhen, Umfang and Vril (also playing live) joining Dettmann for the event. It hardly gets better than that.
Saturday
The celebrations continue on Saturday from 23:00 to 07:00 with Ben Klock’s Photon at De Kromhouthal, a massive, rectangular warehouse that should provide the perfect setting for Klock’s event. Along with the powerhouse lineup — Rødhåd, Blawan B2B Freddy K, FJAAK (playing live) and Adiel — Photon delivers one of the best light shows in techno, with lighting experts direct from Berghain providing for an immersive multi-sensory experience. This will be big.
Sunday
Intercell x I Hate Models Invites – ADE Closing
This is it, the final event. And boy is it a whopper. Topped by French mysterioso I Hate Models, Interell’s Sunday bash at H7 Warehouse is bringing out some of techno’s most interesting and cutting edge names. There’s Body Sushi, the b2b duo between Randomer & VTSS; Bassiani resident and Oaks Recordings boss Héctor Oaks, who’ll go b2b with Sunil Sharpe; Swedish veteran Pär Grindvik, and Dutch newcomer KI/KI, who at just 22-years-old is already making a name for herself with her lighting fast take on techno (mixed with trance for good measure). Finish strong!