AMSTERDAM FRIENDS: THE COLLECTIVES
AMSTERDAM FRIENDS: THE COLLECTIVES
Antidote
Disturbia
Eerste Communie
Kraft und Licht
Orphic
Pax Romana
TGIB
Vulged
Antidote Disturbia Eerste Communie Kraft und Licht Orphic Pax Romana TGIB Vulged
In the past years Amsterdam has grown into one of the most vibrant and diverse scene’s that nightlife has to offer…
Through collaboration, shared vision, and unwavering support among different collectives, we have witnessed the flourishing of a scene that truly embraces the philosophy of techno. When Vault Sessions began, only had a handful of collectives and clubs truly representing the philosophy of Techno existed.
It’s clear that Amsterdam has come a long way since then and we wanted to highlight some of the current taste-makers in our scene. Our upcoming ADE event, Vault Sessions & Friends Outdoor, aims to unite these collectives by curating a lineup that features representative members from each.
We spoke to each of these collectives to discuss their forming and philosophy.
VAULT SESSIONS BLOG SERIES
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE COLLECTIVES SHAPING THE AMSTERDAM SCENE
ANTIDOTE
“Born out of the vibrant creative surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, ANTIDOTE was founded to promote young, local and rising talent. As digital communities thrived, we recognised the need to provide a platform where these voices could shine. We started with our SoundCloud mix series in the summer of 2020, approaching our 100th mix milestone later this year! Since November 2021, we've been spreading more music and vibes by hosting events, ranging from underground raves and club nights in Amsterdam and Berlin to festival stage collaborations and intimate community gatherings.”
When did your collective start?
Can you tell me the vision of your collective and what makes you unique?
“As our slogan says, our aim is to counteract unpleasant feelings or situations: on and off the dance floor, within and outside our scene. We believe that nurturing local and upcoming talent is essential to fostering a healthy music scene that thrives on creativity. That’s why our lineups are curated with a strong focus on emerging local artists. With the launch of our record label in June 2023, our mission has been to exclusively release music from talents of Dutch soil, aiming to lead by example in how we support local artists. We openly communicate our 60/40 split in favor of the artist, ensuring they receive fair compensation—something we hope will inspire other labels to adopt this common-sense approach.
We’re also deeply committed to creating a safer and more inclusive environment in the music industry. That’s why we partnered with a professional psychologist to offer awareness training tailored to the nightlife scene in Amsterdam. This initiative not only helped build our own awareness team but was open to anyone, as we believe this knowledge should be shared to foster a more informed and united community.
In the end we believe that by making a positive impact on the scene we will collectively enrich our dance floor experiences, maximising the fun we have together.”
DISTURBIA
“Disturbia started a bit before Corona with the ambition to create something new in Amsterdam, combining scenography and a more hypnotic/spacey techno. When Corona came, we felt the urge to give people the right to dance, we bought a sound system and started doing raves very frequently. Oh, I miss those times! It was very exciting.
I think that what makes us different from the rest…it’s our sound and all the effort we put in to decorating, making every event unique.”
EERSTE COMMUNIE
“Eerste Communie began as an intimate dance gathering in 2018 and was born out of a need for more consistency in terms of lineups. We felt as though Techno had somewhat died: only very commercial clubs and festivals were playing Techno. We wanted to promote this rolling and rhythmic Techno and felt as though we needed to take a different approach to regular programming which often entails women opening or only headliners playing at prime time.
Eerste Communie, which translates to “First Communion”, is a Sunday ritual in which like-minded people come together to dance. Eerste Communie is consistent in delivering rhythmic Techno all day and night and we aim to build a trust in which our audience does not need to worry about lineups and timetables. Therefore, we never announce line-ups because we aim to deliver a quality story from start to finish. By only using door-sale and having clear house rules, we can attract a music-oriented community who all follow the same credo; If the music is good, you dance!”
Kraft und Licht
“We have been specialising in the organisation, curation, and production of our own events since 2018. We feature outstanding audio-visual shows accompanied by state-of-the-art DJsand producers. Our aim is to create experiences that go beyond the norm. We execute this with our attention to detail and community-focussed approach.
Whether it be independent work or collaborations with like-minded organisations, we offer unique light and sound concepts to various locations and venues. Kraft und Licht has a solid foundation in external production projects, handling stage design, lighting, sound and all the essential elements needed for a successful event. by offering equipment rentals to event organisers and private clients, we have established strong connections within the Dutch event industry. whether working with large organisations or emerging collectives, our goal is to provide high-quality equipment and support to all. Also, our outdoor event venue, 'Hintergarten,' provides a large, versatile space for art, music, and community events.
ORPHIC
“We began our journey in April 2019 as a simple rave, a gathering of like-minded individuals eager to create an unforgettable experience and celebrate life through music and connection. What started as a spontaneous event has blossomed into something much greater.
At ORPHIC we try to be more than just an organization hosting techno events. We are a movement fueled by the power of community. At the core of our events is a deep sense of connection.
We believe in radical inclusion and acceptance, while making space for marginalized communities. Each gathering is an opportunity for people to come together and become part of something greater than just an event, allowing everyone to be fully and authentically themselves, beyond the limits of societal expectations.
We are also deeply committed to uplifting our local talent. By creating a platform for emerging artists and creatives, we shine a light on the diversity of our community and the incredible talent brewing in the Netherlands. Rather than just supporting local culture, we’re actively nurturing it’s growth and paving the way for the next generation of artists.”
PAX ROMANA
“The importance of the dancefloor and the connection between like-minded individuals has become especially clear due to the COVID-19 situation. As part of the queer community, we have felt how vital the dance floor is for expressing ourselves, our creativity, and our connection with one another. With our love and passion for electronic music and the energy to bring people together, we wanted to create something beautiful. That’s why we founded PAX-ROMANA officially in 2021. Before that, we were mostly organizing small capacity illegal raves in Amsterdam and our hometown Leiden.
PAX-ROMANA establishes a sanctuary for diverse individuals, creating a playground free from judgement, with focus towards the LGTBQIA+ community. The dancefloor serves as a powerful way to protest, unite, celebrate and expressing our identities.
Our events consist of multiple layers. We connect an event theme, aligned with the values of our concept, to the production, programming, and exhibition. This creates a playful interaction while highlighting the core values of our concept. At the dancefloor, everyday conventions are broken, and possibilities are explored, creating space for creativity and expression. The nightlife is often a trailblazer, offering lessons that the ‘day’ can still learn from. As an organisation, we find it important to serve as a stimulating environment for (young) talents, and we aim to grow together with artists, creatives, and other partners.”
THE GANG IS BEAUTIFUL
“TGIB began during COVID. Whenever I (founder, Foday a.k.a Prance) was surrounded by my beautiful friends, we would always say “The gang is beautiful”. However, these dark times meant that we couldn’t club or gather together, so I was eager to develop a concept to highlight, empower and bring these people together. At a time when we were only told “You can’t do this”, I felt like it was crucial to take an alternative approach and say: “Let’s look for this.”
TGIB aims to bridge the gap between clubs and sub-cultures both in and outside of the scene. Inspired by nightlife and club culture, TGIB is the connection between music, fashion and art which all trace back to self-expression. Each of these elements allow stories to be told through your body. These are also forms of resistance in which you may identify with an artistic movement and you march.”
VULGED
“Vulged is an event organisation that was born from hosting illegal raves during the pandemic. In recent years we’ve expanded this with organising clubnights, balancing both legal and illegal events. At Vulged, we strongly believe in artistic value. Our concept is built around a specific sound that we are most passionate about, originating from the underground, old-school, and minimal techno.
What makes us unique is that we’re a group of five friends from high school who discovered techno together. We’ve gone from just enjoying clubnights to learning how to DJ and produce. Now we’re active in the scene as both Vulged and individual artists. Our friendship and love for techno is what drives us as a collective.”
