I was able to attend Charlotte De Witte’s show in Brooklyn this past weekend, and I was more than satisfied with my fix of deep dark techno. While unfamiliar with the artists, this lineup brought the heat to the Great Hall at Avant Gardner. From beginning to end, waves of bass shook the walls of this Brooklyn warehouse. It felt like Godzilla was stomping on the Brooklyn Mirage.
Having been to many shows in Brooklyn, I feel like most artists catch a great vibe when they come to play for us in New York City. Something about the Brooklyn warehouse atmosphere brings the crowd and the DJ their best energy. The night began with Victor Ruiz who I was excited to see in his New York City debut. I sometimes expect the night to go slow at first and build up speed, but since the moment I arrived at Avant Gardner, I felt the buzz of high energy techno. For many shows that I attend I rely on the energy of the music to keep me awake on such late nights.
What I love when I find myself in the middle of a crowd at a techno show is the vibe I get from everyone around me. Monoloc delivered a dark elegant set that kept me moving non-stop. It is so important to me that a DJ keep the energy going throughout the whole night to get the crowd ready for the next artist. There is always a moment during my nights out that I expect when I hear familiar music from another artist. As I’m going wild on the dance floor, I hear a track by Enrico Sangiuliano come on and I instantly lose my mind. The sound in the Great Hall was on point, super high bass and vibrations all night long… making me regret the fact that I left my earplugs at home.
As the night goes on I think about how little sleep I’m running on and it’s the music that is keeping me alive. I could only dance for so long without taking a break. I notice we are about to reach the moment we have been waiting for. The last time I was able to see Charlotte De Witte at a show was over a year ago, in March of 2018. It is amazing to think of how she played in a much smaller and intimate venue, elsewhere. In the past year, she has received so much attention and has grown monumentally as a DJ and producer. It was refreshing to finally see her on stage again in a bigger venue, with a much larger crowd.
I could tell Charlotte De Witte had the crowd’s attention during the entire two hours of her set by the roars every time the bass dropped. I don’t think my mind was ready for what she brought to Avant Gardner. My favorite part of her style is she will play melodic sound and then hit everyone with fast-paced, heavy bass. When Charlotte played her remix of Space Raiders by Eats Everything, I could see everyone around me grin with excitement.
The evening was electric. We didn’t want it to end…The only downside to this show was the length. As most talented techno DJs perform, their set takes you on a journey and becomes more intense as the night goes on. During the last thirty minutes of the show, Charlotte began to hit us with waves of rage. She was a monster. I can always see how intense the crowd feels just by looking around. As 4:30 A.M. approached, I become anxious because I knew the show was about to end. Everyone was left in awe, craving more dark beats. We all stood and wondered why must the show ended so early. Hey, that is the beauty of New York City, shows typically run through the early morning hours.
Check out Charlotte De Witte’s music below, and make plans to see her in a venue near you this Summer.
*Featured image via Charlotte de Witte*
