Future Sound of Leipzig: Inside Germany’s Best New Club

Institut fuer Zukunft appeared on our radar since it opened in Leipzig a few years ago. The club has swiftly become one of Leipzig’s best party spots and an integral actor in the city’s lively punk-indebted nightlife scene. IfZ was built DIY-style from an abandoned factory, and its forward-thinking attitudes—as well as its killer Kirsch Audio sound system—have made them a favorite for those seeking progressive party bookings and regular nights, including dark techno riot Vertigo, the beautifully queer Lumière Bleue and futuristic bass rager Cry Baby. The club also participates in activist efforts to do with gender issues by hosting occasional film screenings, fetish workshops and socio-political events, which echoes the founding collective’s punk roots and the Leipzig underground’s mentality. In our three-part series Future Sound of Leipzig, we’ll be introducing you to members of the IfZ collective, presenting mixes, photos and interviews from a dedicated group of music lovers shaping the next generation of ravers and freaks.

https://soundcloud.com/electronic-beats-radio/eb-special-future-sound-of-leipzig-subutan

The series launches with Subʞutan. Blending beats with field recordings, samples and drones, his transportive sets are the sort of vibes you rarely hear in clubs. “DJing is almost intimate for me; something very personal.” says the native Leipziger. “Where words might fail, music is my form of expression. It’s also a kind of excess pressure valve, indispensable.” His deep, exclusive mix showcases this mental ethos strongly: “I put a lot of small details—field recordings, spoken words. Now and then a hopeful melody sound penetrates through the walls.” There’s no tracklist on this one, so imagine it as a story unfolding in your ears, each piece a part of the last.

IfZ will feature a special Halloween edition on Friday Oct. 30th with Aïsha Devi and Pictureplane. Win a copy of Aïsha Devi’s new LP here!

Published October 29, 2015.