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Watch Westbam Explain The Story Of Techno In The Soviet Union
Techno hit the Soviet Union in 1986. This new video shares how Riga raved behind the Iron Curtain.
Earlier this year, we covered Riga’s contemporary electronic music scene in our guide to clubbing in Eastern Europe earlier this year. Interestingly, Riga’s techno scene has quite a history—the sound first hit the city while it was still behind the Iron Curtain in 1986. A new documentary called Era of Dance tells the story of Indulis Bilzens, who is little known outside of Latvia, but was once one of the most important figures in the development of the local scene. Bilzens was a media artist and journalist who gave WestBam his name. Watch a snippet of the documentary below:
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The Russian-language version of the documentary will be in cinemas from March. An international version is in the works. Check the film’s website for more info.
Read More: This Latvian DJ’s Techno Set Will Get Your Blood Booming
