Replay Sunset Parties

Last Sunday we hopped on a bus to the outskirts of Madrid where Replay Sunset Parties was holding an event. The venue was unreal! 25 degree heat, sun shining, drinks were flowing and everyone was loving life! 

Jamie Jones, The Martinez Brothers and Afrobeat were just a few of the names that played. Jamie obviously didn't disappoint. His high energy and cheeky smile throughout the whole set kept us all happy as Larry as we danced all day until the sun went down. 

The next event is at the end of June which is a huge shame as I go home at the beginning of June. There may be plans to come back to Madrid over summer though... fingers crossed. 

Mondo/Music

Much to my delight, Madrid's electronic music scene is huge. (I'm so edgy la la la) I've been lucky enough to see some awesome DJs here, including Jamie Jones, Danny Daze, Maya Jane Coles, DJ Zinc, Pachanga Boys, XXXY etc. Solomun and Art Department were also meant to play in Madrid, but never turned up...

In my opinion, Mondo is the best place to go in Madrid if you are into electronic/house music. It's very central, only 5 minutes walk from Puerta del Sol. The programme each month never fails to impress, with some of the biggest DJ's flying into Madrid to showcase their stuff. Next week, on the 16th May, we are going to see Joy Orbison at Mondo which I'm very excited about.

My housemates Greg and Charlie have also massively influenced my taste in music after they took up DJ-ing when they arrived in Madrid. Their career was short-lived, but incredibly exciting. They played at Taboó many times, as well as house parties. One particularly memorable week was the week before they played in the main room in Taboó. They practiced all day, everyday, until I was dying to hear some acoustic music without the housey beat. It all paid off though, the audience absolutely loved them and I was a very proud of my boys! I really hope they continue to DJ in Nottingham next year.

Beach Party!

Taken at Laydown in Valencia by Caroline Marzano

Taboó

Why don't you have a go at guessing where Taboó is…?! Of course it's in my favourite neighbourhood of Malasaña!

With everything from reggae to hard-core punk and a whole lot of house music in between, Taboó likes to keep its options open. The music is a fusion of many different genres, but everything that you hear in Taboó will immediately get you dancing.  I have lost count of the amount of times that we have been to Taboó on either a Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening, and I will continue going most weekends until I leave Madrid in June.

Despite it being very small, at around 4am the atmosphere in this little joint could easily rival the atmosphere of a much bigger club. The mood is always electric and everyone is there for the same reason: to lose their inhibitions and to appreciate incredible music. 

From 11pm there is usually a live band, showcasing the best in Samba, Reggaeton, Punk or Funky beats. Then from 1am until 6:30am, Taboó handpicks the best House, Deep House, Techno and Electro DJ's from Madrid. Occasionally, a fantastic Bongo drummer will join the DJ's on stage which really gets the crowd going. You may even have the pleasure of seeing my favourite duo Greg Ilsen and Charlie Schmidt ;)  Check them out here… https://soundcloud.com/uk-houseplant

The other night I spotted this curly haired, friendly looking chap with the biggest grin i've ever seen plastered on his face. He said that he had been coming to Taboó since he was 16 years old, and that 10 years later, it was still his favourite place in Madrid. That says it all really…Yes the music in Taboó may not attract the Top 40 commercial music lover, however, why not give it a chance and see if it tickles your fancy!? And if it does, every night you spend there will leave you wanting to come back for more!