Arjun Vagale’s List Of Best Clubs

Arjun Vagale at Endup. Photo: Courtesy of  The Endup

There is no better feeling for a producer than walking into a club and hearing your favorite DJ playing one of your new records and watching a packed dance floor explode. I’m thankful to have witnessed this a few times now, from Carl Cox dropping “She Said” at Space in Ibiza to Adam Beyer playing ”˜Total Recall’ at Output in New York.

Here’s a list of some of the best clubs I’ve played at:

Coda, Toronto

I’ll start by saying that Toronto is, without a doubt, one of the BEST cities in the world for underground music, and Coda is THE venue for techno. I still get goose bumps thinking about my gig there playing alongside Sian and Julian Jewel”¦ it went well into the morning with a crowd that reacted to every single kick drum. Proper raw and underground!

Womb, Tokyo

Photo: Courtesy of Womb

Considered by many to be one of the finest clubs in Asia, backed by a custom state-of-the-art sound system, Womb is the holy grail of clubs. I’ve heard EVERY single DJ I admire talk so highly about it – being invited to play for the first time last year was an honor. Add to that my love for sake and technology, and Japan is one of my favorite countries. I’m thrilled to be playing at Womb again this May.

Verboten, New York

Photo: Courtesy of Verboten

Verboten is a fairly new entrant to the club circuit of New York, and ever since it opened, it’s been creating quite the buzz with New York clubbers. The first time I walked into the main room, it immediately felt like home. The venue has this open feeling, with visuals literally 360 degrees around you. What I loved most is the booth – low, close to the floor, giving it that intimate feeling.

Baum, Bogota

Photo: Courtesy of Baum

I made my South America debut this year, playing at Baum in Bogota. I had heard that Columbia has a warm and receptive crowd, and I discovered that the people were that and so much more. The venue has this tripped-out, futuristic ceiling made up of geometric cones, almost like an art installation”¦ and when you get to play till 7am, you know it’s the real deal.

Tresor, Berlin

The history of this club, in many ways, shaped techno into what it is today. I’ve had the pleasure of playing there a few times now, and the basement is the craziest place I’ve ever seen. Just like techno, Tresor is very raw. The booth is literally behind bars, the bass bins are stacked all over the club, and all you see are some strobe lights and a lot of haze. No frills but definitely all the thrills.

The Endup, San Francisco

Photo: Courtesy of The Endup

Is the Endup possibly one of the oldest venues in the world? I’m not sure, but this San Francisco club has some serious history with the city ”“ it’s been around since 1973. I recently played an afterhours set there, going well into the morning on a Sunday. Watching the soft light of dawn enter the room and all the smiling faces around made the experience so special.

Vagale kicks off his Asia tour this month. Details below

at Womb in Tokyo, Japan on May 15th

at Woobar, in Bali Indonesia on May 21st

at Kyo in Singapore on May 23rd

at blueFROG in Mumbau on May 29th

at blueFROG in Pune on May 30th

at The Myx in Kolkata on June 5th

at Terra Maya in Guwahati on June 6th

at Playboy in Hyderabad on June 12th

at antiSOCIAL in New Delhi on June 13th