Not Nirvana but Close Enough

Uncategorized — By admin on February 14, 2008 1:00 am

Club Night:
Blue Riddim Saturdays
Venue: Balcon
de Rosales
Address:
corner of Pintor Rosales and Marqués de Urquilla
Price: 12
euros with two drinks before 2:30 AM
Metro:
Arguelles

Indiscreetly
spewing magenta spotlights at the northeast brink of the Parque del Oeste lies
the Balcon de Rosales, a venue that definitely
has its place in the hierarchy of Madrid
club life.

I arrived
for Blue Riddim Drum & Bass this past Saturday at around 1:30 AM – an hour
after the party had officially started. The line I stood in looked promising: a
very young crowd eager to let loose.

Entering
the club you’re greeted by an exquisite landscape: two separate rooms whose
glass walls look out onto the park and, in some corners, the far western
reaches of Madrid.

Now, any
exact Drum & Bass definition is hotly contested, but I must say that the
music I heard Saturday night should be classified as merely “electronic” – not what
I was expecting, but not bad. The wide
array of programmed rhythms often grooved, and when Manu Chau’s staple hit,
“King of the Bongo”, boomed through the club, it inspired all to stop thinking
and move their bodies. This is why we
came!

Your legs
begin to feel more like spaghetti and this enables your body to… wile out.
You could see this nearly spiritual possession in many people throughout both
rooms, but they all seemed to be coasting on an exponential curve that would
never quite attain nirvana, never quite reach the next level. Nirvana or not, there
were enough cute girls around to keep you focused on whatever imposing dance
moves you might be able to execute.

Most of the
space had filled up by 3:30, but there was something a bit lackluster. Perhaps
it was the corporate vibe that made the club feel a bit like a Bar Mitzvah after
party. Perhaps it was a spacious setting that wasn’t ideally suited for such
intimate desires. Regardless, you can rest assured of a dancing good time, but
I wouldn’t count on any out-of-body experiences.