Following a cascade of articles from international publications giving glowing reviews to Tbilisi’s electronic music scene and culture, a new article from Electronic Beats online magazine chronicles neighboring Azerbaijan’s “Raving In Azerbaijan: How Tbilisi’s Club Culture Inspired A New Techno Scene In Baku.”
The article follows the story of Natig Ismayil and his nightclub iN, one of Baku’s only electronic music venues. The opulent, oil-rich, shiny façade of Baku hides, says author Yan Matusevich, “a city that many local young people describe as stifling and despondent, where good places to go out are few and far between. Unlike Tbilisi, which has recently gained international recognition for its innovative club scene, Baku offers surprisingly little in terms of dance clubs despite being the largest and wealthiest city in the Caucasus.”
In the mid-2010s, before opening iN, Ismayil and his friends “discovered Tbilisi’s bustling club scene and became enamored with techno music and rave culture.” They made the seven-hour drive as many as two weekends per month, frequenting places like Bassiani and Khidi.
“Deprived of access to techno clubs at home, a generation of Baku partygoers made Tbilisi their clubbing home,” says Matusevich.
Azerbaijani culture is even more traditional and conservative than Georgian, and Baku’s fringe experimental elements are still developing. The article explains, “While iN clearly aspires to follow in the footsteps of famous industrial techno spaces in Europe, the club also has a broader social mission that goes beyond offering the full techno clubbing experience to locals. In a country where rave culture is perceived as morally reprehensible by a large proportion of society, particularly among the older generation, the founders of iN are adamant about challenging existing prejudices towards ravers and other expressions of non-conformity.”
Matusevich also notes that, “Given its unique history and close ties to the Georgian club scene, iN is not only attracting major talent from Berlin and Tbilisi—such as Ben Rau and Kwartz—but also hopes to provide a platform for local talent going forward.”
By Samantha Guthrie
Photo: Electronic Beats