Time Warp, returning to Maimarkt Mannheim in Germany, showcases why talent and punters alike keep coming back for more.
You wouldn’t think Anfisa Letyago still gets nervous. The Italian DJ has evolved into one of techno’s most vital artists, pushing the underground genre to where it is today. But the first time she played Time Warp she tells me she felt like a “schoolgirl before an exam.”
I know the feeling. Time Warp is techno’s largest world stage and is intimidatingly cool. Starting 31 years ago in 1994, the event has welcomed generations of fans through its doors, delivering stellar line ups time and time again. Bringing in big names and fresh talent, the team are always pushing the boundaries of what partying can be. But I needn’t have worried, the minute I arrive at Time Warp’s spiritual home in Mannheim, Germany, everyone is extremely welcoming, and it’s clear it’s the machine’s ability to build and foster community is what really makes it tick. Roaming around backstage doing interviews until 6am you think I’d be exhausted, but the energy is infectious.
It takes a village to make Time Warp and staying relevant for decades is no easy feat. Their secret? To remain a rave – which means having a no-commercials-on-the-dancefloor policy. Just big, carefully curated stages that are cosy, clubby and very dark. This year’s lineup boasted esteemed legends of the game such as Ricardo Villalobos, Nina Kraviz, and Marco Carola, alongside the likes of Carlita, KI/KI, and pulsing trance duo DJ Heartstring.
The team seamlessly nurtures collaboration for artists, showcasing B2B sets that go down in history – and this year was no different. A personal favourite was Adiel B2B Quest, who looked like they were genuinely having the time of their lives. It’s clear the duo love playing together, and I ask Adiel how it all started, “Playing with Quest is always exhilarating because we share a deep musical connection and understanding. We met through some friends, and our synergy was instant.” When Mannheim calls, how can you say no?
Time Warp is known for its B2B matchmaking. Anfisa fondly recalls the first time she ever played vinyl B2B, which was at Time Warp alongside Hector Oaks. Thanks to the festival, they’re now good friends. “We always speak through WhatsApp, I send him a lot of music and he sends me a lot of stuff from his label. Yeah, they created [that]. Thanks to Time Warp, we have a nice connection. Moments like this are what keeps me alive artistically.”
It’s a big gig, but when they’re done a lot of the artists hang around to network and party together. I ask Aussie producer and DJ HAAi what makes her return to the festival. For her, it’s all about seeing her mates smash it. Her eyes widen and a beaming smile sweeps over her face as she recalls spending a memorable night with Bicep at Time Warp Sao Paulo last year. The next night, she ran into Alexander Ridha (Boyz Noise) who asked her to follow him to his set. “So we pile into this golf buggy, it’s my first time in balmy Brazil, we’re catching up and I just look out, and there’s like 10,000 people or something. When you see people react to your pal smashing it, that is top tier. That’s the north star.”
Part of Time Warp’s success comes from their perfection of the rave recipe. They are community first, which keeps talent coming back for more. HAAi says there’s a shelf life to nights that become all about just one artist that isn’t bringing a community or anyone up with them. She’s most excited when she sees others bringing each other up, because that’s what really has longevity for the culture to continue. She recalls a time when she was just starting out and was sat next to The Blessed Madonna at a dinner. “It was the night before I started at Phonox, and it was the first [dinner] I’d ever been at, and I was so anxious. I think she saw that I had this cheekiness and that I was having a bit of a moment. She just pulled me in, and to this day we text like besties. And [now] anytime I have an opportunity to bring anyone up with me I do. And it’s such a fucking sick thing. When you get given an opportunity, they don’t come around often, so if you get the chance to do it, you should.”
NYC-based DJ, producer and label owner Chloé Caillet shares the same sentiment. We meet backstage for a chat before her B2B with Berlin-based heavyweight Dixon at Floor 4. Having played Berghain’s Panorama Bar the night before, she perks herself up by ordering us both a tequila shot. For Chloé, places like Time Warp are unrivalled, because artists can gather in different corners of the world, meet those they admire and learn from one another. “I feel like when artists play here, they really prepare special sets because they know the crowd here is really up for it,” she tells me, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Dixon was one of the first people that actually took me under his wing in 2019,” adding that having people like him on her side is paramount to her success, “they literally tell me when it’s right, when it’s wrong, and can make sure that I keep my two feet on this planet. Also tell me when I’ve gone too far, you know. Especially Steffen (Dixon), I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached out to him and he’s like, ‘Don’t worry I’ve been there, we all have, these are the solutions’, and it’s so nice to have.”
When Chloé and Dixon reunite, they don’t hold back. As the sunrise drenches Floor 4, dark, euphoric tracks like “Concourse” by Wallace are paired with pulsing, wonkier surprises, and that’s when it struck me how great the crowd was. If a techno festival seems scary to some people, I promise you I’ve never felt safer as a woman at a rave. The festival’s commitment to community is reflected in those that attend because they’re prepared to leave egos at the door, and the attention to detail is striking. Time Warp’s Managing Director Robin Ebinger always conducts a vibe check in the early hours. He’ll stand for 20 or 30 minutes, taking it all in, seeing it through the ticket payer’s eyes.
On the day the doors open after all the hard work is done, Robin says his favourite moment is when people start to queue. “People scream, sing, yell and chant, and you hear so many different languages, and I just think, these people made a long journey to come to Mannheim. It started weeks or months before, talking to their friends, organizing the plane tickets, getting to the hairdresser, getting some new clothes. That’s fucking cool, you know, a bunch of people sitting here in Mannheim in an office making people move around the world.” After all these years, it’s clear he’s still exhilarated by the festival’s success. “Techno taking us around the world, who would have thought that? Underground music”, for a moment he shakes his head in disbelief, and it’s humbling.
In the gig economy, everyone knows it’s who you know and what you know. Spaces like this are important and are becoming far and few between in the UK. Recent research shows that in the past four years the UK has lost 37% of its clubs, which works out at about 10 clubs closing each month. Youth club funding has been cut significantly in the UK, and as we face an economic crisis, opportunities are shrinking. I ask the artists if they have any advice for anyone starting out in the scene right now.
Daria Kolosova, a Ukrainian DJ who has taught students in Kharkiv and Kiev, stresses the importance of not letting the competition get the better of you. “There’s a crazy amount of new DJs, the competition is huge, and you might not think it’s the right time. It’s never the right time! You never find perfect conditions when to start. Just start today.” “Creatives are never going to go away,” says Chloé Caillet. “It’s about how you do your creativity. Don’t be afraid if there’s adversity, don’t be afraid if people are cutting funding. There’s always going to be a place where they’re not or a place where you’re going to find a home. If there isn’t a space, start your own thing, build your own collective. Make yourself indispensable, create your own path, align yourself with other people. If you’re not finding work, don’t be afraid to go work under someone else. You know, you don’t need to just be your own thing. Sometimes you need to learn under someone else and that will open doors. If that route doesn’t work, then go try something else, or move to another place, or meet people online, discuss things, or apply for a job the old-fashioned way.”
“Take risks, and be completely selfless in how you play,” HAAi adds. “Don’t chase the idea of money or ego because it is transparent. The main reason is that you have common ground with the people on the dancefloor, and it’s the fact that you both love the music. [Whether] you’re playing it or dancing to it, I don’t see much of a difference.”
Tickets for Time Warp are available here.
Words – Kelly Washington
