Marcio Dias Coelho, Streaming Director @ Streamax
The first year of Boiler Room Brazil will forever be in my memory. We overcame the difficulties of producing a live gig in Brazil, and showed our best from north to south (literally). Rio de Janeiro’s session, from the top of Favela do Vidigal with that breathtaking view was amazing.
Erin Flanagan, Host and Programmer, Australia
My first ever Boiler Room show was in Sydney last year. It was the first stop on a week long tour and Derrick Carter was about to step up, then out of nowhere my friend and FBi radio co-host Kato suddenly saunters across the stream stripped down to nothing except for a tiny sweat towel with the word “TUNE” written on it. Still cracks me up.
Raj Choudhuri, Head of Music
This was one of the early bookings I made for Boiler Room. I run a hip-hop party called Livin’ Proof and asked HudMo to come and play a 100% hip-hop set for our Boiler Room takeover. Not only did he play a straight set of certified bangers, but there were about 10 unreleased Hudson beats in this set! More funny than that was my friends Chris and Laura who became a sensation in the chat room. People eagle-eye commented as #greenshirt flexed his flirting manoeuvres with #whiteteegirl. This was actually the first time that Boiler Room ever trended on Twitter, and it was in fact #greenshirt that stole the show — not my crew, HudMo or Boiler Room!
Gustavo Guerra, US Programmer
What was supposed to be an intimate gathering of friends and family became a zoo in a matter of minutes at Mike Dean’s TriBeCa Apartment.
Zoe Kahlert, Berlin Producer
Boiler Room with DJ Scotch Egg, Anklepants and Otto von Schirach has to be my favorite. Everything was there from a horse to a shark, pancakes, logos, stage diving. I could hardly work I was laughing so much!
Sean Keating, Online Editor
Although I’m not a Jersey Club or B-more fan, I thought it was great that we were shining a light on regional sounds that have been overlooked by mainstream artists and media. It was impossible not to be engrossed by the raw energy oozing from these sessions.
Joe Muggs, Editor-in-Chief.
This was actually the first Boiler Room I attended, and made me kick myself for never having been before. I’m as prone as anyone to cynicism about show-offy hipsters and disinterested phone-prodders, but this showed me what time it was. Little Dragon can be a bit over-tasteful at times, but they properly kicked out the jams, too. Mainly I just remember a line of people in the crowd trying to imitate Yukimi Nagano’s directional dance moves, though.
Simon Downing, Amsterdam Director
Setting up for the first ever Boiler Room in Amsterdam in 2011. We illegally took over the top floor of an old office building in the middle of town during ADE, carted in our own sound system, taped a webcam to a mic stand and prayed the police would leave us alone! Richie Hawtin did not disappoint!
Joe Alexander, Head of Production
Almost knocking some girl out with a camera at SXSW when Stefan Burnett from Death Grips pushed me off stage for the third time.
Monique Dardenne, Brazil Publisher
DJ Marky’s tour de force through decades of Brazilian music, rave history and D&B excellence — all of it from his very own living room and propelled by his monumental record collection — was a journey that we are all so lucky to have registered and broadcast.
Aaron Castle, Berlin Producer
Trying to keep the booth stable while Boys Noize played an all-vinyl set at the first House of Vans while 1,200 people raved in an over-capacity empty swimming pool. Annoying girls threw glitter everywhere and confetti cannons went off.
Gosia Herman, Poland Publisher
That one was a straight dream-come-true situation. Hanging out at the iconic Village Studios in the first place, not to mention the fact that the room was filled with some of the most legendary personas in the history of hip-hop. When Ghostface and Adrian Younge played Protect Ya Neck, Ghostface called out people from the crowd to step up and rap ODB’s verse with him. After someone else’s poor, drunken attempt, one guy stepped up and literally killed it, everyone in the room went totally nuts. I’m pretty sure I saw a tear in his eye.
Bradley Zero, Programmer/Host
Curating a takeover of the V&A last year when about 7,000 too many people turned up and they had to barricade the main entrance while myself and Thristian hosted what turned into an impromptu rave in the grand hall.
Michail Stangl, Germany Director
The legendary make-out session during Tama Sumo’s set — after all House Music is Love!
Lucien Bruguière, France Director
Torn Hawk tearing off an erotic poster in the venue, proudly showing it to the cam, sliding it on his guitar.
David Miller, New York Producer
Mine involves the Mister Saturday Night production — our first prerecorded broadcast, and somehow also the first time I had no idea how the show was going to turn out. Of course Justin and Eamon are masters, but the dancers? In post-Giuliani, post-9/11 NYC? In 2014, did we as New Yorkers still really, actually dance, or were we going to just capture some sad facsimile of old heads trying to relive their glory days?
As soon as Justin put the first record on, the feeling was unmistakable — young people, old people, black and white and every other ethnicity of person (all of whom gather at that studio on a weekly basis to do exactly what we were filming them doing), began to dance with the kind of enthusiasm, energy and passion that I can only imagine is the same as that which animated the dancers at Paradise Garage or The Loft. The mutual respect and complete sense of freedom to do whatever you wanted was something I haven’t experienced before or since.