Beta Nightclub

StopBreatheBump - Paco Osuna

POSTED TUE.NOV.01.2011

Since moving to the Denver area I have greatly missed the extended sets and late night afterparties that were always such a staple of the NYC EDM scene.  So when I heard that Beatport/PUNCHIS and The Awesome Factory were bringing in Paco Osuna for an all night Halloween party I got very excited.  Not only was it a taste of the east coast but the Mindshake label boss and global techno heavyweight would be providing his unmistakable sounds as the soundtrack at both locations.

Upon entering the Beatport Lounge, the dance floor was already packed with eager techno heads dressed to the nines in their creative array of Halloween costumes.  Mindshake label partner Dela was in the final 30min of his opening set and was expertly warming up the room with some very funky contemporary house/tech-house and techno.  5 min Later I couldn’t help but check all my stuff and put on my dancing shoes because the music was just too good to let go to waste.   With each passing minute the undulations on the dance floor grew more vigorous and it was clear he was giving the masses what they want.  Despite this it was clear he took his opening duties seriously and was holding back so that Paco could have the privilege of taking the room down the rabbit hole with some heavier material.  I would love the chance to see him cut things loose and show his full repertoire of talents in an extended set sometime in the future.

Right at midnight Paco slipped in and seamlessly took over the decks to cheers from the crowd.  Armed with a lolly pop and his extensive arsenal of groovy techno and chunky beats he began to take Beta on a journey to raw dance bliss – the likes of which had not been seen since Richie Hawtin was in town.

As his set progressed, Paco slowly started to spiral downward with some heady sample laden tracks that took the mood in the room to a deeper and darker place. Then as the crowd began to get lost in the sultry beats, Paco would re-infuse the room with life through one of his many insatiable build ups – prompting people to hoot and holler in excitement as they began to dance with increased purpose.

As I myself became lost in the music, the 2hr set flew by and before I knew it the crowds was moving on to the afterparty.  Before Paco packed up his equipment and set off to the next location I was lucky enough to sit down with him for a short interview .  Sadly my camera was acting up so the video had to be scrapped but the audio can be found below.  If you are a fan of Paco’s and techno music in general,  I urge you to have a listen.   He provides some great insight into his development as a DJ and along with incredible stories that you wont hear anywhere else but from the man himself.

After the interview I made my way to the gallery on 9th & Santa Fe where Paco had already taken to the decks for his second set of the night.  As stated in the interview, Paco lives for afterhours and began to unleash a set of true jack and bounce afterhours techno.  Although the crowd had decipated – it did not deter Paco from giving it everything he had, combining  his incredible mixing of cleverly layered vocal and percussion samples along with rolling basslines that shook the usually quiet and reserved gallery to its bones.

As I left the party I was ready to proclaim that this night which had seen Mindshake records give Denver a proper spanish techno shlacking was a runaway success.  Looking back, it was without question one of the best events I have attended in Denver since moving to the area. A big thanks goes out to all the promoters involved for organizing such a great event and even more thanks are due to Dela and Paco Osuna for doing what they do best…rocking the dancefloor!

Download the official press release in PDF format