After 30 years, young crowds still line up for punishment at L.A.'s harshest nightclub, Das Bunker
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A club night dedicated to a niche, harsh subgenre of music would be lucky to last three years in a churning city like Los Angeles.But 30? That run makes the industrial club Das Bunker roughly as old as the original D Line.It’s impossible to imagine Los Angeles’ electronic scene without Das Bunker, a roving party founded in Long Beach in 1996 by DJ and promoter John Giovanazzi to champion brutalist club music.
While the scene waxed and waned over decades, it’s back in full force with young crowds today.Bands like Health can sell out the Palladium, electronic body music thrives on dance floors and Nine Inch Noize was a favorite at Coachella.The party is now a fixture at Catch One in Mid-City, and Giovanazzi’s been celebrating the club’s milestone all year with sets by harsh European veterans like Das Ich and younger acts like Spike Hellis and Kontravoid.
He spoke to The Times about L.A.’s tense climate for avant-garde nightlife, what Gen Z wants from extreme noise and how to be a good custodian of underground music history.Music Health has collaborated with Nine Inch Nails and Bad Omens.
Culture finally caught up to their bleakness.This interview was edited for length and clarity.Thirty years is an insanely long run.
Are you aware of anything that’s endured like that in L.A.nightlife?Not really.
Even nationwide, there’s not a whole lot.But the environment is so much different now than it used to be.
Even festivals have been in such a weird spot the past couple of years.For the anniversary, I didn’t want to charge a triple digit entry price for one big party.
It became obvious to me that the plan was to do a bunch of events that marked different styles and artists that we’ve focused on over the years.Not everything’s for everyone.
This way, it felt like we could do something for everyone, just not at the same time.Being able to go back and do things in ...