Nouveau Casino

As the primary venue for smaller scale electronic music events in Paris, Nouveau Casino attracts a wide variety of intriguing acts from all across the genre. But regardless of whether the night's entertainment is coming from a prominent house DJ, a rapper or a downtempo music collective like 1-800-DINOSAUR, the venue favors a club environment over that of a concert hall. Located in the popular nightlife district of Oberkampf in the 11th arrondissement, it's exterior is indistinct and unassuming. Its equally dark interior exudes not elegance but modernity, an attribute bolstered by the large sound and lighting system the club boasts. The spacious dance floor fills up quickly once the main act arrives on stage, so as the night goes on the venue transitions from what feels like an over-sized bar to a near claustrophobic, sometimes aggressive dance party. Still, for those who prefer a more laid-back vibe, the club offers areas away from the stage where concert-goers can enjoy the music and a drink without being stifled by the crowd. Nouveau Casino manages to strike a pleasant balance for all types, and its simple design accommodates any event well. While the drinks aren't particularly cheap, they're rather standard Parisian fare. The bar service is surprisingly responsive for such a densely frequented club and is conveniently located not far from the main floor, although late in the night access becomes near impossible due to crowding. Unlike many clubs in Paris, though, getting in is usually a breeze before 2 AM, especially if the event is a ticketed one. The club stays open until the early hours of the morning, though the dance floor will have mostly cleared by then. For what it lacks in extravagance, Nouveau Casino makes up for with its unique younger, underground vibe and subtle but welcoming environment. The club is one of Paris' best for a down-to-earth yet deeply satisfying musical experience.

Clubbing in Paris isn’t cheap: there are nae £1 drinks and discounted student entries here. Or at least, I hadn’t found them. So, here at MUMMAA, we’re all glad to have discovered Nouveau Casino in Paris. Free before 1AM? Yes please. Then I can afford to pay extortionate amounts of money on my shoe-box sized apartment, and go out to see Estonia’s finest electronic producer, Mord Fustang. Now, when I think Estonia, I think gorgeous forests, more snow than The Cairngorm’s mountain range, and lots of brilliant grizzly bears. Electronic music artists aren’t the first thing that spring to my mind to be honest. But, I guess the dangers of hypothermia or being a bear’s lunch are all good reasons to stay inside at your laptop’s glow and synthesizer’s buttons all day, creating beats and riffs until your heart’s content. And that is what Mord Fustang is clearly an expert at. With an extremely abrasive live sound, combined with pounding kick drums, he creates a set that is the electronic equivalent to a heavy metal concert. There are the sounds of old KORG MS-20 synthesizers being pushed to their distorted limits, and the more modern digital swathes of chords you might expect from trance music producers. But it is always the heavy side to his music that prevails, creating an exciting, sometimes exhausting, and rock filled set.