Brooklyn Boro

On the East River, a massive European warehouse party

"Anyone who was at Time Warp was a part of history."

November 26, 2019 Scott Enman
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By 4 a.m. on Saturday, as most New Yorkers were already back in the comfort of their beds, thousands of wide-eyed revelers were just arriving at a massive party inside a 10-acre industrial complex on the banks of the East River.

Stepping inside the two-room warehouse, I was immediately transported. Colorful lights bounced off sweating bodies. Hypnotic beats reverberated in my chest. Dancers in extravagant costumes wove in and out of the crowd.

After a four-year hiatus, Germany’s Time Warp, one of the most coveted techno music festivals in the world, was returning to the U.S. for just the third time in its history, thanks to veteran Brooklyn party promoter Teksupport.

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If there’s a thumping bass line emanating from a warehouse, Teksupport is likely behind it. From former submarine manufacturing plants in Sunset Park to the Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the company is no stranger to hosting enormous parties in cavernous industrial spaces.

Reinier Zonneveld performs at Time Warp. Photo: Tyler Allix

“As our scene continues to grow here in America, this past weekend was the next step in many ways,” said Teksupport founder Rob Toma, who partnered with Time Warp to bring the event to New York.

“Over the weekend, 15,000 ravers assembled from various parts of the world from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. I’m grateful to have created a vibe where you can still get a piece of the Euro dance scene without actually leaving New York. Production and overall crowd has yet to be matched.”

A partygoer enjoys the moment. Photo: Time Warp

The company has played an integral role in reviving Brooklyn’s warehouse scene, as well as transforming the city into a hub for electronic music. In addition to Time Warp, Teksupport has brought Ibiza-based party Circoloco to Brooklyn for Halloween the last four years.

“It’s one thing to see great DJs, but to get to see true artists who almost never come to the states — an experience like that comes once in a lifetime,” said resident and raver Nicholas Estevez. “Anyone who was at Time Warp was a part of history.”

In addition to the excellent music, Time Warp featured mind-blowing visuals, lights and décor. In one room, massive silver balls were fastened to the rafters as multicolored lasers playfully bounced off them.

Ricardo Villalobos shifts through his vinyl records. Photo: Off Brand Project

In another room, lights were spread out across the entire ceiling changing rhythm and color in tandem with the bassline.

The event took place on Friday and Saturday and featured more than 18 artists, including Chilean DJ Ricardo Villalobos.

Villalobos, making a rare U.S. appearance, took control of the crowd like a puppeteer on Saturday morning. By the end of his set, he had transitioned from deep dark techno to whimsical jazz and flamenco music. After three hours of nonstop beats, the lights went dark and he disappeared into the night, passing the reigns to Joseph Capriati.

Lights bounce of massive silver balls on the ceiling of the warehouse. Photo: Tyler Allix

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Justin Weaver, a local DJ who attended the festival, said he gets motivation from seeing big-name talent like Villalobos perform. “As an artist in the Brooklyn music scene, I look at it as inspiration to work hard to be on a stage like that,” he said.

Rays of sunlight creep into the warehouse. Photo: Off Brand Project

Dusan Gargurevich, a Brooklyn resident and producer, said he hopes that events like Time Warp can help “educate the masses” to move away from EDM to the less commercial underground scene.

“Teksupport has the production value that attracts someone who isn’t necessarily already a house music enthusiast, but combines that with lineups that are making even the most avid collectors show up and dance,” Gargurevich told the Brooklyn Eagle. “As an artist, that’s very important because ultimately I want people to experience something new that will spark curiosity and broaden their horizons.”

By 7 a.m., my pedometer clocked in at 7.2 miles of dancing. As rays of sunlight crept in through the windows of the 90,000-square-foot warehouse, blurry-eyed attendees — still with their ears ringing — retreated for the exits, eager to rest before repeating it all again later that night.

Follow reporter Scott Enman on Twitter.

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