On April 17th, Le’s Bar hosted a rave that filled the venue with a diverse crowd. The DJs also
played a wide variety of genres that night. What everyone had in common was a sense of
freedom, with no other aim than to have a good time and enjoy music that almost made
them disconnect from reality.
The atmosphere prepared gradually, structuring from a quiet low to a high. This was key to
keeping the attendees engaged throughout, with the energy building steadily. The DJs were
responsible for imbuing the bar with the intensity of an underground rave. Ruben kicked
things off with Kokepunkt, opening with Tech House, a more commercial style that helped
get the crowd going. Then, Vigon continued with groovy music, almost venturing into
Psychedelic Techno, which, towards the end of his set, shifted into Peak Time Techno. Next
up was Pleaser, with Hardgroove, and also some Hardbounce and Trance. Then it was the
turn of the party’s organizer, L33, who played Hard Techno and some Schranz. And finally,
Kokepunkt closed with FRNZ spinning Drum & Bass.
According to L33, the lineup they had that night achieved exactly what they were aiming for:
to give the attendees an incredible night. The genre changes kept them on the dance floor,
building energy and preventing any time for boredom. This was the result of experience and
learning, as Kokepunkt is a party that has been held once a month in Kristiansand since
December of last year. Throughout these previous editions, they tried to maintain a more
mainstream sound to attract a wider audience, but they reached a point where they realized
that people really enjoyed the more underground styles as well. So, for the last edition, they
went all out and played the music they truly love and that inspires them, resulting in a
resounding success.
Why was Kokepunkt created?
Kokepunkt was born out of passion. L33, the person behind this rave, has been a DJ in
Kristiansand for 7 years and had long wanted to create a new space where techno would
come alive for one night; a more energetic, more underground techno, less prevalent in the
city.
“We are missing a hard techno scene in Kristiansand in my opinion, so I have always been
pushing for it but I have never had the opportunity to do it. And then, through Le’s Bar we got
the opportunity to just do whatever we wanted there so we tried and it worked.”
Besides being a DJ, L33 personally enjoys going to raves and finds them inspiring, both
outside of Norway and in Oslo. He has been quite involved in the various techno scenes,
which has helped him create the concept for his own rave, aiming to bring this new party to
Kristiansand and make it accessible to everyone. He always emphasizes that raves are a
place to feel safe and enjoy yourself without prejudice.
“We have taken a lot of inspiration from Amsterdam and Berlin clubs, and we also want to be
better at conveying our message because raving is supposed to be a safe space. So we
want to push that message also, that it is somewhere where you can come and be whoever
you are.”
Thanks to social media and DJs like Holy Priest, who are gaining popularity and bringing the
EDM and Techno scene to a wider audience, these kinds of parties are now possible. The
idea of listening to different, energetic music that almost traps you in a trance of connection
with it, where the only goal is to enjoy yourself, is slowly taking root in the Kristiansand party
scene.
As for the DJs, there are currently three residents who play at all the raves: L33, Pleaser,
and FRNZ. The three of them have supported each other and brought the project to fruition
with a lot of enthusiasm and a shared passion. When putting together the lineup for each
event, they aim to create a space where new DJs can also gain exposure and enjoy playing
what they truly love.
“My vision is to let people come and play the style that they want because we DJs are very
constricted by the clubs.”
Future plans
The reality is that Kokepunkt has its sights set on the immediate future, striving to improve
the rave’s atmosphere a little more each month. They don’t want to get too carried away with
their dreams just yet, as they are still in their early stages and feel they must first establish a
solid foundation upon which to dream freely.
L33 would love to take Kokepunkt to many different cities, playing in large venues and
featuring top DJs in the lineup. However, for now, all their attention is focused on the
upcoming edition, taking place on May 15th at Le’s Bar. They are preparing new
improvements for this event, aiming to create a purer and more exclusive rave atmosphere
through lighting design.
Kokepunkt undoubtedly offers a concept that continues to improve with each edition,
demonstrating that there are many different ways to have a good time and enjoy yourself.
And this, coupled with L33’s passion, shows us that dreams do come true, and this one is
increasingly attracting more and more people.
“You have to come and experience it because it is a unique feeling when you are all on the
floor and everyone is dancing to the same beat. No one is talking, no one cares who you
are, no one cares about your status. You are just there. It is just you, the music and the
dance floor.”
