10 CULTURE BOX MOMENTS TO REMEMBER IN 2023
Published December 30, 2023
2023, the first year of the post pandemic era. With a focus on diverse lineups, we’ve welcomed artists from all corners of the globe and have been exposed to a rich tapestry of sounds from various cultural backgrounds.
Looking back, here are 10 of the special moments and events that defined the year!
1. Rebekah
It took us a few years to get her booked to play here in Wonderful Copenhagen but Rebekah won our hearts with her performance back in April. From the first pounding kick drum hit our Void sound system, the intensity from the big-room sounds went through the roof and created a hypnotic feel across the room. Flawlessly mixing on 3-4 channels, she increased the tempo and ended around 150 bpm. The crowd loved it, no doubt! So did we.
2. Water Rave at Distortion X Vesterbro
For Distortion 2023, we kicked off the first Water Rave in the history of Culture Box! Once the kiddie pool had been emptied of water, transforming it into our stage for the day, it required quite a few helping hands to transport the sound system into DGI Byen. The aquatic centre was covered in lights and sound, turning it into a vibrant dancefloor. To add a playful touch, we decided to fill the space with beach balls of various colours and sizes. Little did we anticipate the great enthusiasm from the Distortion guests, who formed large circles and engaged in serve competitions. It was all in good fun, and the music rightfully took centre stage when Aleks BLC, Anek, Neel Wismann, NILU, Only Ollie, and Tim Andresen crafted the beats for this delightful (and wet) dance experience in and around the pool.
3. John Digweed
Queues around the block as clubbers lined the street for the return of John Digweed back in May. Diggers has cemented his name in the pages of dance music history as one of the biggest DJs of all time. He proved he is still very much at the top of his profession and his journey on the night took us through moody moments and musical mystery. John seemed to enjoy the special atmosphere of Black Box and spoke highly of Culture Box in his Transitions radio show. Who’s up for a repeat in 2024?
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4. Unboxed Workshops
In 2023, Unboxed events continued to captivate and inspire, building on the momentum of this initiative born in 2018 as a series of workshops and activities focusing on aspects of electronic music that extend beyond the dance floor. A standout moment featured two exhilarating days of Pioneer workshops led by the European Product Planning Manager, Rob Anderson, and Product Specialist, Alex Moreno. Together, they unveiled the cutting-edge features of the Pioneer A9 Mixer and shared invaluable DJing tips and tricks.
5. Culture Box & Spiral Club: Klinik 303 – Platform K
We are always looking for new playmates and allies with a passion for electronic music. In Horsens we found a whole group – Spiral Club. In March we hosted the returning event Klinik 303 at Platform K with Horsens Pride as an official partner, handling the safer space policy. A passionate and lovely local crowd gathered to share great vibes and enthusiasm for the music presented by RVN FM, Paula and Jurasmus Park. It is great to see and meet like-minded all over our country.
6. Culture Box Chillout
This year the open air Culture Box Chillout day festival took place in the charming, green park of Østre Anlæg behind SMK. How beautiful it was to see both families and friends coming together to enjoy the sunny hours, gentle sounds and beats by AYO, Dalholt, Momec, Palma, Shatter Hands and Rosa Lux. They truly sent us vibing into the warm summer night.
Date for next year’s festival will be Friday 12 July. Join the crowd for more cosy, laid back vibes, music and mindset!
7. Ida Engberg at our 18th Birthday.
Ida Engberg‘s set at Culture Box in January was a testament to her status in the world of techno. Showcasing a deep understanding of the genre, her sound keeps evolving and is now much more challenging and less formularic than what has been fired from the Drumcode canon in years. Well done, Ida. Pure class!
“Ida Engberg’s cool and collected performance for Culture Box 18th Birthday really impressed me. I experienced her at DC10 in 2022, but the crowd here in Copenhagen was way better, much more attentive and into it. It was a really beautiful night!”
– Mia, Faces of Culture Box
8. Open Call for DJs 6/1
We opened 2023 in style. 100+ mixes were submitted for our Open Call for DJs, and 13 fresh artists were handpicked to play at Culture Box for the very first time presenting a wide variety of electronic music genres: AB:XT, Flöde, KARNIK, Abi, Severin, Midele, AZADÎ, Helmus, THE OMG, nonE, Martinou, YOON and Raveree. Everyone came with fantastic enthusiasm and talent, and even though New Year’s Eve was still fresh in everybody’s bodily memory, the community showed up and packed out this first Friday in January. So much energy in the room, so much love for our scene.
9. Running Rave
We’ve often wondered if going out all night is exercise? “Oh, you move so much,” a friend recently replied when asked if partying can possibly be considered exercise. While the question remains unanswered, we are not in doubt when it comes to our Running Rave in Fælledparken. We invited Lützen to play live from his fully loaded DJ-bike on a Wednesday in June. It created lots of smiles and funny moments at Østerbro while jogging the 6K and sharing well-deserved beers at the finish line. Date for Running Rave 2024 is out already. Please add 19th June to your calendar.
10. Forbrændingen: LustSickPuppy + Demi Yo’ko
Other new playmates revealed themselves in the year just gone. Albertslund’s former Vridsløselille prison now turned live music venue, Forbrændingen invited Culture Box to co-host a fiery double concert with LustSickPuppy and Demi Yo’ko. The artists brought raw energy interpreted through industrial hip-hop, punk and drum’n’bass, which merged into an energetic live show. The sound of a rave from hell. Just magnificent!
Humbly speaking, we’re stoked to be a hub for so many creatives and kind people, weaving the threads of beats and good vibes. On a mission together, we’re thrilled to have you all along for the journey. Here’s to more reasons to dance in 2024. Let’s keep electronic music and culture alive!
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