FACES OF CULTURE BOX: JESPER
Published February 27, 2022
With our Faces of Culture Box-series we’re profiling good friends of the house, staff and regulars who all participate in making our venue a vibrant and stimulating affair. Meet Jesper, one of Culture Box’s cherished regulars, who, as the picture reveals, was the first to queue up with a bottle of Hierbas for our Reopening Weekend in September 2021.
Age: 42
Work: Municipal worker
First time I went to Culture Box… actually started at the cocktail bar, White Box, next to Culture Box, where Trentemøller was playing, for a small intimate crowd. The place was packed, and the vibe was amazing. The party then continued at Culture Box, and I remember being blown away by that dark underground vibe there. I think it was around 2010-2012, but I’m not 100% sure. (Editor’s note: It was 2012)
I come here because… of the amazing vibe, and of course the music and the DJs. I always have such a great time. Oooh and the Hierbas.. haha.. It’s like my second home!
My favourite DJ or live act is… really hard to decide, if I can only pick one. I always enjoy the technically skilled DJs such as Roger Sanchez and James Zabiela. But the one I’ve enjoyed the most is Eric Prydz. He’s been a favourite of mine for many years, because of his music, and the way he puts his sets together, including his amazing Holo shows. Many of his tracks just gives me goosebumps, and I always enjoy, when other DJs at Culture Box, play his tracks. Unfortunately we’ve never had the pleasure of him playing at Culture Box, but who knows what the future will bring (crossing my fingers, haha). Maybe as his Cirez D alias. I do need to mention the resident DJ Tim Andresen as well. His What Happens nights are always banging, and his track selection is on point every time. Doesn’t matter if he’s warming up for another headliner, or doing the extended all night sets, It’s always a pleasure to experience. Fun fact: I’ve actually known him, since he DJ’d at a regular disco back in 1999-2000, where I used to go a lot. So we go way back, although it’s within the last 8-10 years or so that we’ve become real friends. But it’s been fun and amazing to follow his career.
My best night at Culture Box was… again hard to choose from, since there’s been many great nights. But I’d probably have to say the opening week after the lockdown in 2021. It was Wednesday, September 1st, and the vibe that night was insane. People were so excited to finally be able to party at a nightclub again, meeting up with old friends, and getting new ones. Truly unforgettable.
My best Culture Box memory… was on a hot Thursday summer night in June of 2013, when this guy Yuuki, celebrated his bachelor party at Culture Box. I never really knew who he was, but apparently he was friends with a bunch of DJs, such as Adam Beyer, Dubfire, Reboot, Richie Hawtin and Seth Troxler, who all came to play, and celebrate with him. Wow what a night! Funniest part was Adam Beyer wearing a towel around his head, while playing, because he was sweating so much.
What I love most about Culture Box is… definitely the vibe there. I feel that everyone is so kind and accommodating. I’ve met so many amazing people, who I’ve become acquainted and friends with. Including some of the staff, who I also feel are some of the best in the business. But also the opportunity to experience new DJs and hear new music and widen my horizon that way. I really love that.
In the future I’d like to see… Cristoph play, because he has really blown me away with his productions within the last few years. He’s released tracks under Eric Prydz’ Pryda label, and you can really hear that Pryda inspired sound in his tracks, which I love. Another one who’d be great is Charles D. He is also on the Pryda label, plus Prydz’ more Techno inspired label Mouseville. I think he could bring a great vibe to Culture Box for sure. The last one I think could be interesting is John Summit. He’s a young Tech House producer and DJ from Chicago, who has released some tracks on one of my favorite labels, Defected Records. He’s really energetic, in his style, and just enjoys himself when playing, which is such a pleasure to watch and hear.
I think the future of the electronic music scene in Denmark is going to be… evolving even more, than it already has. Electronic music is becoming more and more popular, and you often hear House (inspired) tracks getting airplay on public daytime radio. And even Festivals all around Denmark are starting to have stages dedicated to DJs and electronic music, with both big and smaller names playing. I see many different clubs and venues focusing on bookings within electronic music, which shows that it’s becoming an acceptable genre of music. I’ve always felt that Culture Box has been one of the front runners to do this, but it’s great to see other places follow in their footsteps. Plus we have so many amazing and talented danish DJs and producers popping up, and getting recognition, not only in Denmark, but internationally, which is really exciting to see. So I think the future is looking really good and promising.
I think the future for electronic music is… going to be more experimental. I’ve heard tracks that are really creatively put together, without becoming “weird” or not suitable for the clubs or dance floors. Obviously not all electronic music are made for the clubs/dance floor, but since that’s where I like to be, that’s where my focus is. But I kind of also feel, that it’s becoming a bit too saturated, in regards of music being released. Because it’s so easy to get a home studio setup now, and there are so many new labels releasing stuff, it’s difficult to browse through and find true gold. It’s been like this for some time actually, but it’s not getting easier. Obviously it’s up to the DJs and/or listeners to then dig deeper, which a lot of course do. And that’s part of the fun. But it also depends on what you’re actually in to. I don’t always mind if the tracks are in the top of the charts, or something a DJ has dug up from somewhere. As long as it’s good, and gives me a great feeling, I’m satisfied.
What I love most about electronic music is… the variety of genres it includes and the different feelings you can get from it. And how it can just put you in a special mood. I try not to get too stuck into one genre, and stay open minded. Sometimes I enjoy hard Techno. Sometimes Progressive House. Sometimes Melodic Techno. Then Tech House. Maybe Classic or Funky House. Then Disco House. And every genre puts me in a special mood. And no matter what, I always enjoy it, and will most likely get goosebumps from the music at some point during night.
My dancing is… somewhat random… haha… I mean, I’m not sure I’d really call what I do “dancing”, but I do like to move around a bit, shake my ass, put my hands in the air and just enjoy myself. With an often packed dance floor, there’s not always that much room to dance on, in a club like Culture Box, so it’s not really a place for some fancy moves anyway.
What I love most about dancing is… that you can just express yourself, the way you want, and in a way that makes you feel good. When the music hits the right spot in your body, you get this amazing feeling of joy, happiness and freedom.
If I should recommend a track/mix/podcast… It has to be Cristoph’s track Illusions featuring Artche on the amazing vocals. I find his voice so unique and perfect for the genre. Cristoph’s podcast Consequence Of Society is one of my favourites, although it doesn’t come out that frequently. Lastly I’d have to say the Defected Radio Show. Lots of great House music.
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