Moguai, Los Angeles, 2018, Porsche AG
Moguai, Los Angeles, 2018, Porsche AG
Los Angeles, 2018, Porsche AG
Los Angeles, 2018, Porsche AG
Los Angeles, 2018, Porsche AG
Los Angeles, 2018, Porsche AG
In any case, the night here isn’t without end. Shifts at most of the clubs are over at three in the morning, at which point the party might—or might not—simply move on to someone’s home. But who can afford the occasional crash like that? “If you want to climb the ladder you’ve got to stay focused,” says Moguai. “Don’t stop moving for even a second.”
And that’s also why he’s a Porsche enthusiast. As a nine-year-old, he admired the neighbor’s 911; by 2002 he had purchased one for himself. The 911 Targa 4 GTS glides from the skate park in Venice Beach to the heart of the city, Downtown Los Angeles. The art deco neighborhood through which film noir heroes once prowled is now a study in contrasts. Just a few blocks separate the glass towers of the Financial District from the haunts of the homeless in Skid Row. Hard contrasts also mark the city’s new sounds. The grim tones of what the club scene calls bass music have been popularized and given polyphonic break-beat rhythms by Skrillex, a leading electronic artist. Clubs and events like 1 Oak and Low End Theory as well as A Club Called Rhonda stand for a new age of diversity. It’s still early in the evening but crowds have already gathered on Spring Street in front of Exchange LA, which, true to its name, once housed the city’s stock exchange. “I made my debut there in 2016,” says Moguai. Hard fusion sounds also fill this magnificent space and electrify its dancers. High heels, punk T-shirts, Mexican wrestling masks—there’s no particular dress code. But everyone and everything are constantly in motion.
Pit stop: Leo’s Tacos Truck is one of the best places in Hollywood for Mexican street food
Motion is the defining feature of L. A. in general. The clubs are spread throughout this sprawling city. Mexican food trucks are parked next to gas stations, where kids from the barrios fuel up for the night. Bass tones boom from loudspeakers in the cars. Decay is just another name for a breakthrough waiting to happen. The once neglected industrial region of East L. A. has rapidly developed into the Arts District, full of galleries and start-ups. “Faster, faster!” might well be the motto, with electronic music serving as the transmission belt for this progression. “The city challenges you. You have to be ready to let new experiences replace entrenched ideas,” says Moguai, stopping at a branch of the In-N-Out Burger fast-food chain. Bible verses are printed on the underside of its cups, following the wishes of the family that owns the company. Irreverent Los Angeles. Constantly redefining its pop stars.
Heading to Avalon
We finish our burgers and head to Avalon, a music hall whose architecture combines Mexican, fantasy, and art deco elements. Local DJs are putting on a powerful electronic display under flickering lights. Across the street are the headquarters of Capitol Records. A Historic-Cultural Monument, the round high-rise designed to resemble a stack of records is a testament to the early days of Los Angeles as a music metropolis. Greats like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra recorded songs in its studios. An enormous mural in the parking lot shows legendary jazz figures who seem to take an interest in what their descendants are up to. “The electronic scene has given rise to a different type of pop star than David Bowie or Prince,” remarks Moguai. “We’re working on digital material and recombining it in new ways. Our fans are also prone to a type of hero worship. But no one’s throwing TV sets out of windows anymore—that type of egotism is passé.”
As if to prove his point, the Avalon DJs disappear into a gigantic light show. Technology sets the tone here, as does music with hard breaks. When the last break-beat track ends right at three in the morning and Avalon empties at a startling pace, the cars on the lot begin to carry the party out into the night.
André Tegeler, alias Moguai, is one of the most successful German DJs in the club scene worldwide. He launched his mix of techno, house, and big beat in the Ruhr District in the early 1990s, founding Punx Studios together with Phil Fuldner. He now travels regularly around the globe, remixing and producing songs for different bands and musicians. He also releases his own tracks under the U.S. label mau5trap.
A fantasy hacienda on the outside, a multilevel theater on the inside. Showtime and musical greats have been appearing here since 1927. Along with indie and alternative bands, Avalon regularly hosts celebrated techno and EDM events.
One of California’s most famous electronic clubs is located in what used to be the Los Angeles Stock Exchange, with the dance floor on the trading floor. Built in 1929 and now a Historic-Cultural Monument, it features split-levels and a high dome and can accommodate 1,500 techno fans. It’s one of the leading sites in the US for the ever-expanding electronic dance music (EDM) scene and hosts regular appearances by international DJs and acts.
Exchange LA
618 South Spring Street (Downtown Los Angeles),
CA 90014
Avalon
1735 Vine Street
(Hollywood), CA 90028
1 Oak
9039 Sunset Blvd.
(West Hollywood), CA 90069
A Club Called Rhonda
Different locations
Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd.
(Echo Park), CA 90026
Das Bunker
4067 West Pico Blvd.
(Arlington Heights), CA 90019
The Viper Room
8852 Sunset Blvd.
(West Hollywood), CA 90069
Riot House Bar at Andaz
West Hollywood
8401 Sunset Blvd.
(West Hollywood), CA 90069
DJ Moguai created a mix exclusively for the readers of Christophorus: Lyfe Line.
Text first published in the Porsche customer magazine Christophorus, No. 387
911 Targa 4 GTS: Fuel consumption combined 9.7 – 8.7 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 220 – 196 g/km
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