If you’ve ever wanted to taste that proverbial Romanian hospitality, wrapped in a warm & cozy atmosphere, then you need to visit Iași, an old city located in the Eastern side of Romania. No, not like a regular tourist who goes sightseeing the beautiful architecture and the breathtaking landscapes surrounding the city. We mean more like the clubhead who lives inside you and needs to be fed with fine music and long lasting dancefloor memories from time to time. Because going clubbing in Iași feels a bit more special than everywhere else in Romania. You don’t have to take our word for it, you just need to attend one of the Dubla events, whenever this whole madness ends and things will go back to normal.
Started more than 4 years ago, Dubla has quickly become a standard for the house & techno scene in this part of the country. Although focused on building lineups with Romanian artists only, Dubla has managed to bring some interesting names into the spotlight, from Janeret and S. Moreira to Ion Ludwig. With a critical eye on the young blood, Dubla has always promoted local DJs, so names like Haokah, Iuly B or Cosmjn are constantly present regardless the context or the location of the party.
Curious about how did they manage to keep that special vibe intact from that very first party up to this date, we had a nice chat with the team behind Dubla, just as we expected to be. Watch out for the tips about Iași, they’re really priceless 😉
Is there a story behind the Dubla name?
The truth is we have searched for the perfect name for quite a while before going with “Dubla”. I remember that we have already planned and booked the first edition without having chosen a name yet. :)) We were getting closer and closer to the event and I think that put a certain positive pressure on us regarding this aspect. “Dubla” was therefore the result of a brainstorm between close friends and we loved it since the moment we first heard it. We felt it’s highly suitable and we just went with it.
It reflects the repetitive feature of the brand, it’s easy to pronounce in any international language, it’s concise and it simply sticks.
What does Dubla have that we cannot find anywhere else?
That’s easy. And don’t just take my word for it. It’s something that everyone we worked with so far has noticed and appreciated. The Dubla team really knows how to have fun, how to entertain everyone present and how to create a friendly vibe – in fewer words, we know how to show everyone a great time: from the artists we book, the staff and to the entire crowd.
We put a lot of emphasis on creating memories that last instead of just organising a musical event. It’s easy to just throw another party throughout the month. What takes time, effort and dedication is building brand awareness and most of all, brand fidelity.
Do you remember the first time you set a Dubla party? Any funny stories?
Yes, of course we do remember our first Dubla. You never forget your firsts. But unfortunately, as far as I remember, no funny or worth telling stories about that one. 🙂
The location you love using the most for the Dubla parties. Why?
Well, it’s not only a matter of love or preferences in general. It’s also a matter of availability or the limited-to-small number of compliant venues. Then of course, we take into consideration the size of the event, its schedule (daytime, nighttime), side activities and so on.
The resident DJs concept is slowly returning. Are there any local selectors who are usually present in the Dubla lineups?
I don’t reckon it’s “slowly returning”. I think it has always been a common format for an event, especially when you are trying to promote certain names and you want to be an active part in their development as artists.
This was also our case. Since the very beginning, one of our constant long-term objectives was to promote the local artists (Cosmjn, Haokah or Iuly.B). We consider that this is the natural course of action when it comes to supporting young talents. It’s our duty as promoters to give them the best shots we can and if possible, to create a proper environment for their evolution. Because if not us, then who else?
With so many restrictions affecting the party scene worldwide, promoters are forced to limit the gatherings, both in size and location wise. How does Dubla fit in this new context?
Well, just like anybody else, either if we are talking about venue owners, artists, promoters, booking agents or tour managers, we adapt. We stopped and we waited for a change of scenery. When things got a little better, we started again with baby steps and a lot of caution.
We all need to keep up with the latest government restrictions, limitations or recommendations, this being the only way in which we can provide a safe musical experience for everyone involved. We are just trying to play our role as good as we can, hoping that things will soon go back to some sort of normality.
You have an unlimited budget for artists booking. Build a lineup for your dream Dubla party.
Wow, that’s a tough one. :)) I think I would love to tick as many genres as possible: from tasteful dub, to old school garage, anything. But in order to keep our focus more or less on the same scene we activate on, top of my head would be: Zip, Pan-Pot, r-hitect, Derek Carr, Palms Trax, Traumer and many many others.
Take us on a virtual one day trip in Iași: breakfast, sightseeing, lunch, outdoor chill location, dinner, underground after party.
Breakfast: Egglectic
Coffee: August No.2
Sightseeing: The Palace of Culture, The Copou Park, The Botanical Garden
Lunch: somewhere in The Palas area – there are plenty of options
Outdoor chill: The Old Centre
Dinner: Cuib Restaurant
After party: Dubla
The biggest number of free drinks one DJ ever had at a Dubla party.
Here, in Moldova, we tend to be over generous by nature with our guests, so this is not something we keep track of. But I think there was someone who had a memorable number of at least 5 or 6 bottles of Ierbas.
Your next Dubla location is a 30 square meters studio. What lineup would you put there and what sound system would you choose?
Definitely Funktion-One but obviously a setup suitable for medium-to-small spaces. Regarding the lineup – this time I can only assume I don’t have un unlimited budget anymore :)). And I am also guessing that the safety restrictions are still on, which means this venue can only host up to 30 people… Therefore, we need a cozy atmosphere for our very selective private party. I think I would go with Suciu to be honest. Or Cap. Or both. I don’t know, it’s kinda of a tricky question. :))
