Bucharest Finest: Ada Kaleh

Romanian DJ and Producer Ada Kaleh has built his reputation for emotionally charged DJ sets and releases that percolate between minimalist house through to techno, layered over hypnotic rhythms and rich organic sounds to create an otherworldly atmosphere on the dance floor. 

With a new EP coming on R&S Records to follow up ‘Palatul de Cleștar’ and a debut release coming on Rawax, Ada’s also dropped critically acclaimed releases and remixes for UVAR, Third Wave Black, Supernature as well as his own Ada Kaleh România imprint. 

Playing for Berg Audio at Off Sonar this summer following on his recent tour of Canada and the USA, Ada finds time to share Bucharest’s Finest ahead of his date this Saturday, April 6th alongside Cezar, Dj Deep, Brothers Black, Desert Sound Colony and many more... 

The Architecture 

Bucharest is a city of contrasts. For lack of a better word I would say it's quite "eclectic". Sometimes you see a lovely 1930's vila next to a dire communist building or a modern glass building. For a city that’s been through so many changes, from being ruled by royalty, going through both world wars and somehow ending up on the losing side each time, the Iron Guard and military dictatorship, decades of communism and then the transition to the eastern European version of capitalism, joining the EU and its values, to some extent this is quite understandable. What really saves the day is the architecture from the inter war period. 

The Hidden Gardens in the Summer

I've travelled the world, but I have never seen anything like this anywhere. Sometimes they are right in your face, dead centre, but most of them are secluded little gems. Just like trees in the spring, in the summer, Bucharest blossoms with gardens. 

The Romanian Atheneum and Casa Monteoru 

These are two of my favourite buildings in Bucharest, both on the outside and on the inside. 

The “Art World" 

During the 50 years of communism, we weren't allowed to have access to western art, so we had to make our own, sometimes out in the open, sometimes hidden, as a form of protest or mockery against the ruling party. After the fall of the regime in '89, and a few years of confusion, countless new generations of artists started to appear. Dare I include myself in the artistic scene, we all have something that is unique to this country. 

The Nightlife, Clubs and Bars

No wonder many are calling it the new Berlin and more and more tourists come every year. The nightlife in Bucharest is quite vivid, every day of the week there is something for everyone.