Responsible for curating the decoration and theatrical animation at most of Club Chinois summer programme, Ritual Collective has been allowed to curate its very own night. It has no shortage of experience, having led artistic direction behind some of Ibiza's most iconic parties.
Given the keys to the club on Thursdays, the end product has manifested as in-house party, NiiWA.
Firstly, the club has had a lot of small but effective tweaks to make it work better.
Not only does it feel much more intimate and luxurious, but all the changes are logical. The raised area around the extended bar at the back brings that whole space back into play. Elsewhere, the VIP area at the front of the club has been given more prominence.
Somewhat paradoxically, and in stark contrast to other examples, this actually enhances the dancefloor, giving it more identity. However, the aircon might need reinforcing if the club continues to play to packed audiences like this all summer.
To kick things off, Belgian electronic rockers Stavroz worked the packed dancefloor into a sweaty fervour with their organic and earthy sound. Driven by powerful deep bass chords and the club's tanked-up sound system, the band hit the right note for a late-night "Burner" crowd.
Also performing live, a two-hour set by Kollektiv Turmstrasse made them the perfect headliners, setting the tone for what we can expect from NiiWA this summer. The German duo (or one half of them) brought their Melodic Techno sound straight from the Berlin underground to the red velvet and golden columns of this luxurious club.
"We are the weavers of sound, elaborating delicate landscapes of a new territory. We travel inner worlds of joy and beauty with endless shapes."
Mirroring Club Chinois' allusion to a decadent 1920s Shanghai, Ritual Collective delved deep into an East Asian aesthetic for NiiWA. Visual delights include subservient Geishas, elaborate bondage scenes, suffocating dancers and a water-filled tube that has to be seen to be believed.
After a challenging year finding its feet, Club Chinois has stood up and run with the ball in 2023.
With a very strong programme of summer residencies in the pipeline and animation support from the NiiWA posse, the club is certain to become a firm favourite with those looking for a clubbing experience with a little more depth. NiiWA itself could well be the surprise package.
Dispensing with celebrity DJs, but instead elevating concept, vibe and quality music fills a niche that has been left glaringly open for too long.
Everybody having their phone lens covered by a sticker on entry was a nice touch. Whilst compliance inside wasn't one hundred per cent, it was still high enough to have made a refreshing difference. It shows, for the most part, attendees bought into the mentality.
Also, like Berlin's notorious nightlife, NiiWA's concept offers some adult entertainment where the lines between voyeurism and consensual participation are blurred. This is executed in a tasteful, but no less erotic, manner.
Berlin is not Ibiza, and neither is Ibiza Berlin, but NiiWA proves there are attractive elements from both clubbing scenes which can be borrowed. If this has aroused your curiosity, you'll find tickets to the rest of NiiWA's dates at the bottom of this page.
