Die Weltwoche — No. 52, December 28, 1989
News from Zurich’s party scene and its colorful mastermind Oliver Stumm
Urban People in the Factory
BY THOMAS VATERLAUS
“Disco-Mania” or “Thousands at Zurich Warehouse Parties” read the headlines when describing the resurgence of nightlife frenzy in Zurich. Even if the shrill eighties are counting their last days and the final decade of this millennium is being ushered in, the underground parties in Zurich are as popular as ever. At least five parties, each attracting up to a thousand visitors, are currently in high demand. “Arena” and “Roxy” celebrate in Tiefenbrunnen, the “Feel Good Company” in Wollishofen, “Palmo” at Mythenquai, “Ollie” in the Steinfels Hall, and “Flamingo” with the leading American “House” musician Tyree in their club venue.
However, the predicate “underground,” which attaches to these parties, is often just a embellishing word. For a long time now, new organizers have jumped on the party bandwagon; lavishly designed, multi-colored invitation cards and targeted media leaks have replaced the initial word-of-mouth propaganda.
Exceptions: The absolutely illegal (unlicensed) working “Parfumeria” — the most colorful dance audience around — informs only true insiders via undisclosed phone numbers about their events. And although these are announced only a few hours in advance, a few hundred people always gather at “Parfumeria” parties. Oliver Stumm, on the other hand, operates as he always has. A few well-placed invitation cards and a pair of phone numbers are enough for him to fill a factory like the Steinfels Factory. “I prefer ‘less’ [advertising], but the right people for it. Too much propaganda would be counterproductive. Otherwise, we’d soon sink to the level of a Radio 24 party,” is his laconic comment.
Oliver Stumm, often labeled as a “pioneer” or “king” of the warehouse scene, resides simply, but elegantly in Zurich’s Seefeld district. A few designer chairs, art prints, many records in plastic sleeves, creative chaos. Regularly the phone rings, then follows almost the same pitch: “Yojo, we’re doing something, like always, you know, I’ll give you a few flyers tomorrow”) — as if Hugo Belleville had invited everyone to a fondue night after all.
Actually, the 28-year-old scion who just received his masters degree in Mathematics & Computer Science at the University Of Zurich is a master of understatement. To the sentence “They say you’re the best DJ in town,” he responds: “What does that mean? There are only about three who regularly play good music.” Then, wearing his unpretentious clothes, holding a cup of tea in hand — it’s hard to believe that this sober intellectual and non-dancer revolutionized night life.
From 1984, he started organizing parties with colleagues from the famous Baronenbälle (Baron Ball) and Vollmond-Partys. “It was real self-help,” he says today, “there simply was no nightclub or dance party that catered to our needs. We were sick of listening to the Top 20 radio hits and there was too much interesting new music being released at the time. And because the law didn’t allow new nightclubs, we came up with the idea of illegal parties.”
What began as quirky costume parties and happenings quickly grew into massive events. At first 300 came, then 400, then 1,000 people. Regularly hundreds of people overcrowded the venue.
His success however lies in his skills as a disc jockey. As the disc jockey he is the conductor and performer (why not artist?)! He hardly plays a song to the end. These are sequences and sniplets of songs that he mixes into something new. He shapes moods, composes sound waves over several hours that climb toward an euphoric climax and then slide back into sentimental feelings.
“Urban Tribal” is the title of Oliver Stumm’s New Year’s Eve party. “Urban Tribal” are two adjectives: leading to associations like “indigenous people” or “primitive people.” Exactly that is what happens at his parties: recurring rituals of an urban tribe. “We are intellectual animals, and the more civilized we become, the more we are drawn back to our origins. My goal is to let our controls slip; the stronger the desire to live out our instincts and playfulness, for instance, through dance.”
Dance at a warehouse party has nothing to do with the traditional, social character of dancing as we know it, for example, at a ball. “With us, you don’t dance to get to know a man or woman, you do it because your body needs it.” The streets and clubs are the trendsetters. It mixes everything that pop music has brought forth in the last 20 years.
Stumm’s parties already have the reputation of being perfectly organized. A flawless sound system with 10,000 watts output power is just as much a part of it as a lighting system controlled via a personal computer with up to 300,000 watts together with the decoration and room concept.