DJ MAG PRESENTS: AMELIE LENS

Skatecafe sits on Gedempt Hamerkanaal in Amsterdam Noord, and it started life as a warehouse. Over time it turned into something closer to a playground than a conventional club: part hangout, part underground hideout, run on a do it yourself attitude. Its own description talks about raves breaking out in pitch black bunkers, chaos spilling onto the skate ramp, and nights that never follow a script. The skating side is real, not just décor. There is a halfpipe where people can skate, alongside a bar, simple food dishes, and a large terrace. The interior has an industrial feel, and a guest chef has been cooking there on Thursdays. The programming covers a wide spread of live shows and club nights. Past concerts have ranged from Jungle By Night to Nusantara Beat and the Spanish act YOSEF, while the club side leans toward bass, UK sounds, breakbeat, house, techno and electro. During Amsterdam Dance Event the venue has been used as one of the festival's unique locations. Documented ADE editions date from 2018 and 2019, and the 2022 week included Chamos presenting Hawrave, Shanti Celeste curating a VBX night, Pip goes Skatecafe, a Patta collaboration night with Keep Hush, Sankofa Archives, Mosaiko and Studio Strip, and an FSTM takeover that ran as a daytime event. Other nights have focused on hi tempo Amapiano and African inspired house, and more recently a Latin club night series covering styles from latincore to guaracha. The reputation here rests on its rough and unpolished character. ADE has called it one of Amsterdam's most iconic venues, and the club's own words about raw possibility and an electric atmosphere explain why. It draws people who want something less tidy than a standard concert hall, where the setting is as much a part of the night as the lineup.