Christmas 2024

MEIR, Antwerp

 I just had a Christmas event without an event because the event was the Christmas days itself in Western Europe. 

During a week I visited Christmas Rotterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Luxembourg city and Strasbourg. So I saw all the Western Europe countries during a Christmas days 2024. 

It’s pretty difficult to say the best Christmas city from the Western Europe cities which I visited. I think that a first place could Luxembourg city take. But how I said it’s difficult to say what was the best Christmas city which I visited during Christmas 2024. 

Ville Haute - Luxembourg 

In the Luxembourg city Christmas night Christmas decorations and lights were an heartbreaking. Especially streets around Ville Haute had an incredible vibes of all the Christmas lights. I had pretty beautiful feeling in my body when I saw how Ville Haute look during a Christmas. I visited a mensa friend in Luxembourg during a spring 2019 and the friend explained me everything about Luxembourg - history, culture - and I saw every the very well know places in Luxembourg from Vianden to Breidweiler. And now when I saw Luxembourg city in a Christmas night and I had the feeling for why Luxembourg is a nation which a man need to love. This is a very cultural nation of a luxury heritage. Luxembourg city is very beautiful city of a heritage and a modern world together. Luxembourg city belong among the best cities in Europe, for me. 

And with my person loved Rotterdam, Rotterdam is a different vibes than is Luxembourg city, Rotterdam is more modern city. In Rotterdam were beautiful decorations on Erasmusbrug or also around Rotterdam center. Erasmusbrug, Wilheminakade and Maasshaven is very majestic and iconic place. I think ‘majestic’ is the right word for an incredible atmosphere when a man is on Erasmusbrug and during a night this feeling is maybe more deep and the man see the world of a big majestic buildings around. Maybe if I visited no place as is Ossuaire de Douaumont in France for example, I could feel that Erasmusbrug and view from the big bridge to Wilheminakade that this is a most majestic place in Western Europe; because the builds are pretty high-tech strong modern architecture for an often strong weather itself of North see. I think Rotterdam is builded on a place where is still North see. I think Nieuwe Maas itself is a North see in a corridor and not a common river. And majestic is also because during strong winter weather, a strong wind and winter times on Erasmusbrug seems to be as climbing on a mountain. For everytime I can enjoy the majestic atmosphere of a human world. And now during Christmas I had again the feeling about that Rotterdam is a majestic place. 

Strasbourg - Grande Île

Exist some public stats that Netherlands people says that they more like Rotterdam more than Amsterdam. As a one the best place in Netherlands they see Utrecht. Probably I also like Rotterdam more like Amsterdam. But I don’t say that Amsterdam is not a beautiful city. During a my Christmas trip I saw many beautiful Christmas vibes in Amsterdam. Although in Amsterdam is also many modern high-tech buildings, Amsterdam is a historic city more like Rotterdam, for example. And I enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere on the historic places in Amsterdam. Especially center of Amsterdam lived Christmas atmosphere, many people who wanted to see the atmosphere. Amsterdam is also a city to a love. 

Erasmusbrug, Rotterdam

Antwerp was also with an incredible Christmas atmosphere. I see Antwerp as a most beautiful city in Belgium and Christmas atmosphere this also said. A people in Christmas Antwerp was everywhere and together with a glamor shopping they did a right Western Europe. I could to say that also Antwerp could be on the first place of a Western Europe Christmas cites but I can’t to say this because another Western Europe cities looked similarly beautiful. The shopping during Christmas days in Antwerp is an amazing atmosphere. Especially the shops in Antwerpen center. A people there make a great atmosphere. 

 

In Eindhoven atmosphere a Christmas shopping was also amazing. And also people in the Christmas streets were peaceful. Although seems to be that Eindhoven is not a bigger Christmas place, the atmosphere of a trading in Eindhoven was amazing. 

And Strasbourg. I think that Strasbourg could be also on a first place among the best of Western Europe Christmas city. In Strasbourg is possible everywhere to see a heritage atmosphere and with a Christmas decorations Strasbourg also seems to be an incredible Western Europe city of many beautiful streets. I like the city and I think Strasbourg is a very good France city for a life. A Strasbourg buildings and streets and the heritage is amazing. And also because Strasbourg is near of Germany, a man can feel a piece from Germany in Strasbourg. Strasbourg was also beautiful.

And yeah, no one border control on a Western Europe borders. Only a ID control there was on borders with Czechia and Germany. A ways on roads and with trains were good without a delays everywhere. 

A fear for the fear

 Hello with Another Message About One of the World’s Main Themes 

 I believe that every smile in a country called heart of Central Europe—which still appears on the faces of many in this region who say “the war in Ukraine is just Ukraine’s problem, and nothing else matters”—could easily disappear. Because after Ukraine, that smile might be the first thing to be erased from the map. 

No other country around Central Europe would be lost as deeply as this nation (Slovak similarly) might be. 

Yes, it gives me a bit of hope that within Central Europe I’m seeing more people starting to think about the bigger picture. There’s growing awareness of the so-called “red plans” targeting Central Europe. But I don’t think this is the end of everything yet, because the issues in Central Europe run deep. One possible solution could be a “shutdown” of a whole generation for one generation—like in the Megalopolis movie (2024). A generation that grows up disconnected from all the toxic elements of current reality might be the way to finally cleanse all this negativity. 

This is hard to say, but the truth is: there are so many deeply rooted problems that maybe only a generation without contact with them could create real change.  

Now, to the thought I’ve been having: maybe it’s not a good idea to amplify fear about the potential for war in Europe. The truth is, the COVID pandemic might have been used as a tool for economic shutdown in Europe, and perhaps even to prepare for war—not just in Europe, but globally. There were efforts to investigate the origin of the virus, but those efforts failed. 

And now we’re seeing fear being spread again—this time related to war. But the economic impact—deficits, recession, and inflation—can be just as destructive as the pandemic. Right now, I feel more afraid of the economic deficits in Europe than of the war itself. In fact, war can sometimes be used to justify or deepen these deficits. There are signs that, at the end of the pandemic and in the months that followed, there were deliberate attempts to further shut down the economy in a Central European country. This could have been part of a war strategy to weaken society, especially by taking advantage of naive or manipulated minds. 

I believe that this kind of psychological manipulation—creating deficits through fear and words about war—is also part of a broader war strategy. What I’m trying to say is: the last thing Europe needs right now is a deficit caused by fear alone. Central Europe may have started this process, but I believe Western Europe needs to focus on building and protecting the civilization it already has—without allowing fear to disrupt or destroy it. 

Like I said, I’m afraid that fear itself is being used as a strategy. And if we let fear stop the progress people are making, we risk seeing critical infrastructure fall into disrepair and people left without support. And that’s the last thing Europe needs right now.

Blushing

 Now, more EU countries are introducing temporary border controls. After Italy and Germany, France has followed, and by December 2024, the Netherlands will also be among the EU countries implementing temporary controls. I see these temporary border controls as a reasonable response to current issues—especially due to the ongoing war, which increases the risk of tensions and potential threats from individuals who may attempt to destabilize Western European countries through attacks. However, I don’t see these temporary controls as a real solution to the underlying reasons they exist. For example, there are internal EU issues that are not publicly acknowledged, even though they are being used (or have been used) as part of broader, possibly politically motivated strategies—especially in Central European countries. These controls may, unofficially, also be related to such internal tensions. Take the post-COVID period, for example. When the pandemic was ending, and the economic strategies linked to COVID seemed to be failing, there appeared to be efforts to further suppress the economies of some Central European countries. This continued for months in 2021—before the war started in early 2022. In many ways, it all feels like part of a plan that negatively affects Western Europe as well. Even though there are no official statements about the problems in more eastern EU countries, I believe that people in Western Europe are aware of them. For example, I can’t ignore the fact that Western Europeans seemed to understand or react to the problems I experienced in an Eastern EU country. Their responses—especially from proper Western Europe—were interesting, as they showed more awareness of the situation than I had realized. In fact, I witnessed more empathy and concern from UK drum and bass artists, comments from a UK girl, and reactions from everyday people in Germany. Those moments made me realize that the problems I was facing were probably worse than I thought. Even my own perception may have been wrong. The events of 2023 made that clear—not just to me, but to others as well—as things deteriorated in Europe due to oppressive and toxic individuals. I believe that if there are no official efforts to address internal EU issues, then temporary border controls are not a real solution. I do believe that the EU is trying to fix things, but something is still not working. And yes—there are still no official statements. Some people say these temporary controls go against the idea of the EU. But it’s worth noting that in some EU countries where border controls are not being implemented, there is a higher level of anti-EU sentiment than in the countries that have introduced them. In some of these anti-EU countries, you can also see a clear lean toward socialism or ideologies similar to what Putin may want to spread across Europe. You could argue that a majority of UK citizens now believe Brexit was a failure. The statistics about how people in the UK feel the economic impact of Brexit are quite striking—the feeling of rising prices in everyday shopping is just one example. If we ignore internal EU issues for a moment and talk instead about issues related to non-EU migrants, then yes—the EU seems to be failing at managing its external borders effectively. There should be a better control system for EU external borders. But the reality is, there’s a war going on, and everything is getting worse—perhaps more so than any potential improvements from stronger EU border controls. A lot of people now say that it all looks like a coordinated effort against the EU. But I don’t believe it’s really about being against the EU. There are real issues that can be temporarily managed with short-term solutions—but these temporary measures are not addressing the root causes of the problems they’re meant to handle

The Controversy

 I don’t know why, but I like techno music, and I often write about approaches to techno within the context of proper Western European reality. 

In the Netherlands, there exists a rich techno community among the general population. In Europe, almost everyone should be familiar with the Netherlands, and the image of Dutch society reflects the Western European techno community: beautiful gardens, high-tech architecture, and a profound cultural and economic society. 

Currently, Anfisa Letyago is often seen in the Netherlands. Perhaps my path to discovering Anfisa Letyago was influenced by Nina Kraviz, or maybe it was through Anfisa Letyago’s Instagram account. There was a time when I thought Nina Kraviz was Anfisa Letyago (both are born in Siberia, Russian-want the b2b) because I saw Instagram posts and didn’t read the account name; to me, they looked similar in those posts. After some time, I noticed a new name on these Instagram posts. I looked at the account, and it was Anfisa Letyago. I liked Anfisa Letyago’s smiles more than her techno, and I also enjoy Italian food. Her smiles and food led me to appreciate her techno music. 

Now, to the point of the article: due to the reality in Czechia, I am often critical of the Czech techno scene. My criticism stems from the Czech reality, where there are massive collaborations among (wannabe) techno enthusiasts and free tekno people, even though techno culture and free tekno are entirely different. In Czech media, I often see that they refer to free tekno parties as techno events; this mislabeling has tarnished the reputation of techno music. I believe Czech ravers themselves have contributed to this negative perception due to their approach. However, it’s not only the Czech ravers’ approach that’s the issue; it’s also because Czech society seems disconnected from the reality around them. 

Anfisa Letyago received a prestigious award in Women in Music in Italy. This speaks volumes about the contrast not only between Western Europe and Czechia but also with other countries like Italy. In Czechia, perhaps the equivalent is the Zlatý Slavík (Golden Nightingale). I can laugh at the name of the award because everyone knows the conditions surrounding the Slavík. Probably, the name of the award is appropriate.   

Yes, Central Europe includes parts of Germany, but Germany’s techno scene is a completely different reality. Everyone interested knows that techno started in Detroit, and Germany is one of the main reasons techno exists today. 

Maybe the problem is also that Czechia lacks the electronic music experiences of the ‘90s that Western Europe had. Gabber and Thunderdome didn’t exist in Czechia in the ’90s. There are no experiences from the ’90s here. And when I mention the ‘90s, I could also talk about drugs. I think gabber exists especially because of the ‘90s in the Netherlands and Belgium. Gabber has been mainstream in Western Europe since the ‘90s. There were a few years in the ‘90s when, for example, there was a boom in MDMA use at events. But I think mainstream Western Europeans realized that this usage was unsustainable. In Czechia, I often feel that people are trying to maintain an unsustainable drug culture for more than 20 years. This is incompatible with the reality of artists like Anfisa Letyago. Someone needs an awakening, or I don’t know why it doesn’t register in people’s minds. It’s beautiful when people like Anfisa Letyago and Italy can destabilize the unawareness of significant realities. I don’t know where my life fits in a reality filled with lies that people tell themselves about the world around them. 

For example, Charlotte de Witte also had a collaboration in Italy: New Form IV, which was a collaboration between F1 Ferrari and Charlotte de Witte because her techno is prestigious for F1 itself. 

Probably, I can connect this article to myself. I think about why I have much support from Western European people and why people around me don’t understand. This is the main reason, among others. I often see that people around me don’t understand electronic music itself, just as they don’t understand what (not only Western) Europe is because… And that Czech people don’t understand Western culture. In 2023, this was also demonstrated at the Liquicity Festival. There was a horrible misunderstanding among Central European people. I think everything was horrible there or still exists because of the Liquicity Winter Festival 2022 and the Dutch reality that someone discovered through my words about proper Western European countries. I want to say this again because I don’t understand.

A good example that in Czechia it is common for wannabe techno people to make connections with free tekno and show approval of anti-social behavior and dehumanization is a expats.cz article “Prague is the thumping new heart of Europe's techno scene"  

Otherwise, in the article, they write that the Western techno scene is expensive. But everyone who knows Western European techno events — like those in the Netherlands — knows how cultural and safe Dutch events are. There is often a zero-tolerance drug policy, and I think this is one of the reasons why some people feel that Western European events are expensive and instead support free tekno parties. 

But the truth is that Dutch techno events are not as expensive as tickets for techno events in Prague. I am often shocked that in Prague, for just one headliner — who is one of the same ten headliners at a Netherlands festival — a person needs to pay half the price of a full festival ticket in the Netherlands. For me, it’s common to spend less or the same amount of money on a Netherlands festival as I would for an event in Prague with just one headliner from the same ten featured in the Netherlands. And the atmosphere at ADE, thanks to Dutch people, is on a high level — because of the Dutch people’s general social behavior. I think the reason why Netherlands events are not so expensive is because good social behavior exists in the Netherlands, and people there are not especially treated as business objects (or drug customers). Also, because of this, the Dutch economy looks good, the Dutch people look good, and the truth is that Dutch people are wealthier, much richer than Czech people, and they are also healthier humans. 

I see it as fake when someone says that Western European events are expensive — especially when compared to events in Prague, where just one headliner from a ten-headliner lineup in the Netherlands is featured. Furthermore, in the Netherlands, there are big festivals almost every month and for many years already — and this also shows that Prague is not a major event destination. 

Everyone knows that at free tekno parties, theft is part of the scene, and the events are not for cultural beings — unlike the Dutch techno events, where the wealth, richness, and cultural behavior are in complete contradiction to the uneconomical and uncultured approach of Czech free tekno events. Also, the fact that free tekno has been mainstream in Czechia for many years is not news — it’s the truth from around 2000 or so, when free tekno started becoming mainstream. This is because free tekno parties require nothing, and people can bring in filth and drugs that ignore all boundaries — because free tekno parties have no behavioral boundaries. 

The truth is, there is no musical connection between free tekno parties and techno. Free tekno has a totally different BPM than techno. And in the free tekno reality, no one like Anfisa Letyago could ever be considered a queen — because free tekno lacks any cultural or civilized behavior. Free tekno is against the cultural and civilized values for which Anfisa Letyago received a prestigious award. So there is no connection between free tekno and techno — but in Czechia, people still try to create fake realities. I think this is because in Czechia, there’s more of a sense for fake realities than for wealthy and healthy lifestyles. 

In the article, there are also words about how in 2006, free tekno people were given a space by the government. First of all, this was a bad idea by the Czech government itself. The main point is that after 2006, free tekno people rejected any collaboration with the government because they also reject the Western system entirely. There was no continuation of the same reality as in 2006, because the free tekno people rejected everything connected with the system they are trying to shut down. They rejected it all, saying that free tekno is not a normal event, but a movement based on anarchy. 

Also, I think that with rules, there can be less drug use and less anti-social behavior. For example, before 2006, there at the biggest free tekno events were no toilets, and urine (mixed with Czech meth, MDMA, and other chemicals) from thousands of people gathered in one area near forests, with a strong smell everywhere. But for free tekno, it seems like having this smell everywhere is part of the experience. But this is just one piece of all the bad things within a non-cultural environment — one that has no connection to Western techno events or behavior, yet gets idealized in fake realities. I’ve known this for many years, and I can write about all of it because I see the contrast between the Western world and the toxic, vomit-inducing reality that exists due to free tekno being one of the Czech mainstreams. 

Also, there are mentions of Berlin’s techno culture. I just think that in Berlin, there are no free tekno parties. And in Germany, it wouldn’t even be possible for free tekno to operate like it does in Czechia. In the Berlin area, there are alternative festivals like Fusion Festival — but this free-spirited festival is a completely different reality than a free tekno party. For example, as I said before, in 2023 I visited a free (drum and bass) event at Rechenzentrum in Potsdam. Even that free event was a completely different reality than a free tekno party. No one wanted visitors to consume alcohol during the last hour to hour and a half before the event ended. The usual “no limits” behavior seen at free tekno parties is impossible for the Berlin community, because no one there wants to see toxic behavior like that. And yes, nothing was stolen from me, even though my backpack was unattended for almost the whole event. I saw no toxic behavior, even though there were many different people from the Berlin area at the free event in Potsdam. The event ended at midnight — and no one started blasting horrible sound at midnight as often happens at “political” free tekno parties. 

When it comes to the German techno scene, Germany introduced many techno styles to the world — with many influential producers and diverse genres like minimal, electro, melodic techno, and hard techno — but nothing like free tekno, and nothing with roots in free tekno. The German techno scene is totally different from the Czech one. Thanks to many important producers, German techno is one of the biggest techno scenes ever — with a strong history that cannot be replicated in Czechia, especially since Czechia lacks significant producers and DJs like those in Germany. 

In the Berlin area, there is also the Nation of Gondwana festival, which is another example that Berlin and German techno are not dark and aggressive — German techno is colorful and can be very melodic. 

Free tekno is a closed-off sector that especially exists in Czechia — because conditions exist there for homeless-friendly, narcotics-friendly, so-called “free” events. I believe the main reason why free tekno moved from the United Kingdom to Czechia in the ‘90s — after being banned in the UK due to anti-social behavior — is that the Czech conditions were perfect for free tekno to continue. 

But in the article is hidden the truth about wannabe techno but Prague tekno “culture”, that 

 1. Czech Republic • Population: ~10.5 million • Scene Size (relative): Huge, especially in the late 1990s–2000s and still strong today. • Czechtek: Massive festivals with 20,000–40,000+ people, which is an enormous percentage of the population. • Culture: Free tekno is deeply embedded in Czech counterculture and tolerated more than in most countries. • Geography: Central location in Europe = hub for raver migration and cross-border collaboration.

 2. France • Population: ~68 million • Scene Size (absolute): Probably the biggest in Europe overall. • Per Capita: Still strong, but proportionally smaller than Czechia. • Cultural Reach: Spreads across multiple regions, but more diffuse. 

 3. Italy & UK • Population: ~59M (Italy), ~67M (UK) • Scene: Strong historically, but fragmented and more repressed by police. • Per Capita: Substantially smaller than Czechia, especially in recent years. 

Czechia Wins Per Capita • After the fall of communism, there was a massive openness to underground culture. • Abundant open spaces, industrial ruins, and tolerant authorities (at least early on). • Strong tradition of autonomous zones, squats, and underground art. • Czechia became a raver destination for European sound systems.

Release Yourself

 Sidney SN released a news, see on the link; A life in the Moments. 

With the November GHOSTS I started with a mixes with little different themes than I had in a previous BassBlog mixes or at Sidney SN SoundCloud mixes.

Although I had a doubts about it, November GHOSTS and Roots Of Everything got many plays that I didn’t expected it.

Now there is A life in the Moments. And I think that this mix is last mix of a series that I started with November GHOSTS because I think I want now a music with a different vibes than are these three mixes.

 Tracklist: 1. Phloem – On The Line (Galacy) 2. The Sauce – Round The Corner (The Sauce Recordings) 3. IYRE – Drifting Sideways (Soulvent Records) 4. Mistrust – Dreamer (Shogun Audio) 5. V Dubz, Y-Zer – Parma Cheese (Biological Beats) 6. Nymfo – Bread And Butter (Computer Integrate) 7. Arpxp feat. Alibi – One Week Before (SUNANDBASS Records) 8. Logistic feat. SOLAH – Dawn Treader (Hospital Records) 9. Data 3 – String Theory (Innerground Records) 10. Seathesky – Take Away The Pain (Offworld Recordings) 11. Edlan – Rewind (Fokuz Recordings) 12. Silence Groove – The Bells (Offworld Recordings) 13. Ekko And Sidetrack feat. Sam M – Release Yourself (Viper Recordings) 14. Loulid – It’s Fine (Liquid Flow) 15. Edlan feat. TZ – Strictly Lone (ATNMY)