Technozoyds: An Electromentary

2003 saw the opening of a new underground electro club in Zürich: the Dachkantine. The club went on to become the largest of its kind in Europe, but in 2006 the party suddenly came to an end. The makers of this documentary followed the club's founders, various artists, and club regulars during the massive closing-down festival. The club -- located in the canteen of an old dairy factory -- attracted audiences from a whole range of subcultures, from minimal techno lovers to electro-punk fans to political activists, thanks to its exceptional programming. Making money was never the club's priority -- it was about the music. Using interviews and concert footage featuring minimal technoDJs, authors reading from their work, and 10-piece bands, we get a complete picture of this exceptional club. Dachkantine regulars and passionate artists rail against the commercialization of the music scene, as even underground electroseems susceptible to market forces. Dance palaces spring up everywhere, drug use skyrockets, and popular techno tunes top the charts. DJ and artist Thomas Brinkmann is wary: "As soon as Madonna starts working with producers like Mirvais, the thing is dead." Most of the documentary footage resembles Hi8 video: at times amateurish, jerky, and overexposed. The filmmakers use artistic guerrilla tactics, like the founders of the Dachkantine did in their programming and organization of the club.