- The first days of 2016 saw some major shifts in Amsterdam's clubbing scene. Studio 80 hosted its final parties with surprise performances from Legowelt and DJ Sprinkles, before Trouw's successor, De School, officially opened its doors on Sunday, January 3rd. Unsurprisingly, the latter caused a furore amongst Dutch partygoers, with the club selling nearly all its pre-sale tickets for various forthcoming events within a few days. As a local myself, I was extremely curious to see if De School would live up to expectations.
Upon entering, I got an immediate sense of the building's grandiosity. Natural light cascaded through the windows of the main hall, which holds a spacious coatcheck. It took me some time to make my way to the club room, mostly because I wanted to examine every nook and cranny of the '70s architecture. An area upstairs is home to the bathrooms, a smoking area and a beautiful garden.
Two steel staircases led revellers to the club floor, which is eerily reminiscent of the old downstairs room at Trouw, De Verdieping, with its low ceiling and concrete pillars. The old main room's DJ booth, with its iconic position among the crowd, also returns, though the night's most notable feature was the soundsystem. I was once told by a sound engineer at Trouw that Funktion-Ones deliver their best results when at 50-to-70 percent of their maximum volume, which is why it's preferable to have multiple speakers set up. The crew at De School managed to put the entire Trouw soundsystem—six Funktion-Ones plus subs—into the new, smaller space. This made for an immaculate listening experience, with bass to blow your socks off.
De School initially kept the lineup for the opening party a secret, but it soon emerged that Job Jobse would open and Jennifer Cardini would close. Given his strong ties to Trouw, Jobse's appearance was no surprise to anyone. His set was broader than any I've heard him play in recent months, starting with The Art Of Noise's "Moments Of Love" before delving into varying styles of club music from across the '80s and '90s. Cardini took over at 2 AM and also played for a good five hours, finishing with Metro Area's "Miura."
I enjoyed both sets, but for me the opening night wasn't so much about the music; it was about a feeling, a new surge of creative energy. It was interesting to watch the crowd around me as they roamed the space, trying to find their new favourite spot, discovering unique and unusual aspects of the club along the way. Although the layout and decor felt fresh and even a little unfinished, the club also felt weirdly familiar, as if it had already been open for some time. I saw a lot of potential in the space, even if it wasn't running at full capacity. As long as the team work out how to maintain a balance between the different parts of the venue (there's also a gym, a restaurant, a café, a gallery and a concert venue), De School should soar to great heights.
Photo credit: Martijn Savenije