A special party on the eleventh floor

Jeffrey Seij, 19, who studies Public Administration at EUR, loves parties, festivals and the like. Over the next few months he will review and report on the hottest parties for EM, and will also provide interviews and weekend tips, among other things.

My expectations are sky high while I wait for the lift which will take me to the party at this extraordinary venue (the Maassilo at Zuid). When I get to the eleventh floor and the lift doors open, I’m immediately hit with loud techno beats. The first thing I notice on the main floor is the industrial, raw Rotterdam-style setting, created by lots of strobes and dark visuals playing on large LCD screens hanging from the ceiling.

In order to get a good impression of the vibe and the number of people attending the party, I decide to go to the balcony, from where I can see hundreds of people losing themselves in the techno music which is reverberating from the speakers at this point. Clearly, the organisers weren’t kidding when they said this edition of MODULAR was sold out.

I make my way to floor no. 2, which is every bit as good as the main one. This space, too, is packed to the rafters. The windows are full of condensation, meaning that those in attendance only get vague glimpses of night-time Rotterdam. Great people, special light effects coming from the ceiling and great tunes by Fatima Yamaha, Barnt and Job Jobse create a unique and welcoming vibe.

As time passes by and we enter the wee hours of the night, the highlight of the night commences: ROD, the alter ego of Benny Rodrigues, who, in his own words, plays “purist techno in the broadest sense of the word”. On my way to the main floor, I notice that the smoothie bar is doing surprisingly good business even at this late hour. Clearly, this party is being attended by a lot of people with healthy habits. Or, let’s just say, different habits from mine. With a beer in one hand and a Red Bull in the other, I make my way to the main act.

‘Loud beats’ is the motto, it seems, once ROD kicks off his set. He sets the tone for the next two hours. The beats just keep coming, without any breaks, or so it seems, until even ROD appears to feel that it’s time to close this wonderful party. While I wait for the lift to take me down to the real word, my hero enters the same lift. This is when I realise just how special this party really is. Dawn is breaking outside, and my pained ears hear a lonely blackbird sing. I won’t forget this night in a hurry.