Description
The new underground electronic music venue keeping things covert
Every neighbourhood has a secret. In the Cape Town city centre, it’s The Bullion Bar, a new underground electronic music venue that is, well, quite literally underground.
Buried deep down in a basement on Burg Street, and with no signage whatsoever to give away its whereabouts, the Berlin-inspired techno haunt is the sort of clandestine spot that’s only frequented by those in the know. It’s also a prime example of how some of the more precious things in life tend to remain concealed.
“We get gold by digging deep,” says co-owner Ernest Ndala, the former manager of hidden Mother City hotspot Julep, explaining the reasoning behind the name of the bar (bullion mean gold bars or slabs). “So here, it’s about going down to find that gold: the exclusive ambience and that special kind of music.”
Unlike some other electronic dance music (EDM) joints that focus on hard techno beats, The Bullion Bar is home to a smoother, softer brand of deep soul tech that provides a bit of flavour on the dance floor and invites plenty of swinging and swaying into the wee hours of the morning. And the masters behind the melodies? Well, the alternative nightlife haunt frequently hosts an impressive line-up of some of the top underground Mother City DJs – think the likes of Bruno Morphet, Floyd Lavine, Malcolm Skene and Lady M – as well as a few international stars (look out for regular organised themed parties featuring big names in the electro world).
While these deck wizards get the party pumping from around 10pm onwards, a little earlier in the evening, the moody, dimly lit venue takes on a more lounge-y feel, making it a good choice for a chilled drink set against the backdrop of instrumental-style electro beats. Patrons can take a seat at the sleek bar or on one of several black leather couches – there are also two African-style feature chairs carved from unpolished wood – and get into the groove of things with a selecti
