INFRASTRUCTURE Flyer courtesy of Infra
Nothing says summertime in Boston quite like a relentlessly pounding kick drum. If that’s a sentiment you too can get behind then let us call your attention to the red hot Boston dance music collective Infra‘s latest endeavor: INFRASTRUCTURE. An all day outdoor affair spanning not one, but two stages of world class tunes from an almost daunting laundry list of up and coming local DJs, Infra will be taking over a stretch of underpass that reaches from the South End to Southie the city has lovingly dubbed Underground at Ink Block. Fitting, as Infra prides itself as being among the area’s finest purveyors in underground techno of every flavor. So, if you’re in the New England area for the holiday weekend, like to dance, and have nothing to do on Saturday the 3rd? It’s really a no brainer.
With that said, let us guide you through the sites and sounds you’ll encounter at INFRASTRUCTURE.
To give us some background about Infra and some extra hype for the event, we chatted with Diego Torres and Helena Awad, two members of Infra’s team. Diego got involved with the org through his work with Subcentral, Central Square’s DJ academy, and he’s played a huge role in organizing the July 3rd event. Helena, one of Infra’s resident DJs, was an avid attendee of Boston techno parties, an introductory arc she shares with a few of her fellow Infra residents. “A commonality for [us] is that it started with going to the events and finding ourselves within this community. Before they were Infra residents, they were some of the most dedicated people in the scene. Jose has a knack for picking out people who would make great resident DJs.”
That Jose is Jose Zamora, the organizer who got the ball rolling for booking shows when Infra launched back in 2019, as well as one of Infra’s DJs. He’d been an event organizer and booker in Boston for some time (some may remember the Modular events at Phoenix Landing on Tuesday nights, which has evolved into an Infra event), but when the he saw the opportunity to bring underground techno sounds that were popular in the European club scene to Boston. With Boston’s relatively early curfew hour of 2 AM, it’s a far cry from the late night/early morning hours of techno abroad. Diego explains that “[Boston has] plenty of people from around the world who have been exposed to that kind of music. It’s just that for whatever reason, they just weren’t being brought here. And that’s what Jose wanted to change.”
Flyer courtesy of Infra
Helena speaks more about that excitement, citing the thrilling feeling of seeing a slice of European clubs in Boston. It’s really incredibly when someone who plays these clubs in Berlin or Kiev comes to Boston and are able to show us a bit of that experience from 11 PM to 2 AM.” She also adds the important distinction of labels and associations with the reminder that just because these sounds are popular in European club culture, it’s important to recognize their roots as genre of Black American music. “But we have to remember that techno […] was co-opted into the European club scene, such that now most associations people have are between ‘techno’ and ‘Europe.’”
INFRASTRUCTURE’s mainstage will house the techno portion of the festival’s programming, as each of its nine performers are among Infra’s friends, associates and trusty resident DJs. That said, Helena stressed that it won’t be just 10 hours of driving techno: you’ll get dashes of garage, jungle, and house alongside the 4-on-the-floor slammers punters have come accustomed to on Infra’s dancefloors of choice like Cambridge’s Lower Level and Phoenix Landing. The aforementioned sidestage on the other hand (a collaboration between Intent Audio and ART.iculate mind you), will feature a whole slew of local dubstep and bass enthusiasts as well. While underground techno is their calling card, Infra’s choice to bring both camps under one umm overpass raving speaks to the communal nature of Boston’s small but mighty dance music scene.
Diego is excited to help provide people in Boston the opportunity to experience an all-day festival that caters to Boston’s electronic scene, especially its techno die-hards. “It’s been a year of not doing things,” he says. That, added to the fact that Boston has never really played host to a techno-centric event, was the impetus behind INFRASTRUCTURE. “It’s providing a platform. This festival is hopefully going to be a litmus test to see the interest in a festival, primarily techno-oriented, and see if we can establish a model for the rest of the summer and moving forward.”
Flyer courtesy of Infra
Of course, INFRASTRUCTURE doesn’t just deliver on the music: they’re bringing in local food vendors too like New City Microcreamery, Smoke BBQ, and Beantown Taqueria so you can recreate the late night post-dance Central Square food hunt without actually having to leave the party. In line with Ink Block’s street art aesthetic, the festival will also an art vending pop up courtesy of local artist Anthony Boisvert. That’s not all, cannabis dispensary Pure Oasis, a long time supporter of the Infra movement, will also be on hand selling merch (JUST MERCH) as well. While the music will likely skew a bit darker with a European flair, Infra’s well-curated partnerships ensure INFRASTRUCTURE will be a real Boston affair.
To put a nice bow on it, Diego promised that “if you’re not familiar with INFRA, you definitely will be after this,” while Helena couldn’t help smile at the event’s potential. “People have been waiting so long for a return to the dance floor. It’s going to be a cathartic experience for a lot of people.”
Underground at Ink Block is located just a short walk from the Broadway stop on the Red Line. The few remaining tickets to INFRASTRUCTURE can be found right here, and be sure to follow Infra on Instagram for further updates and to stay up to date with future events!