Koodeta: A techno night for women

‘Coup d'etat /ˌkuː deɪˈtɑː/ - the overthrow of the current establishment, by a small group of dissidents’.

Something has been bubbling away in East London over the last year for women who like hardcore techno. There is a rave of sorts, in a sausage factory, deep in the depths of Hackney Wick. Funktion-Ones and a fridge of deli meats don’t usually find themselves under one roof, except in the case of Koodeta. But what exactly is Koodeta? Are they a body overthrowing the current establishment? Their decision to throw an underground event for women of all sexual orientations in London is certainly a ballsy move. Composed of creatives and DJ’s - or a small group of dissidents - has resulted in the group staying true to their ‘Coup d’etat’ title.

Rather than labelling themselves as promoters the women consider themselves a collective, focusing on the party itself rather themselves as individuals, as all profits are fed back into the next event. Investing in a quality sound system combined with hard as nails bookings, the group cater for women looking for a night with an undeniable difference.

But a solid collective needs solid artists. As resident and co-owner of the well established OnThe5thDay series at Corsica Studios, Katie Arnold was introduced to the Koodeta group through a mutual friend. She tells us how she got involved: ‘Hearing the Koodeta founder speak about the teams' vision - what they wanted to create and why was really powerful for me - I instantly felt this is something I'd love to be a part of.’ But with the competitive techno scene in London, it could have hastily been judged as a marketing strategy with its exclusive booking policy and audience. Arnold recalls how ‘a couple of questions ran through my mind about the "women only" bit, but Koodeta had definitely sparked up my intrigue. I went in open minded and ready to listen. I’m really glad that I did.’

Intrigue shone the light on clarity. Arnold saw Koodeta for what it was and realised what was happening: ‘Here were a group of women who, for their own reasons, simply wanted to run a techno night that celebrates women, where women can get stuck into quality underground music surrounded with a like-minded crowd, where they're free to simply be.’ It was firmly established that Koodeta was not anti-male, as Arnold states: ‘There aren’t “men suck" posters dotted around the venue - it’s purely a space for females to enjoy the music that they love. And wow, the electricity and sense of freedom in the room was incredible and will stay with me for a long time to come!’

As more people became aware and interested in Koodeta, the girls needed a dedicated resident as a consistent fixture for each event. It wasn’t long before UnderMyFeet. founder Ireen Amnes was summoned, after her own sporadic, industrial techno parties proved a success in North London. Amnes was on board from the beginning: ‘It felt like something fresh and new that was needed in London.’ As a DJ who refuses to be pigeon-holed to one particular sound, Amnes felt truly at home from the onset with both the rave-goers and unusual location. Amnes is honest about her sound as an artist: ‘I feel that in London, my sound doesn't always work so well but Koodeta is somewhere I never feel the need to compromise. I can play anything there from dub/ambient to hard industrial techno and the crowd engage and appreciate it.’

It wasn’t long before the sausage-space became a temple enabling artists to truly experiment. With both the audience and artists feeling at ease, Jaded noise-maker and KHIDI resident, Stephanie Sykes, was invited to play. After her debut, the night resonated with Sykes for many reasons, as she affirms: ‘The girls have created a really nice party, it actually felt very refreshing to be surrounded by so many females at the event! The Koodeta gang are definitely brave for hosting this type of party with these kinds of policies! Hats off to them, I love seeing passionate people succeed!’. With exemplary bookings on the same wavelength as Sykes, including live techno assembler Flaminia, Housewife resident DJ Jasmin and OnThe5thDay’s Katie Arnold, news traveled amongst diehard techno fiends that Koodeta was bringing in unprecedented talent to an unequivocal surrounding.

But it is also the strong focus on privacy that drew in an eclectic mix of punters. One regular tells us: ‘Koodeta gives me a safe space to be free and focus on myself and music. I love that nobody takes photos. My privacy is super important - I want to feel free when I’m enjoying my music and surroundings.’ Koodeta’s no camera policy is firmly followed through - stickers are placed over phone cameras, taking a leaf out of Berghain’s playbook. If photos are taken, ‘you will have to leave the party’, according to the team. No fucking about there then, a comforting testament that privacy is taken seriously.

More new faces began to emerge. Regulars tell us they’ve met people who never liked techno but now love it. As a newcomer to the genre, Farima tells us her previous underground experiences weren’t so good: ‘I was like, maybe I’ll give it another go and see how it is…I thought to myself, if I don’t like it again I can always leave! Turns out I didn’t feel that way.’ Her first visit to Koodeta changed her views on underground raves: ‘The vibes from both the people and music really brought everyone together and I had a great time. To be honest, I had no idea I could possibly enjoy dancing for that many hours.’

It was clear that Koodeta provided a safe space for dancing without selfie flashes and unwanted groping. But what about the actual music policy - what kind of techno are we talking about here? As one techno newbie shared her insight with us, it’s the powerful type: ‘I find the techno at Koodeta dark and visceral, resonating on a totally different plane than mainstream EDM does. Your internal world is activated and brought to life, and if you're having that experience alongside others…the whole experience does away with pretence. It’s personal and it’s honest.’

Delving further into the underbelly of Koodeta, another devoted creature of the night, Tonia Nee, shared her experience with us: ‘I went to support my soul sister Katie and to see what the vibe was. I thought I was going to stay for an hour or so…but oh my days, I get in and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. I only had two drinks but I stayed until the absolute end!’

With a strong sense of community present, it was easy to get sucked into an enticing techno hole for the night. Nee recalls: ‘I made so many friends, it was beautiful. You HAVE to experience it. The music is just stunning. Koodeta aren’t announcing their birthday guest but that’s fine - they know what they’re doing. I’m going back this month for another sweaty one, looking like a nutter. It’s that kind of place though - you can be free, let go and be you.’

We like nutters here at MOTZ and that’s what you become when you lose yourself at Koodeta, and rightly so. As their final event of the year rolls around, the girls have selected a secret headliner for the ultimate send off from Hackney’s finest sausage factory. As the gathering of loyal followers and tentative newcomers descend once more, London can consider itself lucky to host such a bold, bright occasion in what’s essentially a room full of darkness. Their instructions to ‘have fun, be kind, and don't kill anyone’ is right up our street. Find out for yourself. If you’re a woman that is…

Tickets for Koodeta's first birthday are available here.

#Koodeta #IreenAmnes #MAN #Flaminia #KatieArnold #Jasmin #CatHooper #StephanieSykes #Cerina #SausageFactory #TheGermanDeil #ToniaNee