Discotheque theatrics have always been used to create a surreal ambience-of-sorts since it’s early days.

Police sirens, disco balls, confetti and bubble machines to the modern day intelligent lighting, lasers, fog machines and the train horn (love it or hate it) all are tools used to lift spirits, create ambiance and give the crowd something to jump to.

Strip those elements away and the DJ’s endeavor to keep a crowd alive and interested becomes even that more difficult.

Alternatively, lounges tend to have architectural atmosphere but may lack the “party” atmosphere of a large space. It’s not an easy task to combine the thunder of a club and the upscale ambiance of a lounge; however, the Wednesday night parties at Cafeteria are out to break the barriers.

This past Wednesday, Roland was in charge of orchestration and arriving at midnight, I found the Space terrace ringmaster already behind the decks. The mood was perfect for sipping a drink and a bit of mingling.

The minimalist look, the friendly staff and those cool Luminaire egg seats invite you to come in and feel comfortable. Very in accord with the setting, the opening tracks were an eclectic mix of fashionable lounge music including that track making so much noise Shapeshifter’s “Lola’s Theme”.

One big plus with lounges, you can get away with dropping some maybe “out of place” tracks but they seem to blend well and so Prince’s “Kiss” and Debbie Harry’s “Rapture” were not abrupt but instead enhanced the mood.

The night moved along smoothly and very by surprise it was 1:30 and the place was packed. The crowd was modern and clubby and certainly an element of cool blanketed the room. Most people well-dressed, some out to impress others in fashionable casual gear.

Local favorites, Oscar G, Edgar V, Nelson Diaz and a potpourri of figures of the night were scattered about, having a genuine good time. Just like the crowd ranged in look the most important element of the night, the music, was being intertwined in a set diverse and eclectic in flavor.

By this time house was the choice of music but was changed, and well accepted, to Joan Jet’s “I Love Rock-N-Roll” ??? followed by Violent Femme’s “Blister in The Sun” ???, Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” ???, Eurythmic’s “Sweet Dreams” (the original, which yielded a roar of acceptance), even INXS. It doesn’t sound that they might mix well together but Roland made it work and had that room asking for more.

Reverting back to Space terrace anthems didn’t seem to be a problem for Roland, dropping tunes like Martin Solveig’s “Rocking Music” at key points. Roland had an almost innate ability to figure out when to change the mood and jumped, back and forth, from several styles (talk about good beat pairing !). Still, the track of the night must have been “white Lines”, what a major reaction.

There was one more track and yes He dropped booty music, “Baby Got Back” filled that floor and induced a small euphoria. Roland’s technical ability was easily appreciated. The set was so diverse but never compromising quality. It can’t possible be easy to cram House, deep house, rock and roll, new wave and retro dance and even booty music into one set unless you know music well. Roland handled it like a pro and shaked that room.

From the sidelines, people mingled, others danced and the place was fountain of ambiance. The crowd proved indecisive as many wanted to leave but couldn’t resist the all around good vibe.

Alas, it was a bit past 3:00 and responsibility ruled over fun for many that made their exit. Soon after, the place emptied slowly but all the comments I could hear were very positive. Outside, comments like “what a cool night” were plentiful. The party atmosphere and cool lounge style couldn’t have been blended better.

That 80’s flair was a nice touch and Roland did a great job in keeping the crowd interested without the need of any theatrical device, just plain music spun with sense (and with great technical ability). Great place to check out, offering both a club or lounge feel, depending what you make of it. Great DJ’s every week and a more mature, no drama kind of crowd. Certainly worth being late for work on Thursday morning.