Stuff You Gotta Watch: Porto Electronica 1985-2005
As the so-called “boom of the Portuguese Rock” of the early 1980s faded away and EU membership gradually allowed Portugal to stop being mistaken for a province of Spain, the “much noble and never defeated” city of Porto revamped its nightlife from within. Although the Lisbon underground scene of the 1990s would become more publicised abroad, true connoisseurs knew the absolute dance vanguard was Porto.
Resources were scarce, but a nearly religious devotion to music made it possible to get the message out, while the efforts of a dozen DJs, promoters, and bar owners soon made sure the north of Portugal had more to offer after sundown than a glass of Port wine or two. Teaming up with local communities, art students, and general all-rounders, they transformed the nightclubbing experience in the city, managing to attract attention from international artists and audience.
This short documentary details 20 years of acid house, techno, deep house, post-punk and every other imaginable electronic subgenre in the city of Porto. From the amateurish yet enthusiastic 1980s to the electroclash-ridden 2000s, Porto Electronica 1985-2005 is the after-dark tale of a city that has always been too electric to sit still.
Review by Ana Leorne. Check out the full archive of the Stuff You Gotta Watch column.