Minimal Effort Halloween turns LA Center Studios into a house and techno haven [Event Review]Christopher Soltis3

Minimal Effort Halloween turns LA Center Studios into a house and techno haven [Event Review]

Los Angeles had plenty of Halloween events to select between and take part in this year, however it was underground party Minimal Effort that was clearly the front runner. The beloved brand has built a loyal following in the city — and quickly as well, moving from small warehouses parties to the larger Belasco Theater, and ultimately setting down this year at LA Center Studios.

With views of downtown LA’s urban skyline as a backdrop, Minimal Effort took over the multipurpose venue and transformed it into a “mini-festival” featuring 10 hours of music from some of the most defining names in house and techno.

Minimal Effort Halloween turns LA Center Studios into a house and techno haven [Event Review]Christopher Soltis3

Photo by: Christopher Soltis

Situated outdoors were two stages: The Bridge and The Garden. The former focused more on true techno, delivered by Steve Bug, Jonas Rathsman, Thugfucker, and Human Resources (one half of which is Minimal Effort’s founder, Cyril Bitar) while the latter diversified things a bit, featuring a touch of disco from Tensnake, electro from TEED, and the LA debut of Tiga’s live show. Meanwhile, indoors played host to the Suara Room, arguably the stage with the best sound and darkest selection of music courtesy of artists such as Mark Farina, Edu Imbernon, Coyu, and Dosem.

Minimal Effort Halloween turns LA Center Studios into a house and techno haven [Event Review]Christopher Soltis5

Photo by: Christopher Soltis

World class tastemaking artists aside, what stood out most about Minimal Effort Halloween was the unassuming and loyal nature of its attendees. Ask around a bit in the crowd and one will find that most have been to a Minimal Effort event or two before. And that’s for good reason. The brand has left plenty of room for creativity in both the experience it offers attendees and the musical direction of the artists it books. This has in turn created a community that’s a little transformational festival, part Burner, and still attracts a significant chunk of the all-black wearing underground crowd.

Minimal Effort Halloween turns LA Center Studios into a house and techno haven [Event Review]Christopher Soltis7

Photo by: Christopher Soltis

During a time of year when most electronic music events are plagued by flashy productions and bottle-service ridden clubs, Minimal Effort has taken great care to instead put the focus on areas which serve as the foundation for its events. Communicating event updates openly with attendees, crafting a welcoming space to dance within, and matching that with an incredibly talented lineup, Minimal Effort events have become what could be called a guaranteed good time.

It thus comes as no surprise that one of the most anticipated and exciting parts of Minimal Effort Halloween came in the form of a flyer for its NYE event. Boasting some of the most in demand live acts today: Stephan Bodzin, Recondite, Audion, in addition to performances by &ME, the Desert Hearts Crew, and a DJ set from Simian Mobile Disco, it’s looking like Minimal Effort NYE will be a front runner in events yet again.

Tickets for Minimal Effort NYE go on sale Monday, November 7 and can be purchased here.

Read More:

Cyril Bitar on the branding and evolution of LA’s foremost Halloween underground party: Minimal Effort

LA’s Minimal Effort expands to 5,000 cap venue for Halloween and NYE events

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