Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2013

It was entered through a nondescript basement door in Aoyama, but once inside the intensity of bass and treble signaled you were in a clubber’s club. Now the nightspot that helped birth Japan’s techno music explosion is celebrating its 20th birthday. Though Maniac Love no longer exists, the club’s spirit continues in the form of a three-weekend birthday celebration at a new space in Harajuku. Many of the original crew will be behind the decks, including domestic techno DJ avatars like Mayuri and Wada. And for the truly dedicated, Maniac Love’s infamous after-hours party will also be making a reappearance—traditional free coffee included.

Galaxy, July 27, Aug 3 and 10