Cocoon

Everybody tells you Frankfurt is a boring city. That is not true if you are into club music.

Located about 10 minutes away by taxi to the east of the city center, the Cocoon nightclub is said to be one of the best nightclubs in the world (UK's club music magazine DJmag ranks it at the 11th in the 2009 edition of its worldwide nightclub ranking). On the date of my arrival to Frankfurt to visit friends of mine, Monika Kruse, a German minimal techno DJ whose play I've long wanted to experience live, happens to be scheduled to play at Cocoon. There is no reason why I should not go to this club.

And it turns out to be one of the best night clubbing experiences ever. First, the interior of the club. Usually, a night club is rather scruffy. At best, the dance floor room is just a big box. Cocoon's decor is really elaborate. Cocoon-shaped holes in the wall act as a sofa space for chilling out. A balcony in the dance floor room, also shaped like a cocoon, plays a role of the DJ booth, allowing every dancing head to see DJs on the deck. The dance floor has several layers of round-shaped platforms, allowing those seriously dancing to be not interrupted by those just walking from one end of the room to the other. Outside the dance floor is a chill-out space looking like a stylish, trendy bar, a rarity for a truly musically-oriented nightclub.

The bar seems to serve alcohol of good quality, as my shot of tequila is flawless. Around half past midnight, Monika Kruse appears on the white cocoon DJ booth which reflects the projected computer graphic movies along with the surrounding walls of the dance floor. And, most importantly, the club has an impeccable sound system with excellent acoustic, especially for high-pitched sound. Most nightclubs, even those boasting the good sound system like Fabric in London, have the acoustic ill-suited for high-pitched sound. Here in Cocoon, every bit of high-pitched rhythms can be felt clearly. With Monika Kruse's superb mix of minimal techno music, I cannot help but feel euphoric.

Sorry for no photo. I don't bring a camera to a night club because the camera in a pocket is annoying while I'm dancing.