History and background
K4 was formally established in 1989, in the basement under K6/4 Institute, but had unofficially been running since the late 1980s under ŠKUC. Always following alternative underground musical trends, the club went through various programme changes, hosting punk, grunge, and rock to hip hop and nowadays more or less just electronic club events. K4 was the starting point for many Slovene musicians, DJs (Beitthron, DJ Umek, Valentino Kanzyani and many more), rappers (Ali-En, Klemen Klemen, N'Toko, and Trkaj), and music producers and presenters (Aldo Ivančić, Aida Kurtović, and Jure Longyka) and was, in the late 1990s, the first club to introduce rave, techno, and house parties to the Slovene public.
K4's programme concept has been focused on contemporary and avant-garde music trends and urban culture, encompassing various genres – primarily electronic music, multimedia, and hip hop – and was known for hosting diverse, non-commercial and progressive club events. It hosted several guest artists from abroad and also provided a platform for new, unconventional Slovene musical talents.
Past and future programme guidelines
Historically speaking, Klub K4 is the only fully operating nightclub providing alternative electronic music, supporting local crews, and inviting prominent foreign DJs, VJs, and producers to serve their cause.
K4 is a gay-friendly venue, throwing K4 Roza events for the gay and lesbian community almost every month, usually on Saturdays or Sundays. In 2012 happenings called EVEnings made their start, focusing on the promotion of female DJs, VJs, and audio-visual artists from electronic club subcultures. In the same year the TRESK Festival made its festival pre-event there called Vidim Tresk, combining local DJs and VJs for a full audio-visual experience. With events like Reverse Engineering K4 explores newer electronic genres, like post dubstep, future garage, and other post- genres, happenings called Hočmo nazaj dinozavre ("We want the dinosaurs back") are dedicated to old school hip hop and skate punk. In the past K4 was also a venue holding rap free-style battles, even organising a state competition and initiating the urban festival Utrip. The last edition took part in 2009 in several Ljubljana venues, with the main event happening in Križanke, to celebrate the club's 20th anniversary.
Since September 2013 the new programme scheme offers Wednesdays to local DJs and crews presentations, Thursdays for live events, Fridays and Saturdays for clubbing evenings. Today many electronic crews are collaborating with the club, for instance Synaptic, Zavod Pralnica and the collective Colours with techno and house events, RIS, Illegal Kru, Zavod Kru, Don't Make New People, Filter, Innocent and DrumWise. Workshops take place on Fridays. K4 also collaborated with Mimoza, Smetnjak, ZAvod Kru, RDYO Djs, Buba Booking and Promotion, and Sindikat.
List of guests
For every event in the past K4 provided specially designed and unique flyers. Here is a list of artists whose names have been written on them: DJ Krush, DJ Marky, Stamina MC, Ellen Alien, Kenny Larkin, Stanton Warriors, Chateau Flight, Bonobo, Roni Size, Goldie, Mouse on Mars, Josh Wink, Jazzanova, Derrick May, Chicken Lips, Quantic, Richie Hawtin, Swayzak, Freddy Fresh, Hextatic, Oscar Mulero, Dan Deacon, Sutekh, Mike Shannon, XXXY, Killawatt, Xhin, Squire of Gothos, Black Sun Empire, Legowelt, Emptyset, Moomin, CUF, Dot ... As concert venue K4 has hosted Silence, Happy Generated People, Disciplin A Kitschme, Atari Teenage Riot, Siddharta, Asian Dub Foundation, etc. In September 2013 the new season was opened by British soul singer Andreya Triana.
See also
External links
- Klub K4 website (in Slovenian)