For over 30 years we have been living here in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. The city is sometimes referred to as ‘Little Paris’ due to its elegant architecture, most of which was built between the two world wars. Despite this similarity with the French capital, for us the city is unique in so many ways.
There are many beautiful things to say about Bucharest, some of which we had begun to take for granted before we were invited to write this guide for you. So, it was really nice for us to take a step back from everyday life here, and think about all the things that make us feel lucky to call this city our home.
With its rich cultural heritage, transcending from the Old Town to the more developed Civic Center district, there is something here for everybody to enjoy, if only just for a few days.
We have the George Enescu Museum, Arcul de Triumf, Calea Victoriei, Herastrau Park, and of course our clubbing culture, to name but a few of the unique places you would undoubtedly appreciate if you visited the city.
Studio:
As with all artists, the studio is your second home, so we’ve made ours very cosy as it is a place we come a lot to relax, spend time chilling and jamming with friends, as well as making music.
We’re big fans of vintage gear, so you’ll find a lot of old school equipment in our studio. For example, we love the Roland MC series, which are obviously really rare now, but we find them still to be the perfect groove boxes to start a track with.
Recently we’ve be using the old Yamaha rmx1 a lot, which is great if you’re working in more of a techno direction.
It has a really vintage sound like a lot of the mid-90’s tracks that inspire us. It’s also pretty handy if you’re remixing!
Another bit of kit we love is our RazmaSynth, which is a hand-made analog bass synth, with ribbon control. It’s perfect for making bass lines, like the one we used in our track ‘Love Modulation.’
Saying that, we are actually in the process of upgrading our studio with a lot of new analog gear, so it’s a really exciting time for us.
Favourite Club:
There are many clubs in Bucharest, and believe it or not, there are many different music directions being played too, so it really does depend on your musical taste and preferences as to which club is for you.
But for us we prefer to visit Guesthouse when we do go-out, which isn’t as often any more. Still, it is undoubtedly the best clubbing spot in the city, for both acoustics and sound system, so for sure you will be able to lose yourself there in a proper Romanian party.
Eden is also a place where we like to party, and we really enjoy DJing there too. It is a similar size to Guesthouse, a little smaller perhaps, maybe around 800 capacity, with a spacious terrace area and garden. So, in the summer especially it is cool to chill in the hammocks there, under the trees.
The club also sells natural smoothies, which can really help boost your energy if you’re planning a marathon on the dance floor – Romanian clubs are known to stay open until the early hours of the afternoon if you weren’t aware already! Prices are reasonable too, and the barman are friendly, which always makes the experience a more enjoyable one.
Favourite Record Store:
Despite Romania’s affinity to vinyl, the city is actually quite deficient in record stores. But if digging is your thing, then Misbits is definitely the coolest spot in town to pick-up some records.
Whether you’re into anything from minimal or jazz, to ambient and electro, Misbits has got you covered. It also sells the essentials, such as needles, sleeves and other bits and bobs. It’s probably the most likely place you’ll bump into any artists who are passing through the city for a gig, searching for some last-minute bombs before their set!
Muzica:
This is one of the oldest music shops in Bucharest, located in the centre of the city. You can find anything here from acoustic instruments to synths, pianos, guitars and all of the latest digital DJ gear as well.
So, if your headphones let you down when you’re in town, this is the place to come a get a new pair! All of the staff at Muzica have excellent knowledge of everything they sell, and are always very welcoming if you just want to come-by and have a play!
Herastrau Park:
For sure one of the must do things in Bucharest is visiting Herastrau, the biggest park in the city.
The park surrounds Elisabeta Palace, which is home to our royal family, and is always bustling with people from all over Romania and beyond. So, whether you want to take a boat out on the lake, visit the Village Museum, take a bike ride, or simply walk-around and enjoy its natural beauty, you will always feel relaxed here away from the madness of the city.
In the summer the Japanese gardens come to life, which makes the park even more special, and on the eastern side of the lake, along Soseaua Nordului, there are some amazing spots to grab a nice drink and some food.
Baraka:
We really like this little place called Baraka, which has a wooden terrace overlooking Herastrau Park. It’s the perfect place to come for a beer or a coffee in the open air, meet with friends and relax on their comfortable arm chairs and hammocks.
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