U.22 x Club Sauvage: Dax J

Five years ago to the day, a slightly reckless bunch from Marseille decided to take over the Dock des Suds and throw a rave just as we were emerging from the public health crisis. The venue had a reputation for bringing bad luck to collectives, Covid restrictions were dragging on, and just about everyone was telling us to be sensible and stay home. Yet on 27 November 2021, the first Sauvage took place. And something had changed.

By then, Animals Industry already had a few miles under its belt. From early parties in unlikely venues to monthly residencies at Le Chapiteau, the project had grown into a small family of enthusiasts, shaped by chance encounters and instant connections. Behind it all was, above all, its founder Qahog, and his ability to believe in people before they’d even had a chance to prove themselves. A funk/disco DJ thrown behind the decks for three and a half hours of techno without so much as an audition; a last-minute stand-in who immediately became part of the collective; a young artist invited to play through a DM who, a year later, was a mainstay of the crew. APG, Keuj, Yenkov: three different stories, the same trust in instinct. It could be a slightly bewildering way to work, but it eventually became our strength. Friends became residents, regulars became friends, and this little venture began to take up a big part of our lives.

With Sauvage, we wanted to think bigger, but above all to offer Marseille something different. A party that felt like us, with no compromises on the music, the welcome or the artistic identity. Two rooms, two worlds: La Cage with its techno onslaughts, La Jungle with its explorations of bass and rave. An artistic direction that refused to stick to a single trend, paired with a distinctive graphic style—bold, sometimes disorienting—that gave Sauvage a world of its own. We wanted this party to have a look, a personality, something you could recognise before you’d even heard the first note.

And above all, we wanted it to exist for Marseille.

Not simply to fill a room or bring over artists we admired, but to contribute to a scene we were passionate about ourselves. To introduce new names, give local collectives major stages, champion underrepresented sounds, and bring together crowds whose paths didn’t always cross. At a time when many were still hesitant about putting on events at the Dock des Suds, the first Sauvage helped show that the venue could also become a playground for Marseille’s techno collectives. Others ventured there in turn, and we like to think we played a small part in that new momentum.

Over three years and nearly thirteen editions, we watched La Cage shake, La Jungle overflow, artists make their Marseille debuts, and thousands of people join the pack. But what we remember most from those years is the faces. The people we saw every month, those who came back with new friends, those who ended up joining the team. Nights spent setting up events, running around, sometimes having doubts and wondering why we put ourselves through it all. Then the doors would open, the music would start, and we’d very quickly remember why.

We’re not going to pretend it was always easy, or that every gamble paid off. But we were lucky enough to watch something grow a little bigger than ourselves, with you and thanks to you. And in a way, it was this adventure that gave us the desire and the courage to open our own club in La Belle de Mai. A new home where we could keep championing music and Marseille nightlife, our way.

So, five years on, we wanted to mark the occasion. Not by trying to recreate the big Sauvage parties of the past, but by returning to what has always driven us: the music, the connections and the joy of being together. After spending years looking for venues big enough to hold our madness, we decided to squeeze it into a 450-capacity space.

And to celebrate it all, we let ourselves live out a vinyl collector’s dream: inviting Dax J. A product of the British jungle scene who became one of the leading names in international techno, the Londoner has built a musical world with Monnom Black that has been part of our lives for years. Records we collect, play and love, and that have sometimes echoed through our own parties. Having him turn up in the intimate setting of our Marseille club, Unité.22, far from the monumental stages he’s used to, feels pretty surreal.

And since we haven’t lost our taste for taking a chance on rising talent, we’re inviting Isa Tchesnokova down from the capital to get things started with her hypnotic, groove-driven techno. The founder of Vanta Session, she’s someone whose releases and finely honed vision of techno we’ve been following, with an ability to keep a crowd riveted without sacrificing the elegance of her selections.

Finally, we’ll hand over closing duties to Höra, a Marseille artist whose musical freedom we admire, moving between techno, trance and bass music. She’s steadily making a name for herself across a range of stages, and also embodies the new generation of local talent we’ve always wanted to support. Entrusting her with the final hours of the night, after Dax J, felt like a way to keep the story going.

Five years of Sauvage, thousands of memories, a few more grey hairs, and still the same desire to party together.

To everyone who was there in 2021, everyone who has joined us since, our friends, the artists, the teams, and everyone who has shared part of this journey with us: thank you.

The pack has grown, but it hasn’t forgotten where it came from.

Timetable

• 00h00-01h30: Isa Tchesnokova
• 01h30-03h30: Dax J
• 03h30-05h30: Höra