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DJ Mag Top100 Clubs
15
Warung
6

It's so close to perfect that it's almost a cliché; looking over at a vast palm-fringed beach in the warm Brazilian air with white sand between your toes and waves lapping at the shore, as the stars of the Southern hemisphere twinkle above you and the lights of Balneario Camboriu glisten in the distance. In fact, the only thing that's stopping a loop of the Wish You Were Here theme tune playing in your head is the soundtrack of space-age electronic music filling the air.

That, and the fact that the thousands of Brazilians and clubland jetsetters who've made the pilgrimage to Warung Beach Club on the outskirts of one of South Brazil's biggest beach resorts are looking a lot fitter and pulling dance moves a lot more agile than Judith Chalmers does these days.

For whilst Balneraio Camboriu, with its concrete high-rise hotels crowding right up to the water, can resemble the Brazilian Benidorm in parts, the main dancefloor and outside terrace surrounded by rainforest at Warung Beach Club could hardly feel further away in terms of class and cool despite being just a short distance down the Praia Brava beach.

Although Warung is now widely recognised as one of the best clubs in Brazil - if not South America - its decor and name is actually inspired by the Indonesian island of Bali almost on the other side of the world, where 'Warung' means 'house'. Which is exactly what one of the most impressive sets of residents in the world provide in myriad forms; with Leozinho, Rodrigo Paciornik, Aninha, Fabricio Pecanha and Mary Zander pioneering the sort of supple deep house grooves that are as synonymous with this club as sun, sea, sand and sexy dancing.

And the DJs they invite to this desert island paradise seem to have been selected from the most discerning dance music fan's wishlist, with Laurent Garnier, Dubfire, Richie Hawtin and 16 Bit Lolitas just a few of those to have played to the bikini and beach-clad hordes beneath Warung Beach Bar's triangular tent. 16 Bit Lolitas are such favourites there that they were asked to mix the recent inaugural edition of Warung Club's compilation series, given the task of capturing the club's unique atmosphere on CD.

"The people there are so into the music," 16 Bit Lolitas' Aad Olieroock reveals. "It means that they appreciate you playing a range of styles rather than just prog or minimal for five hours.

"South Brazil's the best place to play in the whole country because there are more party people there and the weather's warmer. It has that whole outdoor Ibiza summer vibe where everyone wants to look beautiful and when you roll that up into such a professional club it's just the perfect package."