Unless you've been living under a rock for the past two months, you've probably heard about Amman's pop-up club CLSTR. If you've ever been to CLSTR you know that it's Amman's latest hotspot and people flock in every Thursday and sometimes Friday to party until the break of dawn.
CLSTR, presented by FUZZevents, is a pop-up club that will remain open only until May 19. Hosting international and regional DJs and live acts, every weekend someone new is playing. There, you can enjoy anything from house music, to hip-hop, to 80s hits, to bands like El-Morrabba3 and T-Trio.
Fayez Burgan became active in the nightlife scene at the age of 14 when he first got into DJing. By the age of 16 he had organized his first event. In 2010, Fayez scored a weekly radio show on Beat FM called the Dorms Session with Fuzz, which was broadcast live from his dorm room in Beirut. His passion for music, art and entertainment drove him to create FUZZevents in 2014, and most recently CLSTR.
We had a chat with Fayez Burgan. Here's what he had to say about Amman's clubbing scene.
Tell us a little about yourself, how did you get into the nightlife scene?
I’ve always been involved in music, entertainment and nightlife; even at the age of 15 I was DJing at birthday parties and events, designing and operating live visuals at big concerts in Beirut.
I was always drawn to the mystical and artsy side of events … the beauty behind designing special moments and experiences that touch people and create memories that stay with them forever.
I studied Hospitality & Tourism management at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon. In between my studies and hectic lifestyle, I made time to become involved in numerous events and productions between Beirut and Amman.
After graduating in 2014, I immediately began working with one of the biggest light and sound companies in Jordan, Tritec AV, as a sales and project manager. During my time with them I was doing small events here and there until I finally decided to branch out on my own and properly create FUZZevents, an event management company that specializes in hosting unconventional electronic music artists and events in addition to providing live visual services and video mapping installations for a niche market in Amman.
How did you first come up with the idea of CLSTR?
After two years of hosting events at several venues around town and fully transforming restaurants or lounges to clubs, I finally decided it was time to build our own space; one that allows us to produce events at the highest quality possible, with more freedom to create and execute ideas. An environment that’s purely ours with all the creative freedom.
CLSTR stands for CLUSTER, and like it's name the club brings like-minded people together.
Tell us about the space and location
The venue that is now CLSTR was built as a cinema back when the Kempinski hotel in Shmeisani first opened in the early 2000s, but the hotel never went through with it. We took the venue and completely transformed it into a fully equipped club.
It took a lot of work to transform the space, but it was worth it.
With the support of our sponsors, we were able to design and build a fully equipped first-of-its-kind club with one of the best sound systems in the world, a dynamic pixel mapped ceiling and a refreshingly large dance floor for people to dance comfortably!
What do you think makes CLSTR different from other clubs?
CLSTR is made for like-minded people to come together from different backgrounds and unite for the purpose of exploring new music and talent from around the world.
We like to believe that when you enter the club, you sort of forget where you are and get completely immersed in the overall experience.
People have told us that CLSTR is unlike anything they've experienced before and they felt like they were partying in Beirut, Dubai and even Berlin! It’s quite humbling to hear that.
You’re bringing in a lot of different acts. How do you pick and choose?
So many of our bookings include artists we believe will offer something new to our audience. Sometimes our bookings are a bit bold for Amman in terms of musical styles, such as Oceanvs Orientalis, Tala & Jade from Beirut, or even the upcoming show for Hernan Cattaneo. But thankfully people are accepting the new sounds, which is truly inspiring to see.
Most of the DJ’s you’ve hosted at CLSTR had never played in Jordan before. What was their impression?
It’s always nice to hear an artist's feedback; the majority are pleasantly surprised with the vibe, design, the intimate feel and energy they get from the dance floor.
Most of the artists almost always ask to come back, which always makes us happy. Bedouin for example, held three shows in Amman, one of which was in CLSTR. They were super impressed with the setup, crowd and execution of the club.
Why create CLSTR as a pop-up club? Why not keep it going?
We believe pleasures don't last and trends die quickly. We want to create an immersive clubbing experience that is not there forever; something you can savor for a limited time period before it's gone.
Do you think the sense of mystery is what mainly attracts people to the club?
The element of surprise is crucial in everything we do. Our online presence is quite low key; we only publish our monthly calendar with very little detail. I think word of mouth is instrumental in our industry.
Basically, people come in, have a good time and tell their friends. They always end up coming back for more.
What plans do you have after CLSTR closes in May? Any other projects?
CLSTR is thankfully a successful brand now; we have some exciting projects planned out for the rest of the year. However, right now we’re focusing all our efforts on delivering the best possible club experience for the remaining weeks, before we close our doors on May 19.