[EVENT REVIEW] Ben Böhmer Graces Brooklyn With Euphoric Two-Hour Set

Joe McCarthy | October 12, 2023

“Let’s go, Ben Böhmer!” “We love you Ben Böhmer!” “Yea, Ben!”

It’s very unlikely that the German composer and melodic house DJ Ben Böhmer heard these effusive shouts, reminiscent of a little league baseball mom, during his stop at Brooklyn Mirage on Oct. 6.

The happy fan was at the very back of the venue’s massive outdoor floor space. Their cheers were more funny than distracting, especially because they came during lulls and they captured what everyone else was feeling, more or less, as Böhmer performed his uplifting discography live for the gathered audience.

His wildly popular Cercle set shows Böhmer in a hot air balloon above the pale green hills of Cappadocia, Turkey, and that sense of floating marks much of his music. Broad, swelling synths gently lift you up, as dancing keys, a steady drum beat, and rising bass notes ease you into a state of calm.

For his Brooklyn show, Böhmer invited some of the most exciting emerging acts in the dance music scene. Local favorite Tony Y Not opened the night, once again showing her ability to weave different sounds, from sludgy techno to cathartic dance bangers, into an irresistible set that warmed early arrivals who braved a brief rain shower. She recently spoke to iEDM about her approach to making music, some of her favorite sets, and her podcast on mental health in nightlife.

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UK-based DJ Nimino followed up with an assortment of genre-blending tracks, including a set highlight that layered Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place” with Kendrick Lamar’s “N95.”

Barry Can’t Swim but he can steal the show. The Scottish DJ and producer, fresh off a rooftop show at nearby Elsewhere two hours before, took over the decks after midnight and stormed through one of the most exceptional hours of music I have ever seen.

He expertly built and layered sounds and snippets of vocals, threading everything together with a bass that cruised, bounced, and overwhelmed the audience. His new album, When Will We Land, is coming out October 20, which will surely commence a new tour. Be on the lookout for tickets because they will sell out.

He is simply that good. I was too busy dancing to capture specific track names, but one of the highlights of his set involved a growling bass that swirled as a smoky saxophone faded in and out.

At the time, it seemed like his high-octane set should have closed the show, but there was a bit of a break as Böhmer traveled to the stage and set up, allowing the vibe to reset. Almost everyone was there for his dreamy music, and the excitement was palpable as hands raised and joyful laughter broke out as the first gorgeous notes emerged.

It was forecast to rain from 2 AM onwards, but only a momentary drizzle appeared. For New Yorkers used to nonstop rain over the past few weeks, it was almost a letdown not to get a sustained cooling mist to cut the humidity.

All of the fan-favorites were played, including “Begin Again” and “Moments.” The lights came on when “Breathing” played and seemingly everyone sang along to Malou’s repeating chorus, “Once tried to find.”

As a performer, Ben gets lost in the music, his full-body concentration making him appear like someone orchestrating the challenging return of a spaceship. In the middle of the set, he veered into a heavy, almost industrial, section, live-mixing as a volcanic background erupted across the giant Brooklyn Mirage screens.

Many artists fail to take advantage of Brooklyn Mirage’s world-class visual set-up, opting to replay music videos or images that have to get awkwardly stitched across the different, wraparound panels. Some artists, like Böhmer, clearly work with the Avant Gardner (of which Brooklyn Mirage is a part) team to deliver a seamless visual experience.

Lush, colorful scenes recalling the ocean, the sky, or fire splashed, tumbled, and lingered across the vast wall, pleasingly complementing the music, while never distracting from the moment.

Following techno Ben’s turn, the show opened up again, soaring to a finale of “Promise You” and his remix of Monolink’s “Father Ocean.” The venue was still full as the clock approached 4 AM, yet nobody wanted to leave until it was certain that an encore wasn’t happening. When Böhmer shared his heartfelt thanks to the openers and crowd, we were all glad to have witnessed such an inspiring show.