Hang around Stockholm’s coolest clubs for any amount of time, and you’ll soon become acquainted with the name Flexx. The club crew have spent the last year setting up some of the best club nights around, taking over venues from Marie Laveau to Trädgården. We’ve already met one of the trio, artist Amber Watts or AmberValent, in a couple of past issues of Totally Stockholm, and they’re embarking on a special set of summer events, so it was time to catch up with them to find out more.

So first of all, give us a quick introduction to you guys behind the club?

Flexx consists of artist, DJ and club promoter Rasuul, who’s been in the game for a long time at Trädgården, Nobelberget and Vårbergs Dansservice, DJ and producer ShadedByNature and promoter, producer, artist and DJ Hardcore Cutie (aka AmberValent).

So tell us a little about the concept of Flexx and the history of the club

Basically Flexx was born out of our collective frustration and vision for Stockholm’s club scene. We wanted to create a space especially for queers, queens and club kids of colour – who like to experiment with sounds and expressions. We also wanted to present something highly energetic for us who use dance as a tool for cleansing anger out of our systems. When the world is what it is, sometimes you just have to rage and rave to stay sane.

You describe Flexx as an alternative for “queers and queens in Stockholm”. Do you think groups like this are underrepresented on the Stockholm clubbing scene?

Yes, and no, there are and has been a lot of great initiatives in clubs and bars over the years. The thing that we were yearning for was the experimental, for the club ingredient and a space for POC queers. What we three connected over and what made us create this concept was our love for genre-crossing. We play everything from classic ghetto tech/Detroit house to modern black club music such as Jersey club and also baile funk, eurodance and the more commercial hiphop and r’n’b. As long as it’s banging we’re playing it, and we believe that all music can and will be appreciated in the right context.

What do you look for in the live acts you book for Flexx?

Well, first of all we’re looking for acts with uniqueness that have a sound that conforms with our style of club music and expression. We’ve been blessed to have had two of our favourites, Jay Boogie and Abdu Ali, play for us and we’re looking forward to booking more high energy live-acts in the future.

Flexx comes to Trädgården on July 12.

Words: Austin Maloney