Dig your own hole

>> New afterhours Aria takes it up a notch

by CHRIS HATHERILL

"The only problem now is that peoples' expectations are like this," says Aria co-founder Jean Claude Duliepre, raising his hand high above his head. He lowers it just it time to avoid some hanging wires, then dodges past a wheelbarrow and into a long hallway divided by a grey metal grill. "It's been about one year since we started this, so that's a lot of time for people to talk." We turn 180° and head back down the way we came, then cut through a door into a staircase leading down in darkness. "I've overheard people saying 'Yeah, it's gonna be the best sound!' or things like that, so we really want to make everyone's eyes open wide the first time they come." At last, we step through into a dim ante-room into Aria's massive main chamber. Amid the scaffolding and wiring, giant black speakers and complex light rigs hang from the ceiling. The long DJ booth looms at the far side of the room surrounded by the bar and dance floor while the VIP area hovers 20 feet above our heads. "I only hope it lives up to expectations."

If they can get the place finished off in time, there should be no problems achieving the desired jaw-drop effect. All the fun and games that come with a new afterhours are doubled by the fact that Aria is like a twisty, 3-D maze with multiple ways to get to the same place. It took over a month to excavate parts of the former Cinema Berri and dig deep into the ground to create the main room. Dump trucks made over 300 trips carting raw material out before legions of workers began building new stages, stairs, railings and doorways. I feel like Maxwell Smart as we head through the corridors trying to find a quiet place where the sounds of industrial fans drying the freshly finished floor won't drown out Duliepre's rundown of the place.

"Like it says on the flyer, we thought it was time for a change. We're were tired of always seeing the same formula and decided to get our own place to do something else. We wanted to do everything right, from the beginning. That's why we got the Meyer sound system, why we put so much effort into building the space and adding all the special little touches."

While it's the physical space that first impresses you, the nifty little touches prove the Aria crew means what they say when they say "different." The DJ booth is out in the open, so crowds will be able to completely surround it and watch their idols from every angle. It will be heaven for trainspotters, who will be able to peer down to check 12" labels and grab drinks from the nearby bar without walking more than two steps. In addition, the booth will permanently house six turntables, enough to accommodate a Skratch Piklz extravaganza or an epic battle between Jeff Mills on three and Richie Hawtin on three. On the other side of the room, the VIP space makes you feel very Very Important as you gaze down on the masses from an elevated balcony complete with couches and a bar. The linoleum dance floors are padded underneath with cork, giving them a springy bounce that will improve dancing stamina and allow people to actually "rock on till the break of dawn." And the list goes on.

Even if the owners' talk of welcoming guest promoters, throwing live concerts and eventually opening during the week remains just talk, Aria has at least started with a solid foundation.