Intergalactic – not of this world. How else could one describe this unprecedented event, if not with these superlatives?!
On August 13th, 2019, in cooperation with the European Space Agency, BigCityBeats founder and pioneer Bernd Breiter turned his visions of curating the first-ever DJ set, live from outer space, into reality.
ESA astronaut and future commander Luca Parmitano played the first beats 400 kilometers high, from the International Space Station to the BigCityBeats WORLD CLUB DOME Cruise Edition. From the ISS to Ibiza, where the cruise liner Norwegian Pearl was anchored in a picturesque setting in the harbor of Europe’s number one party island – unifying science and entertainment, and achieving new and unprecedented dimensions. The incredible partnership between BigCityBeats and the ESA space organizations on the ISS, is a joint venture between ESA (Europe), NASA (USA), Roskosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan) and CSA (Canada).
Around 2,500 passengers and 100 VIPs, including Giulia Siegel, Maren Gilzer (Wheel of Fortune), the former Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfäller, swimming Olympic champion Michael Groß, the Swedish superstar model Marcus Schenkenberg and Jasmin Wagner, as well as superstar DJs such as Robin Schulz, Don Diablo, EDX, Felix Kröcher, dr. Motte and Le Shuuk all bore witness to this ground-breaking event.
One for the history books, this was not just a world premiere but rather an out-of-this-world premiere. At 11 pm CET, live footage of the first DJ performance from space appeared on the screens, as Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano delivered an astounding 15-minute DJ set, impressively demonstrating his recently acquired skills, while throwing in some gravity-defying moves that made for one of the most entertaining sets ever played. Due to logistical restrictions onboard the ISS, it was not possible to bring full DJ equipment, so Parmitano played on an iPad and digital mixer but this certainly did not limit the skilled astronaut as he was still able to take the concept of spinning the decks to his own unique level. Raising the BigCityBeats WORLD CLUB DOME flag on the Columbus module of the International Space Station for the big event, Parmitano sent a special message of greeting from space to Bernd Breiter and the eager party guests;
“It was an incredible opportunity for all of us to make a dream come true. This opportunity to combine science and music was a great experience. I hope that everyone now sees the world a little bit differently and enjoys life – just as we do this up here on the ISS.”
The 12-minute DJ set by Luca Parmitano from space included the following titles:
01 – Sunbeam ‘Outside World’
02 – Robin Schulz ‘All This Love’
03 – Vize feat. Lania ‘Stars’
This indescribable moment caused a sensation amongst passengers as well as many islanders and tourists who gathered together to experience the ground-breaking event. Combining the stunning historical backdrop of Ibiza’s Dalt Villa with the futuristic beats from Outer Space, the event saw past, present and future unite.
BigCityBeats resident DJ Le Shuuk took over the DJ scepter on the cruise giant and played the closing set on the open-air upper deck until midnight. For Le Shuuk, who travelled with Bernd Breiter to the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne in January and successfully trained Luca Parmitano as a DJ, this was a career-defining moment no artist would even think to dream of.
“When Bernd Breiter called me and asked if I wanted to train an astronaut as a DJ, I thought it was a joke. But knowing that Bernd was not joking, I was overwhelmed to take on the job.” – Le Shuuk
The journey continues, not just for the passengers and VIPs onboard the Cruise Edition, but with the further expansion of the BigCityBeats brand. Next, on the agenda, the Winter Edition will kick off in January 2020 in Düsseldorf. Aside from this, following the success of its debut one-day event in Malta earlier this month, organisers have just announced its return to Malta for a fully-fledged 3-day edition in 2020. The largest club in the world is also set to return to Asia next year for three days and will celebrate the third flight into weightlessness before returning to Frankfurt for its flagship event in June 2020.
As Bernd once said, “The journey continues, because, for us, the sky is not the limit.”
