Interview: Discoteca Formula
Casimir and Achille turned the lack of a proper club into fuel for their own parties, from intimate gatherings to an open-air event with multiple stages. This year’s edition at Bolwerk goes back to the roots of Formula. It’s less about chasing big names than about curating the perfect night. Because for its founders, it has never been the headliner; it has always been the dancefloor.
How did you meet, and what inspired you to start organising these club nights and daytime parties? Casimir: While studying in Kortrijk around 2016, Achille noticed I was carrying a Rush Hour tote bag. Which was a rare sighting in Kortrijk. We quickly realized we shared the same taste in music. Back then, the sounds we loved always took us to dancefloors in other cities around Belgium. At the same time, we were both experimenting with DJing, but the venues we played at weren’t really interested in the music we tried to bring. That sparked the idea to start hosting our own parties, bringing the sounds we were chasing in Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels back to Kortrijk. Achille: It was also the easiest way for us to DJ at cool parties. Just throw our own! Haha. What’s the story behind the name Discoteca Formula? Casimir: Early on, we realized it was important to stand out with strong graphic design and a clear visual language. We were, and still are, really into Italo Disco, which often has incredible cover art, like Koto – Dragon’s Legend, for example. Achille: We were also drawn to the aesthetics of 70s and 80s futuristic concept cars and racing magazines. The name didn’t come easy. Many chill music nights ended up turning into long brainstorming sessions. What does DF mean to you personally? If you could describe DF through a selection of tracks — as many as you like — which ones would you choose, and why? Achille: Formula is a real driving force for me. Having something to look forward to and work towards is something I need in life. If I had to describe Formula with one track, it would be Los Hermanos – Quetzal. For me, it marks the best moment we’ve ever had at Formula. Danilo carefully yet dynamically mixed it in. That was crazy. Casimir: For me, it’s been a huge learning experience. We started small with local bar nights, but soon we were doing open-air events with two stages. With no prior experience, we learned by doing, taking risks, some that worked and some that didn’t. More than once, we told ourselves, “This is the last time,” but passion always wins, so we’re still here, haha. What really keeps it alive is the sense of connection and community. Like Alex from Tokyo said, “It’s a family affair.” We’re so grateful for the help of friends, family, and volunteers, and for the dancers who show up just to have a good dance. Some even met their partners on our dancefloors. If that’s not fuel to keep going, what is?
How would you describe the scene in Kortrijk? Are there particular challenges to organising events here, or does the city offer unique opportunities? Kortrijk feels more like a big village than a city. The underground scene is small, with no proper nightclub, which makes the community limited in size, but also really tight together. Our smaller 150-cap nights are some of the best: no big financial risks, just a warm and open-minded group of dancers. With larger 500-cap events it’s a bit trickier. Ticket sales often only pick up the week before, which can be stressful. We also learned that bigger names don’t necessarily mean more tickets sold. In Kortrijk it’s really about the vibe, not the headliner. That’s both a challenge and a beautiful thing! When we started, there were only two active electronic music concepts: CrissCross/Stereo (still going strong today) and the freshly launched Planet Groove (you can always find us on their dancefloors). Since then, many new initiatives have come and gone. Which means it’s alive!Big shout-out to OK-Radio for giving us, and so many DJs, a platform to showcase our sound. And much love to everyone keeping the spirit alive in Kortrijk: Dubbeldik, Groov’ment, Obscuur, Sudato, … just to name a few. From what I’ve seen, DF has a sharp eye for killer programming. What can we expect from this year’s line-up, and what led you to choose these specific artists? Is there anyone in particular we should keep an eye on? Thanks! That really means a lot. This year we’re going back to the roots of Formula. At the In Motion stage, we’ve got the long-awaited return of Kléo. Last time she blew us away with pure acid house mayhem at our “Under the Bridge” hosting. Bjeor & Timmerman will bring the essence of house music with a 4-hour set, and Casimir, half of Pit Crew, will kick things off with some leftfield, weirdo house and new beat sounds. Senga will bring his MPC for some raw Detroit house at the In Transmission stage, powered by a heavy, self-built dubwise soundsystem. On that stage, we also have Rotterdam-based selector Ays, our good friends Kolmat and Oko Stellar, and I’m especially excited for Youth & Truth’s closing set. We’ve never booked a roots reggae act before, and I think a lot of our dancers haven’t experienced a proper soundsystem party. That’s going to be fun. Most of the line-up has played at Formula before. I know it’s kind of frowned upon, but fuck it, if it’s nice, book it twice. Haha.
Do you have any “bucket list” artists you dream of booking for DF? Casimir: One of the bucket list names we already managed to tick off is Danilo Plessow. He inspired both of us a lot when we first started DJing, so bringing him to a small club night in Kortrijk was really special. Looking ahead, there are still plenty of artists I’d love to see at Formula, like Kamma & Masalo, DJ Luv You or Amelia Holt. Achille: Raphaël Top-Secret is my all-time favourite. Having dinner with him and then dancing to his most tasteful deep house and disco selections was unforgettable. For the future, I’ve been wanting to book Doc Jay for two years now. He’s a Swedish producer and a super tasteful selector, with a great mix series on SoundCloud called Doc Jay’s Audio Inn. It’s amazing music, artwork, and very cool voice-overs. We might have invited him to play at Amigo in Ghent this October… ;) What’s your main goal when curating a daytime party? What kind of atmosphere or experience are you aiming to create? Quality music has always been, and will always be, our top priority. We invest more than we should in proper sound systems and in putting the right DJs in the right order, so the rhythm of the day builds naturally. Beyond that, we want the dancefloor to feel both exciting and comfortable. Scenography plays a big part in that. We’ve built light objects ourselves and invited young artists to showcase their work. One of our favourites was Jojo’s chandelier, made from scrap bike parts and street reflectors. The goal is simple: to create a dancefloor where people can completely lose themselves… or maybe even find themselves! Looking ahead, what does the rest of 2025 hold for DF? Any future plans or projects you’re excited about? As for Pit Crew: we’ve been really lucky with some great gigs lately, and there’s a guest mix coming out soon that we’re excited to share. For Formula: in October, we’re hosting a night at Amigo in Ghent! Beyond that… we can’t reveal too much yet, it’s still top-secret haha. We’re definitely looking forward to what’s ahead, but for now our full focus is on Daydream Drift. Let’s drift! Thank you, Achilles and Casimir. Looking forward to drifting with you!
