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ABSOLUT

Reaching out to Andy

Close to 30 years ago, Warhol painted an Absolut portrait that transformed the relationship between art and advertising.

Close to 30 years ago, Warhol painted his iconic Absolut portrait that transformed the relationship between art and advertisement. On Wednesday night, October 1, Absolut celebrated this growth by reaching back out to Andy himself with a huge party on the far west side of the city, near his old stomping grounds to celebrate the launch of the Andy Warhol Edition by Absolut. He always did love a big party, and Warhol Spirit by Absolut proved to be just that.

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As his custom with events like these, even before the doors opened the line began to stretch down the street, party people eager to get into the cavernous space designed by visual artists Schnellebuntebilder and see where the night would lead. Local favorite Brenmar started things off, fresh off the announcement that his three song EP will be dropping in November on headliner A-Trak’s label Fool's Gold, he came out of the gate hard, and the growing crowd immediately responded. Mixing together his own personal tracks with a splash of radio jams and remixes, you could see why his twisted pop sensibilities are loved by raver weirdoes, downtown cool kids, and the public at large, all at the same time.

Before Brenmar handed things over to his friend L-Vis 1990, celebrated conceptual artist Leif Elggren brought out his self fashioned EVP machine to attempt to commune with Andy Warhol’s spirit. It was just the sort of thing he might have liked; a conceptual performance artist attempting to commune with a celebrated icon sandwiched between two of the best DJ’s in the world today. What could be more pop?

L-Vis 1990 brought his London club sound to New York a few years ago when he finally moved here, and his prescient set showed both sides of the Atlantic, starting with his signature sound before easing to some New York hip hop favorites. As the co-founder of the influential electronic record label Night Slugs, it was fun to watch him switch between heady club music and everyone’s current favorites, warming the crowd up for everyone’s favorite; A-Trak.

In a lot of ways, A-Trak embodies Warhol’s inclinations himself. Intensely focused and driven, but still pop and party, he was the DJ champion of the world at 15 and Kanye West’s DJ a decade later, always remaining a DJs DJ on the way to becoming the household name he is today. A festival headliner, co-owner of the record label Fool’s Gold, and star producer, after all these years, he still never seems to disappoint.

As for the debatably present host; Warhol’s unique take on culture, art, music, and revelry made him a unique figure in the world whose impression is still being felt today. As Elggren’s EVP machine reverberated around the room, some raptly paying attention to the art, while others still inevitably paying rapt attention to each other, you had to feel as if you were part of the continuum of New York arts and culture, and that in some way, contact was made.