The Big Apple has lost its mojo, so I've been hearing over last ten years. The soaring rent prices almost wiped away the thriving arts scene of the Lower East Side and East Village. This was bolstered by the "clean-up" by former Major Gulliani which might have had a positive effect on improving the safety of the city but was a complete disaster for the local arts&clubs scenes. Post-9/11 New York seemed like a city that lost its soul - overriden by angst and rich Wall Street bankers.

The city seems to have recupareted since last time I visited it - 2003 and 2007 - with a thriving music scene that's burgeoning in Brooklyn. Brooklyn, in a way, is the new LES in that it captures the Zeitgeist and artists have moved here for cheaper rents. DIY bands spring up constantly and so do independent designers and visual artists. The sound of this burough is predominantly indie with all its guises, be it rock, electro or a mish-mash of both.

As for repetitive beats, I have to second Regis formerly from the British Murder Boys who recently said in an interview, that techno has basically moved to Europe, well, Berlin to be precise. Interestingly, as the sound of minimal techno loses its grip on European dancefloors, New York seems to have embraced it in the last few years, with a new generation of ravers and nights like Minimoo, an undeground party that always takes place at secret locations. The guys behind the party also also threw the Minitek Festival in September that, alas, ended up in complete chaos. Also worth mentioning is the regular Bunker night in Brooklyn that always has quality DJ's and live acts, as well as the infamous Wolf&Lamb parties.

I've managed to check out Dan Deacon's new live show with 16-member ensemble alongside the Dirty Projectors and the inspiring NY Eye&Ear Festival with the likes of Realax, Hunters, Led er Est or Xeno and Oaklander, which took place in a dingy loft in, surprise surprise, Brooklyn. A showcase of independent record labels and bands that are based in New York was a perfect testament to what's currently happening in the city. Hopefully, with the economy going haywire, the arts will once again take hold of this amazing city, as was the case in the golden era of NYC - the seventies and eighties.