大象传媒

Journalist and music curator Kriszti谩n Pusk谩r and artist Erika Szurcsik take us on an immersive night-time adventure into the heart of Budapest鈥檚 thriving underground scene. Is the current political climate in Hungary energising or endangering arts and music?

Noisy, unpredictable, political and fun, the night begins after Erika鈥檚 rehearsal with her art punk band Gustave Tiger. We take a tram to District VIII, one of the most diverse areas in the Hungarian capital. It鈥檚 here, amongst crumbling communist-era concrete, that many underground bars and clubs are located, pushed out of the city centre by gentrification.

Kriszti谩n and Erika introduce us to artists and musicians from the underground鈥檚 inner circle. From traditional folk band Erd艖f疟, to a feminist electronic music collective Rrriot Nerdz, acclaimed underground musician Bal谩zs P谩ndi, and P茅nz, a punk rave crew. For Erika and her friends, a DIY approach to their work is not an aesthetic choice but a reality - everything is done with little or no budget. There are also growing fears about censorship, but, by night this is a city alive with creativity, a determined sense of self-reliance, and absolute freedom to experiment.

Photo: Fogselyemfiu - DJ/Producer of the P茅nz rave crew Credit: Gabor Radi