mojo history
the first MOJO CLUB nights took place in 1989 in a gallery beneath hamburg’s historic swimming pool holthusenbad. it wasn’t until 1991 that the club found a permanent home in an empty bowling centre. technically located at zirkusweg, the address was spontaneously declared reeperbahn 1. after all the location was situated directly at the start of this famous mile, the heart of hamburg’s red light district. once here, the MOJO CLUB evolved into the extended arm of the london acid jazz scene that was bubbling at the time. funk, soul, latin and boogaloo merged with electronica and dub on the dance floor to form dancefloor jazz. the artists of those first years included greats such as GILLES PETERSON, MASSIVE ATTACK, MOLOKO, NIGHTMARES ON WAX, JAMES LAVELLE, BLACK EYED PEAS, PROPELLERHEADS, E-Z ROLLERS and KRUDER & DORFMEISTER. for over a decade, the MOJO CLUB was a fixture in hamburg’s nightlife, with a great international reputation.
soon the activities expanded to two MOJO – THE SHOP fashion stores, the radio show THE CHASE and compiling the successful vinyl series DANCEFLOOR JAZZ. on, next to and in front of the stage there were movie extravaganzas, action paintings, video art and poetry sessions. the club became the homebase for raphaël marionneau’s LE CAFÉ ABSTRAIT and, with a big crowd of dancers, musicians and video-artists, the MOJO DJ COLLECTIVE was touring through the best-known clubs of germany and europe. in 1999 the mojo crew took over the old chinese restaurant MANDARIN next door, just as it had originally been furnished in the 60s, to run it as a bar.
in 2001 plans came up to tear down the bowling centre and to develop the whole area, which led to the closing of the MOJO CLUB in 2003. until the actual demolition of the building in 2009 the mojo team was running the venue provisionally under the name MANDARIN KASINO. in 2013 the MOJO CLUB was re-opened at the same place but deeply embedded in the ground. and so the mojo club leaves the reeperbahn to the mass entertainment and remains invisible – until two hatch doors open to lead the clubbers downstairs. the club itself takes a back seat and becomes the organising background for what really counts: music, djs and musicians.
acoustically as well as visually, the mojo club has a warm atmosphere. this is due to the wood interior, but also to the excellent sound system around which the club was built.
the new mojo retains faith but is not stuck in its own past. rather, it transports the openness to new things, but also the warmth of an eminently social place full of interactions into the present. a signal for music culture: we are staying, underground if necessary.
YOUNG FATHERS * LEE FIELDS * LADY BLACKBIRD * CHANNEL TRES * THE GASLAMP KILLER
KERALA DUST * RHYE * MEZERG * GUSGUS * ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT * HANIA RANI * JOY CROOKES * TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE * METRONOMY * NOGA EREZ * DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS * KAE TEMPEST * ALFA MIST * WET LEG * DJ KRUSH * DOPE LEMON * ALFA MIST * SOHN
KASSA OVERALL * SESSION VICTIM * DENGUE DENGUE DENGUE * NUBYA GARCIA * ALTIN GÜN
MANU KATCHÉ * KAISER CHIEFS * DIGITALISM * MABEL * THE MARCUS KING BAND
MARC REBILLET * TANK & THE BANGAS * MAGGIE ROGERS * D/TROIT * HOT CHIP * FLO MEGA * MINE * TORO Y MOI * THE SUGARHILL GANG & THE FURIOUS FIVE * JORDAN RAKEI * NOUVELLE VAGUE * ALLAH-LAS * KOKOROKO * BRANDT BRAUER FRICK * FIEH * GHOSTFACE KILLAH * INCOGNITO * OG KEEMO
WHOMADEWHO * DILLON * TOM MISCH * TOO MANY ZOOZ *AYO * NOSAJ THING * THE HERBALISER * MULATU ASTATKE * HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE * SONS OF KEMET * SELAH SUE * DE-PHAZZ * JAZZANOVA * SOPHIE HUNGER * DANGER DAN * COSMO SHELDRAKE * NIGHTMARES ON WAX * STIMMING X LAMBERT
SOHN * IZZY BIZU * ODDISEE & GOOD COMPNY * THUNDERCAT * FABER * EN VOGUE * JUNGLE BROTHERS * HANNAH WILLIAMS & THE AFFIRMATIONS * LOYLE CARNER * AKUA NARU * KUTIMAN ORCHESTRA * BADBADNOTGOOD * LITTLE DRAGON * SEVDALIZA
EPHEMERALS * TRICKY * DJ KRUSH * GOGO PENGUIN * ALLEN STONE * COCOROSIE * DJ SHADOW * QUANTIC * JOSÉ JAMES * JAMES VINCENT MC MORROW * DUA LIPA * MAYER HAWTHORNE * KATE TEMPEST * ROBERT GLASPER & BAND * TALIB KWELI
HAFTBEFEHL * CURTIS HARDING * SYLVAN ESSO * KWABS * GHOSTPOET * OSAKA MONAURAIL * SNARKY PUPPY * GRAMATIK * THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA * MISS PLATNUM * DJ PREMIER * IBEYI
MALIA & BAND * TOSCA FEAT. ROBERT GALLAGHER & CATH COFFEY * SUZANNE VEGA * J ROCC * GERD JANSON, MOOMIN & SMALLPEOPLE * HOMEBOY SANDMAN * MOTOR CITY DRUM ENSEMBLE * NICK WATERHOUSE * THE INTERNET * ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT * WHOMADEWHO * DIETER MEIER * CAMERON CARPENTER * HUNDREDS * PAUL WELLER * LILY ALLEN * TALIB KWELI * MEGALOH & AFROB * GUSGUS * SAMY DELUXE * FKA TWIGS
MR. SCRUFF * SAMÚEL JÓN SAMÚELSSON BIG BAND & BETTY STEELES * NDR BIGBAND meets THE ORIGINAL JAZZROCKER * BETTY FORD BOYS * THE HEAVY * JANELLE MONÁE * LADY * SEPALOT * ALICE RUSSELL * 2RAUMWOHNUNG * NIGHTMARES ON WAX * HIATUS KAIYOTE * SHANTEL & BUCOVINA CLUB ORKESTAR
EBO TAYLOR & AFROBEAT ACADEMY * URSULA RUCKER * LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS
MO’HORIZONS FEAT. DENISE M’BAYE * NICOLA CONTE
TM JUKE, GIZELLE SMITH & THE MIGHTY MOCAMBOS * JAZZMAN GERALD * NICK RECORDKICKS
MARC HYPE * FLEUR EARTH EXPERIMENT * UGLY DUCKLING * MR. MONEYPENNY AND THE SOULAGENTS
MONSIEUR DUBOIS FT. JOSEPH BOWIE * STATE OF MONC * DJ FORMAT * DJ MAD * SOULOUNGE * SMUDO * THE SWEET VANDALS * JOSÉ JAMES * THE LEFTIES SOUL CONNECTION * UTAH JAZZ * OSAKA MONAURAIL * J-LIVE & MR. THING
EARL ZINGER * JOE BATAAN * SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS * TY * MASTA ACE * DJ FRICTION * DJ Z-TRIP * LUCASONIC * PIERRE FERDINAND ET LES CHARMEURS * UTAH JAZZ * BLOWFLY * DAWN PENN * RAUL MIDON * MÚM
DJ KRUSH * CUBEISM * RONNY JORDAN * LYN COLLINS * MARTHA HIGH * DJ MAD * HAUSMARKE * DJ THOMILLA * THE LEFTIES SOUL CONNECTION * NNEKA * NICOLE WILLIS * MICHAEL FRANTI * CLEVELAND WATKISS * SILLY WALKS * DJ Z-TRIP
GROOVE GALAXI * BUTCH * THORSTEN WEGNER * OLSKI * JAZZANOVA * BENNY SINGS * JOY DENALANE * THE DENYOS * DJ STORM * KETTCAR * NU:TONE * LONDON ELEKTRICITY * DIE GOLDENEN ZITRONEN * LEELA JAMES * FLASHDANCE
AMP FIDDLER * DUBLEX INC. * DJ JAZZY JEFF * ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT * EDDIE PILLER * TONKA * IAN POOLEY * HARRY ROWOHLT * KID ALEX * KOWE SIX
FREESTYLERS * U.F.O. – UNITED FUTURE ORGANIZATION * ALLEY CAT * MARK RAE & AIM (GRAND CENTRAL) * SUGARCHICKEN * DJ EASTENDERS * E-Z ROLLERS * SPACEK * STORM (METALHEADZ) * DYNAMITE MC
SILJE NERGAARD * KID LOCO * NORAH JONES * KOOP * RADIOBOY * NILS PETTER MOLVAER * EARL ZINGER * THE STREETS * VIKTER DUPLAIX * PESHAY * RAINER TRÜBY * DJ SHADOW * DJ RAVIN (BUDDHA BAR) * DJ KRUSH * EDDIE PILLER * LIGHTNING HEAD (ROCKERS HIFI) * JAZZANOVA * CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA
STEREO DELUXE * ZED BIAS * FAUNA FLASH * ETIENNE DE CRECY * IAN SIMMONDS * KING BRITT & MODAJI * RICHARD DORFMEISTER * KEB DARGE & LAN WRIGHT * DJ KRUSH * JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET * SPOOKS * SIDSEL ENDRESEN * MOUSE ON MARS * BADMARSH & SHRI * HERBERT * GROOVE ARMADA * ZERO 7 * BASEMENT JAXX
RICHARD DORFMEISTER * BIGGA BUSH * KID KOALA * DZIHAN & KAMIEN * IAN SIMMONDS * E-Z ROLLERS * JOSH PADILLA * ANDY SMITH * GUSH COLLECTIVE * DJ VADIM * PESHAY * IAN POOLEY * KID KOALA * CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA * DEICHKIND * COMMON * SHOLA AMA * ROB GALLAGER & VALERIE ETIENNE * ANGIE STONE * JILL SCOTT
FREDDIE FRESH * THIEVERY CORPORATION * MR. SCRUFF * DOC SCOTT * KRUSH * DJ KRUST * ROCKERS HIFI * BLACK EYED PEAS * NIGHTMARES ON WAX * THE HERBALISER * JIMI TENOR
GOLDIE * PESHAY (MO’WAX) * ANDREA PARKER * SOURCE DIRECT * PRESSURE DROP * DJ CAM * DJ FABIO * FREESTYLERS * KRUDER & DORFMEISTER * SHANTEL * 4HERO * E-Z ROLLERS * KEMISTRY & STORM * PROPELLERHEADS * UNDERWORLD * NILS PETTER MOLVAER * FÜNF STERNE DELUXE * SUGARHILL GANG
KEMISTRY & STORM * DOC SCOTT * PSYCHONAUTS * PESHAY * PEANUTBUTTER WOLF * PATRICK PULSINGER & ERDEM TUNAKAN * J. MAJIK * 4 HERO * DJ KRUST * GROOVERIDER * LTJ BUKEM
LAMB * JIMI TENOR * ROCKERS HIFI * FINLEY QUAYE * BRANFORD MARSALIS * ANDY SMITH * JON CARTER * KRUDER & DORFMEISTER * DIMITRI FROM PARIS * ROCKERS HIFI * PATRICK FORGE * RAW STYLUS * DE LA SOUL * WISEGUYS * PROPELLERHEADS * RED SNAPPER * ABSOLUTE BEGINNER * MORCHEEBA
TRICKY * MUSHROOM & DADDY G * RUSS DEWBERRY * TOWA TEI * JHELISA * JOYCE * PIZZICATO FIVE * WALKIN’ LARGE * MAYSA
DODGE & I.G. CULTURE * EDDIE PILLER * JAMES LAVELLE * INTO SOMETHIN’ * PETE ROCK & C.L. SMOOTH * DJ KRUSH * GILLES PETERSON * ME’SHELL N’DEGEOCELLO * CORDUROY * FETTES BROT * CARLEEN ANDERESON * MOTHER EARTH
JUNGLE BROTHERS * DIGABLE PLANETS * KEVIN BEADLE * JAMES LAVELLE * UFO * FEMI WILLIAMS * ROY AYERS * MC SOLAAR * RONNY JORDAN * SENS UNIK * DIS JAM * BRYAN POWELL * PUCHO&HIS LATIN SOUL BROTHERS
BRAND NEW HEAVIES * URBAN SPECIES * RAD * RAW STYLUS * PRESSURE DROP * JAMES LAVELLE * MC 900 FT. JESUS
JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET * CASSANDRA WILSON
A MAN CALLED ADAM * JAMES TAYLOR QUARTETT * EDDIE PILLER * SIMON BOOTH