New ‘audiophile’ club, Refuge, to open in Brooklyn next month
Brooklyn is getting a new audiophile club next month.
This September, Refuge will open in a mid-19th century industrial complex with 35-foot ceilings at 360 Ten Eyck Street. The East Williamsburg venue will have a capacity of 500 with expansions of the complex planned for 2026.
Refuge’s founders are veteran dance music promoter and event producer John Dimatteo, who ran Tiësto’s NYC shows for seven years, and audio engineer Craig “Shorty” Bernabeu, who is behind esteemed local clubs Nowadays’ and Analog BKNY’s sound systems, as well as influenced Floating Points’ new Sunflower Sound System, according to MixMag.
Bernabeu has set up a ten-foot-high analogue sound system called “REX” to be the main room’s focal point. The space’s acoustic design was overseen by Acoustilog’s Al Fierstein, whose CV includes historic clubs like Studio 54, Paradise Garage and Sound Factory.
“Every sound system has a ‘voice’,” Bernabeu shared in a press release. “And ours is full, relaxed and easy on the ears, with a tremendous amount of impact. Refuge fills a gap in NYC nightlife. The sound doesn’t just play music — it lifts people up, even if they walk in not feeling great. That’s the power of high-fidelity sound done right.”
Dimatteo added, “We built the nightclub around the sound system, not the other way around.”
Refuge’s opening party is set for Sunday, 21st September, with celebrations continuing on the 27th September, 4th and 11th October. Line-up’s are set to be announced in the coming weeks. Find out more information and stay-up-to-date via Refuge’s website and Instagram.
Refuge is located on the west side of Newtown Creek, while the eastern Bushwick area is home to clubs like Elsewhere, Avant Gardner and SILO. Avant Gardner recently filed for bankruptcy amid Brooklyn Mirage’s now-indefinitely postponed reopening.
