{"id":1876026,"date":"2026-04-10T14:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T11:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1876026"},"modified":"2026-04-10T14:59:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T11:59:00","slug":"queer-nightlife-is-thriving-in-bucharests-abandoned-backrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1876026","title":{"rendered":"Queer nightlife is thriving in Bucharest\u2019s abandoned backrooms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443127.png&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/70061\/1\/queer-nightlife-is-thriving-in-bucharests-abandoned-backrooms\" data-article-id=\"70061\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_02_04_11.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"1950\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443127.png\" width=\"2925\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Geo Aghinea<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-04-10T14:59:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/scene-and-spotted\">Scene And Spotted<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/scene-and-spotted\">Scene And Spotted<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Queer nightlife is thriving in Bucharest\u2019s <span class=\"nowrap\">abandoned backrooms<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>Waves Penetrate Me Fiercely, a new short film by Geo Aghinea, reveals a network of queer partygoers in abandoned Soviet-era buildings across the <span class=\"nowrap\">Romanian capital<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-10T14:59:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-10T14:59:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/solomonpacemccarrick\">Solomon Pace-McCarrick<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-15-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Waves Penetrate Me, Geo <span class=\"nowrap\">Aghinea (2026)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/0\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_02_04_11.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"1950\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443118.png\" width=\"2925\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/1\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_02_36_15.Still01\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443121.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/2\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_01_57_00.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"1950\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443117.png\" width=\"2925\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/3\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_01_12_20.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443113.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/4\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_01_40_14.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443115.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/5\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_02_07_11.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443119.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 15 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><em><span>Waves Penetrate Me Fiercely\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>watches like a fever dream. Opening with a group of friends pre-drinking in a brutalist Soviet-era apartment complex, the video soon collapses into a flurry of neon-lit images: a finger stretches across a golden-hour skyline, a speakeasy becomes the home to an impromptu karaoke session, and a series of corridors suddenly open out to reveal a DJ-set in an abandoned office.<\/span><span>\u00a0It&#8217;s a dream-like vision, but according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/geoaghinea\/\">Geo Aghinea<\/a>, the film\u2019s 24-year-old trans director, this is exactly what partying in Bucharest is like \u2013 or, rather, what it has to be for many of its queer inhabitants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cRomania is a post-Communist country so, as a generation, we\u2019ve had no culture that celebrates freedom of expression,\u201d says Aghinea, a musician and sound designer who relocated from their small Romanian hometown of T\u00e2rgu Ocna to the country\u2019s capital at age 16. \u201cIt\u2019s all very homogenous. Everyone was taught to dress and act the same way in the Soviet Union. To this day, there\u2019s only one gay bar in the whole city.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Instead, Aghinea explains, queer partygoers often find themselves drawn to improvised spaces in Bucharest\u2019s numerous abandoned apartment complexes \u2013 so-called \u2018red-coded buildings\u2019 that are scheduled for demolition, but have since become home to a range of underground bars, clubs and art collectives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cPeople in the queer community tend not to go out in the day because they\u2019d get harrassed,\u201d Aghinea continues, referencing a recent incident where a non-binary friend had rocks thrown at them on the street. \u201cThe community mainly existed in the night and via word of mouth. But the community is very strong. I don\u2019t want to say this, but, you know, people under pressure form very strong bonds.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"HyDbURmdzoM\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HyDbURmdzoM\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Crucially, however, these pressures are absent from much of the film. Instead, <\/span><em><span>Waves Penetrate Me <\/span><\/em><span>depicts a community with a near-utopian level of freedom as they frolic from one industrial space to another \u2013 speaking to a sense of \u2018mystery and danger\u2019 that Aghinea says they\u2019ve yet to encounter since moving to London. It\u2019s only in the closing moments of the video, as the group of partygoers sit down for breakfast in a traditional Romanian restaurant and the glare of daylight creeps back in, that reality returns. \u201cThat shot was to show the contrast between their freedom and how the world actually is back there,\u201d Aghinea explains. \u201cThe owner was looking at us a bit strangely. We didn\u2019t give him the details of the shoot because, if we did, he probably would\u2019ve said no.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The video is a particularly personal project for Aghinea, who encountered many of the queer partygoers in the video while living alone in Bucharest eight years ago. \u201cIt was a very exploratory period for me,\u201d they explain. \u201cI\u2019m from a small village, so it was the time that I really got to know myself which is very special to me. There was one queer-friendly bar that everyone used to go to and I started chatting to people there. One night, I ended up at a disused bunker on the edge of the city. It was like that a lot \u2013 you would end up in really unexpected locations.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"5177c54e-cb07-487a-a53c-b42700a794d3\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443122.png\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Waves Penetrate Me\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443122.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Geo Aghinea<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>More than just their own journey of self-discovery through raving, however, the title <\/span><em><span>Waves Penetrate Me Fiercely\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>contains an additional layer of meaning for Aghinea. \u201cAt four years old I was diagnosed with hearing loss,\u201d they explain. \u201cAt the time, the doctors were encouraging my parents to not let me do music. They were like, \u2018They\u2019re going to lose their hearing, it\u2019s not safe\u2019. I currently wear hearing aids but, if my hearing gets any worse, I\u2019ll have to wear cochlear implants, which send electrical impulses directly into your brain and totally change the way you experience sound and music. I think that\u2019s why I\u2019m trying so hard with music, because I could lose my hearing at any time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Aghinea recalls the countless times they would wake up after a night out in Bucharest\u2019s abandoned backrooms wrought with tinnitus and anxiety, but, ultimately, it\u2019s a time they look back on fondly. It was the first time that Aghinea discovered a community they could call their own, and where they first encountered electronic music.<\/span><span>\u00a0\u201cI was just so dedicated to finding myself,\u201d they conclude with a bittersweet smile. Pressure forms strong bonds indeed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Catch some exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot in the gallery above.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Aghinea is supporting Imogen Heap at Camden Roundhouse April 17th, <\/span><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.roundhouse.org.uk\/whats-on\/imogen-heap\/\"><em><span>grab tickets here<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. 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href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70009\/1\/nazis-cant-dance-photos-london-house-against-hate-protest-rave-far-right\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"003186440014\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-2990-1989\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442729.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">\u2018Nazis can\u2019t dance\u2019: Photos from London\u2019s House Against Hate protest rave<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-15-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Waves Penetrate Me, Geo <span class=\"nowrap\">Aghinea (2026)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/0\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_02_04_11.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"1950\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443118.png\" width=\"2925\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/1\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_02_36_15.Still01\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443121.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/2\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_01_57_00.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"1950\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443117.png\" width=\"2925\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/3\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_01_12_20.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443113.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/4\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_01_40_14.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443115.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36926\/5\/waves-penetrate-me-geo-aghinea-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GEO_WPMF_FINAL_10feb_SUB_50VBR.00_02_07_11.Still00\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443119.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 15 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><em><span>Waves Penetrate Me Fiercely\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>watches like a fever dream. Opening with a group of friends pre-drinking in a brutalist Soviet-era apartment complex, the video soon collapses into a flurry of neon-lit images: a finger stretches across a golden-hour skyline, a speakeasy becomes the home to an impromptu karaoke session, and a series of corridors suddenly open out to reveal a DJ-set in an abandoned office.<\/span><span>\u00a0It&#8217;s a dream-like vision, but according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/geoaghinea\/\">Geo Aghinea<\/a>, the film\u2019s 24-year-old trans director, this is exactly what partying in Bucharest is like \u2013 or, rather, what it has to be for many of its queer inhabitants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cRomania is a post-Communist country so, as a generation, we\u2019ve had no culture that celebrates freedom of expression,\u201d says Aghinea, a musician and sound designer who relocated from their small Romanian hometown of T\u00e2rgu Ocna to the country\u2019s capital at age 16. \u201cIt\u2019s all very homogenous. Everyone was taught to dress and act the same way in the Soviet Union. To this day, there\u2019s only one gay bar in the whole city.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Instead, Aghinea explains, queer partygoers often find themselves drawn to improvised spaces in Bucharest\u2019s numerous abandoned apartment complexes \u2013 so-called \u2018red-coded buildings\u2019 that are scheduled for demolition, but have since become home to a range of underground bars, clubs and art collectives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cPeople in the queer community tend not to go out in the day because they\u2019d get harrassed,\u201d Aghinea continues, referencing a recent incident where a non-binary friend had rocks thrown at them on the street. \u201cThe community mainly existed in the night and via word of mouth. But the community is very strong. I don\u2019t want to say this, but, you know, people under pressure form very strong bonds.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"HyDbURmdzoM\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HyDbURmdzoM\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Crucially, however, these pressures are absent from much of the film. Instead, <\/span><em><span>Waves Penetrate Me <\/span><\/em><span>depicts a community with a near-utopian level of freedom as they frolic from one industrial space to another \u2013 speaking to a sense of \u2018mystery and danger\u2019 that Aghinea says they\u2019ve yet to encounter since moving to London. It\u2019s only in the closing moments of the video, as the group of partygoers sit down for breakfast in a traditional Romanian restaurant and the glare of daylight creeps back in, that reality returns. \u201cThat shot was to show the contrast between their freedom and how the world actually is back there,\u201d Aghinea explains. \u201cThe owner was looking at us a bit strangely. We didn\u2019t give him the details of the shoot because, if we did, he probably would\u2019ve said no.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The video is a particularly personal project for Aghinea, who encountered many of the queer partygoers in the video while living alone in Bucharest eight years ago. \u201cIt was a very exploratory period for me,\u201d they explain. \u201cI\u2019m from a small village, so it was the time that I really got to know myself which is very special to me. There was one queer-friendly bar that everyone used to go to and I started chatting to people there. One night, I ended up at a disused bunker on the edge of the city. It was like that a lot \u2013 you would end up in really unexpected locations.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"5177c54e-cb07-487a-a53c-b42700a794d3\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443122.png\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Waves Penetrate Me\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443122.png\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Geo Aghinea<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>More than just their own journey of self-discovery through raving, however, the title <\/span><em><span>Waves Penetrate Me Fiercely\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>contains an additional layer of meaning for Aghinea. \u201cAt four years old I was diagnosed with hearing loss,\u201d they explain. \u201cAt the time, the doctors were encouraging my parents to not let me do music. They were like, \u2018They\u2019re going to lose their hearing, it\u2019s not safe\u2019. I currently wear hearing aids but, if my hearing gets any worse, I\u2019ll have to wear cochlear implants, which send electrical impulses directly into your brain and totally change the way you experience sound and music. I think that\u2019s why I\u2019m trying so hard with music, because I could lose my hearing at any time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Aghinea recalls the countless times they would wake up after a night out in Bucharest\u2019s abandoned backrooms wrought with tinnitus and anxiety, but, ultimately, it\u2019s a time they look back on fondly. It was the first time that Aghinea discovered a community they could call their own, and where they first encountered electronic music.<\/span><span>\u00a0\u201cI was just so dedicated to finding myself,\u201d they conclude with a bittersweet smile. Pressure forms strong bonds indeed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Catch some exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot in the gallery above.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Aghinea is supporting Imogen Heap at Camden Roundhouse April 17th, <\/span><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.roundhouse.org.uk\/whats-on\/imogen-heap\/\"><em><span>grab tickets here<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70061\/1\/queer-nightlife-is-thriving-in-bucharests-abandoned-backrooms&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443127.png&#8221;] Photography Geo Aghinea April\u00a0 10,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Scene And Spotted Music \/ Scene And Spotted Queer nightlife is thriving in Bucharest\u2019s abandoned backrooms Waves Penetrate Me Fiercely, a new short film by Geo Aghinea, reveals a network of queer partygoers in abandoned Soviet-era buildings across the Romanian capital April\u00a0 10,\u00a0 2026 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1876026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1876026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876026\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1876026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1876026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1876026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}