Scene
Last Saturday was yet another big day for the Panic Room crew that continues to throw events at various non-conventional locations in Croatia’s capital. From the hidden tunnels on Sljeme to the Medvedgrad fortress, the brand is slowly taking over city’s museums, including the recent one at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU), Zagreb. For this occasion, the organisers have invited Patrick Topping, acclaimed British DJ and producer and founder of Trick label, marking his debut in the Croatian capital.
The maker of Turbo Time and Be Sharp Say Nowt kicked off his extended 3-hours-long set around 8 P.M. after the sun just set behind one of the city’s most visited museum. The open-air ground floor of the monumental museum building has become an ode to Topping’s signature sound, full of old school house, UK house and the sounds of 80s and 90s. Topping kept the audience fully engaged and dancing from the beginning to the end of his set, marking yet another successful event for Panic Room and a great debut for the producer in front of the Zagreb audience.
After the thrill of the past weekend party, we had a chat with Luka Kosty, resident DJ and co-founder of Panic Room, regarding the post-event impressions and the upcoming events.
“We are very pleased with how the event at the MSU turned out. We are especially happy that a venue of such importance to Zagreb became a hub for electronic music and a Panic Room event for the night. Over 1,300 people attended, and after sunset, the MSU garage completely transformed into a massive dancefloor“, Luka sad.
Speaking of the event’s highlights, Kosty pointed out that he was particulary struck by the finale of his set, when he spent the last twenty minutes or so delving into old-school classics and some unexpected 80s tracks. “We had the chance to speak with him afterwards, and he told us he was thrilled with Zagreb, the crowd, the venue, and the entire event—which, of course, means a great deal to us as organizers“, he added.
Nucleus – a New Audiovisual Project
Besides the fact that Patrick Topping had his debut performance in the capital, the past weekend’s event was also significant for Panic Room crew as it marked the debut of Nucleus, the brand’s new audiovisual project. “Nucleus embodies our vision of merging music, space, and visual art into a unified production—something we intend to develop further through future events“, explained Luka Kosty, adding that it was gratifying to see that, alongside the growth of Panic Room, interest in this type of electronic music and event is also rising in Zagreb. “The turnout of over 1,300 people at the MSU demonstrates that the audience craves events held not just in traditional clubs, but also in unique urban spaces that can take on a whole new identity through music and production“, co-founder pointed out.
As per the upcoming events, Panic Room is continuing as early as October 17th with the third episode of Natura Electronica at the Croatian Natural History Museum. For the the autumn edition of the project, one of the key figures of the Zagreb electronic scene, DJ Felver will join Luka Kosty behind the decks.
“We aim to create events for people who have lived this culture for years, as well as for those who might be discovering it for the first time through projects like this. Plans for 2027 are already underway, and one of our next steps is expanding the Panic Room concept to other Croatian cities“, concluded Luka Kosty. In the long run, Panic Room’s mission is to be a platform that discovers unique locations and transforms them—if only for a single night—into electronic music venues.
