Kraków | Stories from the city: watch our new film on the city's techno scene

Boiler Room x Ballantine's True Music make their Kraków debut later this month.

The showcase event, which takes place in the Polish city on 25th April, features Kraków's own Olivia and Private Press (Newborn Jr) alongside experimental bass producer Martyn, techno duo Fjaak and Sweden's SHXCXCHCXSH. The show will be broadcast by Boiler Room and syndicated to DJ Mag's Facebook page.

The latest incarnation of the True Music project, now in its fifth year, cements Ballantine's & Boiler Room's commitment to drive forward local grassroots music scenes. Through identifying and documenting challenges at the heart of music communities, the project will birth a series of support projects to help these scenes continue to strive.

Kraków's particular challenges have been highlighted in a new documentary, which is out now.

'Kraków's DIY Club Community' explores the city's burgeoning underground scene; an exciting and vibrant community facing challenges related to entry fees targeted to tourists, rather than local youth and student populations.

DJ Mag joined the shoot earlier this year to produce a short companion film, ‘Krakow | Stories from the City’.

The second edition in our series, following episode one in Moscow, is available to view below. The film features insights from local DJs, promoters and industry insiders such as Olivia and Chino, promotion collective Techno Raczka and Paulina, curator of iconic Kraków nightclub Szpitalna 1.

First and foremost a celebration Kraków's scene, the film goes on to highlight the challenges faced by the city's key progenitors ahead of outlining the steps Boiler Room & Ballantine's are taking to support the scene’s future development.

The True Music Poland showcase, taking place on 25th April in Kraków, is the first step towards supporting the scene and helping the True Music community to overcome some of the challenges illuminated in the Boiler Room documentary and DJ Mag short film. The showcase pairs leading homegrown artists with international stars in an event with no door charge.

"In Kraków, we were struck by the real DIY attitude towards club culture," says Boiler Room Founder, Blaise Belville, "they face challenges, sure, but they’re all determined to work even harder to ensure [the scene] continues to thrive.”

Supporting this DIY ethic is a long-term goal this series of True Music. The support project, set to be implemented later in the year, will usher in the launch of a fund and mentorship scheme for promoters in Kraków to produce a series of events.

Ballantine's Head of Music, Tom Elton believes that the project can make a big difference in a scene that is vibrant, but facing common issues.

"In Kraków, the music scene is there, and it’s awesome," he shares, "but the pioneers on the ground face a common reality that putting on shows and live events is expensive and often the people most interested in attending are those with the least cash to spend on nights out: students and young adults."

Follow the True Music journey at truemusic.boilerroom.tv.