The last UNKNWN party of its kind – as it morphs into a bigger fiesta next year – was a return to its roots. 

Again, they’ve taken over an off-kilter venue (in this case, a heritage abode: Las Casas Filipinas de Azucar in Quezon City), and turned up the volume and energy there with killer selectors and tirelessly good vibes all around.

Last November 23, Swedish-Hungarian DJ and producer Kornél Kovács helmed this milestone festivity, enrapturing revelers with some heady, relentless, and cosmic four-on-the-floor tunes.

With the Studio Barnhus stalwart though, the thrill wasn’t only in the prime cuts (including some 2019 releases) he queued up for the mix. Seeing him work the decks was like a masterclass in layering rhythms and space-age sounds.

Beyond his opus ‘Szikra,’ the Stockholm native’s selection was aces. There were gems such as AceMo’s ‘Where They At???’ (clock the ‘Show Me Love’ sample) and his own remix of Members of the House’s ‘Summer Nites.’

Kovács even dropped his Barnhus associate Axel Boman’s carnivalesque ‘Nokturn’ – which, with its otherworldly pitch-bending crescendo, left the crowd awestruck. He wrapped up his set with the spellbinding Robert Dietz rework of his Stockholm Marathon single ‘Rocks’.

Here’s a look back, in photos: