Well well well! My first DMZ in a good year or so, and was dead happy with the line up! Lots of old sounds, bass weight dubstep...and Blake/Kode9
First off, technicals are lame, always. But nothing on the DMZ crew for that, unfortunate, but I guess shit happens when youve got electrical things everywhere in a freaking sauna! I guess thats a second point. By about half wat through the DMZ set, the temperature and lack of room and everything got a bit much! Had been in the room for a good 3-4 hours leading up to that point though, and hadnt had a drink. Should have prepared better...
Anyhoo, got in the queue nice n early so got in well in time for Distance/Tunnidge. They played a sick first set to be honest, exactly what I expected really, alot of good head nodding dark dubstep sounding real nice as you came in. Top opening set.
Then Joe Nice/Chef for me was a bit of a mixed bag! Was sick to hear tunes like request line and mud from chef, and some nice bits new and old from Mr nice. A few tunes 'out-filthied' me a bit, but theyre not playing what I like theyre playing what they like, big up!
Goth trad/vivek were big. Again, that good old dark low slung stuff, and the system was just starting to get cranked properly. Some real heavy hitters, and one tune from either trad or vivek, i cant remember that was fecking MENTAL!!!! It got a reload, but its a tune that starts out fairly standard I spose, as an intro to a head nodder. But then out of nowhere comes this absoloutely fist pumping techy drop that absoloutely smashed it. Possible tune of the night!
Theeen the sounds of James Blake/Kode9! I guess it was going to be hard for this set to live up to expectations, and figuring that I did make sure I went in expecting to hear mostly some interesting funky bits, then a few synthed out harmonimixes and limit to your love. It was pretty much just that! Except no limit to your love, but his changes remix instead. Which was totally worth the trade. What an epic tune. Few gripes with the set though, a good half of the funky stuff I found a little flat and dull (but again, not meant to love everything!) and I dunno if it was just me, but a few of the Blake tunes were coming through reeeeally hard to hear on the rig. I was next to the big funktion 1 stack in the right hand corner most the night, and for a good 2/3 of blakes tunes I couldn't hear in anyway what was going on, just sounding like sub basslines phasing and doing other funny things veeeery loudly. Im sure they were meant to sound a bit that way, but I dont think to that extent! But yeah, changes remix...changes remix...and the good bits of funky were just that
Loefah! Well, once again no gripes with the man himself, he clearly loves it. But his set was a bit of a nail in the juke coffin for me. Have spared judgement as long as possible, but as heavy and hard hitting as the kicks are on a big rig, they just didnt do enough for me! Tunes were changing, and it seemed to just be a vaaague variation on the same kick pattern with a few different vocal samples looped. Meh, some of them were heavy as fuuuuck, and id definitely enjoy the odd bit mixed here and there but so much in a row was a bit much for me. However! The 3 or so vintage feeling acid tracks were SIIIIICK!!! No idea what any of them were other than big, and id love to listen again to get an ID on them. TB-303 romance...
DMZ. Shaaame on the technicals front, and a shame that by the end the room was pretty much unbearable! Anti war dub to start is obviously a treat, but I was shocked by the number of people not feeling it! Maybe they were just all fried, but I was one of too few jumping around like a loon! Always nice to hear tracks from Return II space, and officer was a bit of a treat. The coki sound aint so much my thing these days, but didnt expect it to be and was pleasantly surprised by a good few tracks! Bailed with about 10 mins left though...as it just got silly lol
Didnt go near skream & benga really, knew it wasn't going to be something I would enjoy so I just fucked off!
Then Kryptic Minds/Youngsta
I wasnt 100% sure what was going on, but it seemed to be a combination of intense humidity to begin with taking down a turntable during DMZ then the mixer during KM/yunx. Proper lights on business too, trying to get it sorted. Managed to get it back for maybe 5/10 mins, then...and I really hope this wasn't the case, but it seems something along the lines of a twat threw water at the decks. Wasteman. Probably only 20/30 mins of them. Real disappointment for me, as I missed them when I traveled to the Leeds DMZ a few months ago (cos our taxi decided to rock up ridiculously late) and walked in to hear six degrees as their like second last tune. The tunes that did get dropped were heeeavy though. If anything just makes it more annoying really, you just know there was some insane tunes in the pipeline!
Second room, pretty hectic too! Was good to have somewhere else that size, just from the sheer number of people. I did enjoy a little chunk of jungle in there at some point from possibly artwork...boom! And moxie (?) that lady DJ at the end to be fair did exactly what I think she needed to. After the main rooms been closed and everyones flooded in, dropping a few dubstep classics is ideal. But whyyyy did she have them all pitched up so fast, with pitch lock on?!! The bass line on request line was sounding weeeeird!
Oh, and one final thought. I dont know if this new stage set up has been around for a while, and if theres normally that much lighting around it, or if was just cos the boiler room guys were in...but I couldn't believe the lights that were left on for soooo long! There were 3/4 big disco light things swamping the crowd right up until loefah got them turned off. I couldnt believe how much they killed the vibe for me! I was every now and again noticing that I suddenly felt much more into the music and was feeling it more, before then noticing that all the lights had just gone off for a few seconds before coming back on again. Dunno if it was a mistake, or if it was done for the boiler room guys, but I really didn't like the lights being there. Didn't seem to fit with the idea of DMZ to me, but I guess im not mala, coki or loefah! I do hope it all wasn't there cos of the boiler room guys needing something for the stream (the big spot light in the middle, lights on the stage/crowd originally and the occasional strobe) cos I go in to DMZ with very little expectations on the music (in that I know ill never know whats coming!) but for me the DMZ vibe is much more specific. To change the feel of the night so that it can be streamed seems a bit weak to me. Anyway, more than likely not the case. Soon as loefah appeared the disco/stage lights went straight off, and apart from the spotlight at the front it was then nice and easy to find yourself a good dark spot.
All in all, they dont half put on a good night aye? Pity about technicals, lights being a bit weird, but some great artists bringing some wicked music.
I might make a mental note for my next DMZ trip to be not on a birthday though, as big as the line ups are...it gets equally more sweaty
Cheers DMZ gang, 6 years strong...
And cheers to all the folk of here I met! Safe to meet you wub, and jamie/jeremy/...hazye was it? Im useless with names. Out to the swiss lot too, cant believe I didnt bump into you inside at all Juan! I did meet saskia a few times, make sure shes getting on ok! Couple of little cool offs outside. But yeah, hope your lot have had a good time. One hectic DMZ!
Oh, and big up kay making us realise that we didnt have hours to kill in brixton mcdonalds watching london wake up, and actually had to get a freaking move on to catch our train lol was nice to see you man! But not long till bloc
