We're back, EXIT 2011 is over and after 10 days of scorching heat, criminally cheap beer and an intimidating amount of music, we return to Britain bronzed and bored. Last year I attempted to review the festival in meticulous detail and admittedly failed, so this year I will do something a little more succinct but hopefully vivid enough to give you some idea as to the festival's enormity. Meanwhile here's my charted tracks for June, which are typically diverse. MANIK (NYC) has won my heart for the second month running, this time with his squelchy house cut, Good 4 Me, while the UK's great house hope, Maya Jane Coles makes an inevitable return with her recent vocal-led jam, Senseless. Mat Jonson's Learning To Fly, released on M-nus is difficult to ignore and even more difficult not to admire, while Claude VonStroke's remix of Girl Unit's Wut and Butch's Big Futt represent the real dancefloor muscle. Top spot is taken by one of the most hyped, but welcome collaborations in dance music, made up of two of the most celebrated figures. Burial and Four Tet couldn't be more suited together in terms of style philosophy, yet there output on Text Records with Moth beats from both producer's hearts, forming something that could never have been created individually but remains unavoidably identifiable with them.

1. Burial & Four Tet - Moth


2. Mathew Jonson - Learning To Fly


3. Girl Unit - Wut (Claude VonStroke Remix) [Undressed Mix)


4. Butch - Big Futt


5. Heiko Laux - Moved (Ricardo Villalobos Remix)


6. MANIK (NYC) - Good 4 Me


7. John Tejada - Subdivided


8. Russ Gabriel - Prey Tell


9. Murphy Jax - Time To Bump


10. Maya Jane Coles - Senseless

FABRIC WATCH may have taken a break since for a month or so, but activity at the club has never been busier. The programming this year has been widely acknowledged as exceptional, and it's difficult to disagree when you consider who has visited EC1 so far and we're only half way through the year. Although I speak only for Saturdays, this year has been a statement by the club of its continued and unrivaled reputation as the country's elite underground club, and one of Europe's. Week after week Saturday nights display line-ups that most clubs could only dream of exhibiting, yet fabric conduct it all in such an admirably modest fashion. I certainly can't recall any year I've had fabric on my radar being as consistently impressive as 2011. The selections of artists has been innovative, interesting, even daring at times while remaining appropriate. For sure, some of electronic music's most illustrious artists have performed but only those who are right for the club.

The best of July

Saturday July 2nd:
Craig Richards, Matthias Tanzmann, Martin Buttrich (live), Matt Tolfrey, Lee Foss, Jamie Jones
The first Saturday of July offers an all-encompassing showcase across all three rooms. The tribal tech house wizard, Matthias Tanzmann, returns for the first time after his fabric debut last autumn where he demonstrated why his popularity has risen so dramatically over last couple of years. He is joined in Room One by the Desolat brand of techno from Martin Buttrich, who will deliver one of his coveted live sets. Room Two exhibits '5 Years of Leftroom', with the label's chief, Matt Tolfrey joined by some of his finest alumni. Room Three welcomes back Jamie Jones, alongside Lee Foss for what will most certainly be a packed out Hot Natured session of the most cutting-edge deep house.

Saturday July 9th:
Craig Richards, Dixon, Isolee (live), Steve Rachmad, Terry Francis
This night is all about Room One and most notably Innervisions founder Dixon. Anyone who has witnessed one of Dixon's genre-spanning sets will tell you how impressive his ability to weave so many diverse, unconventional sounds together is. Without doubt, Dixon is right up there with the most daring, unpredictable selectors, and is possibly the best example of a DJ who pushes the boundaries of when any sound can work on the dancefloor. Isolee live is certainly not to be missed either. The German minimal producer followed his critically acclaimed debut album, We Are Monsters with another fine long player, Well Spent Youth in February and this rare performance in the UK promises to be a memorable occasion.

Saturday, July 23rd:
Tyrant (Craig Richards & Lee Burridge), Reboot (live), Maetrik
Any night Lee Burridge descends on EC1 to join his old pal Craig for one of their regular Tyrant episodes is always a great occasion. Take it from me when I say if I would be there every time if it was possible. There is no better example of chemistry in a B2B set than when these two phenomenal DJ's begin bouncing off eachother. While both supply equal amounts of the most groovy, quirky tech house available, Lee Burridge embraces the party like anyone else in the club, and his enthusiasm is an exhibition in itself. Reboot, a man who needs no introduction, is also billed to perform one of his perfectly assembled and infinitely intriguing live performances. Frequently credited as one of the most exciting live acts around, Reboot, having released music on Sei Es Drum, Cadenza and Cocoon, is very much at the forefront of minimal techno and house, and if there's any possibility of hearing him play 'Caminando' then it surely not to be missed.

Wednesday July 27th & Thursday July 28th:
London Electronic presents Nicolas Jaar (live), Gadi Mizrahi (Wolf + Lamb) and Soul Clap
After the resounding success of his London debut at fabric back in March, London Electronic once again are back to unveil electronic music's prodigal son. This time however, there are two chances to catch him, the first on Wednesday which finishes at 1am and also features one half of Wolf + Lamb, Gadi Mizrahi. The following evening, they are joined by Soul Clap in what promises to be one of the most prestigious events in London this year. Expect a night of the most soulful, elegant house and other delicate electronic beats, as well as very rapid ticket sales and none on the door...

Saturday July 30th:
fabric ON... Craig Richards, Ricardo Villalobos, Deniz Kurtel (live), Space Dimension Controller, San Proper (live), Sandwell District (live), Sigha... (Saturday 11pm - Sunday 2pm)
Ricardo Villalobos is back for the second part of his twice yearly residency, the natural choice to headline fabric's extended party, ON..., which traditionally finishes no earlier than 2pm. His appearance will no doubt spark a frenzy of anticipation in London, especially for those who witnessed his remarkable behaviour at the club in March. His set time will also be hotly debated, with many dismayed by his 8:30am starting time at the event's equivalent last year, which even then he was an hour late for. For those who are coming down just for Ricardo, I would suggest arriving at the club no earlier than 5am WITH a ticket, with queues expected to be very, very long all night. For those arriving earlier there is no danger of being bored. Deniz Kurtel and San Proper are billed to perform live on stage in Room One, while Space Dimension Controller in the booth should give a refreshing twist to the night. Room Two sees Terry Francis joined by Sandwell District live. Not familiar? Then you should listen to their debut album, Feed Forward, released on their own eponymous label in December last year and met with universal acclaim. Think of a coalescence of Jeff Mills-style detroit and the Berghain-schooled techno of Ben Klock and you're some way to achieving some kind of expectation of what Sandwell District are about. Correctly deployed on Room Two's shuddering soundsystem, expect an eye-opening couple of hours, within the monumental occasion of the whole event.

fabric 58: Craig Richards presents The Nothing Special


Craig Richards has been tormenting me for a long time. 11 years ago he was one of three key people to conceive what would eventually become arguably the world's most iconic nightclub. Several years later, he inaugurated the club's mix series, now 58 strong and showing absolutely zilch signs of coming anywhere near to the end. Almost very Saturday night since October 29th, 1999, he has been at the forefront of the line-ups as the club's resident, the first name on the list above whoever he invited to play, and not once has that ever felt wrong.

Craig Richards would ask why that should be wrong, but the the reality of clubland has always focused on the headliner. Forgetting fabric's unique approach momentarily, any event flyer will always have the headliner as the very first name. In big, bold print, heading the list of acts billed, with the residents somewhere near the bottom. The logic is obvious, as the residents are always there, so there needs to be no overt notification of their appearance, while the headliner is what will generally draw the crowd. Fabric decided to challenge the necessity of this, and it was Craig Richards all those years ago who was provided the opportunity to be the star of every night. Entrusted to invite who he wanted, to play when he wanted, Richards has transformed the nature of a club residency from a position of assumed insignificance to one of control, autonomy and prestige.

This formula couldn't have been more successful at fabric, as the club edges towards its twelfth year without a hint of decay on the cards. Naturally, this degree of evergreen longevity couldn't be achieved by anyone, and although his role as the club's director of music has been arguably the most crucial factor to the rise of the club, as a DJ, one of the people actually supplying the music on the night, Richards has been beyond revelatory. This is where his habit of becoming the tormentor comes in. This is a man who doesn't see himself as a 'DJ' in common perception of the title. He is a collector of music, a hobby of his since childhood, and having the opportunity to play them in a club is merely an offshoot of this hobby. As an avid collector of music myself, I can say that having a vast reserve of tracks does allow a wonderful sense of freedom and expression, and nobody exploits this better than Richards. Whether it's warming up for one of Ricardo Villalobos's epic sonic voyages, or closing the night after Cassy's warm house sessions, Richards has the perfect records to fit the occasion and work the crowd. Together with Lee Burridge as Tyrant, he regularly assumes the role of resident-headliner, now a celebrated staple in Room One.

Perhaps because he rarely tries his hand at production, it has always been a difficult task pinning down exactly the style Richards is all about. I used to lazily associate him with 'tech house', a fusion genre which has become almost derogatory these days, but having seen him more and more I'm now less certain what sound he leans towards, which is exactly why his sets are so utterly captivating. The number of records at his disposal makes it an almost impossible task identifying tracks from his sets, something that has become almost an obsession of mine. Only occasionally do stumble across one I recognize- a celebratory moment. It's his ear for the quirkiest, funkiest, most trippy cuts of minimal techno, house and electro-flecked hybrids that is so moreish and absorbing. It's addictive stuff, and for years now I've become a slave to the Craig Richards sound.

So, is fabric 58: The Nothing Special anything like his sets at the club, and does it reveal any of those elusive numbers that have tormented me over the years? There are occasions when it feels very much like one of the dark, nightmarish experiences in Room One at his mercy. Arne Weinberg's My Testimony has a hollowness that is often found in Richards's warm-up sets, a crucial part of any night, quickly followed my G-Man's El Jam, which is snappy and breathless and perfectly designed to keep bodies and minds stimulated. While the first third of the album definitely feels like the warm-up material Richards would use in one of his introductory The Nothing Special sets at the club, the tempo hastens with Eco Tourist's Magelonic, a searing cut of electro-tinged house which paves the way for even more daring notes to enter. Anyone who has seen Richards this year will probably have heard him try to fit the square-shaped Comeback Dust by L.I.E.S. into his circular sets, and make it work somehow, which is exactly the case in the mix. Typically peculiar, it's an inspired selection that although usually only appears in the very late hours of his sets, melds fabric 58 together in a way you wouldn't ever expect had you heard the track before and seen it on the tracklist.

When I think of Craig Richards I can't help picture the whole occasion of him playing at fabric. The smokiness of Room One, the pressure cooker of sound it becomes when he really feels like testing a soundsystem which, let's be honest, is rarely exploited to its dangerous potential. There are periods during his sets that are difficult to pull away from if you're on the dancefloor, like Loop Hotel's acidic Room 202 which is stuffy and claustrophobic, undeniably characteristic of Room One, something which is later revisited by Convextion's dingy Premiata. But what is possibly most impressive about this mix is how it genuinely grasps what Craig Richards at fabric is all about. Whether he designed the mix in this way or not, it's a very vivid recreation of those finely-tuned, tastefully assembled warm-ups and those eccentric, exciting and even humourous finalés at the club. Richards has this very intuitive and cunning ability of manipulating his dancefloor by changing the mood of what he's playing. Despite the drained, leggy feel to much of the second half of the mix, the final two tracks although are typically late selections of his, are undeniably lifting. A final surge of energy in a club that tests the limits of body and soul but always leaves you wanting more. Is an extraordinary knack Craig Richards has really. To pluck records from a vast museum-like collection is one thing, but to sew them all together and make them feel like your own is something very, very different.

As the sun has graced us with it's presence once more, I felt it was about time to post some summer funk and disco cuts to get your body moving in the summer sunshine.

Firstly is one of the finer edit's from The Revenge's latest release, a 10 track compilation of a bunch of his disco, funk and soul edits he's found the time to put together. The bass line on this one makes it one of the stand out tracks, however the whole CD is worth getting, and you can buy it from Juno now.

Mid-Air - Ease Out (The Revenge Edit)


The next is one of the many brilliant compositions on Gatto Fritto's self titled debut LP, released back in April. I decided to share this one over any of the others simply due to the range of sounds created over the 11 minutes, and the guitar adds a distinct lightness to the piece.

Gatto Fritto - Invisible College

Grab the whole album on Juno.

Morgan Geist, one half of the Metro Area duo, has been making serious music for a serious while now, with a large part of his catalogue really standing the test of time. A tip off from a close discophile friend of mine, this particular tune hails only from 2008, but is as timeless as any other disco classic. And disco it most certainly is.

Morgan Geist - Skyblue Pink


Another one from 2008, this time from tech veteran Je Davu. Moving away from the slow disco feel of the previous songs, this is a prime peak-time body mover. As the title suggests.

Je Davu - Music Got You Movin'


Finally as a real treat, some pure funk from when disco was only an infant.

Sumy - Funkin' In Your Mind (1983)

Good luck even finding this one on 12".

The latest release from the Belgian based house imprint arrives in the form of a 5 track EP from DJ Yellow. Deep house at it's best from a label that has sought out quality over quantity, and a vinyl only series featuring quite frankly stunning tracks from the likes of Maxim Lany and James Teej, this latest release maintains the standard that the small but excellent label has achieved in it's previous efforts.

Soft french vocals overlay a mournful minor chord throughout, and with the addition of an arpeggiating synth line and the ambient pads contributing to the track's endless feel, it really is a piece for the later nights.

  WPH012 B1 DJ Yellow - Je t'M by We Play House Recordings

Pick the whole EP up on Beatport now.

While the ridiculous riches of London's nightlife on any given weekend makes disappointment seldom, bank holiday weekends provide an entirely new meaning to the dilemma of choice. 2020 Vision did its best to make people's minds up with two marathon events spanning 24 hours at two of East London's most unique and treasured venues. The first part kicked off at 10am at the appropriately named Shoreditch Underground, the former tube station located conveniently close to the thriving Sunday activity of Brick Lane. Steve Bug and Ralph Lawson, among many others were enlisted to take care of that, eventually wrapping things up at around 10pm, by which time the second part, little more than 10 minutes walk away at Village Underground, had already been underway since 6. I debated taking tickets for both events, but eventually decided on just Village Underground, which having been there only the previous night for Krush (see previous post), I now knew was a venue fit for an occasion as big as this.

Any major night has at least one name that is generally designed to pull numbers, and 2020 Vision was no different. Maya Jane Coles, Ralph Lawson (again) and Simon Baker on the flyer undoubtedly turned heads, but for most, including myself, it was Ewan Pearson's name that had really convinced us that this was where we should finish our weekend. The British-born, Cambridge educated and Berlin based DJ and expert remixer is not often found packing the warehouses of London these days, preferring to hone his abilities on the continent, occasionally making the journey back to his home turf for festivals, such as last year's Bestival. I have long been a keen admirer of Pearson, ever since his contribution to the fabric mix series, a wonderfully original exploration of lyrical techno and house which proved that pop influences in underground electronic music is not quite as absurd as it may seem. Other mixes, such as his addition to the Sci.fi.Hi.fi series for Soma and his own We Are Proud Of Our Choices for Kompakt, illustrated his distinguished selection philosophy, while his prolific repertoire of remixes, such as Courtney Tidwell's Don't Let The Stars Keep Us Tangled Up demonstrated his imaginative and unconventional attitude to making music. That barely scratches the surface of what Ewan Pearson has achieved, but it at least helps qualify why he was appointed as the key figure in London's most significant party of the weekend.

First impressions were not good as we arrived at Holywell Lane, the easily-missed turn off Great Eastern Street where Village Underground sits. Despite having shelled out almost £20 for a ticket, we joined an ominously long queue of many other angry ticket-holders who told me that we were going nowhere for at least another 45 minutes, as the notoriously slow 'one-in-one-out' process had already began drip-feeding impatient people into the venue. It appeared that 2020 Vision had taken over-booking a little too far, obviously cramming in anyone who arrived at the door from 6pm despite having sold all pre-sale tickets. After around an hour's worth of complaining about our criminal injustice of having to queue as we gripped our printed tickets, we were finally granted entry. Jozif, who performed at both events over the day, stood at the door greeting as we entered. An attempt by 2020 Vision provide some kind of lame consolation to the disorder outside? Possibly, but either way we were just grateful to be in. Predictably, things looked chaotic inside as the main dancefloor heaved and queues for the cloakroom and the toilets were looking prohibitive. However, overcrowding didn't seem as much of a problem as I first assumed it would be, with refreshing pools of space on the dancefloor as we wriggled through towards the front where Maya Jane Coles was around half way into her set.

With the soundsystem perfectly EQ'd, the visuals simple, but effective and a fervent crowd nearing the peak of its energy levels, the tiny spinstress was able to please everyone with her uncomplicated yet rousing array of cutting-edge house. Based on this performance, there is no doubt in my mind that MJC will soon be one of the most desirable headline DJ's in Europe. Not only was her mixing flawless, but her set was clearly something she had thought about before. Marked with several climactic tracks, she kept the dancefloor consistently pleased, and perfectly prepared for Ewan Pearson who took over at 2am.

The atmosphere couldn't have been better by the time Pearson started. Enough people, assuming they are the ones who had found their way in at 6, had vacated the the venue and provided everyone with just the right amount of dancing space. Ewan Pearson performed like a headliner should, with bold, confident selections that flowed seamlessly into each other, but remained individually authoritative. Acid was a very prominent theme throughout, unsurprising when you consider his passion for the sound in his remixes, along with his peerless ability to invest tasteful electro flavours into his sound. His recent remix of Seelenluft's 'Manila' was undoubtedly a high point, instantly recognizable to the educated ear inside the vast main room and wonderfully euphoric for all. To my dismay, his set flashed by far too quickly, but Simon Baker closed the night in style with an energetic last session of adventurous house. Although his set lacked the assertive manner Pearson's did, it was nonetheless a very good end note to the night, Julio Bashmore's sumptuous bass-house bomb 'Ribble To Amazon' had a loyal handful of longstayers moving gratefully before things were brought to a close.

I learned many things that night. For starters, Village Underground has the potential to be one of London's superior warehouse spaces when it's like it this, no easy feat considering the intense competition in London today. Secondly, I learned that 2020 Vision may have the connections and the muscle to put on some of the most extravagant parties, but their programming and organization still leaves a lot to be desired. I also learned that the UK has produced two exceptional DJ's in Ewan Pearson and Maya Jane Coles. While one is undoubtedly a veteran, the other is arguably the most exciting talent this country has seen in some time.

The predominant mood of my May chart is undeniably deep, with Art Department (above) featuring twice with two exceptional remixes. I can't help feel like Damian Lazarus's return to production duty has been somewhat overshadowed by the Canadian duo's makeover of his 'Different Now', which is by far the stand-out track from the EP. The same can be said of Azari & III's 'Hungry For The Power', a superb track which although isn't tampered with dramatically, is nonetheless moulded into something even more sultry and impressive. The other deep house institutions, Visionquest and Hot Creations, are represented by Benoit & Sergio's dangerously addictive 'Let Me Count The Ways' and Lee Foss's 'Keep My Cool' respectively, the latter a track with enough brooding intensity to seduce even the most cold-hearted listeners. Although unreleased thus far, those who have heard Matthias Tanzmann and David Squillace's DC10 Circo Loco mix will know the latest Italoboyz output, who together with Blind Minded are tearing up dancefloors (including fabric's when Ricardo Villalobos last landed) with 'Bekeke'. It joins the long line of tracks that have my watchful eye over them impatiently for their release. Elsewhere, Paul Kalkbrenner's new album Icke Weider may have been collectively brilliant, but was also individually distinguished. 'Jestruepp', a track I fondly remember from his live set at fabric in March, is possibly my favourite from the album, but it's essential to hear the full-length to appreciate it fully.

1. Damian Lazarus - Different Now (Art Department Remix)


2. Lee Foss - Keep My Cool


3. Benoit & Sergio - Let Me Count The Ways


4. Italoboyz vs. Blind Minded - Bekeke (coming soon...)

5. Paul Kalkbrenner - Jestruepp


6. Azari & III - Hungry For The Power (Art Department Remix)


7. Steve Bug & Clé - Seven Hills


8. Cozzy D & Eric Volta - The Gift (Kevin Griffiths Northern Exposure Remix)


9. Robin Ordell - The Show


10. MANIK (NYC) - Talk To U

Finally I've managed to complete Part 2 of my post-exam antics. It took a while, and technically it's incomplete, but here's a flavour of the nights that were in some way memorable. I'll do something a little more specific for the finale of 2020 Vision's bank holiday 'festival'.

While April provided a comforting gap between my return to London and the actual date of my exams, May offered no such luxury. My two exams, on the 1oth and 16th, excruciatingly fell either side of a week that offered several very alluring parties in the capital. Questionably, I did secure a ticket for London's latest fund-raising event for the Japan earthquake cause on the Thursday, but I qualified this decision as a 'celebration' for completing my first exam two days previously. I couldn't afford such a lame excuse to go to anything else before I had completely finished all my exams, incidentally meaning I would miss Richie Hawtin and Moby at Camden's early-finishing (and inexplicably expensive) Roundhouse, Ivan Smagghe and Dyed Soundroom at Reliance Square, and most painfully, Zip, Francesco Tristano and Agoria at fabric. While the former two parties would never have been dead-certs for one reason or another even without impending exams, the latter would have been ordinarily unmissable. Anyone who read the last Fabric Watch post or spotlight on Francesco Tristano will have detected my unreserved hype for this hugely appetizing occasion at EC1, so you can imagine how heartbreaking it was for me when I discovered how horribly timed it was. Naturally I didn't immediately rule it out, denying every drop of reason I had but eventually I admitted defeat and was left once again tantalizingly close but just too far from Perlon's legendary minimal shape-shifter. He will be back.

Aside from revision, procrastination, self-pitying and the occasional party, Chris and I also took time out to finalize our plans for this year's EXIT festival. You may recall us previously declaring an alternative festival route this year, one not necessarily dance-orientated, but eventually we succumbed to the tried and tested Serbian experience. I doubt any European festival will equal last year's full line-up at EXIT, but the acts confirmed this time go some way. Straight-up techno is represented by Marco Carola, Carl Craig and Paul Kalkbrenner among others, while the best of house and tech-house is extensively covered by the likes of Maya Jane Coles, Joris Voorn, Martin Buttrich, Matthias Tanzmann, David Squillace, Seth Troxler, Jamie Jones and Damian Lazarus. Responsible for the more electro-edged flavours is Tiga, Digitalism, James Zabiela, Steve Aoki and most notably deadmau5, who will perform one of his less-showy 'unhooked' sets. The full line-up can be found on the festival website for those tempted by the few names I've mentioned, and that's only a fractional representation of just the dance arena. It was enough to lure us back to the Balkans, so let the preparations begin!

Part 2: May
The Official Red Dot Relief Fundraising Event at Crucifix Lane, Cocoon at fabric, Ekkohaus & Federico Molinari at Half Baked, Warm & Electric Minds Lovebox Warm-Up at Crucifix Lane, Krush at Village Underground, 2020 Vision at Village Underground.

At the risk of sounding incredibly insensitive, which I certainly don't mean to be, the sequence of parties dedicated to raising money for Japan following the tragic natural disasters that happened has been like making the best out of a bad situation. Let me explain what I mean by this: Rarely is there a good reason to throw a mid-week party with Seth Troxler, Jamie Jones, Jay Haze, Craig Richards and Ryan Crosson billed, but that was exactly the result of the admirable efforts of Red Dot Relief, who organized one of this years most memorable occasions to help the disaster-struck nation. It was so refreshing to see such an illustrious clutch of acts not only play for free, but look like they were genuinely loving doing so. For once we knew that the £15 we were paying was going somewhere other than just someone's pockets and that as we raved, we were making some kind of difference. Like so many others, I am guilty of giving very little charity in general, but this felt like more than just an excuse for a party and everyone who came seemed to genuinely embrace the reason why they were having such fun.

All the DJ's were clad in the Red Dot t-shirt (pictured above), as were many others who bought one. At one point during Seth Troxler's b2b set with Ryan Crosson (who seemed omnipresent on the decks all night), the music was cut and Seth attempted some sort of call-out to the raucous crowd that had gathered inside Crucifix Lane, the usual fall-venue when Rivington Studios/The Red Gallery is predictably deemed to dangerous, too small and too shit to house a major event . As a result of this, the event was awkwardly split into two parts in two different venues. Jamie Jones and Craig Richards were moved to The Star of Bethnal Green, which doubled as the art exhibition side of the event also, while the remaining acts were to perform at Crucifix Lane. Despite my reservations about the venue change, it worked out very well with Troxler keeping the ball rolling for the first few hours with his usual supply of today's hottest deep tech house, and Crosson by his side pasting over the cracks when the American needed a little breather. Although it wasn't billed as a B2B set, it worked perfectly as Troxler, one of the Japan cause's most dedicated personalities, enjoyed the freedom supplying both the tunes and the entertainment from the front. This he does exceptionally well, always happy to mingle with the crowd and enjoy the party

When Jay Haze took over, I had to painfully begin contemplating my exit. I couldn't afford a whole day of recovery in bed with so much work on my plate, so I always knew that I probably wouldn't see what happened beyond 4:30am. What I did see of Haze was certainly enough to make my departure all the more difficult. His presence was what really made a last impression, his style as a DJ is certainly a product of his notoriously charismatic and uncompromising attitude. Haze's arrival also helped eradicate the remaining major doubts I had about Crucifix Lane. As I wriggled out of the crowded Victorian archway (aren't all London venues these days?), the charm of the brickwork, the people and the atmosphere was resuscitated as I understood a little better why it's a favourite among both music's elite DJ's and London's clubbing cognoscenti.

That would be the last party before all my exams had finished, but the following weekend looked like far more than mere light at the end of the tunnel. I may have rued the timing of Zip's visit to London just two days before my first exam, but the when I look at what the very first post-exam weekend had to offer I can hardly justify feeling like there was a dark cloud hanging over me. A rare Friday visit to fabric to catch BNR's room one takeover marked the first chapter (for elaboration see Now We Rave 12), the second chapter also took place in fabric the following night and Sunday, in blissfully convenient fashion, delivered May's installment of Half Baked and Damaged.


Starting on Saturday, it was the return of Cocoon to fabric, its new London home following the closure of Matter in 2009. When Sven Väth descended on EC1 for the very first time last year, he brought with him several of his label's most illustrious talents. It was the night when Onur Özer, who actually closed Room One following Sven's 4 hours and earlier, Matt Tolfrey's two hour slot, won me over as now one of his greatest admirers with dark and delicious minimal techno exploration. It was the night when Dinky and Ilario Alicate transformed Room Two into for once a pulsing cavern of subtlety, as well insurgency. It was a night when despite the prohibitive numbers that crowded out the club, an unforgettable impression was left on me. From that night onwards, Cocoon Recordings is in my DNA. Could the most recent edition of Cocoon at fabric once again reach those heights? The slightly scant line-up, centered almost exclusively on Sven would lead me to suggest it probably didn't quite live up to the standard previously set. However, Christian Burkhardt's rare live performance in Room One was outstanding and Sven Väth's two sets, either side of Burkhardt, were perhaps even better than last time. I didn't get to see much of Room Two, but from experience I can say that Guilaume & The Coutu Dumonts is a live act everyone should witness at least once, and Sascha Dive is never one to stop bodies moving. Whereas last year's Cocoon at fabric educated me, this year's provided me with a different experience. I wasn't in awe of Sven Väth this time, neither did I waste time wondering around the maze of tunnels and staircases in order to catch a fraction of other sets elsewhere in the club. This time I felt comfortable to just stay in one place and allow one of techno's founding fathers to keep me happy. He certainly did that, maintaining his superstar presence in the Room One booth, pumping his fists with the crowd as he engineered those formidable basslines from his vast arsenal of records. If anything, this should really have stayed as 'fabric with Sven Väth', rather than brand it as part of his Cocoon showcase. In reality, the night was about one man only, and when he leads the line like he did, I can't complain.

Sunday saw the return of Half Baked at Fairchild, later accompanied by Damaged #16. These two often arrive as a pair one Sunday a month, which basically means if you have the stamina, you can party from 12 noon until 4am the following day. Few do this, but trust me when I say that there are a few. The breathless Cocoon workout the previous night delayed my arrival at HB until the evening, just in time for the two headliners. As always, the mood in the tunnel was friendly and relaxed as I was greeted by usual smiling faces, moving bodies and scoop-necked tee-shirts. Ekkohaus was first up, performing live just as the the clock hit 8pm and the gaps near the front of the dancefloor began filling. His upbeat, percussive style of house set the tone perfectly for Federico Molinari, who followed at around 10pm. The pint-sized Italian kept things subtlety groovy, avoiding the more physical, abrasive routes for an amiable blend of tech house, rich with neat breakdowns and colourful bassines. On to Damaged #16 and this time Georgio Oniani and Matteo Manzini were joined by Leftroom's Mark Chambers and Maura. In all honesty, their set did very little to stimulate the tired minds and bodies inside Dalston's Questionmark Bar, the new home of Damaged. It lacked any kind of climax, or anything for me to really grab and get excited. Fortunately Georgio, who was this time responsible for the closing slot, poured all his unfaltering passion into his selections, stitching together a flamboyant and typically daring voyage of obscure house and minimal that had me trainspotting. It was an appropriate way to end the night, and firm reminder to those who forget the importance of an excellent resident.

With the gift of yet another bank holiday weekend on the horizon, unsurprisingly there was no shortage of Sunday spoils, but Friday and Saturday were equally appealing. Warm & Electric Minds' Lovebox Warm-Up kicked off the weekend, the latest party moved from Rivington Studions to Crucifix Lane at the last minute (notice a pattern here?). Inside, every inch of space was used to accommodate the capacity crowd that gathered to witness the fascinating and diverse array of acts lined-up. The venue's second room, usually nothing more than a crash-zone, was headlined by legendary British duo Optimo, who managed to hold a densely packed crowd from the minute they began. Over in the main room, John Roberts, responsible for one of last year's finest albums, Glass Eights, was billed to perform a rare live set. To our dismay, we had missed the vast majority of this when we arrived, our belated departure from Waterloo was something we would later regret as Roberts apparently dropped jaws on the dancefloor as we trudged towards London Bridge. Fortunately we didn't miss Motor City Drum Ensemble who followed with two soulful hours of deep, foggy house, keeping the mood inside wonderfully warm and fervent. Anyone familiar with MCDE's productions, most notably his Raw Cuts volumes, will naturally expect to hear the feel-good, harmonious texture invested in his music also in his DJ sets. Indeed, his style diverged very little, maintaining the same mellowness to his mixing which acted as a perfect warm-up for Efdemin. One of electronic music's old guard, Efdemin's reputation as an astute DJ of traditional values, as well as a revered Berlin-based producer couldn't have been exhibited better. His all-vinyl set dipped in and out of every corner of the house and techno spectrum, initially taking MCDE's sultry depth and gradually edging into more pared-down techno territory. Although we did vacate the main area to catch the tail-end of Optimo's fearless mash-up of everything from techno and electro to rock which was endlessly entertaining, upon return we could immediately sense how gripped everyone on the dancefloor was by Efdemin. As the clock struck 6am and closing time became imminent, several stalwart ravers from the front climbed upon to the stage, unchallenged, to where all the DJ's in the main room performed. Although I didn't partake, it was a great sight and a perfect image to capture such an eye-opening night for all who were there.

While I had my mind firmly fixed on what Village Underground had to offer on Sunday, Saturday night there also appeared irresistible. After the intensity of Friday's offerings at Crucifix Lane and the guaranteed super-rave of 2020 Vision's bank holiday 'festival' on Sunday (ultimately spanning 20 hours), I had banked on perhaps giving my feet, and my mind, a rest between the two. Fabric's line-up didn't particularly appeal to me, but I certainly didn't expect to end up in Village Underground a day prematurely. However, the lure of a live Mathew Jonson set was too persuasive in the end. It also gave me an opportunity to discover a little more about Village Underground, one of the few remaining Shoreditch venues I was yet to visit. Anyone's first impression of Village Underground will be one of awe. I was no different as I entered, taking a few minutes to observe the gargantuan Victorian warehouse space that comprised the main dancefloor area of the venue. I had read up on the place and the height of the ceilings had not been exaggerated- they seemed to reach the sky, yet the acoustics remained uncompromised as Deetron kept the place rumbling with his patiently progressive warm-up set. Mathew Jonson got started at around 2am, equipped with a vast, complicated mixing desk and other impressive gadgetry, beginning at a steady pace of around 122bpm before he began gradually tweaking up the tempo. The sombre piano chords of 'Marionette' began filtering in far earlier than I expected, surely no later than half an hour into his set and from there he proceeded to really experiment. His recent release on m-nus, Learning To Fly was instantly recognizable even though I was yet to hear it, with crisp, shiny, Hawtin-esque synths delicately layered over Jonson's trademark bassline. The soundsystem coped with the complex sonics exceptionally well, and Jonson was determined to deliver something definitive and profound. Unfortunately, he was unable to go all the way as his set came to a crude end at 4am. Quite why the party ended so early is anyone's guess, but it certainly felt like a stain on what could have been a truly memorable performance from one of electronic music's most revered producers. But perhaps it was a blessing in disguise as I began replenishing my energy reserves for what Village Underground had up its sleeve the following night...

Now We Rave, our frequent post dedicated to the nosiest, rawest electro-techno, usually coincides with a recent rave of my own of similar nature. The appeal of this style has resulted in a terrifying amount of poorly produced, misguided music, so these days we tend to rely mostly on Ed Banger, Turbo Recordings and Boys Noize Records for our electro fixes. It will come as no surprise then that my latest bout of frenzied leaping around amongst 'rave-moshes' came at fabric, where Alex Ridha and his BNR imprint's flat-capped members took over Room One for fabriclive.

Although I had witnessed several other of the electro scene's major players there, such as Erol Alkan, Hey Today!, Brodinski and Carte Blanche, I had never seen Boys Noize at fabric. I had frequently lusted for his maximal electro-techno hybrid on that unique soundsystem but my few years of visiting EC1 had so far unfortunately not coincided with one of his rare appearances. So, a BNR takeover of Room One promised everything I had been wishing for, with the label's figurehead joined by Housemeister, Djedjotronic and Shadow Dancer live. When we arrived, Boys Noize was in command of a bruising dancefloor of over-excited electro-indie kids, scrambling around to classic Boys Noize sounds. Predictably, Ridha's set was saturated in acidic riffs alongside many of his set's recent (and historic) staples, such as his remix of Housemeister's Music Is Awesome (featured below), Lemonade, Yeah and just like when I last saw him at XOYO, a teasing sample from Chemical Brothers' Swoon, which of course Ridha reshaped into one of the best remixes of 2010.

Housemeister followed, barely changing the bubbling, abrasive tone that Ridha had set. Considering the fairly barbaric character of BNR's brand of electro, it remained a skillfully assembled two hours, maintaining the same breathless tempo while slipping in some interesting, less predictable choices, such as Siriusmo's bass-heavy Einmal In Der Woche Schrien. Ridha may have finished his personal slot, but his presence remained in the booth throughout the rest of the night, joining forces for the last hour with both Housemeister and Djedjotronic for a BNR 'All Stars' finale that continued to feed the familiar chaos of a fabriclive dancefloor.

If I was to compare my latest Boys Noize experience to my previous one at XOYO, I would say it trails ever so slightly. Naturally I was still provided with my usual spoil of thrills, explosive climaxes and favourite electro staples, but there is perhaps a good reason why Boys Noize doesn't appear at fabric more regularly. Some DJ's are born for a stage, not a booth and I have always felt that Alex Ridha is one of those DJ's. At XOYO, the set-up is perfect for the Boys Noize style. The DJ is the center piece, and the dancefloor becomes less about having space to move and more about who can get closest to the front. This is where the likes of Boys Noize, Tiga and the other rave kings thrive, lapping up the excitement in front of them. fabric is the archetypal underground nightclub, with the DJ discretely kept as the conductor of the dancefloor, responsible for freshening up the mood and keeping things varied and different. For DJ's of techno and house, and even some of the bass-heavy sounds of Friday at the club, fabric is the ideal place to work, but for Boys Noize's sound, the environment doesn't quite feel at home, despite how fantastic a DJ he is, and how magnificent the club is.

Ironically, XOYO houses two of this weekends most exciting raves for the electro connoisseur. On Friday, Bugged Out! returns, this time bringing Turbo's glamourous chief Tiga to London for the first time since the stunning Planet Turbo show this time last year, and the following day sees Kavinsky join Feadz and Hey Today! in what will be the perfect way for me to celebrate if Wembley yields the right result on Saturday night, as unlikely as that will be.

The selection of tracks I've posted here may be small, but they certainly shouldn't disappoint. Gesaffelstein, currently leading Turbo's techno revolution, features twice, while Carte Blanche return with Jack On The Moon, a typically frantic house cut that will be sure to give bouncers a headache following its drop on dancefloors across Europe. Autoérotique meanwhile are responsible for what we believe is the best remix of The Subs' Don't Stop, among recent attempts by BeatauCue and others.



Moby - The Day (Gesaffelstein Remix)


Carte Blanche - Jack On The Moon


Housemeister - Music Is Awesome (Boys Noize Remix)


Gesaffelstein & The Hacker - Crainte (Clement Meyer Remix)


Hey Today - Minor (Black Strobe Remix)


The Subs - Don't Stop (Autoérotique Remix)

Ever since our Easter break had finished, the terrible summer exam period of library-confinement and general disappearance of a social life had once again returned. Just as the clouds cleared and sun began shining, I resigned myself to about a month or so devoid of any kind of fun as I was personally faced with two critical exams to conclude what has been a fairly erratic first year university experience. For this period, King's College took a leaf out of our beloved fabric's book for longevity, keeping its library doors open 24 hours. This, however, is where the similarities end as sweaty, ketamine-hoovering Europeans were replaced by stern-faced oriental law students, and the all-conquering Martin Audio system was replaced by a PA to remind everyone to keep their phones on silent. Ok, maybe trying to force some kind of comparison between a university library and a London superclub is perhaps a little absurd, but that is the swap I've had to make recently, which is why (as I hope you would already know) SOTW, which recently allowed its first birthday to pass without celebration, has been distinctly and tragically silent for the last few weeks.

But as I kept telling myself later than 10pm most nights, when I was still sifting through piles of useless lecture notes knowing I was missing so much in pastures East, the end is nigh and 12 noon this morning officially marked the beginning of Summer for me. Chris isn't so lucky, and will continue to be a physics slave for a little while longer... Our hearts go out.

As I hinted at in my previous April chart post, there were still a few essential parties we had to show our face at regardless of the consequences. These I will discuss in further detail, as I will for some very important releases such as SebastiAn's long-awaited debut album, John Tejada's new EP, Ricardo Villalobos's latest collaboration with Los Updates and several others. I also feel it is important to raise awareness of what warehouseland has to offer over the coming weeks. As ever, London and Bristol are littered with some show-stoppers, most notably Boys Noize and Sven Väth this weekend at fabric and Bristol's gargantuan In:Motion Summer Party in June, marking the birth of Chris's Summer 2011 in some style, with Ridha again featuring, alongside Erol Alkan and featuring Art Department.

On that note, I am pleased to announce the return of SOTW, now a little over a year old and still as grateful as ever to those of you that have continued to follow us. I'll begin by bringing you up to date with the few things we've been up to since the last post that isn't school-related.

Part 1: April
Magda at fabric, Steve Bug & Jamie Jones at fabric, Air London presents Nick Curly, Simon Baker, MANIK (live), Half Baked meets Bar 25, Paul Kalkbrenner (live) at fabric, Benoit & Sergio (live), Onur Özer, Marcel Dettmann at fabric

The short synopsis of the month of April would suggest it was far from a studious month, however, for me and Chris it marked the closure of freedom really, before 'knuckle-down' time (as my mother would call it) well and truly kicked in. Technically, the first party that welcomed me back to London was on the very first evening. The CAMP Basement was about to get Perlonized again, very much as it did earlier on in the year when Zip and Baby Ford arrived and I was as good as dead before the clock struck 6am and missed the best of everything. This time my condition was far more sustainable, and I got to observe Thomas Melchior's fine vinyl mixing on what was a fairly thin dancefloor. That was a bonus if anything though, as I really didn't expect to be getting my shoes scruffy anywhere other than fabric the following night where I would finally witness Magda's regal presence in command of Room One.

Alas, some never learn from their mistakes. This old proverb could never have been more relevant for me the following night, when Saturday had come and M-nus's royalty had landed after weeks of anticipation. Maybe I was too excited. Maybe the fairly tame few weeks I had endured prior to this night had hindered my stamina levels somehow. Whatever the reason was, waking up in one of fabric's toilet cubicles at around half eight was one of the lowest points of my year so far. The vastly depleted bottle of Russian Standard that I found when I got home was a clue as to how I ended up in such a way, but the result was that I remember very little of Magda. I do recall her beats being very big, and Magda herself being very, very small. She really is pint-sized, and it's difficult to believe that those immense basslines come from such a dainty figure behind the decks. I'm sure she would not appreciate being described in such a way, but unfortunately I really have very little more to say about her performance on this occasion, and I'm sure that is very much my loss. If there's one thing I did learn though, it's that vodka is overrated.

I decide to write that episode off as a false start. It was a frightful shame and entirely my own fault I didn't see the best of Magda, but it happens to the best of us. The following weekend was the opportunity to redeem myself as Chris, followed by an entourage of Bristolians descended on London for a heavyweight deep house session at fabric, a scene Chris has developed growing affection for. The line-up was roughly engineered from two angles. Jamie Jones and his Hot Creations imprint took over a large proportion of the proceedings, while Steve Bug took the coveted 5-close slot in Room One and Andrew Weatherall along with Slam live represented a typically techno-orientated Room Two. As ever, the Room One line-up was the main showcase, with Craig Richards sandwiched between sets from Jones and Bug and obviously pulling the majority of the crowd in there that night. However, for us the real charm was the Hot Natured takeover of Room Three where Russ Yallop and a live performance from Subb-an promised something special to keep us from hugging the floor downstairs. Upon entry, Jamie Jones was in full swing in Room One and we wasted no time in soaking up the warm, feel-good house vibes he laid down. No complaints about the density of the club or the crowd that had gathered. While techno and its minimal offshoots traditionally attracts a continental crowd that (unfortunately) breeds animosity amongst some of London's more conservative clubbers, the deep house movement of late is certainly a very English development. Damian Lazarus and his Crosstown Rebels crew got the ball rolling, paving the way for label's like Visionquest, and now Jamie Jones's Hot Creations to begin taking London, Bristol, Manchester and beyond by storm. Jones kept true to his signature rolling tech-house style, but his inclusion of Aril Brikha's Berghain although a welcome surprise, was in reality fairly predictable as it Seth Troxler's recent fondness for the classic would prove.

Chris didn't make the journey down just to jostle comfortably in Room One however, and had his sights firmly set on drawing every drop of deep house goodness from upstairs in Room Three where Jones joined Russ Yallop after he had finished his downstairs duties. As Craig Richards took Room One into slightly quirkier territory, Jones and Yallop kept things slow and sexy as the maze of arches gradually began filling as word got round the club that Room Three was where they should be. Subb-an's live set was arguably the highlight of the entire night when he took to the platform facing Room Three's DJ booth. It was the first live set I had witnessed in the room and Subb-an proved why the cavernous little space has so much more potential that it may get credit for. His set maintained the same deep, throbbing house mood, his sumptuous 'What I Do' provided a classic example of feel good vocals in perfect harmony with those resonating 2020 Vision/Hot Creations basslines that the soundsystem handled with remarkable ease.

Inevitably we delved back into the bowels of the club as Room Three began wavering slightly. Steve Bug was already in command of Room One, Julio Bashmore's playful genre-spanning hit 'Battle for Middle You' had the entire room leaping around upon our arrival to the dancefloor before Bug drifted in and out of various other mutations of house and techno. Although I can only applaud Bug's performance at Paramount when I caught him there in early March, his audience and less daring surroundings perhaps inhibited the far more adventurous side he displayed here. Never one to pin himself down to one style in his sets, Bug once again proved his envious knowledge of music and his superior ability mixing it. Old and new was sewn together so smoothly that it took an unusual amount of time for me to recognize Laurent Garnier's immortal The Man With The Red Face slowly filtering in at around 8:30am, shorty before we made a well-timed exit.

One of the greatest things about 2011 so far has been that unlike 2010, it has provided me with an opportunity to enjoy the abundance of festivities that the bank holiday 'season' offers. It is around this time of the year that we are littered with those special little weekends that are every party-goers dream and every barman's nightmare, as I discovered last year. Easter Sunday was the first one to tackle, directly following the previous night at fabric and requiring some preparation before we were going anywhere. As always, London didn't exactly give us an easy decision to make, with Shoreditch and beyond crammed with appetizing line-ups. Despite the competition however, surely a free party, yes FREE party, headed by Nick Curly, Simon Baker, MANIK , Geddes, Glimpse and Alex Cellar at Rivington Studios/The Red Gallery couldn't possibly be ignored? The line-up rivaled any in town, but the extreme rarity of a free party in London tipped us, and hundreds of others over the edge. But before we negotiated that, it was Chris's turn to lose his Half Baked virginity...

I had been singing the praises of Half Baked for a long time. My first experience of the monthly Sunday afternoon party was right at the beginning of the year I believe, expecting very little as I ducked and stumbled my way through the low, narrow archways of what was formerly a car park on Fairchild Street, a remote turn off Shoreditch High Street. Ever since I have been well and truly beset by the simple philosophy of the operation. Of all East London's scruffy, heavily European, guestlist-only techno gatherings, Half Baked is without doubt the best. The rumbling stack of Funktion Ones, piss-smelling toilets and the constant shade of French accent in the 'chill-out' area gives the initial impression that HB is like any other of those kind of parties, but as I learned first impressions can be very misleading. Half Baked may have started out in such a way, but today it is a thriving hidden gem with excellent sound and impressive line-ups every time. This time Half Baked 'met' Bar 25, the tragically now defunct Berlin fantasyland party (imagine a cross between a child's playground/circus and Berghain), with Perlon's Matt John enlisted to provide the beats. The 'chill-out' area was appropriately decorated with various props in an attempt to recreate that Bar 25 'fantasy', so manikins, swings and weird 'confession booths' were deployed at the mercy of imagination. If it wasn't for the sweltering heat that resulted from the summery London weather that weekend, it would have been an almost flawless party. Resident Robin Ordell delivered a typically punchy warm-up set with all the Sunday classics (i.e. JJ's remix of Flash), before Matt John finished off with a quirky blend of percussive minimal and dub techno. As always, HB was the perfect way to finish off the weekend once a month, around familiar faces immersed in perfect beats and sound. This time it wasn't to be the final party however, as we made our way on foot to 'Love Not Money', the free party...

It's not like we had anything to 'lose', but the inevitable popularity of a free party with the likes of Nick Curly was always going to make things a little stuffy, but we didn't expect humidity like the Amazon during monsoon season. HB acted as a warning, but Rivington Studios was something else. I could actually feel the heat on my hands as I danced, sweat lathering our entire bodies as we tried our best to make the most of Geddes and Simon Baker's B2B set. I was determined to catch some of MANIK's live performance upstairs and Nick Curly's 4-6 set, but it just wasn't going to happen. It's nights like this when the practicality of warehouse spaces like Rivington Studios is exposed. Sure they usually make perfectly adequate venues for throwing no-frills underground raves, but when the British weather takes an unexpected turn for the better things beneath the streets of Shoreditch can get a little uncomfortable. Without proper air conditioning, ventilation or good access to drinking water, the power of the soundsystem can't ever make up for the simplest lack of utilities in a venue. For this reason we made a quick escape and found ourselves back where we started the weekend. Yes, back at fabric. It wasn't quite what we had in mind, but WYS! really did remind me how much of a great clubbing experience fabric is. Compared to Air London or even Half Baked, fabric was like a refrigerator, and very welcome one at that. Ironic really as that's pretty much what fabric once was.

Rewind back to December last year and it was time for John Digweed's legendary Christmas party at fabric. I can't realistically imagine how it could have been any better, with Diggers commanding Room One for over 6 hours at his peerless best. However, Paul Kalkbrenner was billed to perform live in Room Two but fell victim to the apparently apocalyptic British weather. Had the evergreen German producer made it, he could have somehow prised us away from Digweed's grasp in Room One. It was without doubt a very unfortunate loss, glossed over only by an exceptional English DJ at the top of his game elsewhere in the club. But fabric, always eager to please and seldom disappoint, continued their recent utility of the Thursday night at EC1 by opening up the main room just for Kalkbrenner, after a decent warm-up set from Dominik Eulberg, who would soon release his magnificent album Diorama. Paul Kalkbrenner is one of those figures in electronic music that 'needs no introduction'. Whether it's his prolific record as a producer of pioneering 'techno-pop' on BPitch Control or his role on screen in Berlin Calling, there will be a good reason why his name is at the very least familiar to you. It's also why the night at fabric dedicated to him sold out within a couple of days and was a sea of excitement inside the club. He delivered his three-hour set with all the smoothness and confidence you would expect from such an illustrious artist. There was a breezy, summery narrative to Kalkbrenner's approach, keeping things essentially techno, but never too serious. It was an effortless performance, music crafted by, and in the hands of, someone with an undiminished passion and devotion to the sound he's created. The soundsystem as always made easy work of handling the array of deep, complex basslines that were emitted, and the crowd were an educated army of Kalkbrenner devotees, lapping up every last morsel of bass before time was called shortly after 3am. fabric's recent succession of 'school-day' parties may cause havoc for those with Friday morning commitments, but when they're as good as this the sick notes will have to become increasingly original.

As so often is the case, I ended the month how it started, and usually continues throughout- at fabric. Cast your mind back to my last fabric watch and you will remember I forecast Saturday, April 30th as the pick of what was a string of heavyweight nights. Now I do not regret making that forecast, for I had very good reasons. For example, the main live act of the night, Benoit & Sergio are responsible for one of the cult tracks of the year so far in Walk and Talk; Marcell Dettmann not only claimed tenth position in RA's Top 100 DJ's of 2010, but is also one of Berghain's über-residents and finally, if Onur Özer's previous appearance at fabric was anything to go by then his gifted ability mixing Villalobosian minimal was surely an unmissable element of what would be an epic night? In theory yes, in reality it was far from the spectacle I envisaged. I'm not quite sure what went wrong. We missed B&S, but feedback from trustworthy friends suggest remarkably that it was 'awful', and while we did catch most of Özer's awkwardly allocated set, he seemed hell-bent on avoiding the style he is so naturally gifted at. His two hours of boring tech and deep house maintained little attention on the Room One dancefloor, which was scarily empty at such an early time. Of the people that were actually in the club, the majority collected in Room Two where Dettmann launched his classically German techno assault. If there was something to salvage from the night it was Dettmann's honesty as a DJ. While Özer experimented with a sound that none of his audience wanted, Dettmann did precisely the opposite, supplying a set entirely representative of why his name has become synonymous with the Berghain signature sound, to a crowd who wanted nothing other than that. Admittedly it was a little too pounding for me to hang around for long, but I left with little confusion as to why Dettmann is now such a formidable figure in the world of techno. Despite a rescue-mission set from Craig Richards in Room One to finish, I can't imagine he was spinning anything far beyond 8am.

If you haven't already guessed from out notable absence over the last few weeks (after an intense easter break of posting), me and Chris are faced with our final exam period this year so our attention has been somewhat divided recently. However, that's not to say we have always had our nose in 800-plus page books. Not only have we maintained our unrelenting attitude to looking for new music, we've also kept the weekends for ourselves and have experienced plenty of the weird and the wonderful over this festive period. Reviews and other things will be up shortly, but for now I'll leave you with my April chart to mull over.

1. Ultra Nate - Free (Ramon Tapia & Kabale Und Liebe Remix)


2. WhoMadeWho - Every Minute Alone (Seth Troxler & Tale of Us Dub Edit)


3. SebastiAn - Embody


4. Justice - Civilization


5. Tale of Us - Dark Song


6. Subb-Ann - What I do


7. Julio Bashmore - Ribble to Amazon


8. Gesaffelstein - Aufstand


9. Francesco Tristano - Idiosynkrasia (Tom Taylor & Paul Woolford Remix)


10. Seelenluft - Manila (Ewan Pearson Remix)