In recent months and years it has been impossible to hide from the increasingly bleak outlook for London’s clubbing scene. Many have closed voluntarily (Plastic People), been forced to shut (Fabric) and some been burnt down (Studio 338). Having recently moved back to London from University where I discovered this scene I have been on lookout for top nights on offer in the capital.
When the hydra released their winter lineup at Studio Spaces, a club of which I’d heard very positive reviews, my friends and I jumped on the opportunity to see some of our favourite DJs (Ben UFO on 28/10 and Moodymann/Omar S on 26/11).
All night sets are becoming an increasingly popular way of branding a night, a large contrast from the loaded lineups common at clubs across the country on a couple of years ago. Many view this as a positive move especially for the kinds of selectors on show in the capital every week. Ben UFO was a must see and did not disappoint, providing the best set I’d seen this year. The sound system was able to do justice to the mixture of genres on offer while filling the eerily confined warehouse space.
The selection, as usual was on point from the DJ...
…with the 7 hour time slot allowing him to pace himself and play whatever he liked without a rush. Starting the evening with some dub, before getting into his usual mixture of breakbeat and techno with disco and soul edits interspersed. In a set of this length it was essential to keep the crowd on their toes which Ben did through tracks such as Mood Hut – Better and MxMS – Other Life Dub. It was honestly a set to behold which you really had to be there to understand. The kind where the vast majority of the crowd stay till close. More sets of this ilk would be befitting of a magnificent club and promoters who curate lineups full of only the finest DJs.
Be sure to get yourself to one of these nights soon, and look out for some more of Hydra’s amazing lineups. All image credit goes to Resident Advisor, available here https://www.residentadvisor.net/photo-gallery.aspx?set=49552
Here’s a list to some of the tracks we managed to hunt down while hunger on Saturday:
Etch - Toxin
Black Cock - Jucy Sushi
Bruce - I'm Alright Mate [Timedance]
Mood Hut - Better
Karizma - Darqness
Pangaea - Bear Witness - HFT005
MxMS - Other Life Dub
Mala - Alicia