Very few nights gain the immediate approval of the group. Schedule and taste are often an issue, however, when this night was released the decision was unanimous. A lineup of true diggers and selectors, who are able to keep the crowd on their toes all night long through their eclectic selections.
The night began with the equally weird and wonderful house selections of the Pender Street Steppers. The club was relatively empty until 12:30 due to the queuing issues around their “before 12am” tickets, however the atmosphere and vibe of the club quickly went from non-existent to buzzing past this point. There was little easing into the evening as the Penders played banger after banger. Many of the tracks they played will remain unidentified, which could be viewed as a positive or negative. On one side there will be no reminiscing as the memory of their set fades, however you know that you will be in store for just as much of a treat next time as they put so much effort into finding and selecting their records.
Being the first time i’d seen David Moufang aka Move D, he did not disappoint. Seemingly playing solely on vinyl (as usual), both his selections and mixing were spot on, making full use of the Oval Space sound system which was able to handle the bass and punchy kicks. There were few tracks I recognised from himself or PSS, leading to a very enjoyable experience as the crowd were introduced to lesser known gems. Highlights from Move D included Krystal Klear’s “Squad Part II” and Scott Groove’s “Finished”.
In all honesty the night and DJs had blurred into one by the time that Fred P came on at around 5am. This being due to the carefully curated lineup, which produced enough musical diversity without creating a disjointed feeling. The sign of Fred P on the decks was the shift to a deep, slightly wonkier sound, perfect for the early hours of the morning. One of the likes of Seelow – KKid_V2 off of the brilliant Ilian Tape 10th Anniversary Compilation.
This night was up there with the best I have experienced over the past 12 months. The DJs played great tunes that were really brought to life through the Oval Space soundsystem. The crowd and DJs fed off of each other’s energy, producing a great atmosphere. Luckily, the Mantissa crew will have another chance to see Move D at Sunfall, as for the other two acts, please come back to London sooner rather than later.
Be sure to check out some of the tracks we’ve digged out below under the relevant DJ…
Written by James Acquaye Nortey-Glover
Pender Street Steppers
Move D
Fred P