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PHOTEK RECORDS LAUNCH PARTY - REVIEW

With competition from In.Session on the same night, Future Thinkin had a tough task ahead of itself to pack out Club Colosseum at their event Traffic. However, while In.Session provided some everyday DJ names alongside some lesser known artists, Traffic had a trump card up its sleeve. None other than the break scientist himself, Photek, was on the bill; in fact the event was a relaunch party for Photek Recordings with two 12’s to be released the Monday after.

Colosseum is a great venue, with plush decor, great sound system and an unsurpassed environment in London to dance in all night – Traffic was looking good from the off. Arriving around 11:30pm, we were greeted with a very healthy looking queue. Might seem like a chore for those in it, but for Future Thinkin it must have been a reassuring sign so early on.

Straight up to the main arena, DM CUT and Danny Exile were on the decks with MC System and vocalist I-One on the mic, collectively making up Future Thinkin`s `Inner Circle` residents. Mixing it up hard and smooth they worked through the different flavors of drum and bass with ease. The dancefloor was already pretty lively with everyone responding to the music. System was keeping the chats minimal and clear while I-One was giving us a taste of her vocals, and after a quick volume change her vocals were crystal clear and prominent in the mix. A nice touch from a few promoters now, I definitely think a vocalist adds to the vibe excellently. DM and Danny were mixing the whole set with precision while still keeping an eye on the dancefloor.

Replacing Roni Size was DJ Die – to some not a great replacement on paper, but he showed to be more than his worth. Coming with a typical Full Cycle-style set, laying down the dark and dirty basslines but keeping it jumpy at the same time. Recognizable tunes were few and far between, which made for an interesting hour. The crowd really enjoyed this set, with enough to please the heads as well as the raver. Moose was on the mic by this time, giving a typical energetic performance and keeping the rewinds to a bare minimum. He lifted the vibe nicely and flowed off Die’s crisp mixing.

The man of the night took to the DJ box for the hours of 2:30–3:30. The night was about to take a turn for the darker. With the CD deck now about to take action, Photek took Traffic to a whole different level with his trademark tight, crisp beats. Whether or not he was previewing forthcoming tracks (ID’ing this set would be anyone’s nightmare!) the mixing was on point, the CDs and vinyl were spinning and the whole arena was full to the brim with people enjoying it. From the head nodder to the out and out dance lunatic, the place was buzzing off Photek, with MC Mojo taking to the mic to keep the vibe alive, although there was little chance it dying. All we can hope for is hearing this kind of drum and bass more often.

Goldie. Love him or hate him, he has a presence rarely surpassed in drum and bass. For the next hour the club was to be entertained by the superstar of the scene. Slipping in with a very Metalheadz style selection, this was Goldie at his best. He read the crowd brilliantly, continuing where Photek had left off. The highlight of the set come was the rewound ‘Going In’ by Danny C. This smashed the whole venue to bits, twice.

Last but not least, to keep the whole place vibing until the very last moment, up stepped Doc Scott with, long time no see, MC Justiyc. Another legendary producer giving it the Metalheadz style selection, with some nice liquid to begin the set. Love Thing, Lover were among the liquid tracks on show. Justiyc proved he hasn’t lost any of his ability to keep the party alive, while shutting up at the right moments. This was a partnership to reckon with, Justiyc bouncing off Doc Scott and only twice calling: ”Scotty, that’s gotta go back.”

This was the first Traffic I attended, and it won’t be the last. A great crowd of friendly music lovers, a sound system that didn’t fluctuate all night long, a DJ line up second to none, and most of all new music/dubs being played most of the night, all entwined with a few anthems.

Although this night was about Photek, EVERY DJ was on point, not just with the selection but also with the mixing.

I recommend anyone bored with the usual line-ups, week in, week out, to get themselves down to Traffic. Full respect to Future Thinkin for sticking their necks out and do something a little different.

Review by Matt Wilsher (Wilsh)

With thanks to Shylo, Phokus & Kymatic