December 11, 2018
It may have been raining, causing puddles to block parts of the queue, but excitement was in the air as revellers entered The Cause, Tottenham’s new club capital. Once an old car-mechanic depot, the club has maintained a minimal and industrial aesthetic. Clouds of smoke, floated around the main room, whilst strobes simultaneously stab through, revealing the headsy crowd.
This then, was the perfect setting for the night’s selectors - some of the most exciting names in underground dance music. Heading up the night was Skee Mask, responsible for one of the albums of the year, ‘Compro', and an incredible DJ in his own right. Affiliated with Illian Tape, his music and selections are often murky, with broken and glitchy drum patterns. His set was a reflection of this, blending tracks with pacy, disjointed beats, on top of grainy textures. Across two hours, Skee Mask, melted the minds of the entire packed out room. Like a puppet-master, he controlled the crowd, taking them to unknown destinations. The 25-year-old, has the ability to suddenly switch up his set in a meticulous manner, without it sounding out of place or pretentious.
Fast paced electro formed a large part of Skee Mask’s set. However, all corners of the sphere were reached, representing techno, jungle, hip-hop and grime. Throughout the night, the crowd were incredibly receptive and up-for-it. I recall a sea of hands, (notably with a complete lack of phones) reach for the ceiling, as Aquarian’s, bass fuelled, ‘Hydropulse’ dropped. Maintaining the pace, whilst shifting the vibe in a funkier, more left-field direction, was DJ Paypal’s, ‘You Got Me’.
Presented by Unbound Events, the rest of the line up did not disappoint, locking in Afrodeutsche and Bruce. The latter also crafted one of 2018’s best albums, ‘Sonder Somatic’, which showcases the Bristolian’s signature UK-influenced techno sound, boasting incredible sound design. The man heavily associated with Timedance, perfectly teed up Skee Mask, serving up dance floor heaters with thumping power. Taking the reigns after Skee Mask, was British born, Ghanaian/Russian/German, Afrodeutsche. Her selections nod to Drexciyan electro, whilst infusing UK techno, keeping the crowd alive until the small hours of Saturday morning.
Room 2 provided even heavier music, showcasing the dark and electric sounds of Berlin. All night, tracks, with pulsating kick drums, rarely dipped below 130BPM, and tested the club’s sound system. 6AM came too fast. But the night did not disappoint, with all DJs bringing their A game, demonstrating the depths of their record collections. The crowd were left musically mind-boggled and of course, very sweaty.
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