From: Jon Freer (jon-freer_at_excite.com)
Date: 2005-10-13 23:46:19
Jon Freer’s Club Reviews: Lights Down Low with Rainer Trüby & The Soul Jazz Soundsystem at .Zero Sheffield – 30th September 2005.
Getting in bed with a larger promoter is always a risky business, especially when that means putting on larger events than ever before. In this case, Chris Lowlife has taken an even bigger leap of faith, by joining up with those behind .Zero for a monthly party at their new monster sized venue known as Plug. However, this is at a time when Sheffield’s formerly beleaguered danceries are looking strong than they have done for a long time. This is because they have been given that long needed kick up the posterior, typified by spicing up of the former Po Na Na venue, now called Sutra, and the work of the .Zero crew. Instead of just giving their one roomed 500 or so capacity space a spring clean, they have invested a huge amount of cash, giving the city a brand spanking new three roomed multi-purpose music space. Plug certainly has the capacity to succeed, with the stellar line-ups of clued up local heads and hot out of town guests set to seduce the clubbing and gig going
populace of the city and beyond. By letting various club promoters take over a room on a monthly basis, Plug are looking to maximise the amount of punters they’ll appeal to, and thus providing them with a real diversity on any given weekend night. Therefore, this event at .Zero, a week before the venue’s magical transformation, perhaps signified engagement, rather than tying the knot. The real test for the LDL and Plug musical marriage will no doubt come at the end of October, with the visit of NY re-edit don Danny Krivit to Plug, whilst Landan Dubby Tech-Housers Terry Francis and Nathan Coles battle it out in an adjacent room.
On this occasion, Chris Lowlife warmed up with a mixture of discoid groovers, housey hitters and lilting reggaed cuts including Supafix’s hypnotic “Jom Song”. Bemusingly, Lowlife’s performance was followed by a two-hour performance from the Soul Jazz Soundsystem, presided over by a talkative MC. Their set of bountiful reggae, full throttle funk and flying D&B seemed to impress the majority of the crowd, but one can’t help wondering if it would have made more musical sense to put them on before Chris and German beat master Rainer Trüby. Mr. Trüby finally took to the decks at two, spinning a House minded set of attention holding grooves, which contained a surprisingly large number of Bangin’ Tech-House numbers and dangerously acidifed cuts. He also put a few storming broken beat number into the mix, which included Osunlade’s captivating “Gwotet” and IG Culture’s brutal revision of Lekan Babalola’s “Asokere”.
The music at this event on final Friday in September was impressive and the agreeable atmosphere was undoubtedly enhanced by Tamsin’s tremendous décor job. However, this event certainly didn’t feel like a vintage Lights Down Low party and it was never really going to. This is not a criticism, but merely a statement of fact. The original small LDL parties have a unique atmosphere, created by the sweaty low-ceilingled surrounds, friendly crowd and a musical soundtrack made up of tried and tested records from Chris’ own box and those of local spinners who understand what makes those hot nights at UTB so exhilarating. Therefore, monthly, these large-scale events, mark the start of a new chapter in the LDL book, and give Lowlife the flexibility of having fun with big name deck operatives at Plug, but then also able to return to his roots, and put on those small magical parties at DNR Live (fka UTB).
Jon Freer(jon.freer_at_gmail.com)
*Website: www.mosoul.co.uk.
*Freelance journalist.
Publications include -
Keep On Magazine
Blues & Soul Magazine
City Life Magazine
Blowback Magazine
Rant Magazine
cratertech.com
pitchadjust.com
manchesterunderground.com
beyondjazz.net
mundovibes.net
deephousenetwork.com
skansen.no
radiozerogravity.net
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