- After a flurry of disparate responses to their last collaborative showcase at East London's Oval Space, there was a sense that seasoned promotional outfits Black Atlantic and Love Fever had it all to prove last Saturday night. Having confirmed a 6 AM license prior to the event, alongside the promise of improvements made to both the ventilation and sound systems, the stage was all but set for the return of Moodymann to London.
Prepping proceedings for the Detroit luminary was South Londoner Wbeeza, whose mixed bag of homegrown tribal offerings acted as the perfect conduit for the energy emanating between his own upright, upbeat self and the dance floor. In all honesty, the sound during his set was somewhat lacking, with many of the room's designated speakers seemingly out of action. As the increasingly sizeable crowd huddled ever closer to the booth, Wbeeza moved things in a techier direction, only to ease back into smoother, jazzier territory as Moodymann's hour approached.
Given his proclivity for facial concealment, it's more often than not that Kenny Dixon Jr's low-slung US drawl that asserts his arrival. Donning a bandana and what can only be described as a cut-out cardboard mask, Moodymann wasted no time in dedicating his set to J-Dilla, whose Dillatroit came out in May on Moody's own Mahogoni Music imprint. Seguing poignantly into "Workinonit" from the late producer's Donuts album, the dance floor responded with heartfelt rapture. What followed was, as ever, a patchwork of sounds and styles. Kicking off with slow, heavily percussive house, giving the atmosphere a live, almost gig-like feel, Moody steadily edged his way into tougher terrain, with Conant Gardens Posse's remix of "S.E.X" by fellow Detroiter Omar-S a particularly heady highlight. Right on cue, several of the previously defunct speakers burst into action, generating sharp, widespread clamours of approval.
Moodymann's spark as a performer lies in his ability to forge varied and striking musical moments, transporting crowds across genres with effortless conviction. After a smattering of upront funk and disco, including Carl Craig's spacey remix of "Use Me" by Tom Trago, Moody surprised us all by closing with one of his own tracks, a deep, techy cut from his highly anticipated new LP, complete with rather baffling, quasi-'90s progressive house intro. Despite a slightly muted start, the party found its feet as the night progressed, with Moodymann, and Wbeeza, fully bringing the funk to the building. With a similarly astute booking policy and some better luck with the speaker stacks, it's clear that Black Atlantic and Love Fever could form one of London's most formidable promotional partnerships.