Often us Northerners in the UK can feel mildly shunned, watching as our Southern counterparts are awash with inspirational electronic abundance. Large-scale nights grace the scenes of London and Bristol, while (for the majority of the year) we must stand by, snarling amidst a green-eyed smog of envious lust. However, the eagerly anticipated Warehouse Project rolls around each year—weekly through October to January—and brandishes an impressive lineup that showcases the finest delicacies that the world of electronic music has to offer.
To kick off proceedings for the 2012 season, The Warehouse Project joined forces with London's seminal radio station Rinse FM. With a bass-heavy cast reminiscent of a Rinse timeline through the years, the bill spanned from early day curators like Uncle Dugs, through innovators such as Skream and Plastician, right through to the pioneering future beats of Ben UFO, Jackmaster and Roska.
Upon entering Warehouse Project's new space we were solemnly greeted by a smouldering musk that beautifully echoed the cavernous warehouse's Victorian history. Two rows of colossal steel columns ran (what seemed like endlessly) from one end of the room to the other, adding further to the venue's impressive authenticity. Come 11:30 PM, though, with Oneman at the helm, all the steel girders and intricate Victorian brickwork in the world couldn't stop the place from shaking. Unleashing an invigorating 40 minute skewer of the meatiest grime, dubstep and drum & bass peppered with a succulent assortment of house, garage and disco, Oneman flaunted his eclectic hard drive, causing the odd reveller to drop to their knees in pure admiration.
A short shuffle through some bleak corridors, and we were greeted by the largest room in the house—an expansive, arena-style warehouse evocative of a desolate aircraft hangar. Monstrous, rust splattered iron beams stretched across the entire ceiling, which had been donned with a selection of dusty spotlights and stark strobes that blitzed the concrete floor beneath. Filling out the space with ease, Skream fired out his usual blend of dark and disturbing dubstep and instrumental grime speckled with a frivolous concoction of crack house and techy beats that saw the crowd bobbing and weaving.
The undeniable delight of the entire experience though, came courtesy of room 3. A tighter and more intimate setting, everybody here seemed dedicated to the music and were certainly spoilt for choice with the likes of Baauer, Dismantle and Icicle on the roster. With clusters of seating where people could sit and simply enjoy, the music ranged from intelligent drum & bass, through to futuristic house and brashly broken hip-hop—a perfect rounding off to a wonderful night.
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