- It was almost midnight when I reached Room680. Expecting a queue since the presale tickets for tonight was almost sold out, I was pleasantly surprised to find the entry into the club fast and smooth with a free promotional Phreakin CD given at the door. The crowd was not packing it in just yet as I explored the sparsely populated main room.
The Phreakin crew did a good job of setting up the décor for the night. White projection screens flanked the left and right of the DJ booth, with psychedelic patterns dancing across the screens and the Phreakin logo popping up occasionally. White sheets stretched across the main stage and the sides. A platform was erected in the middle of the dance floor.
Tyson was at the decks, dishing out some smooth house beats at a slow tempo. A nicely done warm-up set, the track selection thoughtfully planned out, with deep, phat basslines echoing through the room. Slowly, the floor began to pack as more people arrived and the music picked up in tempo. Nearing the end of his set, Tyson dropped “Don’t You Love Me” – Sir Piers feat. Morique Bingham a fantastic vocal track which got people on the floor seriously grooving as the catchy lyrics came on.
Damian Laird took over next and proceeded to take the music direction into a harder and funkier style of house. This was the first time I’ve heard him play and it is pretty interesting how he occasionally merges electro/breaks into house music, deviating from the usual 4/4 sounds of house. By now the main room is packed, a very good turnout for the event. Halo Varga Dub of “All I Need” – Jay-J & Chris Lum was dropped and I danced away to the wicked beats of that track.
Francisco Foo were up next, with Shaun Green on his banks of equipment and synthesizers and Fin Waters on the saxophone. This was house music, 100% live! The experience was a definite first for me; I was astounded at the electrifying level of energy these guys churned out. Shaun Green pounded on constantly with the rhythm and phat bass from his equipment, while Fin Waters provided the perfect accompaniment on the sax with the sexy, soulful notes and jazzy twists. Cheering them on, the crowd went wild as the live act proceeded to deliver a flawless act.
Dropping by the side room for a quick look, the atmosphere here was more intimate and laidback with Brad Daniels playing a down-tempo mix of house/electro. The bar was very crowded as people milled around taking a breather from the energy of the main room.
Back into the main room, I bumped into Jay-J as he was making his way backstage and was invited backstage where I whipped out poster and camera for an autograph n photo session. Met Latrice Barnett backstage too, a lovely lady who was clearly enjoying herself dancing away to the ending of Francisco Foo’s set.
Taking over the helm amidst cheers from the crowd, Jay-J rocked the room with sounds of the West Coast house. Soulful and grooving with that touch of funk, the big man slapped on record after record building up the energy with deep house sounds. Peeking into his record bag, I saw quality house labels like Defected, Naked Music and his own Moulton Studios.
At 3.30am, a half hour into the set, Jay-J picked up the mic and introduced Latrice Barnett who came onstage and delivered a stunning vocal performance. Interacting with the crowd with Jay-J delivering the music, this diva brought the house down with her crystal clear voice. “Keep on Rising” – Jay-J & Latrice Barnett, “Without Love” – Chris Lum, Jay-J & Latrice Barnett and “Summertime” – Jay-J, were some familiar tracks she previously released which were delivered live here.
Overall, it was an excellent night, with some of the best house music I’ve heard in a while. Jay-J is indeed an extremely talented DJ, engineer and producer, giving consistent quality in his music. Francisco Foo are an extremely talented duo to look out for in the future.