- During ADE this year, Dekmantel proved themselves to be some of the best promoters not only in Amsterdam, but in any city, anywhere. Over the course of four nights they brought in an eclectic cast of artists—from Soul Clap to Moodymann to the Ostgut Ton crew—hosting all of them at MC Theatre, an "urban arts" venue which they tastefully repurposed into a club, complete with the excellent sound that's now their calling card.
The most interesting lineup of the weekend was on the Friday night, with artists from L.I.E.S. and Hessle Audio, plus Midland, Joy Orbison and KM / MM (Kassem Mosse and Mix Mup) among others. I rocked up around 1 AM and got stuck in right away in the first room, The North Sea Jazz Club, a simple space with room for maybe three hundred people. I couldn't see who was playing at first, but the music was classy and understated analog house. Little surprise it turned out to be Omar-S, who I'd forgotten was even on the lineup. The Detroit artist has a reputation for being better as a producer than as a DJ, but tonight he was clearly in the groove, gliding through a set that was, like his own records, subtle, punchy and full of personality. As usual, he leaned heavily on his own material, at one point juggling his classic "Day" with his excellent new one, "Nelson County."
It was tempting to just stick around with Omar all night, but after a while I decided to have a wander, and when I did I was surprised to discover an absolutely gigantic main room, kitted out with futuristic lights and a booth that looked like the bow of a yacht. Joy Orbison was playing the best set I'd ever heard from him. Normally I find him a bit trendy and too willing to fall back on anthems (especially his own), but here he sounded fresh and mysterious, nailing the big-room-peak-time vibe in a way no one else did that night. Ron Morelli was tucked away on the other side of this massive hall in a third room that, though a bit hard to find, was quite cool once you were inside. The raised booth and the wall behind it glowed in radiant yellows and reds—an interesting contrast to the L.I.E.S. chief's crunchy and monochrome beats, which were pleasing a crowd of about 30 whenever I passed through.
Pearson Sound, Ben UFO and Pangaea closed the night in the main room with a set that, though good over all, highlighted the growing pains these three seem to be going through. It was a back-to-back-to-back, something the trio had ostensibly stopped doing due to their increasingly different styles. Here they took turns every 15 minutes or so, and seemed stuck in second gear all night. If there was ever a time to reach for the bangers, this was it—3 AM to 6 AM in front of several hundred very up-for-it ravers—but Ben UFO and Pearson Sound stuck to records that would have better suited a place like Plastic People. Pangaea's scorched-earth techno was a bit more effective, but he too could have been more generous. It was hard to tell what was holding them back—could this have been evidence of their fading chemistry as a DJ trio? Either way, despite their somewhat underwhelming energy, they maintained the impressive standard for heady club music that defined the the night overall.