- James Murphy's post-LCD Soundsystem career could hardly be more consistently intriguing, and Despacio, the 50,000-watt built-for-vinyl soundsystem he developed with 2ManyDJs, is currently the jewel in its crown. Murphy and the Dewaele brothers have been touring their bespoke creation to rave reviews since late last year. Tonight was the first of two sold-out shows at The Roundhouse, and it followed on from Despacio's raucous three-night London debut at Hammersmith Palais just before Christmas. This time, Murphy and the younger of the Dewaele brothers, Stephen, held court for six hours.
Mr. Fingers' "Can You Feel It" graced my entrance into Despacio's panorama of sound. The sight of seven 3.5 metre-high McIntosh speaker stacks and cooly glowing blue amps made for a visually arresting first impression, with a constellation of lights dotted above the dance floor as a gigantic mirrorball slowly revolved. Murphy and Dewaele were hidden away from most of the crowd, their booth positioned at ground height between two stacks—it took me over an hour to figure out where they were.
Larry Heard's 1986 classic "Can You Feel It?" manages to sound contemporary and lustrous wherever it's played, but hearing it on this lovingly crafted, almightily powerful rig was something else. It jumped out of the speakers, every frequency in the track vibrantly conveyed without feeling overpowering or strained, bathing the crowd in deliciously plump bass frequencies. No electronic track sounded better all night. That said, the Despacio system was at its most captivating when bringing to life classic high-production pop records. "Another One Bites The Dust" emerged with such power and nuance, that you imagine even Queen, with their multi-million pound studios, never heard it sound this good.
Dewaele fell into his trademark mash-up style in the poppier sections, reminding us why 2ManyDJs were so fun in the first place. Ace's "How Long," thrown into a joyous embrace with Justus Köhncke's "Timecode," was a highlight. The mixing from both parties was impressive, especially considering the unwieldy (or rather, unquantised) nature of most of their records. The night peaked with a crescendo of guttural electro and zesty techno, with Carl Craig's remix of "Revelee" sounding truly monstrous.
Unfortunately the flow of the night left something to be desired, with the last hour not delivering the rousing finale one might have hoped for. But this is a relatively minor gripe. It's not often you get the chance to enjoy a rave-up in such an iconic venue as The Roundhouse, and even less so with such a unique soundsystem in tow. Murphy and Dewaele brought us up close and personal to some incredible tracks throughout the night, and it's an experience that I'd recommend to any audiophile—or simply someone who wants to hear some classic music in all its glory.