- Since launching in 2013, 1080p has released more than 50 cassettes. The Vancouver label finally made the jump to vinyl earlier this year, reissuing Project Pablo’s I Want To Believe EP, a record that sold out in minutes. A month later, the Canadian collective hit the road, embarking on a European tour. On Friday, October 9th, they stopped in Berlin.
The party took place at Chesters, a dingy hangout on the border between Kreuzberg and Neukölln. It's one of a growing number of venues in the area hosting in-vogue label parties for small, artsy crowds (others include Sameheads, Loophole and Ohm.) The venue has a lot of personality: friendly bouncers, a dancer's pole, and a smoker’s corner that is all but ignored by punters.
I arrived early, primarily to escape the cold, but I also wanted to catch Berlin mainstay Dan Bodan. If you've ever heard Bodan's productions, it probably won't surprise you that he pretty much played what he wanted. Patrice Rushen's "Haven't You Heard" was his grooviest cut, but he also dropped some revved-up R&B, spatterings of techno and a rock tune that I never stood a chance of recognising. As wide-ranging as his set was, it teed up Project Pablo nicely, and the floor began to fill.
Pablo opened with some pretty ordinary disco, but a patient transition into House Of Doors' "Starcave" quickly got feet moving. Things then got heavier, as Pablo threw in some muted cowbells and fluttering basslines. He closed out his set with Etienne De Crecy’s "Prix Choc." At this point, Max McFerren jumped in, overlaying a wonky electro number with pinpoint precision. I’m not sure the crowd even noticed it happen.
McFerren then fired off a puzzling blend of matte electro, wrought acid and IDM, his mixing remaining impressively on point throughout. It was probably the best set of the night, and enough to keep me there longer than I'd originally planned. Eventually, I took myself home, giving a weary nod to the bouncer on my way out.