- As you would expect, getting into one of London’s most swanky venues is no mean feat. With looks that could kill at fifty paces, the door-staff at The Cross evidently save their smiles for Christmas and weddings. Nonetheless, once through the door, the senses are instantly filled by chic and sultry beats and the cluttered bohemian décor of The Cross’s low-slung arches. This club is all but a London landmark and home to the almighty Renaissance.
Each room in The Cross fosters its own atmosphere – the intimate eclecticism of the bar, room two’s good-time glitz, and the intense abyss of the main room. Secretaries-choice Sonny Wharton ably fronted room two with his energetic mix of sexy uplifting house, which kept the embers smouldering long into the night, but with Desyn Masiello purportedly double-booked, it was left to Nic Fanciulli to fuel the fires of the main room alone.
The smart and sexy grooves of Fanciulli’s opening tracks floated outside to the gorgeous Balearic courtyard, gradually coaxing the crowd into the steamy interior. His early tracks were casual and unhurried but laid the foundations for the impending furore. Gradually the pace quickened, and stylish house swelling into a torrent of jacking house and smooth hypnotic techno. Elements of Alcatraz’s anthemic ‘Give Me Love’ were fused with minimal-monster ‘Erotic Discourse’ as Fancuilli worked the system, tactfully layering tracks and manipulating the sound.
By 4 a.m. the hazy room was dense with bodies riveted by Fanciulli’s compelling blend of electrifying house and techno. As the set undulated, sparse beats mushroomed into epic drawn-out breakdowns, and fluid driving techno dissolved into sophisticated electrohouse. As the end approached, the stern bass and stripped rhythms of Carl Craig’s mix of ‘Falling Up’ by Theo Parrish coursed through the crowd, and Sebastian Leger’s inspired mix of Inner City’s ‘Say Something’ lit up the room, its timeless soulful vocals erupting into a mix of acidic synths and classic piano-led beats.
Although perhaps not a journey through the genres, Fancuilli’s set was a satisfying blend of 4/4 styles, building from deep, groovy house to muted minimal and ruthless techno. So many DJs try to execute a ‘soundscape’ mix and fail miserably, but Fancuilli’s original and engaging selection was both diverse and balanced, the pace and sound repeatedly shifting, but never losing momentum. The Cross is undoubtedly one of the best clubs in the UK, and as an imaginative and perceptive DJ, Fancuilli is certainly one of its finest jocks.