- Walking down the eerily lit tunnel to SEOne on London Bridge, I wondered if I was witnessing a late night mirage: The air was sticky and people were in the masses. As one body seemed to merge into another, we were told that because of last week's shooting, security was tighter than ever and that's why the queue to the venue was much larger than normal.
Unfazed we hopped in line and soaked up the atmosphere, which was electric. Spirits were high and it was refreshing to see so many people bouncing off each other's enthusiasm. I could hear debates about who was going to deliver best from the M_nus crew and I even heard one guy shout out "All hail King Richie Hawtin." In true style, fans were out wearing "I love Richie Hawtin" t-shirts and instead of saying "cheese" with every group photo, tonight it was "Richiieeeee." It honestly felt like we were off to meet the royal family of techno.
Celebrating ten years of Hawtin's M_nus imprint, the night was to be a rotating showcase of the roster's artists: Magda, Troy Pierce, Marc Houle, Heartthrob, Gaiser and, of course, Mr Hawtin. This wasn't going to be a typical night of just one set after another, though: Contakt's goal is to put the artists in collaboration with one another as much as possible. I'd spent the last few days investigating what the night was going to entail and all over the web, techno enthusiasts were gearing up for a musical experience borne out of improvisation and spontaneity. After some heavy frisking and a thirty-minute wait, I was raring to find out what they really meant.
This was my first time at the cavernous old rave venue and there was a lot to explore. With five rooms and a 3,000 capacity, it was a basic set up with some wonderful design elements to please the eye. Psychedelic coloured shapes draped off the ceiling and provided some key entertainment for the night. At 5 AM, I was lucky enough (?) to see one of the huge orange balls fall off the ceiling on to some boy's head. Unalarmed, he seemed chuffed with his new orange sombrero, attracting attention from onlookers. I was almost jealous.
We started the night off with one of the newest faces to emerge from the M_nus crew- Gaiser. His music was deep, controlled and progressive with a bottom end thick enough to slice. The calm before the storm, there was finesse and seduction in his rhythm. Everyone was loving him and, yes, the dance floor was packed to the point where it was hard to move, but you soon found your own shape/space.
Later, Magda and Troy Pierce worked beautifully together. My friend said they inhabited a tribal techno sound. Looking around, she was right—everyone was dancing low, interacting with the pink and green visuals, which were a vibrant contrast to their unusual fusion of sounds. Magda really caught my eye on the night; she had a trickster charm that was completely endearing. By 3 AM, things got really busy: At times there would be five DJs on stage at once, but the beatmatching went on flawlessly, even if the crowd couldn't be sure exactly who was doing what.
When Hawtin appeared in the middle of his M_nus friends, the night rose to a whole new level. If I could use three words to describe his set it would be rhythm, passion and speed. He appeared unemotional, but his tunes were irresistible. ("The Tunnel" being a personal favourite.) A fearless leader, he was taunting the crowd with the quirkiest noises—you couldn't help but turn to the person next to you and laugh. It was hard drum techno all the way and it pounded so vigorously across the room that my organs were playing musical bumps inside.
By this point too, The Cube was in full swing with the crowd's names and messages flashing across the screen. These were a lot tamer than I'd expected; there were no sudden discoveries of the meaning of life. Instead, I saw "Hello from Portugal" and "Keep Smiling!" I love Hawtin's attempt in creating a synergy between music and technology, but I have to admit that after so much hype I had anticipated The Cube to look different. Those at the back clearly missed out on one of the main features for the night, as it was only possible to see it if you were lucky enough to be in the front.
I saw Richie Hawtin for the first time this summer at Field Day. He was legendary then, but to see him with the rest of the Minus crew was even better. It was a visual and musical experience that I would recommend to anyone. Just make sure you're mentally prepared for those visuals. It's now three days later, and I'm still struggling to see straight.
Photo credit: Nik Torrens