- The Faktion crew have been staging serious players from the techno and dubstep underground since early this year, but I doubt any of their line-ups have provoked such keen anticipation as Bodycode and Shed. (It certainly didn't hurt that the School of Sound is a great place for quality music, removed from the city centre and without the pomp of dedicated, commercial clubs.)
Faktion resident Padrow, playing before Portable/Bodycode, built the momentum nicely with an entertaining set. If the mixing lacked something, the selection and set building were impressive, with electro and techno across styles and eras all slotting into place.
There's something special about the sound of Portable/Bodycode (perhaps we should just call him Alan?) Maybe this has something to do with a unique history that's seen him take his music from Cape Town, South Africa, to London, before settling in Lisbon, Portugal. Somehow he manages to forge a sound that seems equal parts acid house 1989 and experimental techno 2004 that pulses with organic life, stomping like an unleashed—though rather friendly—beast. His use of a mic to perform and dub the vocals to tracks like "Don't Give Up" was a pleasing touch that pushed against the norm of the oh-so-not-live set. His composition's strong harmonic and melodic content made this a lively and captivating performance.
Shed is currently in the midst of a number of dates in support of Shedding the Past. His debut saw him expand and refine his sound palette to make something of a zeitgeist album, which has been widely acclaimed. With this set focused largely on his Ostgut material tonight, however, those who loved the primal deep techno and house stylings of his Soloaction releases were left a little frustrated.
The first half of Shed's set was all about suspense and tension-building, with basic elements deployed to maximum effect: taut beats sparred with pristine breakdowns, bass drum drops were teasingly withheld. But in the last half-hour, the dancers were given their rightful prize, the beats rising until Shed's old school sound broke through with the Ostgut bomb "Warped Mind." Whilst parts of his set were received with heads nodding rather than limbs flailing, the applause as he finished showed that Shed's appearance was very much appreciated.