Recent releases from Danilo Plessow, AKA Motor City Drum Ensemble, have come on both his own Raw Cuts imprint and respected old hats alike. His 2020 and Four Roses offerings are a refreshing master class in analogue sounding, heads down, driving intoxication. These, combined with the Resident Advisor podcast available late last year, have given me with a gratifyingly soul-infused impression of the Stuttgart born 24-year old and left me salivating at the thought of the recent Cutloose night.
My enthusiasm was temporarily crippled as disappointing news of severe cold and financial flu-stricken friends found its way to me. Ever the optimist, I rallied a loose rabble of friends, some of whom were still recoiling from the night before, and took to the mean streets of Manchester shortly after 11:00 PM.
Photo credit: Mark Webster & Lucy Sugden-Smith
The number of excitable punters rose steadily after our arrival, culminating in a respectable showing by the midnight hour. The crowd on a Cutloose night appears to have a communal urge for locked groove rioting and the enjoyment that such chaos invariably incurs. Their ungraceful yet enviable approach to a Friday night is something to behold as a cross section of the city's well versed house enthusiasts embraces faces new. It would be unfair to mention other nights in this review but the work being done to revive the once unshakeable Manchester scene should be applauded and embraced.
I was unable to name the residents on show, partly due to my wavering grip on reality, brought on by a seductive cocktail that I engulfed shortly before heading out. One name does stand out though: Mark Webster, a former Sankeys resident. In conjunction with my first visit to the monthly musical romp, the early sounds excited and enticed. The Cutloose signature, to me, is an unpretentious one that reminds me of back room parties far superior to their main room rivals, as I'm sure I've said before.
Photo credit: Mark Webster & Lucy Sugden-Smith
The next three hours were steered by Plessow who played undisputed classics such as Inner City's "Big Fun," Kerri Chandler and many more, which are now lost in a tangled web of heart warming memories. His track selection was far reaching taking in lesser known rarities such as the Richie Hawtin's remix of "Motor Bass Get Phunked Up," straight from the vaults of 1994. Home brewed MCDE productions caused the greatest stir, which is unsurprising when you hear how each of them takes on a new life when thundered out of a bass heavy system. Unrelentingly, he marched on and finished with Carl Craig's remix of "Tides" and sly bass shuffling, elbow-raising black slabs.
A captivating atmosphere clung to the night like the floor did to my shoes. The sound system at times almost tore my eardrums apart, which may be down to it being tuned for live acts as opposed to DJs. But as the highs dropped and basslines rolled, the good times kept on coming. An invigorating night on all accounts, anyone that hasn't yet experienced a Cutloose of their own should make sure they make it down next month.
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