- If you know anything about Bank Holiday parties in the North of the UK, then you know that one party has well and truly dominated for a few years now: The Technique and Asylum Garden Party. This year, however, two of Leeds' heavyweight promoters, System and Louche, teamed up for a special shindig that was set to challenge the hegemony. System and Louche host monthly events at local venue Mint Club. System has a slightly older following and leans more towards the techno end of the spectrum. For two years now, they've hosted Sven Vath's Cocoon In The Park. Louche is a more youthful night that swings towards house music from the likes of Seth Troxler. With their powers combined, the party promised to span two venues, 15 hours, and feature Losoul, Pedro and Martin Buttrich.
As I entered the daytime venue, however, I was a bit apprehensive. The Nation of Shopkeepers isn't well-known for hosting danceathons such as these. It's more of an indie bar where you might pop in and have a few beers after work. I shouldn't have worried. Walking out onto the terrace area, I was faced with six Funktion One cones and a resident DJ putting them to full use with the eerie vocals of Guy Gerber's "Hate/Love." The numbers seemed a little thin, with most people relaxing inside. It was early days, though, and the terrace looked well equipped to match whatever the weather threw at it; heaters and overhead covers were in place in case the weather turned really sour.
Photo credit: Ian G Ramsay
Losoul stepped up to the plate at about 6:30 PM, and soon the terrace area began to fill. And by about 7 PM the place seemed to spring to life, as if the music had been cranked up about ten notches. "Did you hear about the Technique & Asylum Garden Party? Apparently it's dead" went plenty of conversations. And whether those rumours were true or not, it felt like I was suddenly part of a loyal System & Louche following in a heated competition with the party across town. Losoul began to bring the tempo up as the light began to fade.
It was dark when I found myself finally surrounded by a melee of grins and fist pumps. The closing of Losoul's set of groove-flecked tech house was met with raucous applause. Pedro took the reins next. It was my first time seeing one of the A:rpia:r boys solo; he looked almost lonely. It conveyed in the music, which pushed a few people to the inside room where residents from local night Cognosco were whirling up a bit of storm. I followed suit and headed inside.
We soon headed over to the second venue System & Louche had in their itinerary; the notorious Mint Club. In no time we were dancing under a spectrum of LEDs only matched by those of the infamous Watergate. Losoul was at the turntables again, doing a stellar job of unifying a dance floor filled with many that had already been partying for almost eight hours.
Photo credit: Alicja Bo Debicka
There was a break in the music after his set before the rabble turned to the stage on the left in a surprisingly regimented manner. There, Martin Buttrich towered over the crowd with a vast selection of weapons in front of him, ready to deliver his live performance. By this point, Mint Club was full with people in differing mental states. But Buttrich's show gave them the focus that was needed. His two hour tech-driven set was precise: It was never too long before the 4/4 came back and reunited the easily distracted minds in front of him. I had seen him warm up for Loco Dice and Luciano in Barcelona, but this was something different. The beats were hard-edged, well-defined and relentless. It was Buttrich as headliner. He got involved as well, shifting from side to side, his head shaking in time to the rhythms he was creating—a pleasurable contrast to live acts that stagnate behind their computer screens.
I left shortly after Buttrich stepped down from the stage. After 12 hours of stomping, I was more than satisfied. If System and Louche continue to team up like this, there will be some serious competition for the throne of the can't-miss Bank Holiday party in Leeds next year.