- "Yeah, here we go, we're at Club Tape, got my man David with me, makin' history once again!" Jus-Ed lets out one of his deep chuckles, and Move D returns to the mixer with a wide grin on his face. Switching from his video camera to the mic, Ed says, "Alright Berlin, don't worry about a thing..."
Frankly, I could use the encouragement. It's 1:00 AM on a cold, wet night and I'm on the far side of town with work the next morning. Leaving my apartment at 11:30, the urge to stay at home had struck me more than once. But Move D and Jus-Ed's so-called "Jam Session" had seemed too good to pass up, even if I only stuck around for a couple of drinks. Luckily, the duo are doing their job perfectly: though the dance floor's only half-full, the party itself is in full swing, and any thought of leaving is thoroughly extinguished.
While Ed puts on the headphones and starts cueing, Move D takes a turn at the mic (not normally his thing, but next to Ed he kind of has to). "Uh, if anyone is wondering what the laptop is doing, that's what we're using to stream this night to the internet—it's not playing music, it's streaming up to the internet!" Everyone laughs appreciatively. The MC act really loosens up the party, a great cure for that early evening stiffness.
The people-watching on the dance floor is pretty great too: Portable scooting around like he's on a mission, Fred P in the corner shifting his weight from foot to foot, and devout fanboys everywhere, including a group of guys standing as close to the front as possible and going absolutely nuts, the way people do at rock concerts (Ed would later identify them as "the Leeds crew"). Smiling in the blue light over the turntables, Ed and Move D look like they're having more fun than anyone.
Though both DJs share the decks pretty evenly, the first few hours feel like The Jus-Ed Show. The music is mostly warm, soothing house with that stripped-down Underground Quality feel, and though I barely recognize any of the tracks, Ed gets on the mic to name a few of them: one of his own unreleased ones called "Oh, So," Move D's new one on Uzuri ("Your Personal Healer") and an upcoming track by AntonZap. When Ed plays his new single, "I'm Comin,'" he sings along to the entire thing through the mic and everyone loves it.
From time to time he gives shout-outs to people tuned into My House Your House: "Annetta, Matt P... a maaaaad hello to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro... gotta give up that love to Esteban in California, and Salazar, what's up?" All the while the music keeps building: the kick drums get crisper, and the tunes get more and more serious. Eventually we hit 3:00 AM and Ed bids farewell to his online audience. "Remember, if nobody told you they love you, DJ Jus-Ed's got his arms around you, holdin' you real tight... good night!"
Once it's just us in the club, the set really starts to heat up. Ed and Move D have the sound system nailed by now, and they start to get busy with the effects, especially the delay and phaser. The peels of whistles get more and more constant, and on my way back from the bar I'm struck by how locked in the crowd is—everyone dancing in his or her own little world, some with their eyes closed, hardly any conversation going on at all.
As if sensing the deepening mood, Move D surprises everyone with the first techno track of the night (the second to last tune on Donato Dozzy's K, if I'm not mistaken). It's a very dramatic turn: all atmosphere, no kick drum, just a single sonorous chord loping through the room. It plays out for what feels like three or four minutes, but there's enough suspense to keep us all fished in. Ed promptly shatters the mood with a vocal-heavy house track, probably the cheesiest of the night. He attempts the transition twice with no success, then finally just drags the tune in to get it over with.
Move D plays it cool, not showing any dismay at the botched alley-oop, then saves the day with Brian Harden's "Everybody Fly," a record he's had in his crate for years. When it's his turn again, Ed redeems himself by playing what was probably the best track of the night: his own "Unbelievably Beautiful." The only other time I heard this one out was two years ago when Move D played at the 12 turn 13 loft in Brooklyn, and both times it stirred up that tender vibe that only a Motown-inspired tune can.
The last song I hear is Moodyman's latest club staple, "It's 2 Late 4 U and Me," expertly mixed in by Move D. I take this as my cue to leave on a high note: as much as I'd love to stick around, I'm in no position to pull an all-nighter. According to some friends, the music stayed strong through the end (sometime past 7:00 AM), and you can see a video of Jus-Ed on YouTube using his cell phone clock as proof of the time (5:14 AM) and proclaiming, once again, that history has been made.
And while not as historic as, say, Underground Quality's smashingly successful label night at Tape last year, it was definitely one of those parties that made me feel lucky to have been there—partly because I missed said label night, and partly because Move D rarely gets good bookings in Berlin, despite being one of the best house DJs running.
There's also the fact that great parties at Tape are few and far between these days, which is a shame given the venue's cozy vibe and fantastic sound system. These factors, combined with the odd Wednesday night scheduling, made for a night out that felt like a rare treat—something all too unusual in a city as over-saturated as Berlin.