- This year has been one of transition for the clubbing landscape of Oslo. Sunkissed, the most steady provider of 4/4, celebrated ten years in the game, but The Villa—the soul of the scene—was closed down. It was a club that one recent guest from the UK compared to London institution Plastic People, but it was so much more to local followers of quality underground electronic music and will be dearly missed. While rumors of new clubs and takeovers sprinkle the streets in anticipation of what will happen next though, it is business as usual for the existing venues.
Dattera Til Hagen, though, soldiers on. And in fine fashion. The place fills up every weekend with one of Oslo's most eclectic and mixed crowds. Local DJs playing anything from disco to Afrobeat rub shoulders with anyone from elusive international heavyweights such as Omar-S and Zomby (yes, he actually showed up) to talented newcomers like Floating Points, Pursuit Grooves and Kyle Hall. The latest name to touch down at the venue is another talented newbie, James Blake. Discerning Oslo-based fans of Blake's music were already acquainted with his ethereal future sounds from a spectacular live show conducted with Mount Kimbie as part of the Ultima festival the previous year. DJing is a different proposition to playing live, though, as some bedroom producers have discovered in recent years, and it was to be a DJ set which Blake showcased at this night.
Such is the lack of regular Oslo nights booking music of this nature on a regular basis, there was a question mark as to what type of Blake fan would show up. Would it be the headnodders? Or the out-and-out dancers? Thankfully, from early on in the night, the warm-up DJs, Indiana Ross and Spykedelic, were on hand to stir the compact dance floor into a warm undiluted groove. A mix of old classics with new—"Phylyps Trak," Rustie's rework of "Spliff Dub"—set the tone and switched the heater on for Blake to take over.
In short order, Blake locked the place down with an intricately selected mix of light and heavy. From the growl of DMZ dub plates to gentle instrumental R&B grooves and the female vocals found in his—and many of his contemporaries—productions, the dance floor filled like a waterfall and followed his every musical twist and turn. Ending with some juke that melted into yet another softened number, even the most fickle of punters was left with a grin on their face, wondering who would be next at this eccentric but charming venue.