- Consistently eye-catching bookings, combined with a number of on-point, short-run residencies, have quickly made Oslo a prominent fixture of London nightlife. The residencies, such as this three-part stint from Romare, show the venue's commitment to giving artists the freedom to try something different. It also smartly positions Oslo in contrast to the sprawling lineups and all-star headliners that tend to dominate London's club scene. At the first of these Romare & Friends parties, the Ninja Tune affiliate would be joined by Relative boss John Swing.
Although Oslo's programming has been largely well-received, responses to the bar and restaurant's upstairs club room have been mixed. I was looking forward to the possibility of some interesting left-turns from Romare, given his particular deftness in repurposing sampled material, but was wary of these negative reports. The proprietors of Peckham's YAM Records were on the decks when I arrived, wrapping up their set with some eclectic selections that were in stark contrast to Romare's volley of streamlined house.
With the night scheduled to finish at 3 AM, you'd have hoped the crowd would get straight down to business. Instead the packed room felt unsettled, as selfies and trips to the bar took priority over the music. The party lacked the collective unity required to engage with the kind of stripped back, 4/4 material on show. John Swing, who followed Romare, managed to breathe some life into the room, leaning on his collection of melodic two-step garage. From there, he successfully navigated towards some acid house workouts that clicked sweetly into place once the room had thinned out a bit.
Romare returned to the decks at 2 AM for a back-to-back with Swing, continuing the quick shifts in style that had characterised the latter's solo set. More garage and chopped up female vocals sat comfortably alongside clunking tech house and disco edits. There were some nice moments, for sure, but overall, the bold programming at the venue felt at odds with its early curfew and lacklustre crowd.