- You could argue that no single promoter is currently doing as much to shape London's club scene as The Hydra. Despite its challenges, their HQ, Studio Spaces E1, has undergone a constant process of improvement and optimization since it opened, tinkered with in direct response to feedback from its customers. The venue, as a result, is an enjoyable place to spend a night out, so it was with high hopes that I made my way to the Blueprint x Innervisions party on the Thursday of Easter weekend.
Though the entry process was as thorough as an airport terminal, the whole system was slick and well managed. As I stepped inside, Marcus Worgull was warming up the Black Studio with cuts of dreamy house, dropping Max Cooper's remix of Nils Frahm's "For" to get the evening off to a sentimental start.
Over in the main room, James Ruskin was working the early crowd with some gritty selections, a sure warning of what was to come. There was no easing yourself in here—those who weren’t ready were simply pounded into submission by Ruskin's no-holds-barred approach. Fellow UK stalwart Luke Slater followed, stealing the show with a performance as Planetary Assault Systems. Among others, he played his own recent track on Mote Evolver, "The Eyes Themselves," which sounded incredible on such a big soundsystem. The LED rig that lined the columns and the back wall added to the experience, as did the countdown timer on the large screen. The atmosphere was tense, in the best possible way.
Back in the smoke-filled Innervisions room, Osunlade had the crowd singing along to Yoruba's remix of yesteryear hit "Envision," before Âme's Kristian Beyer turned out the most diverse set of the evening. The Berliner moved between heavy cuts of European techno and power house, which at first came as something of a surprise. Looks of bewilderment soon became smiles, though, as the crowd responded with gusto to every new track. For the final stretch of their four-hour set Beyer returned to that familiar Âme sound, throwing down Anthony Georges Patrice's "Parallel Romance (SB Re-Arrange)" to huge cheers.
Next door, Ruskin was back on the decks, this time for an impromptu back-to-back with Ben Sims. Towards the end of their set, Randomer’s "Stupid Things I Do (New School Mix)" had the floor at its knees. Next, Surgeon had the Funktion One stacks sweating as he delivered a particularly hard-edged live set. The steady, throbbing kicks had the crowd in a choke hold, and his motionless, expressionless demeanour added an eerie weight to the performance.
Truss carried the party forward with some Underground Resistance-style records (including the Detroit crew's "Seawolf"), before stylishly signing off at 8 AM with some classic '90s jungle to the tone of Omni Trio’s nostalgic "Renegade Snares (Foul Play Remix)." From start to finish, the night provided an intense but thoroughly fun start to the long Easter weekend.