- In operation since summer of 2012, and with only four releases to its name, White Material has managed to convey a lot in not much time, taking a rugged, streetwise approach to the deeper side of house and techno. Galcher Lustwerk accompanied label founders Young Male and DJ Richard in London this month for their first UK appearance.
Located beneath a pub, The Waiting Room stands somewhere between a club and a bar. The 120-capacity space was filled almost exclusively with young men, split between those talking loudly over the music and those standing quietly on the sidelines, head-bopping. Up first was Galcher Lustwerk, whose recent podcast for Blowing Up The Workshop has ballooned into one of the year's most popular mixes. Using CDJs and a mic, he lived up to the hype with the night's most well-received set, moving neatly between cuts of his own spoken-word house. Glossing over the occasional sound glitch, the likes of "Put On" and "I Neva Seen" were particular highlights.
Young Male was next, playing live. Instantly faster and more boisterous, his bass-heavy selections pushed things up a notch, but this boost in energy wasn't quite matched by the crowd, who for the most part stood stock-still, nursing their pints. DJ Richard followed with a dose of raw and heavy techno, but you couldn't help but feel that this would have been better-suited to a darker, more full-on club environment. The night was well-programmed and worth it for Lustwerk alone, but it was clear that White Material are still finding their feet on the international circuit. Musically, though, they give you a lot to be excited about.