- It's always a pleasure to see your internet heroes perform in the real world. I've been obsessed with Greg Beato and Delroy Edwards for a long time, so I was particularly excited when they were booked to play Concrete in Paris. It would also be my first time at the Seine-moored party boat. The promoters billed the American artists alongside MMM, AKA German duo Fiedel and Errorsmith.
What struck me most about Concrete was how vinyl-friendly it is. The mixer and turntables sit in a spacious, custom-built DJ table, while the back of the booth is fitted with well-lit record shelves. First up on the decks was the pint-sized Beato, who played an intimate set of shadowy Detroit techno and stripped-down percussive house. His sublime mixing and savvy selections set the tone for the night.
The more upbeat MMM followed, flooding the floor with their unique sub-heavy Berlin techno. Fiedel played with Ableton Push, while Errosmith fiddled with two MIDI keyboards. Once settled, their performance morphed into a frenzy of organic and ethnic-sounding drums. It was an interesting, if slightly showy, move, and for a brief period it felt as if Concrete had relocated to the Rio Carnival. As the duo drew for their popular banger "Nous Sommes MMM," the crowd screamed "ALLEZ!"
As soon as Errorsmith gave the sign, Delroy Edwards seized the floor. Wearing his trademark oversized white tee, the lanky youngster dragged us through a bunch of Dance Mania-style booty house gems to start with, driving the EQs into a dusty, low-end hum. He started spinning records late, around 4 AM, but it was clear that many of the clubbers were there specifically to hear him play. The vibe at Concrete was very friendly, and you could sense the crowd had faith in the DJ. Gradually, Edwards moved his set towards old school electro and techno, peppering the beats with heavy, sexy, Prince-style synths. His edgy take on DJing, and his ability to build a captivating musical narrative, kept us all in high spirits until the sun came up.