- Alessio Natalizia made his name as half of Walls, a star-gazing electronic duo with an emphasis on gentle atmospherics. His solo work could hardly be more different. There's nothing dreamy about his snarling acid, rude EBM basslines or the live-feeling drums he grafts together as Not Waving. This style of raw, abrasive techno often translates well to a live show. Natalizia proved this last weekend with a set showcasing his new album, Animals, for Diagonal Records.
His body convulsing with the rhythm, Natalizia delivered a confrontational set to the packed crowd at Stoke Newington's Waiting Room. All the hallmarks of his sound were there. Barrages of clotted synthwork carried horror movie screams that punctuated the beat like snares. The introduction of each new element came like an assault, whether it was one of his frequent rhythmic gear-shifts or a gust of distortion. The songs were roughened and retooled for live performance. The elastic melodies of "I Know I Know I Know" bounced off the walls while the curious phone call breakdown of "24" was moved to the track's introduction for maximum tension. As the set went on, Natalizia pushed the crowd further. Each new crushing kick and gnarled synth just made them dance harder. After a furious rendition of "Work Talk," he cut out the sound abruptly. A hail of cheers erupted from the crowd.
Mumdance cut a very different figure. Though he was almost completely motionless throughout his set, his selections unleashed a manic energy in the club. He was an inspired choice of DJ to follow Not Waving, ably sweeping up the dance floor with a raucous set of garage, bassline and grime, cutting quickly between tracks. He reached a peak with crowd-pleasing numbers such as Outlander's "Vamp," his own "Take Time" with Novelist and a remix of "Functions On The Low." He closed with ten minutes of rushing rave throwback which left the crowd euphoric—a trick that recalled his Fabriclive mix.
Diagonal's Jaime Williams closed the party with a varied set of electro-infused techno and disco. It capped an evening of quality music with a welcome breadth to it, reinforcing The Waiting Room as one of North London's best small clubs.