- Over the course of three years, Rough Draft has established itself as a quality party with a unique taste in guests. While a strong house music thread runs through the bookings, the Bristol promoters have tended to lean towards inventive selectors who look beyond the trappings of one-dimensional club music. The soundtrack is often loose and unpredictable, presented by DJs like Brian Not Brian, Kenny White and DJ Vegetable.
Rough Draft has taken place at a variety of locations around Bristol, but Cosies feels like the most natural fit for its musical manifesto. The intimate cellar space has long been a hub for some of the city's most interesting nights, drawing a crowd of switched-on heads and curious passersby. Though the dimly-lit bar felt crowded around 2 AM, it's testament to Bristol's laid-back nature that things never turned ugly.
The DJ for the night was Japan Blues, who had made the trip from London with a bag of eclectic sounds from the East. His approach to playing records perfectly suited Rough Draft—rather than an exercise in maintained pressure and rhythmic flow, his set was an esoteric twirl through delightful sounds. From pristinely produced boogie and playful new age, to classic deep house and crackly 7-inches of off-kilter pop, he meandered beautifully from vibe to vibe. The atmosphere wasn't always mellow—at one point, he dropped into crisp electro funk to enthusiastic responses– but generally people were dancing freely and not just marching on the spot facing the booth. It felt just how DJ culture should be, but so often isn't.
After Japan Blues' even-tempered style, it would have been easy for the Rough Draft residents to jump straight in with a bunch of belters. But instead they kept the pot simmering with some cool-headed deep house, which was exactly what the party needed. In a space as small as Cosies, too much aggression can kill the mood. The rest of the party rode out on a warm tip that left me feeling cleansed rather than corrupted. It was a smooth ending to a night of thoroughly good music.