- "Dance, dance, dance!" Three words that would usually be shouted in utter joy and passion are now being shouted, well, with utter passion and despair at the lifeless dancers that scatter the dance floor. Shifting and shirking but without intention, to an outsider it's a frustrating view of a posing and posturing scene that has plagued innocent club nights for years. My raging friend, who is practically at the end of her tether, epitomises my own thoughts by repeatedly mouthing (maybe shouting, it's too loud to tell) at people to basically put their backs into it.
Photo credit: Lisa Loco
Sound like a bit of a nightmare? Well, not really. Despite hosting a clientele heavily populated by posers, Mint Club is a slick if slightly-dingy venue that hosts some of the most forward-thinking techno, electro and house nights in the north. Fitted with a sizeable LED light system overhead and a black, engine-like version of the Funktion 1 sound system, it has become the new hotspot for electronic music fans in Leeds. Tonight lashings of minimal and deep house are being served up by the mighty mono_cult, who are celebrating the second anniversary of their night's birth. Cake and cards aside, it was the booking of Deep Vibes' house emperor Sascha Dive that had reeled me in for tonight's affair, and with his slot set at a hefty three hours I was in for a groove-laden treat.
Taking all these factors into account, then, there should've been no reason to complain. Unfortunately it only takes a few niggling things to smudge the enjoyment of a night. Although I commend Dive for many of his track selections, his mixing—put frankly—was in tatters. For most of the first hour, and many times after that, it sounded like someone had recorded a horse with kick-drums for feet racing along, and was mischievously playing it over the system. I suppose astonishment stops you in your tracks (and I was definitely still dancing) so I won't go as far as saying that, but nonetheless I was very surprised that someone with such a great reputation was on such groggy form. Looking past the dodgy mixing, the actual tracks played were some of the deepest and darkest that I've heard in a while and I especially enjoyed the nice little nod towards the Detroit scene saved for the end.
Photo credit: Lisa Loco
However, for all Sascha Dive's production accolades his DJ set was reduced to an extended warm-up when resident James Pollard took over the decks. His injection of percussion and groove bounced the night back onto its feet and for the last two hours even some of the posers were dancing (although whether this was just them dodging my flailing limbs is hard to tell). Overall the night was a little disappointing considering the calibre of headliner but a great testament to the quality of the residents. With a few added Mint-dwellers who share their passion for house, and some more consistent bookings, mono_cult could be a staple of the Leeds scene for years to come.