- In the past couple of years, the East London warehouse scene has experienced something of a Renaissance. Just a couple of years ago, if you delved into a Dalston basement, or climbed to party in a Limehouse roof, you would have heard nothing but unforgiving minimal techno, or gnarly electro-flecked rock. But deep house? You'd be lucky.
The sound has come back in clubland of late (think Süd Electronic's deeper direction the past couple of years, Secretsundaze's return to a housier sound and Run Sound's regular nights among others) and, right now, everyone from producers to clubbers to promoters are digging deeper and grooving harder than they have in a long time. It might be because those clubbers are getting older and want a groovier sound to precede the slightly more awkward comedowns that come with growing older. Or maybe, it's just that time again. But, right now, it's definitely deep house's time, with new parties springing up all over and finding their way back into the warehouse culture from which the sound sprung 20 years ago.
So it's only fitting that Lost In The Loft should launch around this time, representing underground house's past, present and future in one solid line-up. The brainchild of Secretsundaze's Giles Smith and Need2Soul promoter Alex Ruello, Lost In The Loft (named after the old super deep Weekender track no doubt) threatened to tear into Saturday night with a classic menu for a wowing debut—a dodgy warehouse location in the heart of East London, a strong line-up of DJs (Chez Damier, Giles Smith and Sven Weismann) and a limited entry list.
It delivered.
Like any decent underground party, it wasn't without its hairy moments—midweek the promoters lost a venue and spent a few days desperately searching for an appropriate space. The one found (previously used by Electric Minds) was a loft bang in the centre of Shoreditch. Yep, it was crammed at times, a bit too hot and there was a lack of loos, but that only added to the grimy haphazard greatness of the party.
Upstart Sven Weismann jammed the floor with a New York-rammed set of classic house, EQing the life and soul out of "Push the Feeling On," and jumping around like a kid on Christmas Day. If only some of those on the dance floor had chosen to actually dance to it, rather than stand around in checked shirts no doubt discussing the length of their moustaches. Not deep, and definitely not house.
Chez Damier hadn't played in the UK since the '90s, and he too was dogged by passport problems earlier in the week. It didn't stop him melting the dance floor into submission with everything from his own productions to Whitney Houston, though. At times technically wobbly, it didn't detract from the filthy tracky groove he used to transport the now comfortably thinned, yet still-busy crowd to house heaven. Rounding off the night was birthday boy Giles Smith, pogoing his way through a set with such fun if the decks weren't in the way he'd have been in the centre of the floor. Rounding off with Mr G was a clinically emotional highlight.
I've not heard real cheers for real house like that in London for a long time. And I've not seen that many other promoters there to support another club either. Let's get lost again soon.