- From Basics to The Orbit, Leeds has plenty of clubbing history to its name. Nonetheless, it's always a thrill when a new, rough and ready club opens up as Vox did last year. Professing to be West Yorkshire's latest greatest underground destination, the club's lineups have ticked more than a few boxes since it first opened. On this night, Modern Amusement followed up their last party with Tyrant and Modeselektor with a concept entitled One Night In Berlin. Surgeon, Marcel Dettmann, Steffi and Prosumer were all in attendance.
Obviously, then, crowds would be pulled in—so long as they remembered to head for Yorkshire, as opposed to continental Europe. Meanwhile, at the other side of the warehouse complex, Scuba, Addison Groove, Instra:mental and home grown Hessle Audio hero Ramadanman were flying the banner for Sub:stance—Scuba's regular UK bass night in Berlin.
Photo credit: IGR::Photo
Train problems meant we arrived mid-Steffi, with a cacophony of rolling, hat-heavy techno greeting us in a darkened room that was as heaving as it was sweaty. It wasn't the easiest moment to jump in, but it didn't take long before it became clear the entire set was going to be more Tresor than Panorama Bar. Eager bodies stretched to the back of the room, so much so that it was amazing to think there were still people elsewhere, enduring lengthy bar queues, and a second slightly less busy dance floor that suffered from low volume.
Marcel Dettmann got on, delivering some stripped and rolling sparseness. A meld of eerie, dub infused futurism and low-slung, drummy numbers, it's always impressive that some DJs can find so much in such a relatively small amount of detail. No so for Surgeon, though, who did his business with a seamless blend of unfamiliar time signatures, industrial angst and progressive grooves, ensuring the girl being carried out at 6 AM wasn't the only person on their last legs.