With such a diverse bill on offer, it was no surprise to see Sankeys heaving for the second instalment of Recentes vs Take The Whole Cake. The first big name of the night to step up, Mosca, steadily built The Basement for ninety minutes. Giving a nod to the club’s house focus, his set was slow and swooning, coming as a shock to the younger revellers expecting to hear something more akin to his jumped-up-garage anthem “Bax”. In keeping with the Chicago vibes revival, he finished on “Eva Mendes”, one of his own stompy productions which clearly takes inspiration from across the Atlantic.
The tempo upped and the mood darkened as veteran Loefah’s turn came. Leaning heavily on releases from his label Swamp 81, his set served as an A-Z of British bass music today. Unreleased but ubiquitous delights came courtesy of Joy O- “BRTHDTT”- and Manchester pairing Zed Bias and Paleman-“Furrball”. Sadly, the soundsystem couldn’t really do the juggernaut that is Skream’s “Bang That” justice, but MC Chunky’s typically charismatic antics more than made up for this. Closing with his 2006 dubstep classic “Goat Stare”, Loefah reminded us all of the debt today’s scene owes to that unforgettable sound.
Those that managed to fight their way up the packed staircase to Spektrum were treated to a classic set by UK garage legend MJ Cole. The crowd- a bizarre mix of middle aged men and fresh faced first years- were kept engaged by his selection of danceable two step tunes. The last two hours were sent off in triumphant style by duo Waze and Odyssey. Their dancefloor-focused productions excel in a club environment, with 2012 release “Love That (Burns Hot Enough)” already sounding like a classic. The pair’s take on soulful, euphoric house was the perfect way to end a memorable night.
