24th October
Joshua Brooks
8/10
I always get a fuzzy feeling going to a club night that I have never been to previously. This was to be my first outing to a Hi Ku event, as far as memory serves me. I take pleasure in going to a party with an open-mind and this was doubly true on the 24th, as I hadn’t had the pleasure of experiencing Daniel Wang play in the flesh before that night.
I had, however, watched one of his sets on YouTube beforehand. Emphasis on the ‘watched’ there, as Daniel Wang is more than just an aural performer when he DJs. Shapes are being thrown at every transition; the man never stays still. It is highly infectious too. The whole room was moving and there was seldom a phone poised to take a selfie all night; it was what I imagine parties were like 20 years ago.
Daniel Wang’s lengthy experience with his craft was apparent within his first few selections. He was in no rush. Beginning with some funk and disco gems, which I certainly couldn’t identify, he then moved on to the piano-laden house that he became famous for back in the 90s. Some of his mixing slipped here and there but, honestly, no one cared. The party went on and the tracks were so captivating that the technical aspect of it did not matter.
Joshua Brooks is a venue I have frequented many a time over the last few years. It looked especially great on the night, with extra mood lighting and psychedelic visual projections on the wall. The crowd was great and the atmosphere was intimate. Overall, a brilliant night out!
