Secret warehouse locations are very much on-trend for Manchester promoters currently. The recent spate may come across as slightly gimmicky to some, but in an industrial city that isn’t blessed with a large number of good mid-sized clubs, finding an unused warehouse space and whacking in a big sound system makes sense. Tonight’s space on the edge of New Islington fits the bill perfectly: it’s loud, intimate, and there’s even nice toilets.
Bristol based Livity Sound – consisting of Asusu, Kowton and Peverelist – are responsible for some of the most forward-thinking releases to hit clubs in recent years, and their club-focused approach shines through in their djing.
Techno takes prominence in their selections. Shed’s ‘Kinky Dudes’ sets the tone early on before Barnt’s irresistible ‘Chappell’ slams the room into submissive movement. Asusu delves into the label’s output, drawing for A Made Up Sound’s remix of ‘Velez’, whilst Kowton takes things slightly more left-field with an airing of S-X’s grime classic ‘Woo Riddim’. The trio rotate around the decks, maintaining a high intensity throughout the three hours. This is upped considerably by the powerful strobe that is unleashed to striking effect, blinding everybody behind a disorientating wall of bright light.
Fellow west-country native Tessela then takes over for the final two hours, immediately making his presence known with the pummelling ‘Gateway’. The bar is set, and then raised with high energy tracks such as Kevin Saunderson’s ‘Warp’. Not even a brief power cut can rein in Tessela’s momentum; sound is quickly restored and he continues unabated until close.
