Sol
06-02-2003, 06:00 PM
Sam has written a spledid review of Surreal of the 25th . . . . . . :D
Surreal @ The Masque, Seel St, Liverpool – 25 Jan 2003
2002 saw some welcome developments in the Liverpool drum and bass scene, not least the runaway success of Surreal’s monthly sessions at the Masque, which now regularly bring to the city the cream of established DJ’s as well as some of the region’s freshest up and comings. Having seen 2002 off in style with Randall and High Contrast in November, Surreal promised to start 2003 on a similar vein by getting the year underway with two current heavyweights; Mampi Swift and Andy C, alongside local DJ’s Xample, Sol and Sloss.
We arrived at the Masque early on in proceedings, met by the sounds of Sloss in full swing. Given that it was not even 11 o’clock yet the place was already filling out, and Sloss made the most of having a busy dancefloor to play to, a rarity for the first DJ of the night, by getting things jigging nicely with an accomplished opening set. The bustling floor was soon circled by a ring of nodding heads, and when it was time for Xample and Sol to step to the decks for some back to back action, it was clear that people were up for a party. The pair appeared at ease as they flowed through a characteristically dark mix and, aided by MC S.A.S., they quickly built on what Sloss had started and the floor continued to fill. By midnight it seemed everyone was dancing, with S.A.S. carrying proceedings along nicely, and the place looked to be packed to capacity.
The Masque is no stranger to quality drum and bass nights, previous incarnation ‘The Hype Bar’ having played host to the likes of Hype, Zinc, Dom and Roland when Chrome used the venue briefly back in ‘98. But the current layout promotes a great atmosphere, the old impersonal balcony having been scrapped in favour of a more intimate, low-level stage [DJ’s had previously been perched in a booth about 10 feet above the dancefloor out of sight]. This friendly vibe was evident in the mixture of appreciative frowns, deck-bound gazes and red faces that littered the venue as Sol and Xample wrapped up the second set of the night.
When it was time for Mampi Swift to step up, with IC3 now on the mic, the crowd of devotees remained steadfast on the dancefloor. And aside from a couple of brief lull’s he didn’t disappoint, dropping some heavy tunes as the place was plunged into a sea of clattering high-hats and rolling bass. Similarly to when he accompanied DJ Marky at Surreal in October, IC3 looked to be having as much fun as the rest of us, his chatter reflecting the revellers appreciation of every drop as he stomped around enthusiastically. After getting completely swept up in it all Mampi’s time behind the decks seemed to end as quickly as it had begun, and it was time for Andy C to take over.
Being regarded by many as the DJ to catch on the Drum and Bass circuit at the moment, and having picked up the 2002 Accelerated Culture Award for best DJ, the week preceding Surreal was filled with speculation about whether or not Andy C would deliver the goods. I’m pleased to say it only took about 10 minutes to conclude that yes, he would deliver - which left a good hour and 20 minutes to make the most of it. His mixing was tight as it gets, as he rolled through some furious tunes, the sound system handling the aural bombardment well as cries of “who wants to go darker!” were accompanied by relentless bass, and from here on in there was little let up. As the lights flickered on to signal the end it was still rammed; a reflection of what a good night it had been from start to finish, and all that was left to do was file reluctantly out of the Masque, surrounded by some very satisfied looking faces indeed.
Surreal @ The Masque, Seel St, Liverpool – 25 Jan 2003
2002 saw some welcome developments in the Liverpool drum and bass scene, not least the runaway success of Surreal’s monthly sessions at the Masque, which now regularly bring to the city the cream of established DJ’s as well as some of the region’s freshest up and comings. Having seen 2002 off in style with Randall and High Contrast in November, Surreal promised to start 2003 on a similar vein by getting the year underway with two current heavyweights; Mampi Swift and Andy C, alongside local DJ’s Xample, Sol and Sloss.
We arrived at the Masque early on in proceedings, met by the sounds of Sloss in full swing. Given that it was not even 11 o’clock yet the place was already filling out, and Sloss made the most of having a busy dancefloor to play to, a rarity for the first DJ of the night, by getting things jigging nicely with an accomplished opening set. The bustling floor was soon circled by a ring of nodding heads, and when it was time for Xample and Sol to step to the decks for some back to back action, it was clear that people were up for a party. The pair appeared at ease as they flowed through a characteristically dark mix and, aided by MC S.A.S., they quickly built on what Sloss had started and the floor continued to fill. By midnight it seemed everyone was dancing, with S.A.S. carrying proceedings along nicely, and the place looked to be packed to capacity.
The Masque is no stranger to quality drum and bass nights, previous incarnation ‘The Hype Bar’ having played host to the likes of Hype, Zinc, Dom and Roland when Chrome used the venue briefly back in ‘98. But the current layout promotes a great atmosphere, the old impersonal balcony having been scrapped in favour of a more intimate, low-level stage [DJ’s had previously been perched in a booth about 10 feet above the dancefloor out of sight]. This friendly vibe was evident in the mixture of appreciative frowns, deck-bound gazes and red faces that littered the venue as Sol and Xample wrapped up the second set of the night.
When it was time for Mampi Swift to step up, with IC3 now on the mic, the crowd of devotees remained steadfast on the dancefloor. And aside from a couple of brief lull’s he didn’t disappoint, dropping some heavy tunes as the place was plunged into a sea of clattering high-hats and rolling bass. Similarly to when he accompanied DJ Marky at Surreal in October, IC3 looked to be having as much fun as the rest of us, his chatter reflecting the revellers appreciation of every drop as he stomped around enthusiastically. After getting completely swept up in it all Mampi’s time behind the decks seemed to end as quickly as it had begun, and it was time for Andy C to take over.
Being regarded by many as the DJ to catch on the Drum and Bass circuit at the moment, and having picked up the 2002 Accelerated Culture Award for best DJ, the week preceding Surreal was filled with speculation about whether or not Andy C would deliver the goods. I’m pleased to say it only took about 10 minutes to conclude that yes, he would deliver - which left a good hour and 20 minutes to make the most of it. His mixing was tight as it gets, as he rolled through some furious tunes, the sound system handling the aural bombardment well as cries of “who wants to go darker!” were accompanied by relentless bass, and from here on in there was little let up. As the lights flickered on to signal the end it was still rammed; a reflection of what a good night it had been from start to finish, and all that was left to do was file reluctantly out of the Masque, surrounded by some very satisfied looking faces indeed.