Issue 74 / February 2017

Bido Lito! February 2017
19
Camp and Furnace is no stranger to clubbers, and vice versa. The
atmosphere of the large warehouse is oddly homely, as the queue
enters and people spill into the places where they know to find
what they came for; I follow the thumping bass into the Furnace and am
welcomed by PACO OSUNA. An eager crowd gathers under the twisting vines
and the hanging thunderclouds of The Night Garden. Paco delivers a deep,
rumbling set that promises a good night ahead. His sophisticated sound
scrambles intelligent techno beats with an underlay of repetitive house
rhythms. STEVE LAWLER takes over and continues to fuel us with a heavy
set. Living up to his nickname ‘King of Space’ in Ibiza, his set delivers an
abundance of anthemic rhythms and intense drops that send his crowd off
into a gratified groove.
MIND AGAINST and MACEO PLEX successfully keep the packed venue
fervent and focussed. Atmospheric and, at times, dark, both sets blast out
hypnotic beats and body-shaking basslines. Maceo Plex’s Conjure Dreams
and Solitary Daze are two highlights and the crowd’s love for the familiar
tunes is almost tangible. YOUSEF himself finishes off Furnace with everfunky
and trend-defying beats, twisting emotive vocals with techno and
house.
Meanwhile, the set in Camp is just as powerful and exciting. I catch the
tail end of NASTIA’s set as a recording of Stevie Wonder passionately sings,
“clap your hands just a little bit louder” over a build-up of techno beats. B.
TRAITS follows with a rich and high-energy set of thumping basslines and
cleverly crafted techno overlays. She effortlessly enchants her crowd into a
dancing frenzy. In fighting to keep these cultural institutions alive, B. Traits
participated in BBC Radio 1’s talk, Fabric And The Future Of Clubbing, and
has stated her view on drug use in clubs: “as a DJ, I think it’s to an extent my
responsibility to keep your patrons, fans and family safe […] the best thing
we can do is to make the environment that they are experimenting in safe,
so that in case anything goes wrong, it’s there for them.”
A quick exchange of headphones and MANO LE TOUGH takes over. He
delivers a different, more melodious set, but continuous to feed the energy
built up by B. Traits. He surprises us with Hans Zimmer’s poignant theme
for Interstellar, gradually unfolding the familiar melody into a fast-paced,
repetitive house track. The Berlin based duo, TALE OF US, end the Furnace set
with intense tracks like North Star, mixing disco and pop with beloved house
rhythms bringing out the best of the crowd’s seemingly harmonised dance.
The Christmas Special at Camp and Furnace welcomes another impressive
DJ set and an even bigger herd of eager clubbers. Under giant hanging
snowflakes and laser lights, MATTHIAS TANZMANN blasts out infectious
basslines and metallic melodies in the Furnace, setting the fast momentum
for the evening. Another pulsating set from Yousef, before HOT SINCE 82
introduces some disco and funk elements. Confetti blasts over the euphoric
crowd during the uplifting track, Veins, before SAM PAGANINI brings the
powerful groove emanating through the Furnace to a close. His dark and
eerie set reaches intense heights; the rumbling rhythm of The Beat shakes
his crowd into a united wave of bopping heads and raised hands.
Camp has taken on a surreal Alice In Wonderland theme, with giant
lotus flower lights, vines, and cardboard cut-outs of characters and playing
cards hanging from the high ceiling. A rectangular canopy falls just above
the audience in the middle of the dance floor, brought to life by erratic
light installations that fizz and flash to the rhythms. Once again, the set
is extremely rich and diverse. GUTI fuses electronic with his jazz and Latin
roots, adding a sophisticated funky rhythm beneath harsh house beats,
whilst ANDREA OLIVA keeps it traditional. Scream gets his crowd eagerly
cheering and whistling to the familiar build-up of a repeated, fierce vocal
scream, before dropping into a deep house beat.
JOSEPH CAPRIATI takes over with a darker and slightly sinister sound, but
nonetheless infectious, and keeps hold of his crowd’s focus. He energetically
delivers his vigorous set of slick techno beats and further enchants the
decorated Camp. For Joseph, his work is a healthy outlet for both himself and
his audience: “When I’m playing I totally forget everything and this makes
me happier. Looking at the people dancing and following my musical trip
is an amazing thing.”
Circus host Green Velvet and Davide Squillace at Arts Club on 25th February.
Fabric have announced their winter season of weekly shows running through
February and March, taking place under new licence restrictions.