SET TIMES:
Freeza Chin 10 – 11
Marcus Visionary 11- 12
The Heatwave 12- 1:30
Krinjah 1:30 – 2:30
Red Lion 2:30 – Close
This Friday, November 2nd, I had the privilege to attend the Sixth year anniversary of Highgrade Productions‘ party, One Love, featuring the exceptional talent of the DJs listed above alongside the highly skilled MC’s Lucky One-Der and Rubi Dan.
I arrived at the Wreck Room at 10:30 pm while DJ Freeza Chin was busy laying the necessary foundation for the night of highly intricate rhythms to follow. As Freeza Chin reminded me of the earthy quality that naturally draws one to the drum and bass genre, I scanned the venue. The bar was situated in the back corner, far away from the dance floor. The stage was large, but not so withdrawn as to make it seem impersonal. There were lights, a projector displaying visuals on a large screen, and a smoke machine on the dance floor, which was surrounded by a long bar offering a variety stools to sit on. A pool table was being put to good use in the comer. I was pleased to observe that this venue was equipped to provide both comfort and intimacy, as groups of partygoers checked their coats and searched out their niche for the evening.
The place was becoming crowded during Marcus Visionary’s set, and many immediately migrated onto the dance floor. I have been so accustomed to over-crowded dance floors in the past few years that I felt spoiled by the occasion to walk/dance freely, and this pleasure was enhanced by every smiling face that greeted me. Not one person shoved me out of the way or touched me inappropriately as I passed by. It was evident that the music was going to be the guiding force behind this party. Marcus Visionary indulged his beat-hungry ravers with a mix of productions from his own releases such as Ruler, Good Vibes, and Wicked and Wild. You can learn more about Marcus Visionary through this link to his Facebook page HERE.
When The Heatwave took over the stage, they did something that I haven’t seen at a party in years. They handed out whistles and horns! As The Heatwave’s MC Rubi Dan encouraged everyone to make a ruckus of noise, I was drawn back inside my thoughts to standing in the main room at The Docks during Hullabaloo 2000. Anabolic Frolic had the entire audience whistle along with Raver’s Anthem. Do any of you remember Raver’s Anthem? “Everybody move your body. Lift ’em up, give it up. Lift your hands up. Give it up! This is hardcore! Ravers get ready!” Needless to say, this duo was quite entertaining. Their old school approach to building an atmosphere was contrasted by their up to date track selection. They chose remixes of tracks we are all familiar with such as Wayne Wonder’s No Letting Go and Gyptian’s Hold You. Everybody sang along, and the adorable Highgrade girls danced up a storm on the stage behind the DJ. You can follow The Heatwave HERE.
During The Heatwave’s last track, while MC Rubi Dan was encouraging his audience to jump up and down, DJ Krinjah danced his way onto the stage. An instantly appealing energy radiated off of him. He was jumping and cheering, and junglists began to condense in front of the decks like protons to a nucleus. Although The Heatwave generated great vibes, the junglists hadn’t yet received their fill of what they congregated for, and Mr. Krinjah intuitively dropped a bunch of Reggaejungle classics for them such as The Warning, Champion DJ remix, Coca Cola Bottle remix etc. MC Lucky One-Der took over the mic for MC Rubi Dan at this time. He is a natural, and the crowd responded to him enthusiastically. All around me, the ladies were cupping their mouths and yelling “Krinjah”. This experience could be added to the dictionary as an additional definition for happiness, in my opinion. I was also impressed that Krinjah ventured to play his own remix of Gyptian’s Hold You, and, in all honesty, I found Krinjah’s remix to be a much better production in comparison. You can follow DJ Krinjah’s and find links to his music HERE.
The DJ that drew the close on this intense musical gathering was DJ Red Lion. He opened his set with the track Marka by Skepta. He wasn’t as hyper as DJ Krinjah, but his energy was warm and engaging as it defused throughout the Wreck Room. The closing DJ must always be in expectation of performing his set to a dissipating crowd, but everybody present during Krinjah’s set seemed to stick around. Red Lion could have easily kept this following dancing until 5 or 6am. Sadly, however, he was forced to draw a close to his set around 3am with Shy FX’s track Original Nuttah. You can find DJ Red Lion’s DJ mixes and biography HERE.
I am pleased to share what a success this anniversary party was for Highgrade Productions. I want to thank them for putting together such a wonderful lineup of DJs. I want to additionally thank DJ Red Lion for sharing his musical knowledge with me via providing track identification. I encourage you all to check out the links provided for these DJs. Combined, these artists embody a large history of drum and bass music and knowledge. Drum and Bass, as a genre, is linked to some of the oldest roots of EDM, and plays a very important part in ALL genres of EDM as we know them today.
Lindsey Lou – EDM TOR
