With a line-up curated by Exit Records label owner, dBridge, the night was not set to disappoint. Since 2003, he has hand-picked artists and pushed a minimalistic drum and bass sound that has made the label the esteemed reference that is today.
Upon arrival at Pennington Street in Wapping, outside the entrance to E1, there was a clear buzz. A level of excitement amongst attendees making their way to the event that was as obvious as it was infectious. Despite arriving at peak time, ingress was refreshingly seamless and pleasant unlike a vast majority of London venues. After a quick ID check, attendees were ushered into two lanes and a quick but thorough pat down was completed. Staff were friendly and before long we were walking through the doors of the venue. Greeted by a blue haze of lights and pumping music, we quickly located in the main room. A large and immersive space with one main stage and a bar facility. Aesthetically, the club certainly has an industrial feel to it.
The evening began with a warm-up set from Dolenz, showcasing his unique style and exploring a range of different tempos and genres setting the night off perfectly. Following this was Workforce, who put his efforts into playing a varied set; weaving through multiple different sub genres of drum and bass.
With the release of ‘Fixates Ripgroove edit’, it was clear to see the crowd were anticipating a great set. The Oxford-based DJ showcased a number of styles during his session showing his notorious track selection and ability to read a crowd, he did not disappoint.
DBridge, as always, took the crowd on a journey through his never ending catalogue of tracks, from timeless classics to the latest releases on the label. Drum and bass veteran Jubei played an infamous stripped back minimal set with body given from his iconic rolling bass lines and punchy snares. His flawless mixing had the crowd mesmerised throughout.
One of Exit Records oldest recruits, Skeptical, as always did not disappoint. A standout moment of his set was when he dropped his most recent solo release, ‘Musket’, which provoked an ecstatic crowd reaction. Throughout Skeptical’s well-crafted session, we saw a number of unreleased tracks by himself surprising fans, including his remix of Shy FX’s track, ‘Balaclava’, included on his most recent album.
SP:MC was hosting the night bringing his unique flow perfectly complimenting the sets. SP’s ability to let a track breath and his proficiency to connect with the crowd was a stand-out attribute in his performance. Itoa was on closing duties, winding the night down with a change pace taking the crowd through a journey of up-tempo footwork, jungle and everything in between giving the audience a more experimental feel of the genre.
A special mention to Workforce (one half of SpectraSoul), who put his efforts into playing a varied set; weaving through multiple different sub genres of drum and bass.
Throughout the night, the DJ’s performing were in excellent form, their evident excitement and push for crowd involvement certainly helped create the electric atmosphere that made the event so special.
