Solid Grooves was back last weekend in London since 2019. This time, Bibi, Pawsa and the gang went back to Groovers Island -Three Mills Island- in East London for a non-stop 48 hours party.
Part I started on Saturday and it kicked off with an opening set at 12 pm by Ramin Rezaie. The Hungarian Reelow was next, playing to an almost full capacity garden with new, unreleased tunes. People arrived early, making for a sold-out event, with the crowd respecting Covid-19 regulations. The bosses of No Art and the usual DJ duo for Solid Grooves showcases, ANOTR, brought a suitcase full of bangers straight from Netherlands.
If happiness needs a description, there is the face of Dennis Cruz when he plays. The Spaniard just released two songs from his upcoming album on Crosstown Rebels and he was happier than ever – the crowd certainly felt that. The boss Michael Bibi returned to his hometown after an insane tour around the US and was eager to meet his fans. He played his first set on his own, and then a back-to-back set with special guest and Desolat owner, Loco Dice. When the sun went down, and after a few raindrops, the one and only Pawsa closed the night with dub-tinged flavors laced in lucidly sultry vocals.
When the Island closed, the Groovers moved to The Steel Yard for an after-party until dawn. It was a non-stop weekend, allowing only a few hours to recharge before leading into Part II on Sunday. The Groovers Island opened the doors at midday for round two on Sunday, with some of London’s local DJs as support.
Part II. The first Groover in action was the Italian Gennaro Filisdeo, also known as Blackchild (ITA). Dropping some funky-house tunes, he provided a perfect warm-up to another massive back-to-back. Bibi once again shared the decks, this time with the iconic The Martinez Brothers. We could only see Steve, just the half of the Bronx-based artist duo. Just a month ago, these great artists enjoyed themselves on the booth at NYC, and last Sunday we enjoyed ourselves at Michael’s as we were treated to an (almost) five-hour set.
Bibi, Pawsa, Dennis Cruz, and the rest of the Groovers will return to the U.K. next 7th of August in Bristol and 11th of September, and in Manchester for Parklife Festival alongside special guests such as Hot Since 82, Cuartero, and Alan Fitzpatrick.
