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Features
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| Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! | | N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! | | Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna | | A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! | | 'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! |
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X-static 5th Birthday – Re-launch of The Scala (Saturday 6th March 2003)
Reported by VinDiesel
/
Submitted 22-03-04 15:50
I entered the Scala on a journey of discovery, of my first clubbing experience in a venue I’ve never been to before, Scala. On entering the club, I noticed how the foyer was like that of a luxury theatre with sweeping marble staircases leading upwards. At that moment I knew then I was in for something special.
I love clubbing in big clubs, especially those that have loads of rooms and places to explore and wonder and this place was certainly like that. We found the cloakroom after the very helpful bar staff directed us to the funky foyer. I must say the staff, were most helpful and very polite and friendly all night. The coats were in bags were gone, time to party.
On entering the first room, the main arena, I could see a room that has been set up very well in view and thought for clubbers. Things like plenty of walkways leading down and round the back and front of the dance floor, so people didn’t have to push one way all the time through the crowd.
I was amazed at the excellent hanging visual décor and the powerful lasers that spanned the room. The room on the whole was very clean and fresh. With a great laid out dance floor, a large stage which was accessible for dancers (but I felt there could have been some more visuals particularly at the back of the stage for clubbers as this looked a bit plain) and small overhanging balcony areas, this was especially great so the crowd could see the DJs easily. The DJ booth was accessible and clubbers were able to go and talk to the DJs, which was great too.
The sound system was crisp, clear and powerful but not overpowering. I was able to move around the main room and still enjoy the music from all areas and also dance closely to the speakers on the dance floor without plugging my ears!!
The view of the main arena could be viewed from the excellent VIP room, with a great view of the dance floor and DJ booth. I spent the first hour in here and I felt very relaxed with its layout in the style of a top central London bar. Loved the funky décor, dim lighting and relaxed atmosphere and of course, the people. From here I saw a crowd of happy clubbers, stomping and getting into the music in the main arena and I felt an overwhelming desire to re-join them, so off I went.
After a couple of hours of happy stomping to some great uplifting hard dance tunes in the main arena, we went up to the 2nd room hosted by Zoology. A smaller room but with just as effective sound system which totally filled the room. The sides of this room carried lovely swish booths with comfortable seating and dimmed lighting giving it the look of a very upmarket club/bar. A great layout with some nice backdrops but again could have been jazzed up with some more hanging decorations.
I was asked how come I had never been to Zoology before at 414. I think a number of reasons for this and one of them may have been it wasn’t my kind of music. But boy I was very soon proved wrong!!! Latex Zebra sets involved some good uplifting hard trance tunes, some German trance etc. I found this music excellent and allowed me to explore the boundaries of mainstream hard house/dance. I soon joined the happy smiling friendly faces in front of LZ and was soon stomping away!!
I walked out of the 2nd room onto a balcony over which I could see the whole of the main arena dance floor below me. Note: the sound was very clear and not distorted travelling up, allowing people to chill out and observe people down below.
Later on in the night, I really enjoyed Mattie C’s set, really uplifting and banging. Mattie C dropped “breather –come on” and the place just erupted! I also managed to meet with lots more friendly nice people including Slacky, Jolene Redtrip, Flake, Flip etc… I felt very welcome. I managed to catch the end of Future Sound of Elvis’ set, which was hard to pull myself away from, hard the way like it but very NU energy, with just enough time to catch the closing set of Ed Real.
From all the walking up and down the stairs between rooms, my legs were quite aching at the end of night…but I was still able to enjoy the closing set from Mr Ed Real, playing some wicked remixes of some old skool tracks, which started slowly uplifting becoming harder towards the end… but not too hard.
The music on a whole, was spot on all night in all 3 rooms and each room flowed nicely throughout the night, with various styles of music I was spoilt for choice and gave me a new insight to different sounds of dance music I may never had experienced before until now! I managed to grab the last 30 mins of Miss BPM’s set at the beginning of the night in the main room. She played a set with classic, driving bouncy beats, which kicked off the main arena to a great start. Later on, Wayne Burgess did a great set, with lots of uplifting hard trance, NU energy, not too banging and hard. When he dropped Veracocha – Carte Blanche (hard remix) one of my favourite tunes at the moment I flew onto the dance floor and soon saw some other faces joining me.
I’ve been told that X-static has a certain following and the crowd are very friendly and I had definitely experienced what I heard. The only disappointment was that the place could have been busier. But the people that were there did not let this spoil their enjoyment and the night as they went mental on the dance floor. I meet new HarderFasters and other clubbers and chatted with them about their night. One thing I noticed was that the promoters were mingling with the crowds and their friends and had a good stomp themselves (yes Miss BPM excellent)! All part of the experience to making people feel welcome.
The set of the night went to Joel B, I haven’t heard him for quite a while and his choice of hard uplifting tunes and excellent mixing made this the highlight of my night and I was gurning away on the dance floor like a true clubber, enjoying his set to the max.
After missing them at Obsession and Antiworld I finally got to see Jolene Redtrip and DJ Shimmer dance. They were a real pleasure to watch with their excellent smooth well-placed moves on the stage, they really got the crowd going.
And for a break from the hard house/dance I ventured into the funky house layer. A wonderful small corridor which was wickedly fan cooled. Those funky beats were just the thing to unwind after having a sweaty old long stomp in the main arena!
Other points about the venue were that the toilets were immaculate and well kept all night and plenty of them, which was great to go and grab that occasional splash of water on the face… to cool down and refresh, esp. at 3am!
Security was thorough but good and friendly, within the main arena they sat and blended into the background and totally passive and unobtrusive on clubbers. The rest of the staff including the cloakroom, bar, reception were helpful and friendly and chatty…something which makes you even more welcome in a place like this
The question I asked myself before I went to the Scala was… is this a place/club I would go back and re-visit. And I think that was answered with a positive yes within the first 20 minutes.
I not only had a great night out, but also discovered 3 great parties that I would like to attend in the future, a smashing very plush venue (something that is becoming more appealing for the hard dance crowd) why should we have to have hard dance nights in dirty, badly lit, oven like clubs anymore!! We want better, and with Scala you get a very good venue with excellent sound, lighting and also quite cool temperatures, this for me has got to be the venue.
Hard work and a lot of time and effort has been put in especially by X-Static with great attention from Zoology, Swamp and Blonde Media. These friendly open people always ready to welcome new clubbers to their parties…one of whom is now me!!
I enjoyed this club because it combined many different elements for me including stomping in the main arena surrounded by lots of clubbers and clear music, through to being a passive observer of the music within the stylish booths and seating of the 2nd room.
I very much look forward to the next X-static which is going to be co-hosted with Hardware, especially as it’s going to be held at Scala. April 11th bank holiday Sunday 11am – 7pm.
Photos thanks to Miss BPM, shom & Jolene 
EventID 5b5e1c28d44a0c6a4ef4ffd9de85b4a9: No matching event found
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Across the divide - It's Alex Mac and Zeebra Kid
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The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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on the 11th April babe! 
xx
