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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! |
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The last monthly Knowwhere reviewed
Reported by Steve Milton
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Submitted 13-02-06 12:02
They say all good things must come to an end, and so it seems they must. Knowwhere has been the stalwart of trance clubbing in London for a long time now, but Friday the 3rd of February saw the very last monthly instalment of one of London’s most respected and loved promotions. As someone who’s fairly long in tooth in clubbing terms (and a few others as well some would no doubt claim), and definitely looking towards the end of my own clubbing career, it was with a tinge of sadness that I headed out once more from sleepy Bedfordshire to sample the proposed delights Knowwhere and Heaven had to offer.
As is the case in these circumstances pre-event drinks were arranged and attended by all the usual HarderFaster suspects, so with some Dutch courage well and truly under our belts we headed the short walk down the road to be faced with an already swelling queue outside the venue. I always take this as my first hint as to what the evening will hold. It wouldn’t have bode well for the night ahead to see a lack of bodies outside, so initial impressions were encouraging as it was obvious that many more than just me thought it was going to be the place to spend this Friday night. After negotiating the entrance with some efficient and helpful door staff (something I always like to report on) we were in and ready to take stock of the madness.
Adam White
Adam White had just taken over from Jurrane and the tempo was already picking up nicely. I know there has been criticism from certain quarters with regards to the type of trance played at this relatively early hour of the evening but for me it was fine. Some may prefer a more sedate and proggy feel and build slowly but with the venue already filling nicely and a crowd that was certainly up for it why wait? As someone who usually prefers something a little harder, proggy/floaty trance can get a tad boring and I suspect the crowd, or most of them at least, appreciated the extra oomph provided up by the DJ. The sound was crisp and the mixing tight with some brand new exclusive tunes, Adam’s own ‘Chimera’ and his remix of Lost Tribes’ ‘Angel’ were served up alongside the odd classic including a 2006 remix of Push’s ‘Strange World’.
It was time for a wander upstairs to check out Olly Perris kicking things off in the hard dance room. I had expected this room to be fairly empty this early on but again it was filling nicely. Mr Perris was getting things going in storming fashion with some great uplifting hard trancers, just my sort of thing and the feet were soon stomping and temperature rising which, considering how cold it felt in there, could only have been a good thing. Clubbers eh, we’re never satisfied . . . too hot, too cold? Still, no real issues here so on we go with the review.
Ed Real followed Olly, tweaking things up a notch further with his usual style of spin backs and slick chops. There’s a tune I’ve heard him play before with a fantastic electric guitar riff in it, a real rocker and I was chuffed when it came out of his box again along with what sounded like a remix of the Members of Mayday bootleg and a TDV classic. Corking stuff.
The Matrix has you!
This is where things go a little awry. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (because I like a good whinge); it’s almost impossible to review a party in a multi-room venue on your own and get everything covered. For that reason I try and spend an even amount of time in the main rooms to basically get a feel for what’s going on and the atmosphere. For this reason I missed the next couple of sets upstairs and down, (my humblest apologies) as my time taken up with the odd stomp, making sure my wife hadn’t been kidnapped by the HF female posse and various forays around the club taking photos and talking to clubbers to get a feel for the way things were going for an alternative perspective from my own. So far, so good.
Phil Reynolds was now behind the decks or perhaps more relevantly, the CDJs (I didn’t see a single vinyl tune played all night) and keeping the tempo up. Whilst snapping a few photos in the DJ booth he made the most monumental cock-up on a transition, quickly he realised his mistake and cracked in the next tune in a most unceremonious style. He turned and looked at me with a sheepish grin on his face “Do you think anyone noticed?” he said to me. Tongue firmly in my check I replied, “Naah Phil you’re OK, that was real slick.” The “I don’t believe you” look I got in return spoke volumes but at least it’s comforting to know even established DJs make a hash of it every now and then and prove they’re only human.
The night was now well and truly underway. Everywhere I went there were people, but it was not so crowded that you couldn’t find a bit of space for some shape and box throwing action. I like Heaven as a venue when it’s not stupidly overcrowded. The different rooms offer a decent alternative from each other and you can usually find somewhere to sit and grab a drink while you take stock and make a few notes. This is what I did next only for my notebook to be hijacked by a certain feline and an accomplice who shall remain nameless. Once returned I found it defaced with spurious notes exclaiming who’s hot and who’s cool. Shameless behaviour. Anyway, I digress . . .
The stage lasers
It seems my need for rest and recuperation meant I missed the live PA from Stacey Kitson which was a shame, but reports from the floor suggested it went well so a thumbs up there. While I’m waffling I’ll say a few words about the production. My previous excursion to Heaven and Knowwhere left me a little disappointed by the visuals, however this time things were much improved. Three lasers firing from alternate ends ensured a jaw dropping light show and as ever the sound filled the venue perfectly with no discernable flat spots or ear shattering bass.
We were by now definitely on the downward slope of the evening so it was back to the main room for a bit of a favourite of mine in the diminutive form of Mr Mark Doggett AKA — K90. Gone was the live PA, instead we were treated to a DJ set of his own material both old and new. Out came his recently release ‘Malaya’ right alongside an old favourite of mine in the shape of ‘Deliverance’. Some may consider K90 to be hard trance and not for the main room in Knowwhere however to my ears I thought he fitted in fairly well. I would place his sound as more on the harder side of trance as opposed to the trancier side of hard . . . if that makes any sense at all. His energetic set finished on his new(ish) remix of ‘Red Snapper’ and as I’d not heard it before was eager to give it a listen. Have to say I was slightly disappointed as it sounded like it was pitched way too slow, maybe that was in preparation for the following set? But maybe it just goes to show maybe you shouldn’t mess with perfection.
A rare shot of K90 not smiling
It was now that I realised I’d missed Spencer Freeland in the hard room. That has to be at least the third time in a row that I’ve missed Spencer play and I’m not a happy bunny about it as he’s one of my favourite hard dance DJs. Still, the show must go on and there was still fun to be had. Or at least for the younger ones amongst us. My old bones were severely creaking by now and I was beginning to regret starting football again the previous Wednesday. In the hard dance room things had gone all bouncy and tough as Spikes drew events there to a close. The draw for the superb flat screen TV went on longer than expected as numerous winning tickets came and went but finally it was claimed, much to the delight of the winners. Good job they didn’t have to take that home on the tube!
So that was basically that. Stevie, Pablo, Anthony and all the Knowwhere crew should be satisfied with a job well done. The thoughts of goodwill that the team received on the night are a testament to the success of Knowwhere as a promotion both past and present. They have indeed put a bit of trance in many a clubber’s life and I wish them well for the future and look forward to the next instalment, whatever or wherever that may be.
See you on the dance floor.
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Other Features By Steve Milton:
The Final Zoo
The Death of Clubland?
Trousers, Caps and Trance Anthems - It's Dave Pearce!
Boom Box, Bulldog Breaks and V1 - It's Time to Reload with DJ-X(lab4)
Clubbers Guide to Photography: Part Two
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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oh and Nomi...
