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Chibuku turned up the temperature with Simian Mobile Disco playing a blistering set in front of a delirious crowd in the Masque.
It had been a hot sapping day outside so the heat within the blackened rooms of the masque was astonishing, but that didn’t stop the sun-kissed revellers dancing to exhaustion.
Scratch Pervert’s were one of the first up and they had the smallest most intimate space available, performing in the Masque’s newly refurbished Ink.
The sound however is anything but undersized as the lads ripped into a high octane set which had the crowd in a frenzy. An unbelievable mass of people squeezed into the room for the best spec and wrestled there like beer-battered sardines.
SP’s brand of scratch and quick-mix infused drum and bass quickly got the people up to tempo and moving in unison. There were a mass of influences on show throughout the rapturous set, with hip hop rhymes blaring out over atmospheric bass-heavy dance beats – utterly mesmerising.
Simian Mobile Disco eventually entered and took over from resident DJ Raresh in the Theatre. Immediately, there was a wave of whoops and cheers as they got set up and ready to unleash. The sound built up and then erupted outwards as the duo and crowd set into the groove.
They have always maintained their affinity with the rave despite ventures into promotion and record labels of late and in 2010 this connection seems even more intrinsic, with Chibuku being the perfect foil for them to showcase their talents. The pair gyrated over their decks, with hands buzzing over the switches and dials with a masterful, serene ease.
The sound coming out of the speakers was big though, cinematic in scope and the bass had a brute force which sent reverberations through every sinew. Earfuls of funk fuelled techno and people couldn’t get enough. A mash up of ‘Hustler’ was a highlight for many, which could be judged from the rising noise levels and the heightened dancing.
A Radio 1 Essential Mix in January came adjoined with the exciting news of a fresh album in the pipeline, which is due out later on in the year. All signals from inside the SMD camp point towards a more techno driven project, with even greater focus on the dancefloor. If this performance is anything to go by, we are in for a treat.