With Sweden taking the limelight and American hogging the glory as far as House music assets are concerned, Holland still has one organic card to play at the table of Electronic entrepreneurship. Case in hand, widespread Dutch House visionary Chuckie was in full swing for his triumphant return to the capital for Dirty Dutch London at Ministry of Sound. Joined by an all-out ensemble of his labels distinct talents and fresh off the mark from exclusive premiers of ‘Electro Dude’ and ‘NUMB3RS’, the eclectic globetrotter had little to prove to the nights sold-out crowd except the seething energy of his finely tuned movement in House music that fuelled the beloved London nightspot into the early hours of Sunday.
Celebrating his formal inauguration into the Dirty Dutch family, Parisian landmark on the extensive Progressive House spectrum Gregori Klosman is faced with the tricky task of opening the nights proceedings. Luckily, armed with a slew of impending bangers and his own discography of mechanically tuned House gems, Ministry of Sound proves a venue to which the rising French bomber proves more than capable at championing. Between his excited onstage presence and feeding of ever-present ringmaster Chuckie, Klosman unveils a host of new material alongside his already eclectic array of bombs, placing ‘Mutfakta’ into the equation for the sake of nostalgia and the road towards infamy that the French maestro has truly championed.
You’d have thought that with so many clear cut hits and a globally recognised clubbing concept at his mercy, the live presence of Dirty Dutch ringmaster Chuckie would have become somewhat predictable along the lines. But still mercilessly poised as trendsetter and mix master general to an array of global cohorts, Dirty Dutch London is about setting the record straight where any misconceptions of his ongoing grandeur are concerned. Fusing raw Dutch House cuts with explosive mainstream crossovers, there is a sense of fluency to Chuckie’s every drop that suggests someone out there has finally found the full picture where live Electronic music is concerned. With kids flying off the decks and t-shirts spinning in the air, an undisputed rush of adrenaline takes Elephant and Castle for all it’s worth at Saturday’s sold-out event. Where crowd favourites ‘What Happens In Vegas’ and Quintino and Sandro Silva’s ‘Epic’ raise the roof for Ministry of Sound’s packed out clientele, a spurt of exclusive new cuts from the man himself point to extensive summer energy from the dynamic Dutch innovator. Ahead of the summers impending anthem alongside Laidback Luke and Martin Solveig, his sight and enthusiasm seem set to conquer with extreme force.
As far as Ministry of Sound debuts go, LA based Electro-modifier Betatraxx could not have walked into a better inauguration had he tried. Driving through an intense romp of low-end autonomy and succinct Electro House crossovers, the Dirty Dutch newcomer goes down a treat to the still rammed sea of London aficionados. But where his own original material shapes a collection of extremely technical Electro Step crossovers and low-end distinction, his ability to play to the crowd sees the likes of Daft Punk, Skrillex and Zedd thrown into the equation in a potent reminder that the young stateside contender is not living in a bubble of universal affection.
Standing out like a sore thumb for all the right reasons on the nights bill is returning Ministry of Sound veteran and overall Drum & Bass visionary Sub Focus. Having led a formal assault of the Dub Step amalgamation and led countless tracks to widespread appraisal and festival infamy, his presence for the Dirty Dutch invasion is most fittingly lapped up by all in attendance. Waving familiar favourites ‘Rock It’ and ‘Could This Be Real’, his digression into the realms of filthy House deviations and imaginative Dub Step transgressions is the perfect u-turn in the night’s proceedings. Having very much forged his legacy between the London club scene and his self-titled full-length album, his reigns testament to the vivacious progress and inherent relevance Nick Douwma still boasts both on home and international turf.
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