Last night we headed to Farringdon to see Loco Dice's revered label Desolat make its return to Fabric. One of the most exciting line-ups I've seen since landing back on home turf, the online tickets were unsurprisingly snapped up well before the weekend's antics, and there was a sizeable crowd building outside before the doors were even opened for business.
Terry Francis was coaxing Room 2 into action when we headed in, working the early crowd up for the night ahead. A resident since the club's inception, Francis, more than anyone, knows exactly how to work these walls like a pro, and his accessible, infectious tech-house selections made for the perfect start to the night.
Next up was the turn of Bulgarian DJ KiNK, and anyone who's seen him in action will know his sets are as captivating as they are unpredictable. Drawing in the most energetic of Fabric's masses, his set was a high octane two hours of some of the freshest underground cuts. Clearly having as much fun as we were, he beamed as he expertly worked his way through tracks like his own 2012 release Express.
Over in Room 3, Manchester promoter Kaluki was in charge, showing us southerners how it's done, with headliner Richy Ahmed in full swing when we ventured in. Well practiced in serving up solid house sets, the Hot Natured resident maintained an impressive crowd despite not being the most inspired set of the night. Undoubtedly the highlight of his two hour stint was the British producer's new Hot Creations release, Sneaky Acid, the funked up bass line sparking frenzied appreciation amongst the crowd.
How I'm two hundred words deep without a sniff of Room 1 and the legend that is Loco Dice I don't know, but here goes. After a typically strong, percussion heavy hour of dance-ready sounds from Argentinian favourite Guti, it was time for - let's face it - the reason we were all there, Dice.
Dressed in his usual black attire, the German stepped into the booth to an absolutely ram-packed room. Like the first of his Ibiza outings of the summer, Dice went pedal to the metal with fast paced techno and tech house right from the outset, working the speakers with big breaks and even bigger drops.
After manoeuvring ourselves around the booth and into a good spot – and then patting ourselves on the back because hey that was no easy feat – we were reminded of why this North London venue is up there with the best clubs in the world. Whilst remaining a dark, underground club in every sense of the word, the light shows that flood the rooms are impressive no matter how many times you've seen them. Like something straight out of Ushuaïa (sans-gliteratti) hundreds of white strobes spread across the room onto Dice's mesmerised audience, while underfoot the bodysonic dance floor pumped the bass up through the mass of bodies.
It was a playful set from the Desolat boss, showcasing some of the label's hottest work with contagious energy. A true master of his craft, he expertly looped vocals and percussion, building the tension in the room before unleashing the dirtiest of drops onto the London crowd. Three hours in, and a renewed energy filled the space as the other rooms finished up, propelling Dice into the remainder of what was easily the most exciting, energised set of the night. As always, Fabric comes into its own in its final hours.
WORDS | Joanna Wright PHOTOGRAPHY | Nick Ensing
