Saturday, January 10, 2015

Back To Basics: New Years Eve

Now that the curtain has come down on 2014, before the dust begins to settle and the events calendar begins to take shape for the next few months. Following more influential venue closures; Plastic People and Trouw being the latest venerable institutions to bring the curtain down, there’s time to reflect on another roller coaster year for Back to Basics. The UK’s longest running club night being no stranger to venue closure, having seen the Garage close without warning last November. The search for another building continues, which we're told will consist of a music academy for emerging talent and clubbers can expect at least two music rooms. Whilst Basics seeks its new full time venue, they've enjoyed some memorable nights around Leeds since September, with Wire emerging as a popular choice. The venue hosted the recent ‘Back to Basics Gets Wired’ parties. On December 31st, Basics returned to the venue for a special New Year’s party with One Records label manager Adam Shelton.

Arriving at the venue, we filtered into the queue and were greeted by Dave Beer who assured us that he would have everyone inside before the countdown. Once inside we were soon down the front with James Holroyd warming things up at the start of the night. As Denney stepped up to the decks, Dave Beer appeared, taking the role of Master of Ceremonies and advising the crowd that if they can’t understand him, it was because he’s from Yorkshire. His words were greeted with a huge cheer and as the countdown approached the party really got started. Steve Lawler - House Record being the track that started the year, the new release from Hot Creations providing old school house with a modern twist. Denney has an upcoming Hot Creations EP, with Low Frequency being played recently on Skream’s Radio 1 show. Adam Shelton was next on the decks, providing a track selection of raw underground music with a strong influence of acid house and techno. Really enjoyed hearing Willie Burns - Waste Your Time played at Wire. Shelton had said earlier in the week that Basics' has been a staple source of inspiration, being a meeting place for some of his best friends. Since moving to Leeds, this is something I've also discovered and the reason I travelled up from London earlier that evening.

Basics resident James Barnsley is another selector that keeps things real and underground. His music working the dance floor and sound system. Barnsley’s productions have received a great amount of support and Mystery taken from his latest release The Magician EP being another strong offering. The night concluded with a back-to-back set from Aden Konrad and Josh Plews, who were joined by Dave Beer to combine experience with exciting new talent. The Basics head honcho playing Syclops - Where's Jason’s K, which is a personal favourite through to recent releases from Hot Creations. It’s been an exciting year for Aden Konrad and Josh Plews, having gained recognition for pre-parties at Distrikt, they're now closing Back to Basics with their signature sound. The bass from Junior Jack - Thrill Me being a classic piece from early 2000’s house music. I've really enjoyed these underground sessions, the New Year’s party providing an incredible party atmosphere. Basics has developed quite a soft spot for Wire and will be returning there at the end of the month with successful DJ, producer and Dame Music label owner Bloody Mary.