February Is For New Experiences
February has been a bumper month of music for me and I have loved every minute of it. I’ve been lucky enough to witness some fantastic shows and listen to some incredible music.
One thing I love about gigging and nights out is visiting all the different venues in which they take place. Some venues get real creative with their spaces and have totally unique personalities which add to the experience. I’m a big believer that the setting makes up the majority of a given musical experience and where it takes place is easily the largest part of this.
I have talked previously about some beloved venues of mine. To name a few, we have KOKO, Night Tales Loft, Printworks and its sister Drumsheds, Hackney Church, and a plethora of others I have yet to have the pleasure of rambling on about.
And February has introduced me to two more that I’ve been itching to visit. FOLD and Colour Factory.
DJRUM at Fold
FOLD has quickly reached legendary status in the London clubbing scene since opening in 2018 with their UnFOLD party becoming a Sunday staple for clubbers in the city. It’s known for being one of London’s only 24 hour licensed venues and they are no stranger to throwing multi-day events.
Another thing the club is known for is its very strict no phones policy. Something I am a big fan of. There is nothing more distracting than people on the dancefloor taking pictures (especially with flash) and getting in the way of everyone around them.
The club inside is a relatively simple setup. One big dancefloor, one big bar, loads of unisex loos at the back. It is a room designed for getting lost in the music. The low ceiling overhead coupled with the industrial feel of the ex-printing plant building gives this industrial feel to the place that suits its commonly heavier techno and electro lineups that it puts on.
DJRUM (DJ-rum? Drum?) is playing a vinyl only set tonight and the crowd’s energy is high. He beautifully blends together the most genres I think I’ve ever heard a DJ play in one set and I loved every minute of it.
FOLD’s not only known for its elite music lineups, out-of-town location in Canning Town, and rules on mobile devices; it is also known for its sound. I cannot overstate how insane the sound is in there. A myriad of speakers around the DJ booth pump out crystal clear and booming audio to the eager crowd and I was in awe of how the bass really ripped through you. Ten out of ten. Was very glad I had my trusty ear defenders with me else I would have left the place deaf!
If you’ve read my blog before, you know I love a good smoking area. Air has never tasted quite as good as it does leaving a sweaty room and FOLD delivers here yet again. Walking outside you’re greeted with a simple, yet pleasant, metal wire fenced balcony that stretches a little around the outside of the building. A lone bar halfway along offers espresso martinis on tap which I rightfully abused. Ample wooden benches fit the continued industrial feel of the club outside and offer plenty of space to sit and relax. In the background, the Jubilee and DLR lines zip by the industrial estate, adding to the ambiance.
Back inside, we caught the end of the DJRUM’s stunning set. Jungle, breakbeats, electro, and hardstyle is the digestif for the night as he wraps up.
Something to note here is that FOLD often put on smaller (and amazing) artists instead of the usual roster of big hitters other clubs put on. This tends to attract a crowd that are really into the music and this is evident in the final few minutes of DJRUM’s set. Firstly, everyone was still there at 4am. The crowd hadn’t died down one bit. This is in complete contrast to other clubs like Electric Brixton and KOKO where by 2am you’re already noticing the crowd thinning. Secondly, you could really feel the energy in the room. People were loving what they were hearing and everyone was cheering DJRUM on.
However, like all good nights, this one had to come to an end and leaving the club I was presented with the daunting task of trying to book a cab home. Canning Town is not an easy place to get back from let me tell you.
It was well worth the trek though.
My Nu Leng and Tibasko at Colour Factory
Now this was a throwback.
My Nu Leng (now MNL.) was the artist of my time at university. You were sure to hear them at every house party and every night out you went on so when the opportunity arose to see them at a hitherto unvisited venue, I of course had to go.
Assembling the crew, we made our way to Hackney Wick where the club was nestled amongst the dazzling array of breweries there. It’s another simple yet charming venue with one dancefloor and a smoking area out the back. In the summer, the smoking area becomes its own venue and throws parties that my flatmate has been to a few times. However, I went in February, so it was purely a functional smoke box instead of anything that exciting.
A stage to the left as you come in is where the DJ stands with projectors above providing the visual spectacle for the night. The long room allows for plenty of space for dancing and it has a modest bar opposite the decks. I spotted a mezzanine layer above the dancefloor but alas I never quite made it up there as the main pit in front of the decks is where I made my camp for the night.
My Nu Leng’s set is sadly short but a wild ride from beginning to end and is surprisingly house-y for an artist mostly known for the bassline genre. You could hear their roots inspiring their new sound though, bassy 4-to-the-floor beats filled the space and had the crowd moving.
The smoking area of the club is another delightfully simple setup. Wooden fencing surrounded the modest space filled with wooden benches and chairs. There was no concern about getting a spot to rest those aching legs. It had another small bar where you could grab a drink listening to the Overground line pass next to you.
Heading back inside, I somehow ran into the quiz master for my local pub quiz and then later a colleague from work which was a bizarre experience.
Tibasko were on after My Nu Leng and they had the room in the palms of their hands. I’ve seen Tibasko once before at Brixton Jamm just over a year ago and since then they have really perfected their craft. My dad once told me that jazz is the one genre where the artist is having more fun than the audience but tonight Tibasko look to be having the time of their lives behind the decks. House track after house track emanated from the speakers and the room was pumping. They even whipped out a weapon of a remix of Move Your Feet by Junior Senior that I have yet to find.
Leaving the club, I somehow ran into yet another person I know from an old workplace before jumping in a cab to head back home.
Hackney Wick, you delivered yet again and I will be back soon.