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Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! |
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Fiction 6th Birthday @ The Cross, Friday 4 March
Reported by gergi108
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Submitted 15-03-06 18:52
Having become a regular at DTPM and Fiction since reviewing the DTPM Christmas Party, this was an occasion I was not going to miss. In fact I was the first person through the door. Blue Cube Promotions are well known for their professionalism and attention to detail and today was no exception, from the directional fluorescent lights on the rails demarcating the two queues, to kids cyberpunked head to toe in costume entertaining those waiting, one with two decks playing ‘Out of Space’ by The Prodigy.
Once inside two drag queens lovingly handed out Fiction key-rings. In Room 3 Kami was blasting out deep electro house in his unique euphoric style. Kami and Malcolm Duffy are possibly the only two DJs on the roster who are to be witnessed at Fiction and DTPM at Fabric every week. More on Malcolm “tin tin” Duffy later.
Kami, an Iranian with scary goblin tattoos on one arm, will be celebrating a year of DJing for Blue Cube in April and he is definitely one to watch. The next DJ in Room 3 was Guy Williams who rocked my world at DTPM a few weeks ago. He played these piano tracks with wicked sub bass. When I told DJ Stevie B about it at Orange he said “that’s funky house!” Anyway, it was more underground than I’m used to.
The venue itself had sweet revolving logos throughout, with beautiful red tropical flowers in vases, including bird of paradise for those of a more horticultural disposition. Even two gardens with leather sofas and tables are available for those looking to chill or those looking to share a more intimate moment.
At long last came the most anticipated arrival of Malcolm Duffy with his unique twisted electro style that rocks my world. He started his set with the huge tune ‘There’s No Money in the Underground’. A veteran DJ of Trade whose career one French clubber had been following for 14 years, Malcolm is an extremely humorous and multi-talented individual; how many DJs do you know who are fluent in sign language?!
Simon Hunter
In Room 1 the madness began with some traditional soulful US house from a DJ I may have never heard before, Simon Hunter. That fluffy swinging US house is very neglected of late in clubs, but Fiction brings it back in style. The crowd were still pouring in at this point and I took the opportunity to spin on the main dancefloor as I love to do at DTPM before things heat up. The other thing I love about the Cross is that just in front of the raised terrace at the back of Room Two there’s a big fan which is high enough for only me to reach and I can angle it just where I need it as the temperature inevitably escalates as the evening progresses into morning.
Meanwhile in the VIP room, so-called as it opens to the public well after midnight, Fat Tony, who is not fat anymore but is 40, was mashing it up. To my surprise he actually noticed that one of the decks was missing a needle but it did take him 5 minutes. How many DJs have a style that has fallen into everyday language?! But “doing a Fat Tony” is well known in pink clubland. For those unfamiliar with this come down and see as he plays at Fiction after 2am in the Club Classics room.
When I asked him for his view of proceedings he replied “I didn’t know it was happening until this afternoon!” Anyway, God Bless Fat Tony; as was bellowed in the movie Highlander, the eternal catchphrase “There can be only one!” definitely applies here. Another good thing about the VIP room is a C shaped semi-arch of rather large leather sofas that one can lounge on when things get a bit wobbly.
Nick Tcherniak started things grooving with a retrospective of club anthems of the last two years, none of which I could name but all of which I know by heart. At this point I returned to Room Two for the arrival of Mark Westhenry to the decks. He did his always excellent job of playing those classic floor-fillers to an eager and now mostly topless crowd (that’s the blokes sorry, although most of the glamorous girlies weren’t wearing very much either!). For me Mark, who played with Tony Humphries for over 6 years at Ministry of Sound, embodies that DTPM sound. He is from the old school of djing a club which undoubtedly has Malcolm Duffy as its founder member, whereby the master takes his pupil on a musical odyssey and mixes can take 2 minutes to flow into each other. Too often now the style is to beat match and gently flip one into another.
The joy of Fiction is that music styles merge: Guy Williams can change from hard minimal electro beats into anthems of a more mainstream nature in Room 3, the deep end where the lights are off and it gets dark and dirty. Mark Westhenry has been known to switch it the other way from funky house anthems to electro anthems.
Mark Westhenry
All things considered, it was a magical night for all who made the effort to attend. It’s a tribute to Fiction that even in inclement weather it’s rammed and the birthday was no exception. Even the barman in the VIP room who has worked at the Cross for over 2 years had to admit that Fiction is one of their busiest and most consistent parties.
But in my humble opinion it is the atmosphere and the crowd at Fiction that make it stand out from a plethora of rival promotions. Straight, gay or bisexual, male, female or whatever other your proclivities sexually or gender-wise, there is a place for you all at Fiction, where attitude extends only to the effort you put into your outfit. A rather friendly place full of beautiful people as yet unravaged by the effects of the weekend, this up for it crowd has to be seen to be believed.
Suffice to say, whatever you are looking for, you should be able to find it at Fiction. From the classic house sounds of the VIP, to the US and UK anthems of Room Two, to the electro fuelled madness of the Deep End, Fiction has undoubtedly a cross-over appeal and this has been one of the keys to its success.
So despite the sub-zero temperatures, the queues were huge, the crowd was glam and the music was fierce, but Fat Tony definitely played a memorable set with a testimonial on how not to DJ; who cares, we love him anyway! So that was Fiction’s 6th Birthday at the Cross. Hope to see you there next Friday night, and if you dress to impress you'll fit right in.
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Other Features By gergi108: Mixing wizard & Fuel petrolhead Alan K tells it like it is @ Fire Anthony Dean dishes it out just in time for Terminal Eduardo Herrera — the Brazilian invasion continues Dave Joy finally hits London DTPM Christmas Party @ Fabric & interview with Mark Westhenry
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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