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Waking up to a typical British summertime on the morning of an outdoor party is never the most confident start, particularly when it decides to serve up a dollop of its most changeable weather. However, living a hop, skip and a jump across the road from the daddy of all warehouses that is the Bussey Building, I was insupressably excited to be a guest at one of the most well established house parties in the UK.
As expected, just as we'd ascended sixth flight of stairs, the rain decided to pour into Flori's warm up set. Although stopping play for a while, it enabled me to meet some great characters, locals and bar staff who contributed greatly to a like-minded, positive crowd – which always makes a huge difference to a party. In addition to this, Secretsundaze co head-honcho Giles Smith was ever the hospitable gentleman, walking around humbly reassuring people that should the rain persist, they had every means to bring the party inside.
As we ventured back up and out, Flori's music seemed formulated to help tease out the sunshine. We were greeted with infectious, tribal-tinged deep house delivered by a baby-faced 23 year old (aka Jamie Taylor), who exuded the maturity of someone way beyond his years both in demeanour and tune selection. A technically competent and well-crafted set consisted of soulfully hypnotic tracks like 'Little Pray For You' by Franck Roger and 'Hold it Down' by 4Hero's. This proved more than enough to coax the initially retiring wall flowers away from the stunning panoramic city views, to fill the rooftop centre with motion and colour. It was clear to see how jazz and funk have been a big influence on Flori's audio education, as he left the sun dancers thoroughly warmed up and ready to roll.
Next up Giles Smith continued synchronising sound with weather, introducing uplifting piano-infused melodies and percussive feel-good beats which seemed to blow the clouds away. As Peckham's finest Carribean eaterie DDK set up camp in the corner of the roof, mouth-watering BBQ jerk chicken aromas wafted over, adding to the sense of summer that was already being created.
Since launching Secretsundaze in 2001, Giles' reputation and contribution to the industry has exploded. Highly acclaimed by Timeout, he has showcased some of the biggest names in house and techno, while his discography spans clubs and underground scenes worldwide. And that's just for starters.
With this in mind his set for me was eagerly anticipated and yet again, he exceeded expectations. Dropping 'Pride' by Osunlade featuring Nadirah Shakoor immediately swept the crowd into a blissful frenzy of mutual smile exchanges and harmonised movement. His set progressed seamlessly into more minimal vibes with 'Earth Browser' by Guido Schneider, and the moorishly foot-shifting 'Just Dance' by Mr V which evoked many raised hands in recognition of its contagious beats. Towards the end his music was interspersed with some unexpected dubby sounds, which perfectly paved the way for the next guest.
Having swotted up a little on Braiden I knew bass was his background, with dubstep gigs launching him into the London clubbing scene and through the radio waves of pirate station Rinse FM. I also knew he was all about the element of surprise, known for scouring Berlin clubs in search of different sounds to draw influence from. And what a surprise he delivered for a Sunday afternoon on the rooftop of a disused weapons factory in Peckham.
As he took to the decks he initially continued down the warm groovy track with records such as 'Fantasy' by Cassio Ware, appearing to be completely involved with his tunes and applying much thought as to where he wanted to take his audience. In fact his intensity at times appeared juxtaposed against the playful path his music took. With an almost mash-up style of mixing, minimal gems such as 'Dinamo' by Nathan Flake glinted amongst well received curve balls like the 80's synth-laden melodies of 'Wayne County Hill Cops' by Omar-S and Ob Ignitt. His set was more of an adventure than progression, flitting between disco glitch and earthy dub, soulful vocals and punchy bass lines. Again, he ended on a high, well-poised note set to welcome the evening's headliner, Mr Daniel Bell.
Balmy and warm as the dipping sun, colossal rhythms were delivered by Daniel, who reminded me of a gentle giant warrior-lord stamping his mark in the form of big, chest pounding beats. He appeared understated in expression and movements; except for one smile I caught, which slowly crept in for a Secretsundaze papper - before his attention turned quickly back to the serious business of delivering a powerful onslaught of music to the closing finale.
The techno that ensued was as deep and as hearty as the statuesque of its generator, enveloping its stylish captors until the sun melted beneath the London skyline. The stand-out track for me was 'War People' by Yone-Ko, its title seemingly fitting with Daniel's presence and the surroundings of the formidable Bussey. California-born, this DJ has been at the forefront of some of the most exciting waves in the evolution of techno. Influenced by the Detroit and Chicago house scene, 'Losing Control' championed some of the heavier robotic minimalistic sounds that followed. That said there was nothing mechanic about the brilliantly eclectic audience, or the happiness that amalgamated from such collective listening pleasure.
And for me this is what put the cherry on the Sunday. Not only were my ears spoon-fed musical desserts from exceptionally talented DJs, my day was filled with meeting many new faces from all walks of life, who were there to share a mutual love and appreciation of a ruddy good party. Happy days, very happy sundaze.
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article by: Carrie Tang
photos by: Carrie Tang
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| published: 04/07/2012 12:52 |
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