- As a deep house enthusiast, it's hard not to love Smallville Records. The Hamburg label has spent the past decade developing an intimate and immersive aesthetic, releasing music from the likes of Moomin, Christopher Rau and Move D, backed by the endearing and recognisable artworks of Stefan Marx. In more recent years, the label has taken a strong foothold in the blossoming Parisian house scene, opening a record shop (Smallville Records Paris) in the tenth arrondissement back in 2013.
On Saturday, July 23rd, the Paris branch hosted a takeover at La Trabendo, curating a lineup that was nothing short of astounding. For once, the bill didn't feature any of the crew's marquee artists, focussing instead on lesser-known favourites like Brian Not Brian, owner of London outlet Going Good, and mysterious German producer DJ Slyngshot.
Slyngshot was warming up the Terrace when I arrived. Only knowing him through his own output, which tends to focus on gritty, hip-hop-inspired deep house, I was pleasantly surprised to hear him deliver a warm and cheerful selection, dropping George Clinton's "We Got The Funk" and slept-on Strictly Rhythm bangers. Brian Not Brian kept the atmosphere going with some inspired disco and Balearic cuts. His set reached a climax with Mandy Smith's "Mandy's Theme," a hypnotic and colourful gem that worked a charm on the Terrace's sharp soundsystem.
In the main room, PLO Man was spinning uncharacteristically mellow house to a frustratingly vacant floor. Despite his wicked selections, the crowd were more inclined to sip drinks outside than to enter full-on club mode. It was around 2AM, just as Brian Not Brian was finishing up on the Terrace, that the room suddenly filled up. Not long after, PLO Man handed control over to the night's headliner, DJ Fett Burger. The Sex Tags Mania boss immediately set the tone for his hefty closing set, opening with B.G. Baarregaard's "Out In Space, Out Of Time (Re-work)." It was the first of many no-nonsense, entrancing house cuts, delivered expertly by a DJ at the top of his game. The crowd were loud and vocal in their appreciation, thankful for the chance to hear such a strong cast of leftfield DJs under one roof.