- Wild Combination is among a new breed of London club nights focusing on the so-called experimental club sound. These parties are united by a common approach rather than a specific sound, described by Martha Pazienti Caidan in RA's The Hour podcast as "fiercely experimental, aggressively mainstream, and sometimes both at the same time." In reality, this is expressed as a bold collision of genres: at any of these events, you might hear reggaeton, classic '00s R&B and boundary-pushing techno within the space of a few minutes.
The openness of Wild Combination is not limited to its music policy. Launched by Pure Joy and RA contributor Maya Kalev in early 2016, it pairs adventurous bookings with a focus on diversity, representing a new generation of clubbers who refuse to separate politics from the dance floor. The lineups heavily feature female and non-binary talent, which helps to reinforce the notion of the club as a safe space for all dancers. The effect is tangible: at the two Wild Combination nights I've been to, the crowd was unusually mixed and friendly.
Last weekend's edition, held at Hackney Wick's The Yard, pulled together artists from labels as wide-ranging as PAN, Swing Ting and Night Slugs, hinting at the genre cross-pollination that was to come. When I arrived, PAN's Flora Yin-Wong was setting the scene with flair, pumping out colourful cuts that leant heavily on reggaeton rhythms.
It was the variety of sounds that made the music so electrifying. Manara, who's known for her work with Night Slugs and BBC AZN Network, carried off the night's best set by threading complex rhythms with instantly-recognisable snippets of mainstream hip-hop and R&B. She cut between styles with jagged transitions, hitting a peak with her own fiery "Dola Igloo" edit, which mashes up Wiley with a Bollywood classic. Florentino followed with a much heavier set of reggaeton, similarly shot through with his own edits and well-known samples. The sustained intensity and unpredictability of the music meant that dancing hard was the only option—anyone looking to catch their breath had to do so in the smoking area.
The only snag was low attendance. Except during Manara's set, the dance floor was rarely more than half full. By 3:20 AM, The Yard had emptied, forcing the club to shut before Pure Joy had a chance to play. It was an unfortunate twist because the last Wild Combination party I'd attended, featuring DJ Haram in September, proved how breathlessly exciting this music can be with a big crowd onside. Nevertheless, Saturday still gave the impression that Wild Combination are building something special.