- Style: Tech House
"How hard is it to push good music?"
Groovejet at Two Floors Up is a quiet night that has yet to find its momentum in the Melbourne clubbing scene. It definitely has a place though with this third installment presenting some more fine DJs to Melbourne clubbers.
Tonight's special guest DJs were the Bamboo Music crew, Hess and Nick Dem Q. I arrived at Two Floors Up in time to catch the last hour of Groovejet resident Jeff Tyler's set. Damn good it was too! This was the first time I'd seen Jeff in action and he delivered a set that the dance floor loved: quality tech house and house that had everyone dancing and the top floor of the club rockin''.
Jeff obviously has his fans too, because it seemed like a lot of people left the club when his set had finished. Surprised me, but I was there specifically to see Hess and Nick Dem Q in action.
Before Hess took to the decks he remarked to me that he was going to make the sound of the room "a lot more percussive". The smile on my face could not have been wider. I am a huge fan of the sound that is Bamboo Music having heard all four of the releases from the Melbourne based Bamboo label that Hess and Nick Dem Q run. Of their DJing as Bamboo, I had only briefly seen them in action when they had the front room at Room680 packed to capacity with people dancing everywhere. Tonight I was looking forward to catching a whole set, with them in the spotlight.
As Bamboo, Hess and Nick always DJ one-on-one, to keep it more interesting for themselves as well as sociable and fun. I was to learn over the course of the set though that doesn’t mean the two DJs have the same sound. Together they work brilliantly. From the onset their set was an excellent mix of percussive and driving tech and tribal house. With seamless mixes and a very individual sound to their music I was captivated from the beginning and moved to dance for practically the whole set (something this scribe rarely does!) Phatt house basslines and nonstop tribal percussion are what these guys are about. Add the occasional vocal sample, and changes in mood with tracks that strip away to nothing and I was in tech house heaven.
As the set moved towards the two hour mark, Nick and Hess were taking longer spells at the decks which allowed their own styles to shine through; Nick playing the housier tracks, Hess the more techy ones. Tune of the night for me had to be the promo Nick dropped that stopped me in my tracks, Sir Oliver''s "A Deeper Sound" on the US label SPF. DJs, find it and buy it now!
Hess and Nick held the dance floor for the whole set, but as a DJ friend remarked to me as we surveyed the small crowd while we danced our asses off, "How hard is it to push good music?" His friends were downstairs listening to the house tunes after deciding they couldn’t get into the tech house, while I hadn’t been able to tempt any of mine out. I don''t think it''s a case of these tunes being "music for DJs" but of not enough people not being exposed to these great sounds.
If you missed Hess and Nick Dem Q this time, be sure not to next time. Their tech house tune selection is amazing, their DJing top class, and they''re here right under your nose in Melbourne.
This was the best set I have heard in AGES and I'm making that big call!